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Warspite is tier V not VI, but it is one of my favorite tier V ships to play. I was lucky enough to get Warspite as my bonus for joining World of Warships. My friends who got me into the game had no idea why this ship is so special. I educated them.
Do you think that anybody will possibly ever create the movie Battle of Jutland? Can you imagine what it would be like with modern computer graphics now?
Having been to the Laffey, I’ll add her as a third. Not to mention a few of the Tribal class that went bonanza (think Haida) Belfast deserves her place too. It’s hard to say who deserved it, save that the two who deserved it the most were Warspite and Enterprise😂😂😂
@@arkadikharovscabinetofcuri3465 Yes, HMCS Hiada is down in Hamilton Harbor, Ontario, Canada. I haven't seen her there, but I visited her several times as a child when she was still at Ontario Place on the waterfront of Toronto, Ontario Canada. She was always a highlight of my visits there.
Yes, Enterprise was the last survivor of her class, and one of the most defiant of ships. When she put to sea again after major repairs in the US as the only fleet carrier left (the others from before the war having been sunk and the Essexes not being ready yet), her crew hung up a banner: "Enterprise versus Japan" We know how that turned out. Her air wing even got a piece of the ludicrously large strike that took down Yamato's slightly larger sister Musashi at the Battle of the Subiyan Sea.
Given our maritime history, it seem beyond disappointing that (compared to, say, the USA) the UK has so few preserved warships. Of course, we have Victory, Warrior, Belfast, Caroline and number of others, but Warspite should have been preserved, not just for herself but as a representative of the whole era of dreadnaught battleships.
Well most countries involved were in a really bad way financially after the war and spending even more money on these warships to clean them up and repair them at a time when the navy was drastically downsizing didn't make sense, financially. It is a shame yes, but for example, rationing in Britain didn't end until the 50s.
As an American I will be honest here. We came out of both world wars far better off than the rest of the world. We also have far more space to store and show ships of a large size. No offense, but let's not forget most of Europe can fit in Texas. We just have more here. I wish that we would have helped save a few for you. Many times english ships protected us and we shouldn't forget that.
That HMS Warspite wasn't saved to be a museum ship is as much a crime against your nation's maritime history as USS Enterprise (CV-6) being scrapped was a crime against ours. If either or both had been saved, people would be able to see, say, the scars in Warspite where the Fritz X went through her and been told how that ended the career of X Turret. Both ships carried their fleet's water in too many battles to just be scrapped.
Thanks for this. My Father served on Warspite all through the war. It came through the tannoy “ We have just hit a cruiser and it has opened up like a tin of sardines “ Dad heard it in the engine rooms. Cheers 🏴🇬🇧
I live in Bremerton, Washington (USA), I am looking for any anecdotes that might have been passed down from Warspite's stay in Bremerton. Do you have any stories that you would care to share?
Warspite holds world record for longest range armor-piercing shot , a record unlikely to ever be beaten., the part of GC hit by Warspite with the shell hole is still preserved in Italy i think ... it was a tragedy that after the war, she was scrapped by the short-sighted Labour govt., despite public efforts to save her.
Nemosis9449 - I live in Bremerton, Washington (USA), I am looking for any anecdotes that might have been passed down from Warspite's stay in Bremerton. Do you have any stories that you would care to share ?
@@theblackbear211 My dad told me a few stores about the generosity of the family they stayed with for a week like the first time he had a steak as it hung of the plate! Most of the bars in town didn't take any money for the beer they drank and was always being stopped by locals to ask how they were getting on. One time a fight started in a bar with US Marines and the MP's turned up only for the Marines and Warspites crew to throw out the MP's and carry on drinking as mates! I would like to say a big thank you on behalf of my father for all the love and kindness he received from the town of Bremerton and its inhabitants.
@@nemosis9449 You are certainly welcome, though no one that I know personally was here back then - even the "younger" folks who were around are passing. There were a number of articles written in the local papers at the time (despite it being a politically sensitive topic - the US being officially "neutral"). Bremerton is still very much a "Navy" town. I believe the last time there was an organized visit by her crew was back in the 1990's - some of her crew are buried here. If you would like any links to the articles, I would be happy to provide them.
i told myself years ago that whenever i watch a video about HMS Warspite i would post the following poem penned by an ex officer from the ship - "The subject" - A poem for the Grand Old Lady: You say you have no subject And your brushes all have dried; But come to Marazion At the ebbing of the tide. And look you out to seaward, Where my Lady battle scarred Hugs the rock that is more welcome, Than the shameful breakers yard. Paint her there upon the sunset In her glory and despair, With the diadem of victory Still in flower upon her hair. Let her whisper as she settles Of her blooding long ago, In the mist than mingles Jutland With the might of Scapa Flow. Let her tell you, too, of Narvick With its snowy hills, and then Of Matapan, Salerno And the shoals of Walcheren; And finally of Malta, When along the purple street Came in trail the Roman Navy To surrender at her feet. Of all these honours conscious, How could she bear to be Delivered to the spoiler Or severed from the sea? So hasten then and paint her In the last flush of her pride On the rocks of Marazion, At the ebbing of the tide. Poem "The Subject" by Lieutenant-Commander R.A.B.Mitchell
When I was younger, early 1960s, my neighbour was a Warspite veteran. He was posted to her in 1940 and discharged from her in 1946. He still had his seaman's cap and ship band.
