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The heart of British, Australian, Canadian and New Zealand naval history. By Olivier Goossens, MA Ancient History
Joined February 2015
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HMS Sheffield and the White Star Line Britannic behind in Valletta Grand Harbour, Malta, 1957.
Source: (u/conandivljak)
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HMS Sheffield and HMS Coventry steaming south to the Falklands in 1982. Neither ship returned home.
Source: (u/yyekiM)
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The Sinking of the Repulse, a 🧵. (1/6) 🚢 In late 1941, Churchill sent a fleet known as Force Z to Singapore, hoping to deter Japanese aggression. It included HMS Repulse, the battleship Prince of Wales, and was meant to be joined by the carrier Indomitable, which was delayed.
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The all-forward nine 16-inch guns of the battleship HMS Nelson.
Source: (u/Mattzo12)
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Lord Collingwood, a 🧵. (1/9) Meet Cuthbert Collingwood, one of Britain's greatest naval commanders and right-hand man to Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, he started his journey at sea at just 12 years old.
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HMAS Sydney on her arrival back in her namesake port, 5 March 1952.
Source:
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"Now, gentlemen, let us do something today which the world may talk of hereafter."
Collingwood to his men just before the decisive engagement off Cape Trafalgar, 21 October 1805.
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HMS Glamorgan during the Falklands War, a 🧵. (1/7) She was a County-class destroyer which played a notable role in the 1982 Falklands War. Initially, she was diverted from an exercise off Gibraltar to join the main Task Force, serving as Rear Admiral Woodward’s flagship.
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HMS Defender, HMS Kent, USS New Orleans, HNLMS Evertsen and USS The Sullivans sailing in the Pacific Ocean together.
Source: (u/yyekiM)
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HMS Hood on slipway No. 3 at John Brown & Co shipyard, 1918.
Source:
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The Royal Marines in the Napoleonic Wars, a 🧵. (1/8) 🇬🇧The Royal Marines were unsung heroes of the Napoleonic Wars, playing key roles on both land and sea. Despite their gallantry, their contributions often go unmentioned by historians and novelists alike.
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Type 42 destroyer HMS Gloucester (D96).
Source: (Crown Copyright)
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Operation Ironclad (5-7 May 1942), a 🧵. (1/16) Perched on the northern tip of Madagascar lies Antsiranana, formerly known as Diego Suarez. A bustling port city with a colonial past, it was once at the heart of an important campaign during World War II, the Battle of Madagascar.
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Super-dreadnought battleship HMS Canada.
© IWM SP 1938
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HMNZS Achilles and HMS Ajax in action with the Graf Spee, 13 December 1939.
Painting by John S Smith (°1925).
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HMS Sheffield and Coventry en route to the Falklands, 1982.
Source:
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Town-class cruisers, a 🧵. (1/8) The Town-class cruisers were a group of 10 light cruisers built for the RN in the 1930s. They were designed under the London Naval Treaty of 1930, which imposed restrictions on cruiser size and armament. Each sub-class added more weaponry.
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The ship's company lines the deck of the Implacable-class aircraft carrier HMS Indefatigable as she returns to Portsmouth after service in the Far East, 16 March 1946.
Source: Central Press/Getty (via )
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"The First Battle Squadron of Dreadnoughts".
Painting by Alma Claude Burlton Cull (1880-1931), 1910.
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HMS Tiger leaves Portsmouth on a misty morning.
Painting by A.B. Cull (1880-1931), 1928.
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The Battle of Cape Spada 🧵. (1/6) Fought on July 19, 1940, it was a naval clash off Crete during which the Australians and British took on the Regia Marina. The battle featured the cruiser HMAS Sydney and Italian cruisers Bartolomeo Colleoni and Giovanni delle Bande Nere.🌊⚓️
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HMS Victorious with a pair of Blackburn Buccaneers on deck, ca. 1965.
Source: (u/JimDandy_ToTheRescue)
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HMS Hermes returning to Portsmouth after the Falklands conflict.
