DHM1271. HMS
Hood Opens Fire Upon The Bismarck by Ivan Berryman. In the early morning
murk of 24th May 1941, the forward 15in guns of HMS Hood fire the first
shots against the mighty German battleship Bismarck. Both Bismarck
and her escort, the Prinz Eugen, immediately responded, the latter
causing a fierce fire on Hoods upper deck, while plunging shot from
Bismarck penetrated deep into the British ships hull, causing an
explosion that ripped the Hood apart, sinking her in an instant.
Tragically, just three survivors were rescued from the water.
DHM1126.
HMS Hood and HMS Express Departing from Portsmouth 1935
by Ivan Berryman.
DHM1209. HMS Hood by Ivan Berryman.
Fully dressed and resplendent, HMS Hood is pictured
preparing for King George Vs review of the Fleet in July 1935 as other
capital ships take up their positions around her. Ramillies can be seen
off Hoods port bow, Resolution astern, whilst just beyond her boat
deck, the mighty Nelson gently nudges into position.
DHM0989.
HMS Hood by Ivan Berryman. Pride of the Royal Navy, the mighty Hood rolls
majestically in the north Atlantic swell as HMS Prince of Wales holds
station off her starboard bow.
B0059.
HMS Hood by Ivan Berryman. The pride of the Royal Navy , HMS Hood, will always be
remembered for her loss during the Bismarck action.
DHM1346.
HMS
Hood Passing Under the Forth Rail Bridge by Ivan Berryman. HMS Hood passes
beneath the forth Bridge on her way to Rosyth during one of her many
visits to the Firth in the 1930s. the cruiser HMS Norfolk lies at
anchor in the middle distance.
B0115.
HMS
Hood Engages Bismarck by Ivan Berryman. The moment shortly
after dawn on 24th May 1941 when HMS Hood, in company with HMS Prince of
Wales, opens fire on the Bismarck, setting in motion one of the greatest
sea dramas the world had seen.
B0108.
HMS Hood During the Fleet
Review of 1935 by Ivan Berryman. Fully dressed and resplendent, HMS Hood is pictured
preparing for King George Vs review of the Fleet in July 1935 as other
capital ships take up their positions around her. Ramillies can be seen
off Hoods port bow, Resolution astern, whilst just beyond her boat
deck, the mighty Nelson gently nudges into position.
B0058. HMS Prince of Wales by Ivan Berryman. Seen here from the deck of an escorting destroyer.
DHM0989. HMS Hood by Ivan Berryman. Pride of the Royal Navy, the mighty Hood rolls
majestically in the north Atlantic swell as HMS Prince of Wales holds
station off her starboard bow.
DHM1028. HMS Repulse with HMS Prince of Wales
Under Attack by Ivan Berryman. Mitsubishi G4Ms of 27 Kanoya Kokutai
begin their devastating attack on Force Z off the north east coast of
Malaya on 10th December 1941. Both Repulse and prince of Wales were lost
in the attack, while their accompanying destroyers remained to pick up
survivors among them HMS Express which can be seen off HMS Repulss
starboard quarter.
HMS Prince of Wales, was built by Cammell Laird and
launched on the 3rd May 1939. She served with the home fleet during 1940
- 1941, and in company with HMS Hood, engaged the Bismarck and Prinz
Eugen on 24th May 1941, but broke of the engagement after receiving
damage. She was at Singapore in October 1941, but was sunk of Malaya,
(along with HMS Repulse) by Japanese Torpedo Aircraft on the 10th
December 1941.
B0103. HMS Royal Sovereign and HMS Warspite
departing Malta by Ivan Berryman.
DHM1481. HMS Warspite by Ivan
Berryman. Popularly known as The Old Lady, Warspite was launched on 26th
November 1913 and was still fulfilling a crucial role at the end of
World War II. Even after being paid off, she escaped being broken up by
going aground at Mounts Bay whilst on tow to the breakers yard. During
the two world wars, Warspite accumulated fourteen Battle Honours
including Jutland May 1916. She is shown in company with HMS Royal
Sovereign in the Mediterranean in May 1940 when she was Fleet Flag.
