Recently i came aboard warrior (from australia), and had a chat with a historian on board, he mentioned that a live fire test ship using warriors armour was made to see how the armour would hold up (before warrior was built i assume) Was this the first time that was attempted? i see no point in doing it before armoured ships came about as shooting at wood just damages the product needlessly.
And the last battleship ever built came less than 50 years after HMS Dreadnought. Of course, we now have destroyers displacing almost as much as the earliest pre-dreadnoughts. There were less than 50 years between the Wright Flyer (1903) and the B-52 (first flight 1952). The last B-52 might be flying 100 years after the first.
I had the pleasure a few months ago of seeing this ship in person. It is a wonderful hybrid of new and old technology. Breach loaded cannons on wooden decks with metal boilers down below. Such an old odd hybrid. Also it was a fun that the staff on the ship were in character. I spoke to an Officer, a prestigious lady and an engineer. These encounters where in areas of the ship that you expect them to be.
I looked at one of the pretigious ladies through my binoculars from the dockyard one time, and she was auspicious enough to wave back. True Warrior spirit.
Suddenly the close in weapons systems light off. Firing wire guided sidewinders from a box mounting, and a small wall of cannon shots from a Phalanx battery! As the crumbed mess of plastic falls from the sky a speaker on deck cracles to life 'Sorry Drach, the sensors went off and I didn't type in the bypass code quickly enough. You brought another one right?'
I almost bet he did do that before... Lol If you heard things said in the most recent live stream where he was in Halifax... Appearantly our Mr. Drach... Likes to just climb high on anything and everything that is High up/tall places... EVEN... IF HE ISNT SUPPOSED TO/ILLEGAL... LOL
I went to go see Warrior eight years ago. It was a slightly wet day, and they were planning to host a wedding or some such on the vessel - but nobody was there to set things up, meaning I was literally the only person I saw touring her for an hour. I had her all to myself and could just soak it all in. It was almost the ideal way to enjoy a museum ship.
That sounds amazing. While touring the Missouri in Hawaii in 2018, that happened a few times, but only below decks for short times - there's a particular set of sounds she makes - I'd think Warrior would have the same sort of "background" sound and and smell - the same, but very different.
Such a pity that HMS Vanguard was scrapped. Imagine if she'd been permanently moored at Portsmouth as well, so that the first and the last of Britain's armored warships would be side by side.
@@unluckyirish2763 Warspite would've been one of the hardest to save, because at the time she was scrapped Britain's economy was a disaster. And she was seriously beat up, so who knows how expensive a restoration would've been. Vanguard was the best opportunity because she lasted the longest, into the period when Britain was once again a wealthy nation. Though the *best* chance of a British age of steel capital ship being saved would've been if everything had gone just right for Hood. The time of the battle is a little different so that Hood and Prince of Wales can link up with Norfolk and Suffolk, so the former can double-team Bismarck and the latter deal with Prinz Eugen. Hood doesn't blow up, and gets most of the credit in the press for sinking Bismarck. Or maybe it's just the same scenario as IRL but the luck is reversed and a shot from Hood at long range lands just right to plunge through Bismarck's deck and detonate the magazine (that being the only way a 15" shell could plausibly reach Bismarck's magazines). Her repair and refit gets finished in time for her rather than Duke of York to sink Scharnhorst in the Battle of the North Cape. She gets assigned as new flagship of the Pacific Fleet and does some shore bombardment, then leads the Royal Navy contingent into Tokyo Bay for the surrender. Now Hood is even more legendary than she was going into WW2 (sinking two much more modern battleships), and she and Vanguard make for a pretty good post-war squadron since they have the same main armament and similar speed. Meaning she might last to 1960 when Britain isn't desperately strapped for cash anymore. (With the KGVs being scrapped a little bit earlier than IRL.) At that point, *maybe* she'd have a chance of being preserved.
I know it's way too much, but Dreadnought, Warspite and then either King George V or Duke of York would have been fantastic as the beginning, middle and end of the 'modern' (ie dreadnought type) battleships.
Man this is crazy to see!!! Short story time: I'm from australia, last month i had the incredible luck and opportunity to go across the world to iceland and the united kingdom. Ive always wanted to see victory, Cutty sark and warrior (and recently of course, mary rose) it was a highlight of my trip, i even sat chatting with one of the historians onboard for about an hour. And now i get to see Drach infront and ontop of the ship i was recently exploring myself.. and not only do i see and learn from drach. but i KNOW where he is, i dont need to consult a map or guess, i can actually pick out out from memory Thank you drach for this video that makes me smile and happy about this all over again. P.S one thing me and the historian talked about and actually got us thinking... They apparantly made a live fire test ship with armour exactly like warriors to fire at and see the result... was this the first time that was done? atleast on wooden ships you'd not bother because all you end up doing is damaging the merchandice..
"The supports are made of iron, the beams are made of iron, the cannons are of course made of iron and.... All of these things provide fantastic wireless interference" Seriously though incredible video. It's been really cool watching the channel grow and the drone footage adds a lot, being on site gives you a lot to discuss and teach, you've always been well researched and thorough. you no longer have any analog on the platform, this content is truly peerless. Great work.