Photo:
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HMS Agamemnon, one of two Lord Nelson-class pre-dreadnought battleships, bombarding the Turkish forts in the Dardanelles Straits, 1915.
Source: (u/abt137)
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The Yangtze Incident, a 🧵. (1/6) In April 1949, amidst the Chinese Civil War, the sloop HMS Amethyst was ordered up the Yangtze River to guard the British Embassy in Nanjing. Around 70 miles from the city, Communist artillery fired upon the ship, causing it to run aground.
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The powder monkeys, a 🧵. (1/7) Did you know? During the Age of Sail, powder boys or powder monkeys played a vital role in naval warfare. These young crew members were responsible for ferrying gunpowder from the ship's hold to the artillery, keeping the cannons firing!
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HMS Tiger at Jutland, a 🧵. (1/6) 31 May 1916: HMS Tiger and the 1st Battlecruiser Squadron under Adm Beatty set out to intercept the High Seas Fleet in the North Sea. Beatty's ships were to engage the battlecruisers of Franz von Hipper and lure them to Jellicoe's battleships.
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A frontal view of the Renown-class battlecruiser HMS Repulse in drydock.
Source: (u/Freefight)
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HMS Malaya leaving New York Harbour after repairs, 9 July 1941.
© IWM A 5444
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HMS Queen Elizabeth leaving Portsmouth, 1919-1921.
Painting by Frank Watson Wood (1862-1953), 1929.
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Battleships HMS King George V and HMS Howe at Port-of-Algiers, 24 July 1943.
Source: (u/Mattzo12)
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HMS Kent, Victorious and HMAS Melbourne in Sydney, October 1966.
Source: HMAS CERBERUS Museum.
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The Unfortunate John Byng, a 🧵. (1/8) John Byng joined the Royal Navy at age 13 in 1718, following in the footsteps of his father, a successful admiral. By 19, he was promoted to lieutenant, and by 23, became captain of HMS Gibraltar.
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The battleship HMS Rodney firing her 6-inch guns, 1940.
© IWM A 2072
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HMS Bedouin, a 🧵. (1/6) A Tribal-class destroyer, she was designed to counter larger destroyers and bolster firepower during WWII. These ships were bigger, faster, and better armed than their predecessors, displacing 1,891 long tons and capable of reaching 37.5 knots!
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Samuel Hood, a 🧵. (1/11) Samuel Hood, born to a vicar in Somerset in 1724, found his calling in the Royal Navy at a young age. His chance encounter with Admiral Thomas Smith in 1740 inspired both him and his brother to pursue naval careers.
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HMS Nelson and HMS Zephyr, possibly in Lisbon, March 1946.
Source: (u/_Sunny--)
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The Capture of USS Chesapeake, a 🧵. (1/6) On June 1, 1813, the War of 1812 saw the intense Battle of Boston Harbor between HMS Shannon and USS Chesapeake. Both ships were evenly matched, making this the only frigate action of the war without a clear preponderance of force.
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A stunning view of HMS Vanguard and HMS Indomitable, taken from HMS Implacable.
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Winston Churchill: "All the film people in the world, if they had scoured the globe, could not have found anyone more suited to the part"
...
Crowned in our history
and enthroned for ever in our hearts.
Queen Elizabeth II (r. 1952-2022)
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HMS Nelson, Rodney and Warspite at the South mole, Gibraltar, 1933.
Source: (user: Mattzo12)
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HMS Theseus (R64), a 🧵. (1/8) HMS Theseus was a Colossus-class light fleet aircraft carrier, laid down in 1943 and launched in 1944. Named after the legendary hero of Greek mythology, she had an eventful service life, including the Korean War and Suez Crisis. 🛳️⚓
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Force H, based at Gibraltar: battlecruiser HMS Renown, carrier HMS Ark Royal and light cruiser HMS Sheffield in April 1941, the month before the Bismarck operation, in which they played a significant part.
Source:
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One of the multiple pom-poms of HMS Rodney in action, Mediterranean, March 1943.
