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| Text for the above items : |
Sunset at Spithead by Randall Wilson. HMS Queen Elizabeth with other Royal Naval Battleships, Revenge and Ramillies. Surrounded by cruisers and destroyers ride at anchor for King George Vs last Jubilee Review of 1935. |
In the Thick of Battle by Chris Collingwood. Lieutenant of the Royal Navy commands marines and crew during a sea battle with the French during the battle of Cape St Vincent. |
USS Constellation departs Hobart by Randall Wilson. No text for this item |
HMS Victorious Departing Faslane by Ivan Berryman. The second of the Royal Navy's Vanguard Class SSBNs, HMS Victorious is shown in the Gareloch, with the naval base of Faslane in the background. |
Schnell Boats Operating in the Baltic by Randall Wilson. German Schnell Boats were heavily armed coastal craft often referred to by the Royal Navy as E-boats. Fast, and better armed than the Royal navy MTBs and PT-boats, they became the most effective inshore attack craft of World War Two. Lurssen built the first German MTB in 1930, originally called UZ16 it would later become W1 and finally S1 in 1932. All German Schnell Boats would carry two seperate torpedo tubes. In total 249 Schnell Boats were built for the Kriegsmarine, with a total of 157 being lost or scuttled. The last 92 were split between the Allies with 30 going to the US, 34 going to United Kingdom and 28 to Russia. |
Evacuation Dunkirk by Randall Wilson. With the harbour under attack, HMS Express casts off having embarked troops of the British Expeditionary force (B.E.F.) Leaving with her are the trawlers, which were part of the small boat armada which played such a major part in the evacuation of Dunkirk. |
HMS Pegasus by Ivan Berryman. The last seaplane carrier built for the Admiralty, HMS Pegasus was launched in 1917 and benefited from all the lessons learned from her predecessors, possessing a flying-off platform forward, served by twin derricks, and a hangar and cranes aft, capable of carrying up to nine aircraft. She is shown here with one of her Short 184s (N9290) about to take off, whilst a similar aircraft is preparing to be lowered into the water in the background. |
The Kaiser's Ship by Randall Wilson. Emerging from a smokescreen SMS Baden surges ahead of her sister ship SMS Bayern to resume battle speed in these fleet manoeuvres in the Baltic, during 1917 |
Wolves at Saint Nazaire by Anthony Saunders. Portrayed in the southern lock at the French port of Saint Nazaire during the Autumn of 1941 are from left: U552, commanded by Kapitanleutnant Erich Topp, U567, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Engelbert Endrass and U93, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Horst Elfe. Saint Nazaire was home for two U-boat flotillas: 7. U-Flotille, the Wegener Flotilla and 6.U-Flotille, the Hundius Flotilla. It produced some of the top U-boat commanders including Topp, Endrass, Prien and Kretschmer. The base reached a peak of activity in mid 1943, however, by the end of the war the entire port had been flattened by the allied air forces. The only buildings to survive the onslaught were the bomb proof U-bunkers which can still be seen to this day. |
HMAS Canberra by Randall Wilson. No text for this item |
Portrait of Admiral Nelson by Chris Collingwood. Portrait of Admiral Nelson shown in the uniform worn at the Battle of Trafalgar. |
Pedestal Convoy by Anthony Saunders The Pedestal Convoy of August 1942 was one of the most heavily protected convoys in the history of sea warfare. Fourteen of the fastest cargo ships of the time were protected by 4 carriers, 2 battleships, 7 cruisers and 32 destroyers. The destroyer HMS Ashanti is in the foreground of the painting. Also depicted are the carrier HMS Indomitable, with her Hurricanes cirling the convoy overhead, and the cargoe ship Port Chalmers to the right of the picture. |
Scratch One Flat Top by Stan Stokes. The Douglas TBD Devastator torpedo-bomber was the first low-wing, all metal monoplane to see service with the US Navy. Delivered in 1937 about 100 TBDs were in service when the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor thrust the United States into WW II. Powered by a 811-HP Pratt and Whitney radial engine, the TBD had a maximum speed of about 200 MPH and a range of about 700 miles. Unfortunately, given the design of the torpedoes used, attacks had to be made at a maximum speed of only about 110 MPH, and at an altitude of no more than 100 feet. This made the Devastator a sitting duck for both enemy fighters or anti-aircraft gunners. The highlight of the TBDs brief battle career in WW II came during the Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942. This battle, the first ever waged solely between the aircraft of opposing carrier attack groups, involved air groups from the USS Yorktown and USS Lexington. Three Japanese carriers, the Shokaku, the