Force H off Gibraltar, 1940

“Force H off Gibraltar, 1940.” Oil on canvas by Rowland Langmaid.

The loss of HMS Victoria, 22 June 1893

The loss of Royal Navy battleship HMS Victoria “on this day in history” 22 June 1893 following collision with HMS Camperdown.

Oil on canvas by A. R. D. Ligmore.

Victoria’s wreck lays off Tripoli, Lebanon.

Victoria sank in just 13-minutes, slipping into the water bow first.The men in the engine room never received orders to abandon ship and went down with her. Other men in the water were sucked down with the ship. Of her ship’s company, 357 were rescued and 358 lost.

 

“On this day in history” Battleship USS Missouri (BB 63) commissioned into US Navy, 1944

“On this day in history” 11 June 1944, the Iowa-class battleship USS Missouri (BB 63) was commissioned into the United States Navy at the New York Navy Yard.

USS Missouri commissioning ceremony, 11 June 1944 (NH 96795).

Photos of Royal Navy vessels at Invergordon during the First World War

Invergordon

Iron Duke-class battleship HMS Emperor of India at Invergordon, 1915.

Acasta-classs destroyer HMS Midge underway at Inverordon, 1915.

“Splendid Cat” battlecruiser HMS Lion at Invergordon, 1915.

Wreck of armoured cruiser HMS Natal at Invergordon, sunk by cordite explosion in the aft 9.2-inch shellroom, 1915.

Queen Elizabeth-class battleship HMS Malaya in drydock at Invergordon after the Battle of Jutland, 1916.

US Navy minelayer USS San Francisco in drydock at Invergordon, 1918.

M-class destroyer HMS Octavia departing Invergordon, 1919.

Queen Elizabeth-class battleship HMS Valiant in drydock at Invergordon, 1919.

Admiralty Floating Drydock 5 (AFD5) at Invergordon, built at Cammell Laird 1912, moved to Invergordon 1914.

“On this day in history” Royal Navy battleship HMS Mars placed in commission, 1897

On this day in history 8 June 1897, the Royal Navy Majestic-class battleship HMS Mars was placed in commission.

HMS Mars underway, 1898.

Built by Laird Brothers, Birkenhead, Mars was a pre-dreadnought battleship carrying main armament of four Vickers 12-inch Mk VIII guns mounted in twin turrets. Secondary armament included twelve QF 6-inch guns mounted in casemates and twelve QF 12-pounder guns.

Mars served in the Portsmouth Division of the Channel Fleet and took part in the Fleet Review for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and for Edward VII’s Coronation in 1902.

HMS Mars departing Portsmouth, 1901.

During the First World War, Mars served as guard ship on the Humber, then transferred to the Dover Patrol. In 1915, she had her main armament removed and recommissioned as a troopship for service in the Dardanelles campaign. Later, she served as an accommodation ship at Invergordon. Mars was sold for scrap in 1921.

Accomodation ships Algiers, Akbar (former Temeraire), and Mars at Invergordon.

 

“On this day in history” Royal Navy battleship HMS Jupiter placed in commission

On this day in history 8 June 1897, the Royal Navy Majestic-class battleship HMS Jupiter was placed in commission.

HMS Jupiter anchored at Spithead, 1899.

Built by J & G Thomson, Clydebank, Jupiter was a pre-dreadnought battleship carrying main armament of four Vickers 12-inch Mk VIII guns mounted in twin turrets.

Vickers BL 12-inch Mk VIII naval gun.

Secondary armament included twelve QF 6-inch guns mounted in casemates and twelve QF 12-pounder guns.

Jupiter served with the Channel Fleet and took part in the Fleet Review for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 and for Edward VII’s Coronation in 1902. During the First World War, Jupiter served in the Channel, the Mediterranean, and the Red Sea. She paid off at Devonport in 1916 to provide crews for new antisubmarine vessels and served the remainder of the war as an accommodation ship. Jupiter met her fate at the breaker’s yard in 1920.

HMS Jupiter, Brassey’s Naval Annual, 1902.

“On this day in history” Royal Navy battleship HMS London placed in commision

On this day in history 7 June 1902, the Royal Navy Formidable-class battleship HMS London was placed in commission.

HMS London at Malta, 1915.

Built at Portsmouth Dockyard, London was a battleship of the pre-dreadnought era, armed with four Armstrong Whitworth 12-inch naval guns, firing semi-armour-piercing shells weighing 850 lbs.

At the outbreak of war in 1914, London was assigned to the Channel Fleet, and later served in the Dardanelles campaign and with the Mediterranean Fleet.

In 1918, now obsolete as a battleship, London’s main armament was removed and she was converted to service as a minelayer. By 11 November 1918, London had laid 2,640 mines as part of the Northern Mine Barrage.

HMS London as minelayer, painted in dazzle camouflage, 1918.

Reduced to reserve status in 1919, London paid off in 1920 and was towed to the breaker’s yard in 1922.

New Jersey battle group, WESTPAC, 1986

Aerial view of the first Battleship Battle Group (BBBG) to deploy to the Western Pacific since the Korean War, taken 1 July 1986. [click photo to enlarge]

New Jersey Battleship Battle Group (BBBG), 1 July 1986. Photo credit: USN.

Ships clockwise from bottom of picture:

• USS Long Beach (CGN-9) Long Beach-class guided missile cruiser, United States Navy.
• USS Merrill (DD-976) Spruance-class destroyer, USN.
• HMAS Swan (DE 50) River-class destroyer escort, Royal Australian Navy.
• HMAS Stuart (DE 48) River-class destroyer escort, RAN.
• HMAS Parramatta (DE 46) River-class destroyer escort, RAN.
• USNS Passumpsic (T-AO-107) Ashtabula-class fleet replenishment oiler, Military Sealift Command.
• USS Wabash (AOR-5) Wichita-class replenishment oiler, USN.
• HMAS Derwent (DE 49) River-class destroyer escort, RAN.
• USS Kirk (FF-1087) Knox-class frigate, USN.
• USS Thatch (FFG-43) Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate, USN.
• HMAS Hobart (D 39) Perth-class guided missile destroyer, RAN.
• center, USS New Jersey (BB-62) Iowa-class battleship, USN.

 

Video: HMS Duke of York scrapped (1958)

Speaking of ships scrapped at Helensburgh, here’s HMS Duke of York in 1958.

Royal Navy battleships 1905

Royal Navy battleships in commission with full crews, 1st April, 1905.

There were thirty four battleships in commission. Of these, twenty were assigned to Home waters, eight were with the Mediterranean Fleet, five were on the China Station, and one was employed on trooping service.

Home waters:

Albemarle

Atlantic (at Gibraltar)

Caesar

Cornwallis

Duncan

Exmouth

King Edward VII

Hannibal

Illustrious

Magnificent

Majestic

Mars

Montagu

Prince George

Revenge

Russell

Royal Sovereign

Swiftsure

Triumph

HMS Albemarle, 1903.

Mediterranean:

Bulwark

Formidable

Implacable

Irresistible

London

Prince of Wales

Queen

Venerable

HM Bulwark, IWM Q 21052B.

China:

Albion

Centurion

Glory

Ocean

Vengeance

Other:

Barfleur was also temporarily in commission with full crew in trooping service.

HMS Barfleur, from “The Navy and Army Illustrated” 1897.

Source: United Kingdom. Hansard Parliamentary Debates, 5th ser., vol. 47, col. 635-7W.