"If you get hit by half a kilo of flying molten iron... that's not going to be good for your health." Or as the Chieftain would say, that sailor would have a significant emotional event.
Thank you for the video Drach, can't believe they let you fly all around the HMS Warrior with your jetpack, but gotta say those aerial angles you recorded it from are perfect.
As an American, I've been to Portsmouth twice. Thoroughly enjoyed wandering around HMS Victory and HMS Warrior both times. Both are fine ships. Thanks for the extended tour!
Pretty cool of the RN to let you use the drone that close to other ships. Props to them where due. I have a hard time believing the modern USN would allow the same.
I suspect Drach has managed to build a large and positive reputation. So they are willing to give him a more access then the average person would get. sm
It was pre-9/11, but the US navy were gracious enough to show us round one of their active missile cruisers when we visited the USS Intrepid in New York. It was amazing. They all had sidearms which was a shock to a Brit.
Excellent! I freely admit I only have a passing interest in naval history and yet I never miss these longer videos. Why? The combination of knowledgeable enthusiasm, dry whit, and excellent presentation very much elevate the subject matter for me. Thank you!
i love to see Drach flexing his YT mussel to get on these ships and giving us video tours that most of us could never get to see. :) Keep it up man ! Great vid and the drone shots were wonderful
In 1977 I was working as a commercial oil field diver for Strongwork Diving, which became Sub Sea Offshore and the SubSea Seven. I remember being in a job to survey some jetties at BP’s Ocean Terminal in Milford Haven..Pembroke. Across the estuary was HMS Warrior…being used as a fender for supertankers! We had a good look around, but it really was looking pretty sad and passed it.. wonderful to see that it was recovered and restored..it is a very important ship..the absolute super weapon of its time!
I remember her being restored at Hartlepool. They did an amazing job and was so sad to see her leave. HMS Trincomalee is definitely worth a visit when you get back from over the pond.
When we visited this ship 5 years ago I found it by far the most inspiring of all the collection - the beautiful sleek lines and odd kind of simplicity of the engine room
I finally got to go to Portsmouth last month and it was fantastic. The open top deck of HMS Warrior really helps you see how massive it is. It looks and feels bigger than the Belfast when you are on it despite it being smaller than it.
Magnificent video. I'm from Peru, it brings me good memories of my time as a scholar in Britain in 96-97. Portsmouth-Gosport was an area I liked and visited quite often in those days.
When I visited Warrior a decade ago, I had no idea of her general layout whilst in service; my interest was in the Victory. Touring around the interior, I saw the picture where she had (almost) ended life as a stripped hulk in some river. While still ignorant of how she looked on deck or below deck, I was quite impressed how much equipment, weapons, and general 'stuff that goes in ships of the era' there was. It was extremely interesting. Drach's comment about her fuel appetite stood about when looking at how much coal the boilers went through per day. A lot. I thought how well the Museum and all the people that have restored (as much as may be) the ship had done a great job. You can have any vessel just sitting there to look at, but it's all the things that go in and how they work together that makes a ship of any type interesting. If you've never been to Portsmouth, it's worth the time and every penny.
Many thanks for this, D. I was introduced to Warrior by Hon.Capt.Colin White when he and I were students in the 70s. His special subject when a RN Museum man was the Victorian Navy. We went to Pembroke Dock. A Lt.Cmdr RN showed us round the oil jetty - wow!. Shortly afterwards Warrior went off the Hartlepool and the rest you know. i did not catch up with her until earlier in 2022. But really your video really hits the spot. Thank you
Really glad there was a crew member moving around in the shots from the bridge, it really helped put the view in to context. Also Era concept appropriate visual enhanced clothing.
This has to be one of my favorite episodes. Very well done Drach, and thanks to the National Museum of the Royal Navy for giving you...and thus all of us such access!
I love this video. Especially impressed by your hands-on approach and your emphasis on trying to show the ship, over trying to hide production difficulties. Great job!
Drach, if you ever visit the US Midwest, be sure to check out the USS Cod. She is perhaps the most well preserved example of WWII submarine in existence
Very Interesting ... As an Ex-RN oaf myself I went around this ship a while ago. It was amazing !! Bit expensive - but worth the outlay. You showed a lot of stuff I missed .... but missed a lot of stuff I loved! You didn't mention the diving gear in the magazine ...(My Speciality ) or the way the Screw was deployed & retracted !! Loved that! IMHO one of the best historical sites in the UK to visit!
I love how this video feels like an in depth tour of the ship. Walking around and pointing out various things is really helpful in understanding everything. Really well done!
When steering a big square rigger like the Warrior, it is not necessary to see where the ship is going, that is the officer's job. All you need is view of the fore-topsail and a compass heading. The mate gives you a heading and as long as you can keep the sails filled, you are good. If not, either the sails are adjusted or a new heading is given.