You say you have no subject And your brushes all have dried; But come to Marazion At the ebbing of the tide. And look you out to seaward, Where my Lady battle scarred Hugs the rock that is more welcome, Than the shameful breakers yard. Paint her there upon the sunset In her glory and despair, With the diadem of victory Still in flower upon her hair. Let her whisper as she settles Of her blooding long ago, In the mist that mingles Jutland With the might of Scapa Flow. Let her tell you, too, of Narvik With its snowy hills, and then Of Matapan, Salerno And the shoals of Walcheren; And finally of Malta, When along the purple street Came in trail the Roman Navy To surrender at her feet. Of all these honours conscious, How could she bear to be Delivered to the spoiler Or severed from the sea? So hasten then and paint her In the last flush of her pride On the rocks of Marazion, At the ebbing of the tide.
My grandfather worked his whole life in the shipyard in Bremerton Washington USA. Warspite was the first ship he ever worked on. She was state side for a refit. i believed early WW2 before the U.S. had entered the war.
Both of my grand fathers did too. My grandpa that was the sheet metal Forman and worked on the ship. My English grandparents invited the crew to Sunday dinners while they were in dry dock.
She was there in December 1941. On the 9th of December, as memory serves, there was an alert (thankfully in error) that a Japanese cruiser squadron was nearby and threatening to raid the American coast; Warspite went to the alert and prepared to fight alone. As I say, luckily it was in error. But I'm quite sure that had it not been, then the last living men would have seen of the Grand Old Lady would have been her sailing west on a lonely voyage to a heroes death, daring the Japanese to try and kill her.
Warspite should have been preserved, she more than earned it. She survived everything the enemy could throw at her in two world wars and in the end defied the scrappers by breaking her tow line, epic defiance from the Grand Old Lady of the RN.
In one of his volumes of his war memoirs by the late, great comedian, Spike Milligan, on landing for the Italian campaign he observed HMS Warspite in a bay, blasting her big guns far inland in support of the troops. Watching the explosions inland, a sailor next to him commented "that's not doing Jerry much good". Then observing how far the ship rocked on her axis from the blast of her mighty guns, the sailor added "it's not doing Warspite much good either!"
Of all the ships in any country that deserved to be an honored museum ship, it was HMS Warspite. For lack of pride by uncaring Politicians she none the less went out on her own terms.
When the Warspite was in Bremerton for repairs after the battle of Crete during WW2. My English grandparents would invite some of the sailors to dinner. The announcement of the attack on Pearl Harbor interrupted the evening as the crew had to report back to the ship. My grandma always felt “those boys” needed a good English meal. She had lost both her brothers in WW1 in the battle of the Somme.
The Grand Old Lady refused to go quietly to the breakers. Few ships in history were more deserving of preservation as a museum and unfortunately had that life taken from them. Other ships so deserving are such as USS Enterprise CV-6, HMS Dreadnaught😂😂ll, USS Barb, the former SMS Goben, and others like them. May their legends never die.
I have just watched this video on Mark from the States. I enjoyed listening to the voices of the crew of HMS Warspite. It always amazes me how casually brave and humous members of our military services, in this case our sailors, are when faced with overwhelming odds. Thank you for allowing us to hear them again today and for the excellent video you produced. Whether you talk about hats or warships your videos are ALWAYS a good watch. So much so I subscribed to your channel today. Cheers.
In his book’Warspite,’ Ian Ballantyne notes that when the heavily damaged ship (retired from battle @ Jutland),was steaming under the Forth Bridge to Rosyth dockyard, railway workers threw lumps of coal down at the crew. They also faced jeering from the crowded shoreline. Hostile Joe Public made the stupid assumption they were running away from battle. In fact she was carrying her dead n wounded & was steering on her engines as her rudder was jammed. The captain had managed to extract her from going round in circles & being a sitting target for the German guns. He got her home to fight another day. Her steering was never really 100% again & plagued her for the rest of her career. A wonderful Devonport built ship!!🇬🇧
It wasn't disgraceful, they merely reacted to what was in the news, because the Germans got home first and their reports came in first. In those reports, the Royal Navy lost, and several ships ran away. As mentioned in the video, Warspite was repeatedly recorded as sunk, because there was no way she could have survived, and the same for Malaya. On the way back, Warspite was stalked by the submarine SM U-63, who managed to fire torpedoes that passed by both sides. Warspite's steering was broken and her reserve steering was being used, which was below decks which meant she was steering blind and by relay. Despite this, she attempted to ram U-63, due to the U-boat being so near the 6-inch guns couldn't point down enough. The U-boat dove so quickly her "tail came out of the water". (This is also in Ballantyne's book, as recounted by Gordon-Ellis who was also mentioned in the video).
She was steering only on her engines, as the rudders were jammed & would not respond to the helm at all. The captain did really well considering he couldn’t put the rudders amidships! Never ever rely on news reports & German propaganda was as good in the first war as it was in the second. Repeat a falsehood enough & exaggerate it & Joe Public will assume it to be true & believe it as the testimony shows.
@@SennaAugustusMerely reacted to what they heard in the news, you mean typical mugs such as exist today and respond on u-tube to videos as if no brain activity exists only knew jerk - the jerks!
My brother was a Battleship Sailor having served on USS Missouri during the first Gulf War.... He was also a carrier and cruiser Sailor serving on USS Midway CV 41 and USS Hue City CG 66. I myself was a Tin Can Sailor on USS Semmes DDG 18 and USS Kinkaid DD 965 and Gator Sailor on USS Whidbey Island LSD 41 and USS Wasp LHD 1.
Thank you both. I recently saw some footage of The Missouri under attack by an Iraqi Silkworm. It was quite chilling when the crew are told over the tannoy, "brace for impact". I don't know how close it came to being struck but it brought it home to me the jobs you guys do and you rarely get the respect that is due. This Scotsman appreciates it and I hope you're enjoying your retirement. Cheers
We had the honour of being at the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Jutland as a member of our family was on HMS Malaya for the battle. Malaya was a sister ship of HMS Warship. It was a very moving series of ceremonies especially the services in the cathedral and cemetery and the dropping of flowers in the sea.
