In September and October 1914, she was refitted at Portsmouth for this mission, which included relining her 13.5-inch guns down to 12 inches (305 mm), improving their range by about 1,000 yards (914 meters).
During the months of September and October 1914, she underwent a major overhaul at Portsmouth in preparation for this specific task, which involved reducing the caliber of her 13.5-inch guns to 12 inches (305 mm), thereby increasing their effective range by about 1,000 yards (914 meters).