I really enjoyed this video you did on Warrior, a fantastic entertaining video. 👌 I guess you could say Warrior and Black Prince were transition ironclads, they experimented with iron armour and new guns, along with new layouts and engines. All this work made valuable experience to create Hms Achillies which was basically an improved Warrior class, and to finally all be refined into creating the mighty Minotaur class, which I could say were probably the most powerful Broadside Ironclads during the 1860s. It is a shame that more didn't survive, but there history and design ideas survive on in Warrior and Gannet. We are extremely lucky to have Warrior, was once the first British ironclad capital ship, but its also amazing that such a beautiful ship should now be the last of the british capital ship ironclads which outlived them all. The start of it all, the mighty Warrior! 👌👍
Ah, HMS _Warrior_ - my main reason for siding with the _red coats_ in _(Total War:) Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai_ . She was an absolute ⁽ᵒᵛᵉʳ⁻⁾powerhouse, yet playing with her never got old; simply pure fun.
Oil Fuel Hulk #9 or something like that when it was rediscovered in the 80’s. I’m not sure if it is a restoration or fabrication but it’s pretty cool that it was done. I don’t see much of this happening again in our future.
HM Submarine Holland at the RN Submarine Museum at Gosport is regarded as the boat having undertaken the longest dive in history and resurfaced at the end of it. Well worth a look.
Warrior was a floating pontoon in Pembroke Dock for many years of my youth growing up there.The navel ,RAF and army history of the town is amazing, but have you ever considered doing a video on the ships built in the Royal Dockyard from 1815 up to the 1920 s.It was closed by an act of Parliament, not because it could no longer build great fighting ships. Many of the ships in the battle of Jutland were built here.
I was in Portsmouth back in 2001 at HMS Nelson and then Phoenix for sea survival training, we only had the time to see Victory and the Mary Rose. Then a tour of some Destroyers. We could see it from the Block of Flats at Nelson but sadly never got there. My loss I suppose, but one day.
Drach... Since you live quite close to it, have you ever been to see the last remaining semaphore tower that was part of a chain that used to connect Portsmouth and London. It's in the heath behind the cafe at the m25 a3 junction. It's restored and open to the public occasionally. It's the kind of thing you could drive past a thousand times without knowing it's there. It's a weird bit of inland naval infrastructure.
I think it would have been appropriate if they had some Rum on board for Rum Ration Wednesday, especially aboard a "sailing" fighting ship. Awesome look at the HMS Warrior, especially for someone from the States who is not likely to visit Portsmouth any time soon!
I took the opportunity to visit the dockyard and Warrior in January - great time to go to Portsmouth! Thank you for the wonderful tour and drone shots!
I was on Warrior many years ago. An outstanding restoration. Where do you get 1860 pivot guns? Where do you get an 1860 steam engine? The thing I remember most is each of the gun positions had rammers, sponges, buckets, meal tables etc repeated for each gun. What a lot of work. The American steam frigates of the time had the same type of bridge. (Kearsarge, Alabama). If only you still had Stonewall Jackson.
Everything about her must have. I have heard people today exclaim how cramped those sailors must have felt, when the reality is that men coming from old wooden sailing ships to HMS Warrior would have been marvelling at how much room they had in comparison. For them a ship like Warrior would have been considered the height of luxury accommodation wise.
I watched your episode of the US Constitution and I can't get over how large these wooden ships are! Now I have to plan a trip to see the Constitution!
In everything I've read about Warrior, I've never heard of her having any major hull repairs, such as replacement of large sections of plating or anything of the sort. I haven't even read when she was last drydocked. The longevity of her wrought-iron hull is astonishing, considering that she has been in the water, more or less continuously since 1860, while her near-contemporary SS Great Britain had to have a glass top built over the drydock at the waterline to keep the hull from more or less sublimating out of existence, and much newer steel-hulled ships like USS Olympia, USS Texas, and USS The Sullivans have all had major issues with hull integrity. I find it almost as odd that I don't see much of anything referencing her remarkable durability. If anyone can provide any good info on why this 162 year old iron hull has lasted so well through so many years of neglect before restoration, I'd be quite curious to hear it.
Get together a few millions of pounds a year for an operating budget and source three hundred or so able seamen, it could happen. The ship would need some specific repairs and replacement parts put in first, but for much less than the cost of a new frigate for the Royal Navy today, you could get HMS Warrior shipshape in Bristol-fashion.
Drachinifel, your video reminds me of the documentaries and learning programs that we watched in grade school in the 1980s in the United States, but better done. Your narration reminds me of a combination of David Attenborough and James Burke.
Love this video tour of Warrior. I regret not having the time to tour her in person the couple of times I've been in Portsmouth. If I ever find myself there again, I will have to rectify that.
Another great video! Having an in-depth on location take like this is nice, especially ships that are pretty far and hard to visit for some of us, much enjoyed.
42:00 Regarding that 110-pounder shell rigging, I am fairly sure that is a three-man rig. One on each side and then a third on the rear. Together, they could seamlessly move the shell from the rack to the gun in a fluid motion, ensuring the shell was unlikely to be dropped or smacked into anything but the inside of the breech, even on a gundeck being tossed by the waves.
When the wife and I visited HMS Warrior in the 1990s, she was magnificent but a special mention should go to the (period-dressed) museum guides who explained what we were looking at and, more to the point in the engine room, the difference between an 1860 steam plant and one from the mid-20th century. I'll always remember the description of finding steam leaks. You could probably find them on Warrior with your hand. Later you used a broomstick - when the stick starts to disappear you've found the leak. Brilliant and well worth the trip.
