IN MEMORIAM: H.M.S. WARSPITE
Always facinating, Tann. I appreciate the efforts of your “hobby”, and always look forward to the next “installment” Thanks for the contributions!
Posted by imp
07/09/2005 at 10:39 AM
Thank you, Imp, it’s an honor to be able to contribute. One major correction to report, however. The opening of the fifth paragraph should read “Mason was destined...” not “White was destined...” I was thinking of the White Ensign at the time, I guess.
Best regards to the Skipper in his update work, and to one and all otherwise.
Another excellent job of research and presentation, Tann. I always look forward to seeing your historical monographs. I always learn something.
Man, that must have been one hell of an era to live in, with all them battleships floatin’ around!
Tann u r so daman good.
Posted by Z Woof
07/09/2005 at 04:33 PM
Nice work, Tanny. As usual. Soon you’ll be writing of the battles O’Brian describes, eh? :}
Posted by Phoenix
07/09/2005 at 07:19 PM
All thanks for your support, friends.
I wish I was better placed to tackle the Age of Fighting Sail as Phoenix suggests. I know my way around it to some extent, but not nearly well enough to offer any detailed writings about it. Maybe someday…
Love these historical articles Tann.
As for the epic Battle of Jutland, was it not a tactical draw? Jellico kinda sucked as the English commander. The Germans gave as good has they got, didn’t they? Jellico should have pursued.
Easy to say in hindsight.
Strategically, the German High Seas Fleet remained bottled up and never again were a threat.
I should point out that my info on the battle comes from playing Jutland by Avalon Hill Games many times in high school. Thanks Avalon Hill. They sure weren’t teaching history in high school.
Think I’ll try a ‘fighting sail’ article just for Phoenix. I’ll research the French naval actions that led to Washington’s victory at Yorktown. As I recall, another tactical draw, yet a strategic defeat for the Brits. (unable to supply Cornwallis at Yorktown)
Thanks Tann an excellent article. Sadly the British government never saw fit to preserve this fine ship. Not surprising perhaps given that the country was pretty much bankrupt. Next time I am in the US I would like to visit one of the preserved US battleships. But which one? Alabama, Massachusetts, Texas, North Carolina it’s a bit like visiting a US restaurant too many choices!! Keep up the fine work my friend.
Christopher. Yes you could argue that Jellicoe wimped out and lacked the Nelson spirit. However he could also have lost the war in an afternoon. The Germans inflicted more damage than the British. The real putz in my view was the glory boy Beatty who was out of his depth. In my view he did not understand the capabilities or the technology of the ships under his command, but that’s a discussion for another day!
Thank you, Christopher and LyndonB.
Christopher, Jutland was indeed a tactical German victory (in terms of the number of ships sunk, at least), but it was also a strategic German defeat. After that battle, Admiral Scheer, the High Seas Fleet Commander, admitted to the High Command that any future such battles had slim chance for success (see my Jutland article, “Ring of Misty Fire,” posted May 31). Scheer used this confession as a basis for renewing demands for unrestricted submarine warfare against the Allied merchant marines.
LyndonB, Admiral Nimitz once compared Admirals Spruance and Halsey, calling Spruance “an admiral’s admiral” and Halsey “a sailor’s admiral.” I can see grounds for extending this comparison to Jellicoe and Beatty. Like Halsey, Beatty tended to head into action first and think about it later, and like Spruance, Jellicoe was prudent, cautious, and inclined not to move until he had thought matters through.
It is interesting to note, however, that when Beatty succeeded Jellicoe in command of the Grand Fleet, he became as cautious as Jellicoe had been.
Being a North Carolina resident, naturally I am going to plug our own memorial battleship in Wilmington. The ship is open for touring all year round, 7 days a week, and there are very few parts of the ship that are closed off to visitors. Here is the website:
I saw the North Carolina a few years ago in Wilmington. I also got to see the Missouri about 15 years ago in Long Beach, just before it got mothballed. “The Spot” is marked with a manhole cover-sized iron plaque covered with a Plexiglass dome.
Fine ships, both of them. Not too many left like those ladies.
I see that the Missouri is now in Pearl Harbor as a memorial exhibit. Here‘s the site. If you go to their webcam page you can see the Arizona memorial off the bow.
The direct link to the webcam was blacklisted when I tried to post it, so anyone interested will have to explore the Missouri site. Nothing wrong with that.
07/10/2005 at 04:14 AM