Hi, I watched this video on HMS Warspite with considerable interest, as my father, Errol Frank Moore, served on her, as a leading telegraphist, from her time in Bremerton being repaired to when she returned to the UK. On her way south from Bremerton, Warspite called at Pearl Harbor, and my father saw the devastation of the then-recent Japanese air raid at first hand; he never said very much about it, but he did describe the sheer scale of the destruction. The particular anecdote I am going to share with you relates to when the British Eastern Fleet was based in Ceylon. You will be aware that the Japanese tried to repeat their Pearl Harbor success at the expense of the British fleet, but, as we now know, the British got wind of this through the American success in breaking the Japanese JN25 code. We now know that the British codebreaking centre in Ceylon was at HMS Anderson, and it was from there that Admiral Sir James Somerville learned of the impending raid. As you probably already know, a British aircraft was sent up to fly towards the oncoming Japanese aircraft, and to report them, as a cover for the fact that we had broken the Japanese codes. My father was probably on watch at this time, and he used to say that, at one point, the message came through, “How quickly can you raise steam?” The various ships in the fleet responded accordingly, and the next order was, “Raise steam in half that time!” This was the start of the dash out to sea, west of Ceylon, which saved the British fleet from the subsequent raid. Stephen Moore, London, UK
I've read there was a fair bit of debate about preserving her but ultimately the bean counters in charge were more interested in the scrap value. Absolute shame.
Warspite was damaged by a radio controlled glider bomb in the Mediterranean. A boiler room was knocked out and X turret was put out of action. She was partially repaired in time for Normandy and fought with six main guns and reduced speed. For those saying she should have been preserved, I agree. But you have to remember the practicalities. Britain was bankrupt after World War II. If every ship that people wanted preserved was done so, our ports would be full of rust ridden hulks now. It costs a fortune. Just look at what has happened to USS Texas.
he forgets the mention that HMS Warspite is a ship you have to pay real money for in this free to play game --- take it from me, she's a great ship to have, well placed at Tier 6 also my Grandfather was there at Prussia Cove where a Memorial now stands to remember the grand old lady, he was on shore leave during his own service with the Royal Navy and went over to have a look at the Grand Old Lady, he later told me, and i'll quote for quote on this one because it was rare for my grandfather to use profanity, when he told me of this he said "the grand old lady wasn't going down without a fight, that big bitch wasn't getting scrapped as easily as the Admiralty had hoped"
Henry V, Act IV, scene 5- “Shame and eternal shame. Nothing but shame. “ These lines should be spoken by the government of England for not preserving this magnificent vessel and the history it embodied.
Warspite or to give her her full title: Queen of the Mediterranean, bane of the Germany and Italy, the indestructible, unsinkable, Grand Old Lady, Warspite.
The warspite had gremlins that attacked the steerage! She was also hit by a glider bomb permanently knocked out one of after turrets which permanently stuck facing rearward!
Of course, CV-6, USS Enterprise also broke her tow onthe way to the breaker's yard. Sadly She was refloated . Both She and The Grand Old Lady showed Their High Class Character in Their Final Moments. God Bless Them Both , and All who sailed in them. RIP, Both
Don't worry folks the hallowed name and tradition lives on....there's a new Warspite(SSBN) being built here at this very moment in the Shipyard in my hometown of Barrow in Furness?.*My Dad(Rip😢) served on the 1960s SSN Hms Warspite!.🇬🇧🛡⚔️🌊⚓️🇬🇧😉👌😎👍👍👍
A nice set of memories from the legendary Grand Old Ladies crew. It does amuse me though how the advertising script for WoWS always stresses the historical side, when so many of the ships are essentially made up or just totally wrong from the blueprints/real ship lol
Here's a Fact Alexander's keen interest in exploration led him to the Oracle of Amun in Siwa, Egypt, where he was allegedly recognized as the son of Zeus. This divine validation further fueled his belief in his destined greatness and influenced his leadership style.
It's beyond ridiculous that Britain failed to preserve this ship as a museum. I wonder if there has been a resolution ever proposed to build a deck level full scale replica of the Warspite with some walk-through interactive compartments perfectly replicated. It's not the actual ship but at least it would be something...
Warspite,Enterprise should have been saved at any cost in my opinion.But there in are hearts of us History people and those who served on them if any still survive and there families. Would have loved to Have seen Duke of york, Queen Elizabeth,Nelson,Rodney They where Famous and some where from a Engineering stand point where significant and a Personal one for me would Be H.M.S. Tiger. Very good video.
I used to walk past her hulk every day, Prussia cove, she ended on st Michaels Mount in Marazion, and even six years ago you could see some of her ribs at a low spring tide
And the name of Warspite will live again, the RN is reusing the name for one of the new Dreadnaught Class SSBN's. Given ships with this name seem to have a "machine spirit" to guide them, be afraid ....very afraid if you upset her.
Ya know. I'm thinking that the US Navy can honor some Royal Navy ships, as well!! One would be the USS Warspite. The others, USS Repulse- to honor the crew and, the ship HMS Repulse- USS Bulldog- the Royal Navy destroyer that doggedly pursued the DKM Bismarck- USS Mountbatten- named after King Charles V's uncle who served during WW2- and, USS Nelson- so named after Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, who won the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805!! Tell me, sir. Whaddaya think??
