billy_anorak59 Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 (edited) Anyone interested in the inter-War Royal Navy? My mother went on holiday to the Devon area in 1937 as a small girl, and took a boat trip down the River Dart – her Father took some Brownie-type photographs, and I’ve scanned them, and tried to identify the ships depicted in them, but with mixed results. Some I know for sure, others not so sure, and finally no idea. I was just wondering if anyone would like the challenge, and confirm or add to my findings? Q1: Obviously a County-Class cruiser, but which one? I ‘think’ I know… Q2: Definitely know this one. Q3: I ‘think’ I know this one. Q4: The same ship as in Q3 on the left, but I have no idea on the ship on the right – sorry, long-range and a bit fuzzy. Q5: Destroyer, submarine, and a depot ship. I’ve no ideas as to class or identity of any of them. Billy Bonus: My Father took this photograph in (about 1951). What? Where? (I know the answer to this one) Edited July 22, 2022 by billy_anorak59 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
davknigh Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 The 1951 pic reminds me of one my late uncle took of HMS Duke of York in the Clyde in the early ‘50s. Same class of battleship at any rate. Cheers, David 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium J. S. Bach Posted March 6, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 6, 2020 Odd, the stacks on the 1951 photo seem to be covered; is she laid up? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 6, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 6, 2020 1 hour ago, J. S. Bach said: Odd, the stacks on the 1951 photo seem to be covered; is she laid up? Usual sort of procedure and no ensign flying so paid off into reserve. Difficult to see if she has been cocooned - which would make her HMS King Ggeorge V but otherwise she is either HMS Duke of York or HMS anson both of which were also in reserve/laid up in Scottish waters in 1951. So might be Gareloch or elsewhere somewhere off the Clyde. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peanuts Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 Q3 is it one of the Warspites after refit & rebuild Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium J. S. Bach Posted March 7, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 7, 2020 Q5, there appears to be two subs there. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traintresta Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 2 looks like courageous? 3 is either Frobisher or Hawkins. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbedford Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 The submarines appear to be a Shark class on the outside and a Grampus class inboard. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
billbedford Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 The best match for the depot ship is HMS Lucia. However she was in the Far East until 1939. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Martin Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 2 is HMS Hermes 3 is a Hawkins-class cruiser, Frobisher or Hawkins. The other ship in the class, Effingham, was extensively rebuilt starting in 1937, so I guess it could possibly be her, depending on the exact date. Jim 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastglosmog Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 (edited) My non-expert take on this: Q1 - HMS Cornwall - the external bulges make it a Type 1 County, the presence of a hanger in 1937 and the lack of a cut down stern point to Cornwall rather than any of the others. Q2 - Agree with Jim, its HMS Hermes Q3 - Agree this is a Cavendish (or Hawkins) class cruiser but think it is probably Vindictive, which was a training cruiser at the time, but could also be Frobisher (also a training cruiser up to 1937). Doubt if it would be Hawkins, as she was in Portsmouth reserve at the time. Q4 - No idea what the fuzzy ship is. Edit: On blowing it up as much as possible, ship appears to have three funnels, so I suspect it is Cornwall again Q5 - Can't see enough of the depot ship to identify her. Destroyer appears to be an Admiralty Large Leader class(it has two apparently round funnels, a midships gun on a bandstand and small gun shields that don't reach the deck) Inboard submarine looks like a minelaying submarine of the Grampus class, probably Narwhal, as the other two that were in commission at the time (Grampus and Rorqual) were in China at the time. Outboard sumbarine looks like a Group 1 S class (Swordfish class) (later Groups of the S class (Shark and following types) had a longer projection forwards from the base of the conning tower). Edited March 7, 2020 by eastglosmog Had another look at the fuzzy ship 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold The Stationmaster Posted March 7, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 7, 2020 4 hours ago, Jim Martin said: 2 is HMS Hermes 3 is a Hawkins-class cruiser, Frobisher or Hawkins. The other ship in the class, Effingham, was extensively rebuilt starting in 1937, so I guess it could possibly be her, depending on the exact date. Jim I suspect it is HMS Frobisher - she is riding high so presumably light as she would have been in reserve. Apparently HMS Hawkins was demilitarised before being placed in reserve in the late 1930s 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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