Isn't the ferry to Gosport on the starboard side of warrior? It's right next to the station. The port side of warrior is inside the museum or have I got myself very confused? Something I find very funny at the Explosion! museum is the every big gun has a map next to it showing which parts of Southampton you could destroy with it.
I love these videos, as a person who doesn't know all of the nautical terms and just need visual to go "Ohhh that part" these help a lot. Also it's a beautiful ship.
We visited Warrior in May and throughly enjoyed the experience. The entire museum is fantastic (must say, I was a little disappointed that HMS Victory was in such a state of repair - could you do a video about her as well please?)! Great for foreign viewers of yours who don't get to the U.K. that often).One thing I didn't realize at the time, as can be seen in your video, is that the main deck and gun deck seem flat, like on a modern cruise ship. On an older cruise ship we went on and in many photo's of older ships, the deck's follow an arc from bow to stern with the low point somewhere in the middle. So, three questions: is the flat deck usual on iron and steel-hulled warships alone or did commercial ships also employ them at this time, why the apparent difference and what was the reason for the curved deck? Great video, as always.
Interesting question, my guess would be that it's related to the shape of the kheel. The kheel typically points up at the bow of smaller sailboats and the shape of the hull comes up at the stern even if the rudder is straight (look at them out of the water), so it would make sense if you wanted more uniform spaces below to follow the contour.
I just visited Warrior, I so wish I'd found you before this weekend, but better late never. I haven't even watched yet , but I know it's gonna be great. I had so many questions as I was on board. There were no guides. 👏👏👏👏
So many memories. I remember fondly sailing from the Belgian coaster towards Portsmouth. First time I was at the helm of my father's yacht. Hms Warrior actually fueled my historical curiosity as prior to my visit there I assumed the age of sail lasted until 1895. Mind you, I was twelve. I believe there was a fun submarine museum there as well.
how did you know i wanted this video! i pass this beauty almost daily ☺️ she’s a very special ship to me- my aunt and uncle were married on board, which is where my parents met!
Pinned post for Q&A :)
Aerial photography brings a new meaning to "droning on and on"
I've heard that at least some of the early bridges were structures built between paddle boxes. Did these predate Warrior's?
Did all the gun crews on the ship know how to get the bow and stern chasers into the different positions?
When did speaking tubes become common equipment on warships? Were there any other systems used for early intra-ship communication?
Recently i came aboard warrior (from australia), and had a chat with a historian on board, he mentioned that a live fire test ship using warriors armour was made to see how the armour would hold up (before warrior was built i assume)
Was this the first time that was attempted? i see no point in doing it before armoured ships came about as shooting at wood just damages the product needlessly.
It's crazy that, between this ship and the HMS Dreadnought, there are less than 50 years
Good point.
Technology was moving so fast back then…
Well I'd say it was moving at about 14 knots!
Sorry
And the last battleship ever built came less than 50 years after HMS Dreadnought. Of course, we now have destroyers displacing almost as much as the earliest pre-dreadnoughts.
There were less than 50 years between the Wright Flyer (1903) and the B-52 (first flight 1952). The last B-52 might be flying 100 years after the first.
And that Fisher, the architect of the Dreadnought began his service aboard HMS Warrior.
Royal Navy: Have you ever thought about being infantry?
Sailors: No, why?
Royal Navy: Variety is the spice of life.
I had the pleasure a few months ago of seeing this ship in person. It is a wonderful hybrid of new and old technology. Breach loaded cannons on wooden decks with metal boilers down below. Such an old odd hybrid.
Also it was a fun that the staff on the ship were in character. I spoke to an Officer, a prestigious lady and an engineer. These encounters where in areas of the ship that you expect them to be.
The Victorian Era was a weird time indeed!
Literally steampunk :)
oh its Haigs
I looked at one of the pretigious ladies through my binoculars from the dockyard one time, and she was auspicious enough to wave back. True Warrior spirit.
If you visit Victory, Warrior, and Belfast it makes for a fascinating insight into the evolution
Drach: Whoops. I don't know how my drone got over to the Queen Elizabeth...but while we're here, mind if I film a bit?
Speedrun through the hanger
Suddenly the close in weapons systems light off. Firing wire guided sidewinders from a box mounting, and a small wall of cannon shots from a Phalanx battery!
As the crumbed mess of plastic falls from the sky a speaker on deck cracles to life 'Sorry Drach, the sensors went off and I didn't type in the bypass code quickly enough. You brought another one right?'
RN: “Yeah sure, you can edit the video in the brig while awaiting your trial”
I almost bet he did do that before... Lol
If you heard things said in the most recent live stream where he was in Halifax...
Appearantly our Mr. Drach... Likes to just climb high on anything and everything that is High up/tall places...
