Royal Navy Archives - Mechtraveller

Former HMS Ambuscade expected to return to Glasgow as a Ship Museum

Alastair — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 13:30:01 +0000

The Type 21 frigate and veteran of the Falklands War, PNS Tariq (ex-HMS Ambuscade) is expected to return to her birthplace on the Clyde sometime next year, to become a ship museum. HMS Ambuscade was built by Yarrow Shipbuilders on the Clyde 1n 1973 and served with the Royal Navy, including during the Falklands War, […]

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New ‘Jolly Roger’ display at the Submarine Museum, Gosport

Alastair — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:27:25 +0000

A new display of ‘Jolly Roger’ flags flown by Royal Navy submarines is launched today (27/03/2024) at The Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport. It will expand the museum’s previous collection of Jolly Rogers by including the earliest known surviving example and the museum’s newest acquisition, a Jolly Roger from HMS Thorough. The Jolly Roger is […]

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The mystery piece of wreckage from HMS Campbeltown in Saint-Nazaire

Alastair — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 15:40:20 +0000

A piece of wreckage, thought to be from HMS Campbeltown was discovered in 2020 on the seabed and is now awaiting a new home. Other Saint-Nazaire Posts Operation Chariot Battlefield Trail in Saint-Nazaire Saint-Nazaire Mystery Wreckage Submarine Espadon – Museum Ship EOL Centre éolien – Learning Centre Écomusée – Industrial Heritage Museum Escal’Atlantic – Transatlantic […]

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Saint-Nazaire – The Operation Chariot Trail

Alastair — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 14:51:59 +0000

On 28 March 1942, the Royal Navy and British Commandos attacked the docks at Saint-Nazaire in what became known as ‘The Greatest Raid of All’. The targets of the amphibious assault, Operation Chariot, and the key locations of the onshore skirmishes are still there, and Saint-Nazaire Tourisme has created a battlefield trail for visitors interested […]

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Did Bismarck sink in a sea of coloured water?

Alastair — Wed, 20 Jul 2022 16:24:53 +0000

The answer is NO, but what’s interesting is that if she had made her ill-fated breakout into the Atlantic a year later, she might have been. By then, if the same ships had intercepted her they would have been carrying red (HMS Rodney) and yellow (HMS King George V) dyed shells. The French had developed […]

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Where Nelson lost his arm at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Alastair — Sat, 07 May 2022 10:23:36 +0000

“Do many English people know where Nelson lost his arm?” asked my guide, Darío. My kneejerk response was almost ‘Of course! Everyone knows it was here on Tenerife!’ But then it occurred to me… actually, hardly anyone knows it was at the battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1797. Background to the Battle of […]

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Grumman Wildcat FM2

Alastair — Tue, 10 Aug 2021 11:35:26 +0000

The Wildcat is an amazing aircraft that filled a much needed gap in the U.S. and Allied navies’ arsenal at the start of WWII. Descriptions of it, by pilots and historians often use words like “pugnacious”, “heroic” and “rugged”, which it certainly was, but they all recognise that the Wildcat was outclassed by its faster […]

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HMS Victory is “afloat” on her smart props

Alastair — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 09:55:44 +0000

The HMS Victory conservation project has reached a major milestone with the completion of her new support system. As I wrote 18 months ago (Review: HMS Victory. Take a look, there’s a good explanatory video), the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) and BAE Systems have been working on a revolutionary new support structure […]

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A new harmony in Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard

Alastair — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 17:53:05 +0000

Long overdue, the National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) and Mary Rose are collaborating on ticketing. It was always ludicrous that a visit to the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth meant dealing with two separate ticketing systems. Ludicrous but understandable. The two organisations that share the Historic Dockyard – Mary Rose Trust and the National […]

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Why Do Aircraft Carriers Have Their Island On The Starboard Side?

Alastair — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 09:25:19 +0000

I came across this little ‘factoid’ in the National Museum of the Royal Navy’s in-house magazine, Scuttlebutt, which was a fascinating publication until they stopped publishing it! It’s one of those ‘unknown unknowns’ as Donald Rumsfeld would say. I didn’t know that I didn’t know it… until I read it! Have you ever noticed that […]

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