While I would like to visit HMS Warspite as a museum ship as much as the next person I do wonder whether being tied up alongside as a non-moving carcass would be a fitting end for the Grand Old Lady. I can't help feeling that the way she went out - breaking her tow and coming ashore in her own time and in her own place and ending it all in her own terms in Prussia Cove was probably the way to go. Warspite played a significant role in both world wars, was engaged in most of the significant actions of the Dreadnought battleship era and never lost. She would take on any mission and any foe, never took a step backwards, took more punishment and survived than any other battleship but gave out even more than she took. There were bigger, "better", more powerful, better looking, more modern and shinier battleships but Warspite wasn't interested in any of that. Instead she put the "Battle" in to battleship. She would fire further than you, faster than you, more accurately than you and she would keep on coming no matter what you hit her with. She basically scarred an entire nation's fleet (the Italians) out of a world war more or less single handed by taking on and beating their best two ships (because she was bored and couldn't be bothered to wait for Malaya) and then refused to sink even when the Italians blew her bottom out. Instead, having won one theatre of the war she limped off to have a go at the Germans in northern France instead. I just don't see a ship that has done that much being happy being climbed over by children dropping ice cream in their wake, tied up in some marina somewhere. Her home was the sea, and she is still there.
USS Liberty gets mentioned frequently. I absolutely agree that it is history that deserves to be remembered. But I am wary to join such a controversial discussion when I have no new answers, and don’t think it can be appropriately addressed in my relatively short format. I am not saying that I’ll never do it, never say never. But I just don’t think it fits as a good topic for this channel’s voice and format.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel I agree, it has been hashed over repeatedly. The reason I asked was because I knew you would be without bias in your reporting. But I respect your decision and I mean this comment to be a complement to your work.
I cant find it. But is there a HMS Warspite in service today? Feels kind of odd if there wasnt. Even the name Enterprise will carry on in the next Ford carriee CVN-80
From 1965 to 1991 there’s a Warspite (S103) SSN, who rammed a Soviet nuclear submarine and was hunted by the entire Soviet Navy, and also suffered a big engine fire that was nearly a nuclear incident. Now, a Dreadnought-class SSBN. Always, she’s with her sister Valiant.
Question/query/observation: Having read Robert K. Massie's "Dreadnought", it seems to me that he's a fan of Jellicoe, but very much not a fan of Beatty. Thoughts?
Hey History guy you got the size of the Italian Battleships wrong. No Italian Battleship had 16" guns. The Italian ship that Warspite hit had 12.6 inch guns.
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Warspite is tier V not VI, but it is one of my favorite tier V ships to play.
I was lucky enough to get Warspite as my bonus for joining World of Warships. My friends who got me into the game had no idea why this ship is so special. I educated them.
Do you think that anybody will possibly ever create the movie Battle of Jutland? Can you imagine what it would be like with modern computer graphics now?
too many long commercials, thumbs down.
Warspite and Enterprise are two ships that should have been saved.
If only two WW2 ships were saved as museums it should have been those two and they are both gone.
Having been to the Laffey, I’ll add her as a third. Not to mention a few of the Tribal class that went bonanza (think Haida) Belfast deserves her place too. It’s hard to say who deserved it, save that the two who deserved it the most were Warspite and Enterprise😂😂😂
I couldn't get either of them to fit under the teller's bullet proof screen so I skipped that part.
@@arkadikharovscabinetofcuri3465 Yes, HMCS Hiada is down in Hamilton Harbor, Ontario, Canada. I haven't seen her there, but I visited her several times as a child when she was still at Ontario Place on the waterfront of Toronto, Ontario Canada. She was always a highlight of my visits there.
Yes, Enterprise was the last survivor of her class, and one of the most defiant of ships. When she put to sea again after major repairs in the US as the only fleet carrier left (the others from before the war having been sunk and the Essexes not being ready yet), her crew hung up a banner: "Enterprise versus Japan" We know how that turned out. Her air wing even got a piece of the ludicrously large strike that took down Yamato's slightly larger sister Musashi at the Battle of the Subiyan Sea.
Given our maritime history, it seem beyond disappointing that (compared to, say, the USA) the UK has so few preserved warships. Of course, we have Victory, Warrior, Belfast, Caroline and number of others, but Warspite should have been preserved, not just for herself but as a representative of the whole era of dreadnaught battleships.
Well most countries involved were in a really bad way financially after the war and spending even more money on these warships to clean them up and repair them at a time when the navy was drastically downsizing didn't make sense, financially. It is a shame yes, but for example, rationing in Britain didn't end until the 50s.
As an American, there is no other British ship I want to see other than Victory, but #2 is Warspite. 'Wish you were here' :-)
As an American I will be honest here. We came out of both world wars far better off than the rest of the world. We also have far more space to store and show ships of a large size. No offense, but let's not forget most of Europe can fit in Texas. We just have more here. I wish that we would have helped save a few for you. Many times english ships protected us and we shouldn't forget that.
That HMS Warspite wasn't saved to be a museum ship is as much a crime against your nation's maritime history as USS Enterprise (CV-6) being scrapped was a crime against ours. If either or both had been saved, people would be able to see, say, the scars in Warspite where the Fritz X went through her and been told how that ended the career of X Turret. Both ships carried their fleet's water in too many battles to just be scrapped.
The last battleship Vanguard should have been preserved.
Thanks for this. My Father served on Warspite all through the war. It came through the tannoy “ We have just hit a cruiser and it has opened up like a tin of sardines “ Dad heard it in the engine rooms. Cheers 🏴🇬🇧
I live in Bremerton, Washington (USA), I am looking for any anecdotes that might have been passed down from Warspite's stay in Bremerton.
Do you have any stories that you would care to share?
Warspite holds world record for longest range armor-piercing shot , a record unlikely to ever be beaten., the part of GC hit by Warspite with the shell hole is still preserved in Italy i think ... it was a tragedy that after the war, she was scrapped by the short-sighted Labour govt., despite public efforts to save her.