EVEN... IF HE ISNT SUPPOSED TO/ILLEGAL... LOL
🤣🤣🤣
So they needed to engrave enchantment circles in the deck, so that magic could be used to move the 110 pounders around
I went to go see Warrior eight years ago. It was a slightly wet day, and they were planning to host a wedding or some such on the vessel - but nobody was there to set things up, meaning I was literally the only person I saw touring her for an hour. I had her all to myself and could just soak it all in. It was almost the ideal way to enjoy a museum ship.
That sounds amazing. While touring the Missouri in Hawaii in 2018, that happened a few times, but only below decks for short times - there's a particular set of sounds she makes - I'd think Warrior would have the same sort of "background" sound and and smell - the same, but very different.
Such a pity that HMS Vanguard was scrapped. Imagine if she'd been permanently moored at Portsmouth as well, so that the first and the last of Britain's armored warships would be side by side.
There is exactly one surviving British built battleship - it in Japan and imbedded in concrete…
Or Warspite. Also wouldve been cool to have been saved
@@unluckyirish2763 Warspite would've been one of the hardest to save, because at the time she was scrapped Britain's economy was a disaster. And she was seriously beat up, so who knows how expensive a restoration would've been. Vanguard was the best opportunity because she lasted the longest, into the period when Britain was once again a wealthy nation.
Though the *best* chance of a British age of steel capital ship being saved would've been if everything had gone just right for Hood. The time of the battle is a little different so that Hood and Prince of Wales can link up with Norfolk and Suffolk, so the former can double-team Bismarck and the latter deal with Prinz Eugen. Hood doesn't blow up, and gets most of the credit in the press for sinking Bismarck. Or maybe it's just the same scenario as IRL but the luck is reversed and a shot from Hood at long range lands just right to plunge through Bismarck's deck and detonate the magazine (that being the only way a 15" shell could plausibly reach Bismarck's magazines). Her repair and refit gets finished in time for her rather than Duke of York to sink Scharnhorst in the Battle of the North Cape. She gets assigned as new flagship of the Pacific Fleet and does some shore bombardment, then leads the Royal Navy contingent into Tokyo Bay for the surrender. Now Hood is even more legendary than she was going into WW2 (sinking two much more modern battleships), and she and Vanguard make for a pretty good post-war squadron since they have the same main armament and similar speed. Meaning she might last to 1960 when Britain isn't desperately strapped for cash anymore. (With the KGVs being scrapped a little bit earlier than IRL.) At that point, *maybe* she'd have a chance of being preserved.
I know it's way too much, but Dreadnought, Warspite and then either King George V or Duke of York would have been fantastic as the beginning, middle and end of the 'modern' (ie dreadnought type) battleships.
Oh my...
Man this is crazy to see!!!
Short story time:
I'm from australia, last month i had the incredible luck and opportunity to go across the world to iceland and the united kingdom.
Ive always wanted to see victory, Cutty sark and warrior (and recently of course, mary rose)
it was a highlight of my trip, i even sat chatting with one of the historians onboard for about an hour.
And now i get to see Drach infront and ontop of the ship i was recently exploring myself.. and not only do i see and learn from drach. but i KNOW where he is, i dont need to consult a map or guess, i can actually pick out out from memory
Thank you drach for this video that makes me smile and happy about this all over again.
P.S one thing me and the historian talked about and actually got us thinking... They apparantly made a live fire test ship with armour exactly like warriors to fire at and see the result... was this the first time that was done? atleast on wooden ships you'd not bother because all you end up doing is damaging the merchandice..
"The supports are made of iron, the beams are made of iron, the cannons are of course made of iron and.... All of these things provide fantastic wireless interference"
Seriously though incredible video. It's been really cool watching the channel grow and the drone footage adds a lot, being on site gives you a lot to discuss and teach, you've always been well researched and thorough. you no longer have any analog on the platform, this content is truly peerless. Great work.
HMS Warrior's paint scheme is just... chef's kiss**
You can hear how giddy Drachinifel is throughout this video! Always a joy to see someone loving what they do!
"If you get hit by half a kilo of flying molten iron... that's not going to be good for your health." Or as the Chieftain would say, that sailor would have a significant emotional event.
I visited the Warrior in 1990 and in 2010. After seeing your video I swear some of those small boats anchored around her haven't moved.
This is great, broadcast level quality production, presentation and research.
Thank you for the video Drach, can't believe they let you fly all around the HMS Warrior with your jetpack, but gotta say those aerial angles you recorded it from are perfect.
As an American, I've been to Portsmouth twice. Thoroughly enjoyed wandering around HMS Victory and HMS Warrior both times. Both are fine ships. Thanks for the extended tour!
Pretty cool of the RN to let you use the drone that close to other ships. Props to them where due. I have a hard time believing the modern USN would allow the same.
I suspect Drach has managed to build a large and positive reputation. So they are willing to give him a more access then the average person would get. sm
Also I'm sure they got to look over all the footage before letting him go
It was pre-9/11, but the US navy were gracious enough to show us round one of their active missile cruisers when we visited the USS Intrepid in New York. It was amazing. They all had sidearms which was a shock to a Brit.
There's no way I'm sitting through an hour and a half video about an old boat.
120 minutes later: All this old technology is so cool!
Those drone shots are gorgeous. Well done, Drach.
Excellent!
