Ships gallery

[Oudeis]

They are out doing their bit in the terrible sunshine...

http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operatio...news/index.htm

[wsteve55]

They are out doing their bit in the terrible sunshine...

http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/operatio...news/index.htm

Thanks for that tom!

[captain kong]

This is the Glengyle ,built in Dundee for Glen Line in 1939. She had a very busy war being requisitioned by the Admiralty at the outbreak of war;she was converted to a fast supply ship and flew the White Ensign. In April 1940 she was converted to an LSI L ,a Landing Ship Infantry (Large). This made her capable of carrying 700 troop's and 22 landing craft, she was fitted with a Naval bridge and 4 six inch guns. The Glengyle served in the Mediterranean and Far East,and took part in the Malta Convoys, the Allied invasion of French North Africa,was present at the invasion of Sicily and served as Montgomery's head quarters. This painting was by Arthur Burgess ,an Australian artist, and the study is entitled The Brotherhood of Seamen,showing the rescue of some fishermen whose vessel was in danger of being swamped by the heavy seas,
Attachment 18594
BrianD

The Glengyle was the only ship to have a Brewery on board.

[Jenny]

Just been on board the HMS Manchester. I was a little disappointed that we were not allowed down into the control rooms or the mess.
Otherwise it was a very cold but enjoyable day

[captain kong]

Hi Jenny,
Where is she tied up.?
and how long would she be there.?
I was thinking of taking the grandson.

[az_gila]

Hi Jenny,
Where is she tied up.?
and how long would she be there.?
I was thinking of taking the grandson.

Sorry...too late. It was open to the public from 12 to 5 today (Sunday) She sails on Tuesday for Portsmouth for the de-commisioning next week.




She was at the cruise ship/car ferry terminal.

It was interesting, but as said, a disappointment only the deck was open.

The anti-aircraft business end -



And some interesting equipment designed and made in Tucson...



It was cold and very windy, with a high tide. The choppy Mersey -



It was well worth the visit.

[brian daley]

This is the First Rate French steam battleship Bretagne,built at Brest between 1853 and 1856. She was the Flagship of Napoleon 111 and was part of his attempt to challenge British naval mastery. She was a 6000-ton three decker and symbolised the schizophrenic international policy of the 2nd Empire,at once seeking to work with Britain while undermining her global power to secure a dominant role in the partnership. In August 1858, as the flagship of an ill advised attempt to improve Anglo French relations, Louis Napolean invited Queen Victoria to visit Cherbourg,ostensibly to celebrate the opening of the new railway line linking the port with Paris.The new railway meant French troops could sent from Paris to Cherbourg in a matter of hours.Victoria returned from her French trip deeply alarmed by the French base and the naval build up and demanded that her ministers do more to maintain naval dominance. Shortly afterwards orders were given for the construction of HMS Warrior,bringing both the French naval challenge and the age of ships like Bretagne to a speedy end.
BrianD

[brian daley]

This is the Bibby cargo liner Cardiganshire ,painted by Shoesmith in 1917.She is lying at anchor in Yokohama in Japan, busy loading cargo from the lighters alongside her. It is a very stylised painting ,the lighters at the bottom of the study lead us into the picture showing us the stern and starboard side where we can see the slings of cargo being hauled aboard.If you look closely at the trunks and boxes on the lighters you will see the names of some the ports where the cargo is bound for. Mount Fujiyama lies on the horizon giving the viewer an unmistakable identity of where the vessel is,
BrianD

[brian daley]

This study was by a marine artist from Sunderland called Charles John de Lacy. He trained in London and became an illustrator for The Graphic and The London Illustrated News,which from 1895, employed him as a press artist and special correspondent.Most of his pictures concern The Pool and the area around Limehouse and Greenwich Reach. The Port of London Authority engaged him as their official artist and de Lacy turned out many paintings ,both large and small which were used for postcards , posters and prints.He died in 1929 at the age of 73,
BrianD

[brian daley]

The Dudhope was the last sailing ship to be commisioned for Barrie & Nairn before the company turned exclusively to steam.She was launched on the 7th of August 1893,at 3,300 tons deadweight,Dudhope was a smaller full rigger than the others in the fleet. Her final voyage for B&N ended at Rotterdam in August 1905 ,where she was sold to a Liverpool shipper T.Shute for £9000.00. Shute's retained her until she was captured by U49 on the 15th of July 1917 and sunk with explosive charges . Two months later the U49 was sunk by a British merchantman,who rammed her,
BrianD

Pictures and text supplied by David Barrie, Dec. 2010

[brian daley]

At the beginning of the First World War,many British passenger liners were requisitioned by the Royal Navy for conversion to armed merchant cruisers(AMC's). Many vessels had been designed and built in the years leading up to 1914 with this specific role in mind. Decks were strengthened for heavy gunsand accommodation could be easily adapted to naval or troop carrying requirements . The 10th Cruiser Squadron had many such vessels amongst its number and the Royal Navy was able to release 20 regular RN cruisers for other important duties. In this painting by Kenneth Shoesmith we see five AMC's of the Royal Mail Steam Packet company ,painted in Admiralty grey,ploughing through the North Sea in Line abreast. They are Andes, Alcantara,Ebro, Almanzara and Arlanza. The artist used a lot of artistic licence for the ships were never put in such a line up in reality.
My thanks to Glyn L.Evans for allowing this item,
BrianD

[captain kong]

Excellent picture there Brian.

[brian daley]

This is another study from Glyn L.Evans book on Kenneth Shoesmith. It shows the Royal Mail steamer Cardiganshire embarking troops at the Dardenelles while under fire from Turkish shore battery's. Shoesmith actually sketched this while he was on the Magdelena which was anchored nearby. The ships were part of an evacuation fleet which was withdrawing British and Empire troops, plus French troops too,from the disastrous ,long drawn out,Dardenelles campaign. Shoesmith was transferred to the Cardiganshire in November 1917,
BrianD

[captain kong]

Another Excellent picture there Brian.

[brian daley]

The Lightning

This ship was built in America for a young Liverpudlian called James Baines,he was the son of a widow who kept a small sweetshop in the town. Baines was making a name for himself among the hard headed businessmen of Merseyside as someone who could spot business trends and when the Californian Gold Rush began,he was quick to capitalise the situation.He obtained sufficient backing to buy a vessel which had been built in British North America and sent over to Britain for cheap sale and on long credit. With her he did enough business to buy the famous Marco Polo and to start the Black Ball Line- not to be confused with the Black Ball Line of clipper packets that ran across the Atlantic,and with which Baines had no connection.
He sought a ship to exploit the Australian trade and engaged Donald Mackay,the most famous Scottish American shipbuilder, to design and build a ship that was both large and fast. This was the first ever order placed by a Briton in an American yard since the War of Independence. Mackay was spurred on by that fact to produce a vessel that would be a record breaker. She was launched in 1854 and her maiden voyage from Liverpool to Melbourne broke all existing records.She was registered as having 1,468 tons,244 length,44feet beam and 23 depth.For over ten years Lightning served succesfully- almost without a break- the Melbourne -Liverpool route. In 1869 she was destroyed by fire..
The painting is unattributed ,but none the worse for that,
BrianD