Zuikaku, and the Shoho were involved. On May 7 the Lexington launched fifty aircraft and the Yorktown another 43. Two squadrons of TBDs were involved in the attack. This massed force located the Shoho around 11:00 AM. SBD Dauntless dive bombers initiated the attack, and were successful at fending off fighter attacks by Zeros during their near vertical dives. The large force of SBDs put several 1000-pounders into the Shoho. Minutes later the Devastators from the Lexington attacked, gaining advantage from the smoke and confusion created by the dive bombers. Coming in low and slow the Devastators put six or seven torpedoes into the Shoho. In Stan Stokes painting the TBD flown by Lt. R. F. Farrington, T.R. Wiebe, and Walter N. Nelson of VT-2 from the USS Lexington is depicted. Several more hits by the Dauntlesses sealed the fate of the Shoho which slipped under the waves while still making a headway of about 20 knots. Witnessing the Shohos final moments, Lt. Cdr. Bob Dixon reported by radio at 11:36 AM the following message, Scratch One Flat Top! Dixon to carrier. Scratch one Flat Top! This was the first loss of a significant ship by the Imperial Navy. It also foretold of an end of the era of surface war ships slugging it out in a gunnery duel within sight of each other. The era of the carrier battle group had begun, with destruction delivered to a distant enemy by carrier based aircraft. Weeks following the Battle of the Coral Sea, at the Battle of Midway, the United States Navy would destroy almost 50% of Japans carriers in a momentous battle. The Navys TBDs would be virtually wiped-out at Midway, and would be replaced in front-line service by TBF Avengers and SB2C Helldivers for the balance of the War. |
Stung by the Wasp by Stan Stokes. The Axis attack on the British controlled island of Malta commenced in 1940 only one day after Mussolini committed Italy's forces on the side of the Germans during WW II. This strategically located island was a thorn in the side of Axis plans to dominate the Mediterranean and win control of North Africa. Malta would be attacked thousands of times by waves of both Italian and German bombers during the course of the War. On a per acre basis it may be one of the most bombed targets of WW II. In the early phases of the defense of the island a handful of Gloster Gladiators which were supplemented eventually by RAF Hurricanes carried on the brunt of the islands defense. Spitfires were sorely needed. The first Fifteen Spitfires arrived in Malta on March 7, 1942, and a second group of Spits arrived on March 29. In both cases they were launched from the HMS Eagle, and had to fly more than 600 miles over the Mediterranean to reach the island. In April of 1942, Churchill asked Roosevelt for assistance in supplying Spitfires to Malta. The besieged island was now in range of approximately 400 German fighters and bombers and about 200 Italian aircraft, and intelligence information pointed to the possibility of an invasion by airborne paratrooper forces out of Sicily. Due to combat losses, and the difficulty in getting spare parts, the islands defenders could generally muster only 20-30 defensive fighters on any particular day. This was woefully inadequate. With the Eagle was now laid up for repairs, and the Argus and Victorious not capable of handling the Spitfires. Churchill specifically requested American intervention, and asked FDR if the USS Wasp could shuttle fifty Spitfires to Malta. FDR agreed to the mission, and plans were immediately implemented. It was determined that two entire Spitfire squadrons No. 601 and 603 would make the journey. These units had a number of American pilots. On April 12 the Wasp docked on the Clyde of Glasgow and began taking on the Spitfires for her journey. With most of its regular aircraft removed, only nineteen F4F Wildcats were retained for fighter cover. On the 14th the Wasp set sale with a number of escorts. All the aircraft were Mk. Vc models equipped with four canon and four machine guns. Each had a Vokes air filter fitted beneath its nose and was equipped with a 90-gallon auxiliary fuel tank. The Spits were over-sprayed with a dark blue paint in hopes of making them less noticeable to the enemy during the 660 mile over water flight to Malta. Following breakfast on Monday April 20, 1942, the RAF pilots manned the 47 aircraft deemed suitable for the flight and the launch commenced. One immediate casualty was an RAF mechanic who walked into a turning prop and was immediately killed. One American pilot flew his Spitfire to Algeria, but the remaining 46 aircraft successfully landed in Malta. Within hours of their arrival the airfields were once again under attack by Axis bombers, and the newly arrived pilots were immediately pressed into service defending the island. The ability of the British to retain control of Malta as a base for torpedo planes and bombers which could harrass Rommels supply lines to North Africa, was critical in attaining eventual Allied victory in North Africa, the successful invasion of Italy, and ultimately, complete Allied victory in Europe. |
