Scrapping or Three British Battleships

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

Scrapping of HMS Rodney, Revenge and Nelson

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

HMS Rodney; HMS Revenge and HMS Nelson in their heydays 

[Waxahachie Kid #17017 L]

Great post...thanks!!!!

 

Sad that they could not have been turned into a museum somewhere, like some of the warships in the U.S. have been. 

We can't save them all, I know, but the unique, one-of-a-kind ones, should be considered. 

The same is true for steam locomotives, and aircraft as well.

 

Living history we can see, and touch, sure beats the heck out of just looking at a black and white photo, and reading about them.

 

All governments waste money...so like as not they waste enough to restore, and display, some of these historical ships. 

I guess that takes leaders that are not dead from the neck up, to consider something like that. That ain't a political statement, as much as it is just simple old common-sense observation, of today's leadership, here and overseas.

 

My Two Bits.

W.K. 

 

[Redleg Reilly, SASS #46372]

The British saved two warships from WWII - HMS Belfast and HMS Cavalier .  Nothing else (to my knowledge) from their vast fleet at that time still exists.

[Chantry]

The book HMS Rodney by Iain Ballantyne is pretty good.

 

Wiki link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Rodney_(29)

 

HMS Rodney did most of the damage in the surface action that resulted in KMS Bismarck becoming a floating wreck*.

Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_battle_of_Bismarck#Third_phase_:_the_Bismarck_is_lost

 

*It doesn't really matter if the Germans scuttled KMS Bismarck or if the Royal Navy sunk her.   Even if the Germans had managed to tow her back to France, the chances of Bismarck returning to active surface was extremely low.

 

Of all the British battleships only HMS Warspite may have had a more impact on the war.

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

Only one "British" battleship left.  It is the Mikasa.  Built in England and sold to the Japanese in 1902.  Played a key role in the Russo-Japanese War.  (Which the Japanese won.) After WWII the Russians demanded the ship be destroyed.  It was saved by the American occupation forces if the Japanese would change its use.  So it became a dancehall and aquarium.

 

 

In the late 1950s an American businessman organized a group to save the ship.  It is now a tourest attraction in Japan.

 

[Chantry]

26 minutes ago, Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 said:

Only one "British" battleship left.  It is the Mikasa.  Built in England and sold to the Japanese in 1902.  Played a key role in the Russo-Japanese War.  (Which the Japanese won.) After WWII the Russians demanded the ship be destroyed.  It was saved by the American occupation forces if the Japanese would change its use.  So it became a dancehall and aquarium.

 

 

In the late 1950s an American businessman organized a group to save the ship.  It is now a tourest attraction in Japan.

 

 

Links to IJN Mikasa's website and wikipedia link:

https://www.kinenkan-mikasa.or.jp/en/index.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Mikasa

 

The closest comparable ship in the United States is the USS Olympia in Philadelphia, right across the river from the USS New Jersey in Camden.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Olympia_(C-6)

 

 

 

 

[Abilene Slim SASS 81783]

11 hours ago, Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 said:

HMS Rodney; HMS Revenge and HMS Nelson in their heydays 

Having the superstructure so far aft on Rodney and Nelson looks really weird. I wonder if the crew - especially the helmsman - had to have specialized training? I would think handling in close quarters like a harbor would be strange. 

[Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474]

12 hours ago, Waxahachie Kid #17017 L said:

Great post...thanks!!!!

 

Sad that they could not have been turned into a museum somewhere, like some of the warships in the U.S. have been. 

We can't save them all, I know, but the unique, one-of-a-kind ones, should be considered. 

The same is true for steam locomotives, and aircraft as well.

 

Living history we can see, and touch, sure beats the heck out of just looking at a black and white photo, and reading about them.

 

All governments waste money...so like as not they waste enough to restore, and display, some of these historical ships. 

I guess that takes leaders that are not dead from the neck up, to consider something like that. That ain't a political statement, as much as it is just simple old common-sense observation, of today's leadership, here and overseas.

 

My Two Bits.

W.K. 

 

 

11 hours ago, Chantry said:

 

Of all the British battleships only HMS Warspite may have had a more impact on the war.

 

Given the physical size of the United Kingdom, space MAY have been an issue in their harbours, but it bears remembering that the United Kingdom was almost bankrupt after 6 years of total war.  Rationing was still in effect until the early 1950's  Had it not been for the generosity and aid from your country, rationing would have lasted even longer.

 

Here also is a picture of HMS WARSPITE. 

[Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933]

14 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said:

Having the superstructure so far aft on Rodney and Nelson looks really weird. I wonder if the crew - especially the helmsman - had to have specialized training? I would think handling in close quarters like a harbor would be strange. 

 

I always thought they were building the ships and ran out of money when they were half done.