Ummm, Britain was broke after six years of war. I suspect any government in that situation would have scraped old and obsolete battleships.
She also ,at Narvik, had the distinction of having Her Swordfish Floatplane, sink a U-boat. The only time a Spotter plane sank an enemy vessel
My dad served on Hms Warspite from early 41 till early 43 as a gunner on port side 6".
Nemosis9449 - I live in Bremerton, Washington (USA), I am looking for any anecdotes that might have been passed down from Warspite's stay in Bremerton.
Do you have any stories that you would care to share ?
@@theblackbear211 My dad told me a few stores about the generosity of the family they stayed with for a week like the first time he had a steak as it hung of the plate! Most of the bars in town didn't take any money for the beer they drank and was always being stopped by locals to ask how they were getting on. One time a fight started in a bar with US Marines and the MP's turned up only for the Marines and Warspites crew to throw out the MP's and carry on drinking as mates! I would like to say a big thank you on behalf of my father for all the love and kindness he received from the town of Bremerton and its inhabitants.
@@nemosis9449 You are certainly welcome,
though no one that I know personally was here back then - even the "younger" folks who were around are passing.
There were a number of articles written in the local papers at the time (despite it being a politically sensitive topic - the US being officially "neutral"). Bremerton is still very much a "Navy" town. I believe the last time there was an organized visit by her crew was back in the 1990's - some of her crew are buried here. If you would like any links to the articles, I would be happy to provide them.
i told myself years ago that whenever i watch a video about HMS Warspite i would post the following poem penned by an ex officer from the ship -
"The subject" - A poem for the Grand Old Lady:
You say you have no subject
And your brushes all have dried;
But come to Marazion
At the ebbing of the tide.
And look you out to seaward,
Where my Lady battle scarred
Hugs the rock that is more welcome,
Than the shameful breakers yard.
Paint her there upon the sunset
In her glory and despair,
With the diadem of victory
Still in flower upon her hair.
Let her whisper as she settles
Of her blooding long ago,
In the mist than mingles Jutland
With the might of Scapa Flow.
Let her tell you, too, of Narvick
With its snowy hills, and then
Of Matapan, Salerno
And the shoals of Walcheren;
And finally of Malta,
When along the purple street
Came in trail the Roman Navy
To surrender at her feet.
Of all these honours conscious,
How could she bear to be
Delivered to the spoiler
Or severed from the sea?
So hasten then and paint her
In the last flush of her pride
On the rocks of Marazion,
At the ebbing of the tide.
Poem "The Subject" by Lieutenant-Commander R.A.B.Mitchell
When I was younger, early 1960s, my neighbour was a Warspite veteran. He was posted to her in 1940 and discharged from her in 1946. He still had his seaman's cap and ship band.
You say you have no subject
And your brushes all have dried;
But come to Marazion
At the ebbing of the tide.
And look you out to seaward,
Where my Lady battle scarred
Hugs the rock that is more welcome,
Than the shameful breakers yard.
Paint her there upon the sunset
In her glory and despair,
With the diadem of victory
Still in flower upon her hair.
Let her whisper as she settles
Of her blooding long ago,
In the mist that mingles Jutland
With the might of Scapa Flow.
Let her tell you, too, of Narvik
With its snowy hills, and then
Of Matapan, Salerno
And the shoals of Walcheren;
And finally of Malta,
When along the purple street
Came in trail the Roman Navy
To surrender at her feet.
Of all these honours conscious,
How could she bear to be
Delivered to the spoiler
Or severed from the sea?
So hasten then and paint her
In the last flush of her pride
On the rocks of Marazion,
At the ebbing of the tide.
Daaaaammmmmmnnnn
The source please?
@@arkadikharovscabinetofcuri3465 Lieutenant-Commander R.A.B. Mitchell wrote it. And what's silly is that it brings a tear to my eye.
My grandfather worked his whole life in the shipyard in Bremerton Washington USA. Warspite was the first ship he ever worked on. She was state side for a refit. i believed early WW2 before the U.S. had entered the war.
Both of my grand fathers did too. My grandpa that was the sheet metal Forman and worked on the ship. My English grandparents invited the crew to Sunday dinners while they were in dry dock.
She was there in December 1941.
On the 9th of December, as memory serves, there was an alert (thankfully in error) that a Japanese cruiser squadron was nearby and threatening to raid the American coast; Warspite went to the alert and prepared to fight alone.
As I say, luckily it was in error. But I'm quite sure that had it not been, then the last living men would have seen of the Grand Old Lady would have been her sailing west on a lonely voyage to a heroes death, daring the Japanese to try and kill her.
Warspite should have been preserved, she more than earned it. She survived everything the enemy could throw at her in two world wars and in the end defied the scrappers by breaking her tow line, epic defiance from the Grand Old Lady of the RN.
In one of his volumes of his war memoirs by the late, great comedian, Spike Milligan, on landing for the Italian campaign he observed HMS Warspite in a bay, blasting her big guns far inland in support of the troops. Watching the explosions inland, a sailor next to him commented "that's not doing Jerry much good". Then observing how far the ship rocked on her axis from the blast of her mighty guns, the sailor added "it's not doing Warspite much good either!"
Now THAT is a story Warspite would have loved
Of all the ships in any country that deserved to be an honored museum ship, it was HMS Warspite. For lack of pride by uncaring Politicians she none the less went out on her own terms.