The Calm Before the Storm by Robert Taylor. Dawn had broken to reveal another glorious day in paradise, and on board the USS Arizona and the repair ship USS Vestal alongside, the crew were taking it easy. All next week they would be hard at work preparing for sea, but today was Sunday, and that meant light duties. On the Arizona, the duty crew were preparing the stern of the battleship, erecting the awnings for the ships band at Morning Colors. The young officer in charge smiled approvingly, it was an inspiring scene and he thought that the recently overhauled battleship had never looked more impressive. But within the hour he would glance skyward, and a frown of puzzlement crease his forehead as, out of nowhere, Japanese carrier-based aircraft were descending on the unsuspecting naval base. As he registers the bright red circles on their wings, the blood froze in his veins. He realized that hell had come to Pearl Harbor! Then, just before 08.10hrs, the unthinkable happened. A bomb from a Nakajima B5N Kate high-altitude bomber penetrated the ship's armor plated deck and exploded in the forward magazine. Within seconds a cataclysmic blast ripped through the Arizona, devastating the mighty ship which would burn for two days, taking with her the lives of nearly twelve hundred men. In tribute to all those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor on that infamous day Robert Taylor has created his poignant new landmark painting. The Arizona has since become the focal point for the memorial at Pearl Harbor and this moving piece portrays this proud ship as those who survived would surely like to remember her - in all her glory prior to the attack. |
SMS Derfflinger By Randall Wilson. SMS Derfflinger at anchor at Kiel, 1918. Astern is SMS Hindenburg. |
Home Bound by Randall Wilson. H.M.A.S. Shropshire at speed, bound for Sydney after being stationed with the US Fleet in Tokyo Bay 1946. |
Ark's Angels by Randall Wilson. Depicted late in her long serving deployments Ark Royals Bricks make a pass as they return from a low level interdiction exercise. |
Spitfires - Malta Bound by Philip West. On the 11th August 1942, Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Wellum DFC, having just taken off from the deck of HMS Furious, leads his section of gathering Spitfires on the long journey to Malta. They are much-needed reinforcements for the beleaguered island, now in the twenty-sixth month of its siege. To enable each of the 38 Spitfires dispatched from Furious to reach Malta, over three hours flying time away, they carry maximum fuel together with a centre-line over-load tank. Even their ammunition is removed to save weight. Escorting Furious to her aft is the Cruiser HMS Manchester together with Destroyers Brave and Lithe. To their port side is the Ohio tanker laden with fuel during what became an epic voyage. In the distance HMS Eagle succumbs to an Axis torpedo attack. The success of Operation Pedestal was absolutely critical for the survival of Malta, bringing desperately needed fuel, food and ammunition to the Island. Losses were heavy but the courage and determination by all involved prevailed: five of the fourteen merchant ships, including the Ohio, made it through and the island was saved. |
Flight Against the Bismarck by Philip West. The Royal Navys week long chase of the formidable German battleship Bismarck culminated in the foul evening weather of 26th May 1941. Despite the deck of HMS Ark Royal pitching through 55 feet, S/Lt John Moffat was one of fifteen Swordfish pilots who took off to attack Bismarck. After 90 minutes of arduous and turbulent flying the Swordfish found their quarry and dived through the intense anti-aircraft fire to drop their torpedoes. One of these hit and jammed Bismarcks rudder and condemned the battleship to sail in slow circles. The Royal Navys own capital ships then closed in and pounded Bismarck into a burning wreck. |
Day of Infamy by Anthony Saunders. On the morning of Sunday 7th December 1941 the Japanese launched their infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. Surprise was complete - within a few terrifying minutes, bombs and torpedoes had damaged or destroyed much of the US Pacific Fleet peacefully at anchor, and almost all of the fighters on the ground. But as Aichi D-3A dive bombers target the Fleet's flagship, the battleship California, a lone P-40 has managed to get airborne in the chaos to engage the enemy. Seventy years ago the world stood open-mouthed in shock as it learnt of the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor. This dramatic new edition is released in tribute to all those that took part in the actions on December 7 1941. |
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