I freely admit I only have a passing interest in naval history and yet I never miss these longer videos.
Why?
The combination of knowledgeable enthusiasm, dry whit, and excellent presentation very much elevate the subject matter for me. Thank you!
i love to see Drach flexing his YT mussel to get on these ships and giving us video tours that most of us could never get to see. :) Keep it up man ! Great vid and the drone shots were wonderful
I do approve of that lil pun right there!
@@Lowkeh Hee.
Dudes getting big enough to have major museums let him do awesome stuff!
In 1977 I was working as a commercial oil field diver for Strongwork Diving, which became Sub Sea Offshore and the SubSea Seven. I remember being in a job to survey some jetties at BP’s Ocean Terminal in Milford Haven..Pembroke. Across the estuary was HMS Warrior…being used as a fender for supertankers! We had a good look around, but it really was looking pretty sad and passed it.. wonderful to see that it was recovered and restored..it is a very important ship..the absolute super weapon of its time!
I remember her being restored at Hartlepool. They did an amazing job and was so sad to see her leave. HMS Trincomalee is definitely worth a visit when you get back from over the pond.
When we visited this ship 5 years ago I found it by far the most inspiring of all the collection - the beautiful sleek lines and odd kind of simplicity of the engine room
It just radiates solid, confident, power.
I got to tour that ship while I was in England on leave. It was really amazing
I finally got to go to Portsmouth last month and it was fantastic. The open top deck of HMS Warrior really helps you see how massive it is. It looks and feels bigger than the Belfast when you are on it despite it being smaller than it.
Magnificent video. I'm from Peru, it brings me good memories of my time as a scholar in Britain in 96-97. Portsmouth-Gosport was an area I liked and visited quite often in those days.
When I visited Warrior a decade ago, I had no idea of her general layout whilst in service; my interest was in the Victory. Touring around the interior, I saw the picture where she had (almost) ended life as a stripped hulk in some river. While still ignorant of how she looked on deck or below deck, I was quite impressed how much equipment, weapons, and general 'stuff that goes in ships of the era' there was. It was extremely interesting. Drach's comment about her fuel appetite stood about when looking at how much coal the boilers went through per day. A lot. I thought how well the Museum and all the people that have restored (as much as may be) the ship had done a great job. You can have any vessel just sitting there to look at, but it's all the things that go in and how they work together that makes a ship of any type interesting. If you've never been to Portsmouth, it's worth the time and every penny.
As someone who is likely never going to get a chance to see these ships (In the UK) in person, I greatly appreciate this
Many thanks for this, D. I was introduced to Warrior by Hon.Capt.Colin White when he and I were students in the 70s. His special subject when a RN Museum man was the Victorian Navy. We went to Pembroke Dock. A Lt.Cmdr RN showed us round the oil jetty - wow!. Shortly afterwards Warrior went off the Hartlepool and the rest you know. i did not catch up with her until earlier in 2022. But really your video really hits the spot. Thank you
Really glad there was a crew member moving around in the shots from the bridge, it really helped put the view in to context. Also Era concept appropriate visual enhanced clothing.
Drach’s description at 32:10 is now making me imagine a 110lb paintball and I love the idea of Warrior being used in a real life version of Splatoon
A 110lb paint ball would be lethal even if just dropped on you…
Loved the tour of HMS Warrior! Thank you, Drach!
The ship is very nice but what makes this a great video is seeing an Englishman completely besotted with enthusiasm for his subject!
I’ve been waiting for this video ever since I went to see Warrior earlier in the year
Finally I found out why the freaking command post on a warship is called the BRIDGE.
This has to be one of my favorite episodes. Very well done Drach, and thanks to the National Museum of the Royal Navy for giving you...and thus all of us such access!
I visited the ship a few days ago. As an engineer is the simplicity of efficiency on that construction impressive!
The quality and scale of your work just keeps setting higher and higher. Really excellent stuff here.
I love this video. Especially impressed by your hands-on approach and your emphasis on trying to show the ship, over trying to hide production difficulties. Great job!
Drach, if you ever visit the US Midwest, be sure to check out the USS Cod. She is perhaps the most well preserved example of WWII submarine in existence
Cod? That sounds a bit fishy to me
Very Interesting ... As an Ex-RN oaf myself I went around this ship a while ago. It was amazing !! Bit expensive - but worth the outlay. You showed a lot of stuff I missed .... but missed a lot of stuff I loved! You didn't mention the diving gear in the magazine ...(My Speciality ) or the way the Screw was deployed & retracted !! Loved that! IMHO one of the best historical sites in the UK to visit!
Gotta leave something for people to discover! 😀
Thank you, Uncle Drach, I've been waiting for a proper video on this ship for two years now.
Excellent video. Anyone who watches this and still thinks the USS Monitor would have had a chance is clearly daft.
I hope Drach never gets rid of that robot voice end title. It's becoming iconic.
me too...I actually go back and try to find some of the earlier full cg guy episodes,
just for old times sake
I attended a wedding on board a few years ago and was impressed by the circular racks of revolvers all down the gun deck, to repel boarders.
I love how this video feels like an in depth tour of the ship. Walking around and pointing out various things is really helpful in understanding everything. Really well done!