DHM0965. Land, Sea and Air by Ivan Berryman. Spitfire of 761 Training Squadron (attached to the Royal Navy) flies
over the Forth Railway Bridge on the eve of World War Two, also shown
is HMS Royal Oak departing Rosyth for the open sea.
B0139. HMS Royal Oak by Ivan Berryman. The
R-class battleship Royal Oak lies at anchor in Scapa Flow between the
wars ahead of her sisters Royal Sovereign and Revenge. HMS Repulse
is passing the line on the left of the picture.
HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH
HMS Queen Elizabeth was built at Portsmouth and Re -Engined at
Fairfield and launched on the 16th October 1913. She was the sister ship
to HMS Warspite, Valiant, Barham, and Malaya. HMS Queen Elizabeth
was the only ship of the class to have a full compliment of sixteen
6-inch guns, She was the only ship of the class not be be involved during
the Battle of Jutland. But her first world war service included being part
of the Dardanelle's campaign. She bombarded the forts on the Narrows in
the support of the Gallipoli landings between February 25th and May 14th
1915. She fired a total of 86 15-inch shells and 71 6-inch shells. The
short supply of 15-inch shells and a direct order from the Admiralty not
to ware out her guns. After the battle of Jutland (She was in refit at the
Time,) She became the flagship of the Home Fleet in February 1917.HMS
Queen Elizabeth had to major refits between the Wars. At the start
of World War two she was in the middle of her second refit, being
reconstructed at Portsmouth, due to the chance of enemy bombing she was
moved to Rosyth. Being completed and ready for service in May 1941. HMS
Queen Elizabeth was transferred to The Mediterranean fleet. It was
at Alexandria, along with her sister ship HMS Valiant that both ships were
mined by Italian Frogmen. HMS Queen Elizabeth sank in shallow water, raised and
temporarily repaired. But due to the serious damage she had
sustained she was transferred to the US Navy Yard in Norfolk. being
repaired there between September 1942 till 1st June 1943.
She joined the Eastern fleet and In January 1944 onwards was joined
by HMS valiant and took part in the carrier raids in Indonesia against Japanese
bases. returning to Britain in July 1945. and finally scrapped at
Dalmuir on the Clyde 7th July 1948. and at Troon (Hull only)
DHM1003. HMS Barham with HMS Eagle in Valetta Harbour in Malta during the
1930s by Ivan Berryman. The Battle ship HMS Barham in company with the aircraft carrier HMS
Eagle between the two World Wars. Both fell victim to German U-Boats
during World War Two.
HMS BARHAM was built at John Brown shipbuilders,
Clydebank and launched 31st December 1914, Took part at Jutland was hit
six times and was under repair for 5 weeks. Between the wars. she served
in the Mediterranean from 1935 but was attached to the Home Fleet in the
autumn of 1939. on the 28th December 1939 she was torpedoed by U-30 and
was under repair till April 1940. She took part in the Bombardment of
the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir in July 1940 and the Battle of Cape
Matapan in march 1941, also at the Bombardment of Bardia and Tripoli.
She was damaged by a 500KG bomb off Crete on the 27th May 1941, and
repaired at Alexandria by the end of July 1941. HMS Barham was torpedoed
and sunk by U-331 off Soloum on the 25th November 1941. only 396 of her
crew were saved from a compliment of 1,258.
Compliment 1,124 to 1,258. Armament 8 15-inch Guns and
12 6-inch guns and 8 4-inch A.A Guns 16 2-pdr AA Guns and 1 aircraft.
Speed 24 knots, Displacement 31,100 tons.
DHM1010. HMS Revenge with HMS Furious by Ivan Berryman.
Grand Harbour, Malta, April 1932. The R-Class
battleship HMS Revenge slips majestically past the carrier HMS Furious
as she lies at anchor as three of her Fairey IIIFs fly overhead on a
routine training sortie.