© IWM A 15846
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View looking forward from the bridge of HMS Rodney in rough seas, showing two of her three 16 inch turrets trained on either beam, the gun barrels of her third turret can be seen in the foreground, ca. 1940.
© IWM A 2127
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Type 42 destroyer HMS Nottingham in heavy seas.
Source: (u/Corinthian82)
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The Implacable passing HMS Implacable (1944) on her way out of Portsmouth Harbour to be sunk at sea the following day, 1 December 1949. Captain Duffett is saluting the old ship from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier with the ship's company fallen in behind.
© IWM A 31612
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Audacious-class aircraft carrier HMS Eagle (R05).
Source:
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Edward Berry, a 🧵. (1/10) Rear Admiral Sir Edward Berry (1768–1831), was a distinguished Royal Navy officer. He is best known for serving as flag captain under Admiral Nelson aboard HMS Vanguard during the Battle of the Nile (1798). He later commanded HMS Agamemnon at Trafalgar.
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The forebridge and foremast of the battlecruiser HMS Hood.
NMM, Greenwich, London, (ID: N17100)
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A and B Turrets, bridge, mast and gunnery control centre of HMS Barham in 1916.
Source:
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HMS Valiant seen from HMS Warspite as the two famous battleships led the surrendering Italian Fleet to Malta, 10 September 1943. In the foreground are four of the Warspite's 15" guns.
© IWM A 19235
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Leander-class frigate HMS Apollo arriving in the River Dart, March 1979.
Source: (user: Iain)
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The flagship HMS Royal Sovereign, designed by Fisher Harding and launched in 1701 at Woolwich. She was the first of the Royal Navy's first-raters of the 18th century.
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British battleship in line, headed by a destroyer, taken from HMS Queen Elizabeth.
Source: (u/Freefight)
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HMS Vanguard run aground on her way to the breakers, 1960.
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Admiral Somerville, a 🧵. (1/8) James Somerville, born on July 17, 1882, came from a distinguished family with deep naval roots. His father, Arthur Fownes Somerville, was a barrister, while his ancestors served as MPs and naval officers.
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HMS Iron Duke, lead ship of her class, was the flagship of Jellicoe, C-in-C of the Grand Fleet, during the Battle of Jutland (1916). She inflicted serious damage then on SMS König. Over the course of the battle, she had fired 90 rounds from her main battery.
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HMS Hood under construction at the John Brown Shipyard, 1919.
Photo: National Archives of Scotland
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Colourised photo of River-class frigate HMCS Penetang.
Source: (u/abt137)
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King George V-class battleship HMS Duke of York.
Painting by James A. Flood (° 1944).
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HMS Amethyst sailing from Hong Kong, September 1949.
© IWM HU 45388
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The Explosion of HMS Vanguard, a 🧵. (1/8) On July 9, 1917, HMS Vanguard anchored in Scapa Flow after a day of drills, including abandon-ship exercises. The captain gave a speech warning that a ship could sink in seconds or hours. Sadly, his words would come true in a matter of
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Arethusa-class light cruisers, a 🧵. (1/6) They were a class of eight oil-fired light cruisers ordered by the RN in 1912. These ships were designed for service in the North Sea and all saw action in WWI. They were noted for being cramped inside despite their cutting-edge features
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The East Indies Station, a 🧵. (1/8) 1/8 🚢 The East Indies Station was a British Royal Navy formation created in 1744. It was commanded by the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, and encompassed a vast area including East Africa, the Middle East, India, and Ceylon.
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HMS Rodney and Barham at their moorings in Scapa Flow in 1930’s peacetime.
Painting by James Flood (°1944).
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"Set in this stormy Northern sea,
Queen of these restless fields of tide,
England! what shall men say of thee,
Before whose feet the worlds divide?"
-Oscar Wilde-
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HMS Prince of Wales under attack by Japanese aircraft.
Painting by Terence Tenison Cuneo (1907–1996), ca. 1941-46.
The National Archives (ID: INF 3/45)
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HMS Vindictive during the Zeebrugge Raid, 23 April 1918.
Painting by Charles John de Lacy (1856-1929), ca. 1918.