Speaking as a proud Brit, you’ve done our Warspite proud, thank you 🇬🇧⚓️
When the Warspite was in Bremerton for repairs after the battle of Crete during WW2. My English grandparents would invite some of the sailors to dinner. The announcement of the attack on Pearl Harbor interrupted the evening as the crew had to report back to the ship. My grandma always felt “those boys” needed a good English meal. She had lost both her brothers in WW1 in the battle of the Somme.
Jesus, a hit from over 14 miles away. Without a forward observer. That's just crazy
That's excellent fire control and the Mark I 15"/42, one of the most accurate capital ship guns ever to grace a turret.
without gps on a moving target. Scharnohorst did the same distance shot on HMS Glorious.
The Grand Old Lady refused to go quietly to the breakers.
Few ships in history were more deserving of preservation as a museum and unfortunately had that life taken from them.
Other ships so deserving are such as USS Enterprise CV-6, HMS Dreadnaught😂😂ll, USS Barb, the former SMS Goben, and others like them.
May their legends never die.
I have just watched this video on Mark from the States. I enjoyed listening to the voices of the crew of HMS Warspite. It always amazes me how casually brave and humous members of our military services, in this case our sailors, are when faced with overwhelming odds. Thank you for allowing us to hear them again today and for the excellent video you produced. Whether you talk about hats or warships your videos are ALWAYS a good watch. So much so I subscribed to your channel today. Cheers.
THIS was one of the best episodes ever!!!! That’s saying something, because I love them ALL!!!!
In his book’Warspite,’ Ian Ballantyne notes that when the heavily damaged ship (retired from battle @ Jutland),was steaming under the Forth Bridge to Rosyth dockyard, railway workers threw lumps of coal down at the crew. They also faced jeering from the crowded shoreline. Hostile Joe Public made the stupid assumption they were running away from battle.
In fact she was carrying her dead n wounded & was steering on her engines as her rudder was jammed. The captain had managed to extract her from going round in circles & being a sitting target for the German guns. He got her home to fight another day.
Her steering was never really 100% again & plagued her for the rest of her career.
A wonderful Devonport built ship!!🇬🇧
That's disgraceful.
It’s really a shame how the British crews were treated after Jutland
It wasn't disgraceful, they merely reacted to what was in the news, because the Germans got home first and their reports came in first. In those reports, the Royal Navy lost, and several ships ran away. As mentioned in the video, Warspite was repeatedly recorded as sunk, because there was no way she could have survived, and the same for Malaya. On the way back, Warspite was stalked by the submarine SM U-63, who managed to fire torpedoes that passed by both sides. Warspite's steering was broken and her reserve steering was being used, which was below decks which meant she was steering blind and by relay. Despite this, she attempted to ram U-63, due to the U-boat being so near the 6-inch guns couldn't point down enough. The U-boat dove so quickly her "tail came out of the water". (This is also in Ballantyne's book, as recounted by Gordon-Ellis who was also mentioned in the video).
She was steering only on her engines, as the rudders were jammed & would not respond to the helm at all.
The captain did really well considering he couldn’t put the rudders amidships!
Never ever rely on news reports & German propaganda was as good in the first war as it was in the second.
Repeat a falsehood enough & exaggerate it & Joe Public will assume it to be true & believe it as the testimony shows.
@@SennaAugustusMerely reacted to what they heard in the news, you mean typical mugs such as exist today and respond on u-tube to videos as if no brain activity exists only knew jerk - the jerks!
Your enthusiasm delivering the narrative captives me.
I agree. She's been my favorite battleship since I read about her as a boy of 8 and built the airfix model of her.
My brother was a Battleship Sailor having served on USS Missouri during the first Gulf War.... He was also a carrier and cruiser Sailor serving on USS Midway CV 41 and USS Hue City CG 66. I myself was a Tin Can Sailor on USS Semmes DDG 18 and USS Kinkaid DD 965 and Gator Sailor on USS Whidbey Island LSD 41 and USS Wasp LHD 1.
Thank you both. I recently saw some footage of The Missouri under attack by an Iraqi Silkworm. It was quite chilling when the crew are told over the tannoy, "brace for impact". I don't know how close it came to being struck but it brought it home to me the jobs you guys do and you rarely get the respect that is due. This Scotsman appreciates it and I hope you're enjoying your retirement. Cheers
@@jacksprat9172 A British ship fired a Missile to Intercept the incoming silkworm missile
We had the honour of being at the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Jutland as a member of our family was on HMS Malaya for the battle. Malaya was a sister ship of HMS Warship. It was a very moving series of ceremonies especially the services in the cathedral and cemetery and the dropping of flowers in the sea.
Hi, I watched this video on HMS Warspite with considerable interest, as my father, Errol Frank Moore, served on her, as a leading telegraphist, from her time in Bremerton being repaired to when she returned to the UK. On her way south from Bremerton, Warspite called at Pearl Harbor, and my father saw the devastation of the then-recent Japanese air raid at first hand; he never said very much about it, but he did describe the sheer scale of the destruction.
The particular anecdote I am going to share with you relates to when the British Eastern Fleet was based in Ceylon. You will be aware that the Japanese tried to repeat their Pearl Harbor success at the expense of the British fleet, but, as we now know, the British got wind of this through the American success in breaking the Japanese JN25 code. We now know that the British codebreaking centre in Ceylon was at HMS Anderson, and it was from there that Admiral Sir James Somerville learned of the impending raid. As you probably already know, a British aircraft was sent up to fly towards the oncoming Japanese aircraft, and to report them, as a cover for the fact that we had broken the Japanese codes.
My father was probably on watch at this time, and he used to say that, at one point, the message came through, “How quickly can you raise steam?” The various ships in the fleet responded accordingly, and the next order was, “Raise steam in half that time!”
This was the start of the dash out to sea, west of Ceylon, which saved the British fleet from the subsequent raid.