Great special! Note, the menu item is Extraction CaRnis- it’s a broth made with only meat with no bone or tendon. Thanks!
When steering a big square rigger like the Warrior, it is not necessary to see where the ship is going, that is the officer's job. All you need is view of the fore-topsail and a compass heading. The mate gives you a heading and as long as you can keep the sails filled, you are good. If not, either the sails are adjusted or a new heading is given.
I really enjoyed this video you did on Warrior, a fantastic entertaining video. 👌 I guess you could say Warrior and Black Prince were transition ironclads, they experimented with iron armour and new guns, along with new layouts and engines. All this work made valuable experience to create Hms Achillies which was basically an improved Warrior class, and to finally all be refined into creating the mighty Minotaur class, which I could say were probably the most powerful Broadside Ironclads during the 1860s. It is a shame that more didn't survive, but there history and design ideas survive on in Warrior and Gannet. We are extremely lucky to have Warrior, was once the first British ironclad capital ship, but its also amazing that such a beautiful ship should now be the last of the british capital ship ironclads which outlived them all. The start of it all, the mighty Warrior! 👌👍
I didn’t think I would enjoy this so much, great job Drach teaching us about warships
Ah, HMS _Warrior_ - my main reason for siding with the _red coats_ in _(Total War:) Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai_ .
She was an absolute ⁽ᵒᵛᵉʳ⁻⁾powerhouse, yet playing with her never got old; simply pure fun.
Drach, this doc is awesome! Masterful job man! Loved every minute of it. I know you worked hard on this one and it came off brilliantly!
Oil Fuel Hulk #9 or something like that when it was rediscovered in the 80’s. I’m not sure if it is a restoration or fabrication but it’s pretty cool that it was done. I don’t see much of this happening again in our future.
I actually got permission to see HMS Warrior at Pembroke dock back in 1972. The workers were actually quiet proud of her even in her reduced state.
HM Submarine Holland at the RN Submarine Museum at Gosport is regarded as the boat having undertaken the longest dive in history and resurfaced at the end of it. Well worth a look.
A superb film and tour of the ship. It's many years since I visited Portsmouth Historic Dockyard; you have persuaded me it's time to visit again!
Warrior was a floating pontoon in Pembroke Dock for many years of my youth growing up there.The navel ,RAF and army history of the town is amazing, but have you ever considered doing a video on the ships built in the Royal Dockyard from 1815 up to the 1920 s.It was closed by an act of Parliament, not because it could no longer build great fighting ships.
Many of the ships in the battle of Jutland were built here.
Been there a few times, amazing place. Loved the vid... Absolutely fantastic!!
I was in Portsmouth back in 2001 at HMS Nelson and then Phoenix for sea survival training, we only had the time to see Victory and the Mary Rose. Then a tour of some Destroyers. We could see it from the Block of Flats at Nelson but sadly never got there. My loss I suppose, but one day.
I remember visiting her and Victory a few years ago it was amazing!
Drach... Since you live quite close to it, have you ever been to see the last remaining semaphore tower that was part of a chain that used to connect Portsmouth and London. It's in the heath behind the cafe at the m25 a3 junction. It's restored and open to the public occasionally. It's the kind of thing you could drive past a thousand times without knowing it's there. It's a weird bit of inland naval infrastructure.
I remember visiting her when I used to live in the UK. Can't wait to go back again :)
Two years into my Drac life and still you blow me away with how much you know. Take a bow 😅
cant wait to watch this i dearly love warrior since she spend a portion of her life in my home town i cant wait to see her
I think it would have been appropriate if they had some Rum on board for Rum Ration Wednesday, especially aboard a "sailing" fighting ship. Awesome look at the HMS Warrior, especially for someone from the States who is not likely to visit Portsmouth any time soon!
i'm amazed that the quality of the content of this channel does nothing but go up, it keeps getting better and better, good work sir
I took the opportunity to visit the dockyard and Warrior in January - great time to go to Portsmouth! Thank you for the wonderful tour and drone shots!
I was on Warrior many years ago. An outstanding restoration. Where do you get 1860 pivot guns? Where do you get an 1860 steam engine? The thing I remember most is each of the gun positions had rammers, sponges, buckets, meal tables etc repeated for each gun. What a lot of work. The American steam frigates of the time had the same type of bridge. (Kearsarge, Alabama). If only you still had Stonewall Jackson.
The guns and engine are reproductions, not originals.
Love the quality and consistency of this channel. Great work!
Great video Drach, thanks! "The radio broke before the ship" Just like the Guard at Cadia.
The overall roof height must have been amazing for those who came from the older type of sailing ships.
Everything about her must have. I have heard people today exclaim how cramped those sailors must have felt, when the reality is that men coming from old wooden sailing ships to HMS Warrior would have been marvelling at how much room they had in comparison. For them a ship like Warrior would have been considered the height of luxury accommodation wise.
Good thing she got preserved instead of the usual "scrapped"
I watched your episode of the US Constitution and I can't get over how large these wooden ships are! Now I have to plan a trip to see the Constitution!