NMM, Greenwich, London (ID: BHC0669)
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HMS Indefatigable.
Painting by William Lionel Wyllie (1851-1931), 1909.
NMM, Greenwich, London, Caird Collection (ID: PAF2082)
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HMAS Perth.
Painting by Dennis Adams (1914-2001), 1942.
AWM (ID: ART26927)
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Hunt-class destroyers, a 🧵. (1/6) These ships saw extensive service in WW2, particularly on the British east coast and in the Mediterranean convoys. Named after British fox hunts, they played a crucial role in protecting vital sea routes.
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Two Buccaneers flying over HMS Eagle. (Vertical topside view; the aerial photograph was taken from a Navy aircraft rolled on its back, 80 feet above the Buccaneers).
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Stern view of HMS Vanguard.
Source: U.S. Navy Naval History and Heritage Command (ID: NH 103735)
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HMS Hermes and HMS Ark Royal from on high.
Source: Plymouth Herald Archive
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The 2nd Battle Squadron, Atlantic Fleet, ca. 1925/26.
Painting by Alma Claude Burlton Cull (1880-1931), 1928.
Maritime Originals
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Singapore Naval Base, a 🧵. (1/6) 🌍 In the 19th century, the British Empire relied on fortress colonies like Bermuda, Halifax, Gibraltar, and Malta to control key naval routes. However, rising Pacific threats pushed Britain to also establish a major naval base in Asia.
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View of the superstructure from the quarterdeck of HMS Prince of Wales, 20 April 1941.
© IWM A 3926
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Queen Elizabeth II aboard HMAS Australia, Queensland, 1954.
Source:
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HMS Warspite oiling the destroyer Raider during the passage through the Sicilian Narrows en route from Gibraltar to Alexandria, 3 July 1943.
© IWM (A 18122)
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"Sink the Bismarck", a 🧵. (1/6) On May 19, 1941, the battleship Bismarck and cruiser Prinz Eugen set sail from Gotenhafen. Their mission? To disrupt Britain's vital Atlantic supply routes. Spotted by the RAF in a Norwegian fjord, they slipped away before the RAF could strike.
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The Scimitar taking off from HMS Ark Royal, while she was at a buoy. A rescue helicopter can be seen on the left of the picture, Malta, November 1960.
© IWM A 34360
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Sailors ranged on the deck of HMS Nelson.
Photo: pinterest
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HMS Shannon (1875), a🧵. (1/8) The eighth HMS Shannon was a groundbreaking vessel in the Royal Navy: the first British armoured cruiser, last with a retractable propeller, and the first to feature an armored deck. Here's the story of this unique ironclad.
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HMS Victorious steaming through a rough sea during preparations for Norwegian operations, October 1941.
© IWM A 6003
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A silhouette of HMS Nelson escorted by HMS Penn during speed trials after refit, off Scapa, 1 May 1942.
© IWM A 9682
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The opening engagement at Trafalgar; Royal Sovereign raking the stern of the Spanish flagship Santa Ana.
Painting by John Wilson Carmichael (–1868), 1856.
Sotheby's
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Lieutenants in the Age of Sail, a 🧵(1/9) ⚓ Lieutenants played a crucial role aboard ships. The number of Lieutenants a ship carried depended on its size, with ranks like First, Second, and Third Lieutenant. Each had specific duties essential to the running of the ship.
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A Blackburn Buccaneer flies past Illustrious-class aircraft carrier HMS Victorious with Buccaneers, Sea Vixen, Gannets and Westlands on deck.
Source:
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Shot of the turrets and superstructure of HMS Rodney.
Source:
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HMS Jaguar (F37), a 🧵. (1/6) She was a Leopard-class Type 41 anti-aircraft frigate of the Royal Navy. Built by William Denny & Brothers between 1953 and '57, she was the last frigate constructed by the shipyard. Uniquely, she was fitted with controllable pitch propellers. ⚓🐆
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HMS Hood entering Plymouth Harbour on a grey day, mid-1930s.
© HU 108395
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