Stephen Moore, London, UK
Most decorated warship in the Royal Navy that participated in both Jutland and D-Day yet scrapped without a second though? Mindboggling.
I've read there was a fair bit of debate about preserving her but ultimately the bean counters in charge were more interested in the scrap value. Absolute shame.
Warspite was damaged by a radio controlled glider bomb in the Mediterranean. A boiler room was knocked out and X turret was put out of action. She was partially repaired in time for Normandy and fought with six main guns and reduced speed. For those saying she should have been preserved, I agree. But you have to remember the practicalities. Britain was bankrupt after World War II. If every ship that people wanted preserved was done so, our ports would be full of rust ridden hulks now. It costs a fortune. Just look at what has happened to USS Texas.
he forgets the mention that HMS Warspite is a ship you have to pay real money for in this free to play game --- take it from me, she's a great ship to have, well placed at Tier 6
also my Grandfather was there at Prussia Cove where a Memorial now stands to remember the grand old lady, he was on shore leave during his own service with the Royal Navy and went over to have a look at the Grand Old Lady, he later told me, and i'll quote for quote on this one because it was rare for my grandfather to use profanity, when he told me of this he said "the grand old lady wasn't going down without a fight, that big bitch wasn't getting scrapped as easily as the Admiralty had hoped"
Thank you for honouring Warspite.
Henry V, Act IV, scene 5- “Shame and eternal shame. Nothing but shame. “
These lines should be spoken by the government of England for not preserving this magnificent vessel and the history it embodied.
That was nice at the end. The old warship maybe didn't want to end as scrap.
It's amost impossible for me to imagine Suface Warfare without Fire Control Radar, or RADAR of any kind for that mater.
Chills.
I just finished reading a history of Warspite. This THG post was a perfect coda to my reading. Thank you!
Thank you, THG for a great summary of the life and times of HMS Warspite. What a story of combat.
I think your the best story teller out there dude.. I wish you many more years. 🖖
Have a model of the HMS Queen Elizabeth. They were beautiful looking ships in their day.
Warspite or to give her her full title: Queen of the Mediterranean, bane of the Germany and Italy, the indestructible, unsinkable, Grand Old Lady, Warspite.
Great episode. I play WoWS on console and HMS Warspite is one of my faves👍
My Father served on Warspite in the Eastern Fleet and ended his wartime service learning Japanese in London.
It's a damn shame she wasn't preserved.
The Grand Old Lady
always came home
Never Gave up
Another great video, I have the HMS Warspite in World of Warships, it is a great ship.
Thank you for the lesson.
I appreciate you and thank you for making content.
@kellyhovis...I definitely agree. IMHO, HMS Warspite holds the greatest combat record of any battleship of the steel era.
The warspite had gremlins that attacked the steerage! She was also hit by a glider bomb permanently knocked out one of after turrets which permanently stuck facing rearward!
This was excellent , thank you
Love your work. Thanks 🙏
Dreadnaught was my ex girlfriend's mothers nickname given by the sailors on leave 😮
Do you have her number?😂😂😂
Of course, CV-6, USS Enterprise also broke her tow onthe way to the breaker's yard. Sadly She was refloated . Both She and The Grand Old Lady showed Their High Class Character in Their Final Moments. God Bless Them Both , and All who sailed in them. RIP, Both
Hey Playboy 🤓👋 nice colors! Looking oh so Dapper my friend as usual!
thanks
Sees HMS Warspite, taps.
Looks for Drachinifel.
Drachinifel and I are very different creators though.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Sounds like something Drachinfel would say.
Blast, no Drachinifel sighted. Throws binoculars overboard.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannelIt's the thumbnails. When you do ship videos (as well you should) there is no avoiding the association with Drach.
@@bartsanders1553 I got to meet him at Tankfest. He’s a good fellow.
Don't worry folks the hallowed name and tradition lives on....there's a new Warspite(SSBN) being built here at this very moment in the Shipyard in my hometown of Barrow in Furness?.*My Dad(Rip😢) served on the 1960s SSN Hms Warspite!.🇬🇧🛡⚔️🌊⚓️🇬🇧😉👌😎👍👍👍
Beautiful story
Great content again.
Wonderful thank you
Hey History Guy and fellow Classmates,🤓👋 have a safe blessed weekend!💖
Thanks! May your movements be regular!
Most decorated in the history of the greatest navy of all time. That says it all.
My favourite warship, with the best name.
Thanks for this.. wonderful collection of memories well read
A nice set of memories from the legendary Grand Old Ladies crew.
It does amuse me though how the advertising script for WoWS always stresses the historical side, when so many of the ships are essentially made up or just totally wrong from the blueprints/real ship lol
Here's a Fact
Alexander's keen interest in exploration led him to the Oracle of Amun in Siwa, Egypt, where he was allegedly recognized as the son of Zeus. This divine validation further fueled his belief in his destined greatness and influenced his leadership style.
It's beyond ridiculous that Britain failed to preserve this ship as a museum.
I wonder if there has been a resolution ever proposed to build a deck level full scale replica of the Warspite with some walk-through interactive compartments perfectly replicated.
It's not the actual ship but at least it would be something...
Scrapping a ship like that is a crime against History itself.
Warspite,Enterprise should have been saved at any cost in my opinion.But there in are hearts of us History people and those who served on them if any still survive and there families. Would have loved to Have seen Duke of york, Queen Elizabeth,Nelson,Rodney They where Famous and some where from a Engineering stand point where significant and a Personal one for me would Be H.M.S. Tiger. Very good video.
Such incredible amd interesting history.
I used to walk past her hulk every day, Prussia cove, she ended on st Michaels Mount in Marazion, and even six years ago you could see some of her ribs at a low spring tide
Back in the Saddle Again Naturally!