Great Video! I was able to see the HMS Victory as a child at the Isle of Wight, been loving ships ever since! Love your channel!
That's a beautiful old fish, I glad she's been so well taken care of.
This is fantastically done. Been on the ship a few times many moons ago now this brings a lot of it back. Great video, thankyou.
In everything I've read about Warrior, I've never heard of her having any major hull repairs, such as replacement of large sections of plating or anything of the sort. I haven't even read when she was last drydocked. The longevity of her wrought-iron hull is astonishing, considering that she has been in the water, more or less continuously since 1860, while her near-contemporary SS Great Britain had to have a glass top built over the drydock at the waterline to keep the hull from more or less sublimating out of existence, and much newer steel-hulled ships like USS Olympia, USS Texas, and USS The Sullivans have all had major issues with hull integrity.
I find it almost as odd that I don't see much of anything referencing her remarkable durability.
If anyone can provide any good info on why this 162 year old iron hull has lasted so well through so many years of neglect before restoration, I'd be quite curious to hear it.
I sincerely wish that ships like these were still fully functional and sailed regularly.
Get together a few millions of pounds a year for an operating budget and source three hundred or so able seamen, it could happen. The ship would need some specific repairs and replacement parts put in first, but for much less than the cost of a new frigate for the Royal Navy today, you could get HMS Warrior shipshape in Bristol-fashion.
The "first bridge" will win me Star Trek as well as naval geek cred.
Drachinifel, your video reminds me of the documentaries and learning programs that we watched in grade school in the 1980s in the United States, but better done. Your narration reminds me of a combination of David Attenborough and James Burke.
No way in the world you could get a drone near Warrior without their help. Wonderful.
Love this video tour of Warrior. I regret not having the time to tour her in person the couple of times I've been in Portsmouth. If I ever find myself there again, I will have to rectify that.
I did not know Warrior had been kept for posterity. Great vid.
Another great video! Having an in-depth on location take like this is nice, especially ships that are pretty far and hard to visit for some of us, much enjoyed.
42:00 Regarding that 110-pounder shell rigging, I am fairly sure that is a three-man rig. One on each side and then a third on the rear. Together, they could seamlessly move the shell from the rack to the gun in a fluid motion, ensuring the shell was unlikely to be dropped or smacked into anything but the inside of the breech, even on a gundeck being tossed by the waves.
When the wife and I visited HMS Warrior in the 1990s, she was magnificent but a special mention should go to the (period-dressed) museum guides who explained what we were looking at and, more to the point in the engine room, the difference between an 1860 steam plant and one from the mid-20th century. I'll always remember the description of finding steam leaks. You could probably find them on Warrior with your hand. Later you used a broomstick - when the stick starts to disappear you've found the leak. Brilliant and well worth the trip.
Isn't the ferry to Gosport on the starboard side of warrior? It's right next to the station. The port side of warrior is inside the museum or have I got myself very confused?
Something I find very funny at the Explosion! museum is the every big gun has a map next to it showing which parts of Southampton you could destroy with it.
I love these videos, as a person who doesn't know all of the nautical terms and just need visual to go "Ohhh that part" these help a lot. Also it's a beautiful ship.
Fascinating. Very informative. Looking forward to the video from the U.S. and Canadian trips.
We visited Warrior in May and throughly enjoyed the experience. The entire museum is fantastic (must say, I was a little disappointed that HMS Victory was in such a state of repair - could you do a video about her as well please?)! Great for foreign viewers of yours who don't get to the U.K. that often).One thing I didn't realize at the time, as can be seen in your video, is that the main deck and gun deck seem flat, like on a modern cruise ship. On an older cruise ship we went on and in many photo's of older ships, the deck's follow an arc from bow to stern with the low point somewhere in the middle. So, three questions: is the flat deck usual on iron and steel-hulled warships alone or did commercial ships also employ them at this time, why the apparent difference and what was the reason for the curved deck? Great video, as always.
Interesting question, my guess would be that it's related to the shape of the kheel. The kheel typically points up at the bow of smaller sailboats and the shape of the hull comes up at the stern even if the rudder is straight (look at them out of the water), so it would make sense if you wanted more uniform spaces below to follow the contour.
I just visited Warrior, I so wish I'd found you before this weekend, but better late never. I haven't even watched yet , but I know it's gonna be great. I had so many questions as I was on board. There were no guides. 👏👏👏👏
So many memories. I remember fondly sailing from the Belgian coaster towards Portsmouth. First time I was at the helm of my father's yacht. Hms Warrior actually fueled my historical curiosity as prior to my visit there I assumed the age of sail lasted until 1895. Mind you, I was twelve. I believe there was a fun submarine museum there as well.
Can imagine being the low rung on the matelot totem pole that had to polish all those brass gun slides every day?
How good is this!! Drach; you have come light years from the bad old days of the robo-voice. Well done indeed.
A video made of Warrior with Uncle Drach narrating? My birthday's come early!
how did you know i wanted this video! i pass this beauty almost daily ☺️ she’s a very special ship to me- my aunt and uncle were married on board, which is where my parents met!
Having had audio issues myself recently I sincerely ermpathise. Great content regardless. I really must visit her again.