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Remembered Today:

What Royal Naval Ship Battlecruiser or Battleship ?


downshill

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Anybody please have any ideas as to the ships at sea in this old photo ?

scan0039.jpg

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Suspect the nearest has only a single funnel and 4 main turrets, so it's an 'R' class battleship.

 

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14 hours ago, MikB said:

Suspect the nearest has only a single funnel and 4 main turrets, so it's an 'R' class battleship.

 

That was what I thought at first, but there is something odd about the position of the two fore turrets.

 

Is it an optical illusion or is second turret (visible) from the bow a wing turret? I can only see one funnel but there is a great deal smoke obscuring things.

 

RM

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I believe the only Grand Fleet battleships with X and Y turrets and wing turrets were NEPTUNE, COLOSSUS and HERCULES, but these three each had two, widely spaced, funnels.  I think the original identification as an R-Class battleship is probably correct.

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I think it's too far inboard for a wing turret. Besides, looking at the position of Y mounting visually to the left of X, you could also expect B to show to the left of A, as it does.

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1 hour ago, MikB said:

I think it's too far inboard for a wing turret. Besides, looking at the position of Y mounting visually to the left of X, you could also expect B to show to the left of A, as it does.

That's why I asked about an optical illusion. I am seeing the muzzles of the second turret to the right of the muzzles of the first - hence a wing turret.

 

However it could be an illusion created by A turret's being lower than B. If it is an illusion I would agree that it is one of the Rs. (The beam and the position of the secondary armament also suggest an R.)

RM

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Thanks for help ,hope this is a slightly better view

scan0039.jpg

Edited by downshill
text change
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Go onto the Imperial War Museums photographic collection, put in any of the Royal Sovereign Class names, RENOWN, ROYAL OAK, RESOLUTION, RAMILLIES or REVENGE and there is a series of photos taken of the 1st Battle Squadron at sea in 1916.  I wouldn't mind betting that the posted photo is probably one of that series.  Which one?  Over to you.

 

Attached photo courtesy of IWM

 

Tony

large_000000.jpg

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Mates,

 

What i like is the problems with coms during any action with these ships.

 

Trying to read what the first ship is signaling, and what flags the third ship has to what the ships keep station or to turn?

 

That with the smoke from the funnels and later in action with gun smoke, shows the many problems at that time.

 

I see why they followed the leader because its easyer to do then guessing what the first ship signaled?

 

Interesting

 

S.B

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There's an RN group on Facebook who seem to have bottomless knowledge of RN ships (being mostly old sweats).

They should be able to identify this without problem.

 

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On 19/01/2019 at 14:18, rolt968 said:

That was what I thought at first, but there is something odd about the position of the two fore turrets.

 

Is it an optical illusion or is second turret (visible) from the bow a wing turret? I can only see one funnel but there is a great deal smoke obscuring things.

 

RM

It's because B is higher than A. The uppermost turret in the image is B, the most starboard gun muzzle belongs to A turret, the next is B, etc. 

 

I'm wonder what it was taken from? I think ballon. If a compass platform/spotting top the camera would be on a line with the same point on the same ships ahead of her (as in MerchantOldSalts image) 

 

It must be the first time I've seen heat haze from a funnel in a period image. 

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On 19/01/2019 at 16:38, rolt968 said:

That's why I asked about an optical illusion. I am seeing the muzzles of the second turret to the right of the muzzles of the first - hence a wing turret.

 

However it could be an illusion created by A turret's being lower than B. If it is an illusion I would agree that it is one of the Rs. (The beam and the position of the secondary armament also suggest an R.)

RM

If there's an illusion I think it's caused by a small light-coloured patch below the blast bags of B making it look as if A might be nearer - but there were no WW1 RN battleships with B turret lower than A; I can only think of the later Nelsons where a main turret immediately aft of another was lower.

 

There doesn't seem to me to be any scope for doubt that the nearest ship is an 'R'.

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On 20/01/2019 at 23:21, stevebecker said:

Mates,

 

What i like is the problems with coms during any action with these ships.

 

Trying to read what the first ship is signaling, and what flags the third ship has to what the ships keep station or to turn?

 

That with the smoke from the funnels and later in action with gun smoke, shows the many problems at that time.

 

I see why they followed the leader because its easyer to do then guessing what the first ship signaled?

 

Interesting

 

S.B

Try "The Rules Of the Game" by Andrew Gordon. It's as exhaustive an analysis of RN signalling practices - with specific attention to Jutland - as most of us have time and patience to read.

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