You have GOT to do the USS Liberty talk about forgotten history . . .
I believe ships have souls and hers was brave, very brave.
If ships can have souls, Warpsite showed hers when she insisted on deciding her own fate.
And the name of Warspite will live again, the RN is reusing the name for one of the new Dreadnaught Class SSBN's. Given ships with this name seem to have a "machine spirit" to guide them, be afraid ....very afraid if you upset her.
Yes, the planned ballistic missile submarine will be the ninth Royal Navy vessel to carry the name.
Hell yeah!! That's freaking cool, man!!
Ya know. I'm thinking that the US Navy can honor some Royal Navy ships, as well!! One would be the USS Warspite. The others, USS Repulse- to honor the crew and, the ship HMS Repulse- USS Bulldog- the Royal Navy destroyer that doggedly pursued the DKM Bismarck- USS Mountbatten- named after King Charles V's uncle who served during WW2- and, USS Nelson- so named after Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson, who won the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805!!
Tell me, sir. Whaddaya think??
THG you rock! Peace
Thank THG🎀
While I would like to visit HMS Warspite as a museum ship as much as the next person I do wonder whether being tied up alongside as a non-moving carcass would be a fitting end for the Grand Old Lady. I can't help feeling that the way she went out - breaking her tow and coming ashore in her own time and in her own place and ending it all in her own terms in Prussia Cove was probably the way to go.
Warspite played a significant role in both world wars, was engaged in most of the significant actions of the Dreadnought battleship era and never lost. She would take on any mission and any foe, never took a step backwards, took more punishment and survived than any other battleship but gave out even more than she took. There were bigger, "better", more powerful, better looking, more modern and shinier battleships but Warspite wasn't interested in any of that. Instead she put the "Battle" in to battleship.
She would fire further than you, faster than you, more accurately than you and she would keep on coming no matter what you hit her with. She basically scarred an entire nation's fleet (the Italians) out of a world war more or less single handed by taking on and beating their best two ships (because she was bored and couldn't be bothered to wait for Malaya) and then refused to sink even when the Italians blew her bottom out. Instead, having won one theatre of the war she limped off to have a go at the Germans in northern France instead.
I just don't see a ship that has done that much being happy being climbed over by children dropping ice cream in their wake, tied up in some marina somewhere.
Her home was the sea, and she is still there.
I think this is the first time where i can say i had a distant relative (great grandfather) serve on HMS Warspite during WW1.
Props for not calling it "The HMS Warspite"
Thanks
“Ding, ding of the fire Gong” not “ fire going”. If you watch the ‘Battle of the River Plate’ you can hear the fire gongs going before each RN salvo.
fair point, that does make more sense. It may have been transcribed wrong when he told his story.
She did not go quietly into the night!!💪
Warspite - my favourite battle-wagon.
HMS Warspite. A truly unsinkable battleship.
The USS Liberty Incident definitely needs the History Guy treatment.
Yeah
I asked him about that a couple of years ago. He declined.
USS Liberty gets mentioned frequently. I absolutely agree that it is history that deserves to be remembered. But I am wary to join such a controversial discussion when I have no new answers, and don’t think it can be appropriately addressed in my relatively short format. I am not saying that I’ll never do it, never say never. But I just don’t think it fits as a good topic for this channel’s voice and format.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel I agree, it has been hashed over repeatedly. The reason I asked was because I knew you would be without bias in your reporting. But I respect your decision and I mean this comment to be a complement to your work.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel,
I echo marinablueGS's opinion as well.
Sad that she wasn’t preserved.
I cant find it. But is there a HMS Warspite in service today? Feels kind of odd if there wasnt.
Even the name Enterprise will carry on in the next Ford carriee CVN-80
There is a new Dreadnought class ballistic missile submarine planned.
From 1965 to 1991 there’s a Warspite (S103) SSN, who rammed a Soviet nuclear submarine and was hunted by the entire Soviet Navy, and also suffered a big engine fire that was nearly a nuclear incident. Now, a Dreadnought-class SSBN. Always, she’s with her sister Valiant.
Man I remember when you just had 30k subs...
"Operation well carried out. There is no question, when the old lady lifts her skirts, she can run." Admiral Cunningham
Of all the ships in the British navy HMS Warspite should have been preserved.
Question/query/observation:
Having read Robert K. Massie's "Dreadnought", it seems to me that he's a fan of Jellicoe, but very much not a fan of Beatty.
Thoughts?
The brittish should feel ashamed for not saving her. At least save her bell or her guns something.
Bite me scrappers! Think I'll go take a rest on that beach...
Here? Or on an outside app?
It’s a shame a beautiful ship like warspite should’ve been saved
I've got a hat from her or the next Warspite.
Warspite. THE best name for a warship, ever!
Perhaps you could do an episode on the glorious Soviet Fleet Aircraft Carrier arm that did so much to assist with victory at sea... 😅
What is your WoWs handle Lance? It would be fun to run into you in a match or even division up. 😁
The_History_Guy. I'll be the one that misses/getting stuck on an island.
Hey History guy you got the size of the Italian Battleships wrong. No Italian Battleship had 16" guns. The Italian ship that Warspite hit had 12.6 inch guns.
That was a direct quotation from a member of Warspite's crew. He was incorrect, but it was his experience that mattered in this episode.
She died on the Cornwall rocks rather than go to the breakers yard she fought till she could no longer fight .
These IN-VIDEO ads render TH-cam premium next to useless waste of money. There is no escaping from ad infestation
The most important UK WW1/2 vessel that should have been preserved .
Now only the USS Texas flys the Dreadnaught honors