# Help with battleship ID



## matty1965 (Feb 9, 2014)

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone was able to identify the main ship at anchor in the attached photo. I think the photo dates from the 1910s and is British. Thanks very much for any help with this.

Cheers

Matty


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## Boatman25 (May 17, 2010)

It is one of the Duncan Class Battleships

HMS ALBEMARLE 5TH MARCH 1901 SOLD FOR B/U 19TH NOVEMBER 1919
HMS CORNWALLIS 13TH JULY 1901 TORPEDOED 9TH JANUARY 1917
HMS DUNCAN 21ST MARCH 1901 SOLD FOR B/U 18TH FEBRUARY 1920
HMS EXMOUTH 31ST AUGUST 1901 SOLD FOR B/U 15TH FEBRUARY 1920
HMS MONTAGU 5TH MARCH 1901 WRECKED 30TH MAY 1906
HMS RUSSELL 19TH FEBRUARY 1901 MINED 27TH MARCH 1916


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## Rogerfrench (Feb 25, 2010)

Duncan Class battleship? Couldn't say which one.

Oooops - beaten to it!


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## matty1965 (Feb 9, 2014)

That's great, thanks!


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## vectiscol (Oct 14, 2006)

Judging from photographs in "Warrior to Dreadnoughts" by D.K. Brown, this is one of the preceding, slightly larger but slower, Formidable class. The ship would appear to be in wartime, after modifications.

Formidable - b. 1901 Portsmouth Dockyard; sunk by U24, Channel, 1915.
Irresistible - b. 1902 Chatham Dockyard; mined and sunk, Dardanelles, 1915.
Implacable - b. 1902 Devonport Dockyard; scrapped 1920-1.

Can any Ships Nostalgia WW1 expert adjudicate or confirm?


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## Iangb (Aug 28, 2009)

I'm pretty sure that it's a Canopus class. Looking at the merchantmen nearby and the background hills, it could have been taken during the Dardanelles campaign.
In that case it would be Albion, Canopus, Glory, Ocean or Vengeance.
There's a bit about the class here: http://www.cityofart.net/bship/canopus.htm


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## matty1965 (Feb 9, 2014)

Thanks for the extra info. I cropped that photo to show the ship in more detail. I've attached the entire photo we may give more hints about the location. Thanks

Matty


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## vectiscol (Oct 14, 2006)

The ship is similar, but does not correspond exactly, to that in a photograph of Irresistible sinking at the Dardanelles.


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

Just had a look at HMS CANOPUS at the Dardanelles. She certainly looks the same class. GOOGLE "HMS CANOPUS at the Dardanelles" and have a look. The guns are different than the FORMIDABLE class.


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## Iangb (Aug 28, 2009)

cueball44 said:


> The guns are different than the FORMIDABLE class.


That and the odd thwartship oblong 2nd funnel helps ID the class.


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## onestar (Apr 12, 2008)

The ship is anchored in Simon's Bay. The mountains at Fish Hoek and Muizenberg are clearly visible in the background. Brisk Southeaster as well!


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

I will put my money on HMS ALBION.


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## vectiscol (Oct 14, 2006)

I am not convinced by my own suggestion of one of the Formidable class, though I did not think that the ship is one of the three successors of the London class. There is a clear, though small, photograph of Albion in D.K. Brown's book. At that time there were large yardarms on the mainmast, though of course, these may have been removed before the date of Matty's photograph. There is one definite difference between Albion and Formidable, and that is the former had only one hawsepipe, whilst the latter and London had two. Matty's photograph is quite fuzzy, but from that of the first post, my fading, ageing eyes persuaded me that the mystery ship had twin hawsepipes. Maybe somebody could take another look to adjudicate.


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## cueball44 (Feb 15, 2010)

vectiscol said:


> I am not convinced by my own suggestion of one of the Formidable class, though I did not think that the ship is one of the three successors of the London class. There is a clear, though small, photograph of Albion in D.K. Brown's book. At that time there were large yardarms on the mainmast, though of course, these may have been removed before the date of Matty's photograph. There is one definite difference between Albion and Formidable, and that is the former had only one hawsepipe, whilst the latter and London had two. Matty's photograph is quite fuzzy, but from that of the first post, my fading, ageing eyes persuaded me that the mystery ship had twin hawsepipes. Maybe somebody could take another look to adjudicate.


The HMS ALBION has one hawse pipe on the Port Side and two on the Starboard Side.


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## onestar (Apr 12, 2008)

Quoting from Bill Rice's book "The Royal Navy in South Africa" (Maritime Books) he states on page 33 "the Cape of Good Hope Squadron was strengthened by the arrival of the pre-Dreadnought battleship Albion,..." this in December 1914. The illustration in his book shows the whole squadron anchored in Simon's Bay, including Albion which looks the the ship shown above. Cueball44, you may have put your money in the right place!


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## vectiscol (Oct 14, 2006)

You learn something every day! My picture of Albion shows the port bow with one hawsepipe, whilst the photographs of Formidable and London show the starboard bow with twin hawsepipes. I bow to your superior knowledge, cueball - thanks for the information.


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