Posted 11 years ago
vetraio50
(751 items)
This postcard has me scratching my head.
I was a bit lost, here.
Military stuff is not my 'forte'.
I have 110 cards and this one was definitely a mystery.
This is one of my postcards from the Lankester collection I'm posting here on CW. It came with a variety of others from the early twentieth century.
Australian themed cards in the main.
There are also four cards from The Great White Fleet of 1908 in the collection, but this one does not fit easily into that group, I think. Thanks to Ar8Jason aka Kevin I now know it to be the HMS Gibraltar.
"HMS Gibraltar, was an Edgar class cruiser launched in 1892 for service in the Royal Navy. She was built and engineered by Messrs Napier of Glasgow. Of 7,700 loaded displacement, she was coal-fired with four double-ended cylindrical boilers driving two shafts. She could make 20 knots (37 km/h) with forced draught and 18 knots (33 km/h) with natural draught. She was a very good sea boat and an exceptional steamer.
During her early career she served mainly on foreign stations. In March 1901 she was commissioned by Captain A. H. Limpus, with a complement of 544 officers and men, to take the place as flagship of Rear-Admiral Arthur Moore, who had been appointed Commander-in-Chief on the Cape Station.
Despite her obsolescence, she saw service in World War I, first with the 10th Cruiser Squadron on Northern Patrol and from 1915 as a depot ship for this group, based in the Shetland Islands.
Future First Sea Lord John H. D. Cunningham served aboard her as a midshipman. Captain Ronald Arthur Hopwood, R.N. was in command 1913–1914, leaving at the start of World War I.
Gibraltar was sold in 1923."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Gibraltar_(1892)
Any thoughts are still appreciated to set me in another direction.
Thanks Sean and to you too nldionne!
Many thanks Manikin!
Many thanks mustangT!
Obviously their navy could only afford one gun & hopefully more than 3 sailors.
Thanks for the input blunderbuss!
LOL!
It could well be the Oz Navy!
Big gun, though!
Maybe the (fill-in your-name) navy.
Many thanks bratjdd and czechman too!
Many thanks toracat!
anyway you can sneak that camera up on the life save -- perhaps it has the ships name -- period looks early 1900s for clothing style with the gentleman with the bowler
Many thanks epson233.
Many thanks Kevin! You rock! I knew the date of the Oz navy and this is pertinent to this year's celebrations.
The 2013 International Fleet Review was launched today in Sydney by Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs AO, CSC.
From 3–11 October 2013 the International Fleet Review will offer a spectacular program of naval events to celebrate the centenary of the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet arrival in Sydney Harbour on 4 October 1913.
On this day, the flagship HMAS Australia led the new Australian Fleet of seven cruisers and destroyers (HMA Ships Melbourne, Sydney, Encounter, Warrego, Parramatta and Yarra) into Sydney Harbour for the first time.
The program will include: a tall ships parade; warships arrival; ceremonial fleet review; naval gun salutes; fixed wing and helicopter flypasts; aerial acrobatic displays; Sydney Harbour fireworks and light show; ships open to visitors; combined naval march through the streets of Sydney; military band concerts; Freedom of Entry parade in Parramatta; religious and memorial services; and sporting competitions.
http://www.navy.gov.au/press-release/royal-australian-navy-celebrates-international-fleet-review
I'm stoked to think that this card can be associated with the GWFleet too!
Why do you think it is Albany?
Have you seen this image before?
I will have to get researching again.
This is great news thanks so much!
Thanks too to musikchoo and Geno!
Many thanks pops52!
Many thanks walksoftly. I've been working on the identity of the guy with the bowler hat.
Kevin is right about the Gibraltar and the town of Albany, too! She met the Great White Fleet there in September 1908. The Fleet called in for coaling and supplies. Bit of R&R too!
It seems she returned to Western Australia two years later as an escort HMAS Parramatta and HMAS Yarra to the very young Australian Navy.
Kevin, you are a walking encyclopedia on navy stuff. Who else could look at a pic of a naval gun with tompion in muzzle & come up with the name of the gun boat,year & location? What is the caliber & weight of the projectiles with diff. loads?
Thanks Kev. I found those sites this morning too! The battleship cruiser site mentions the " heavy 22 ton breech-loaders of 9.2 inch bore, forming the principal armament of the first-class cruiser Gibraltar ...... The Gibraltar, like her seven sisters, carried two of these powerful pieces on the upper deck fore and aft, mounted singly behind thick steel shields, both gun and shield being constructed to revolve on a turntable, and being capable of training to bear on either broadside, and ahead or astern, as may be. Heavy as the 22 ton gun was it could be worked by hand and could fire a shot in a minute. The 22 ton gun, first mounted in the Blake and Blenheim, was the heaviest weapon mounted in British cruisers at the time (1896)."
But it takes a a particular knowledge of naval hardware to know that it was that 22 ton gun! That was what gave it away, I suppose?
The guns had given some grief to all on board it seems. I read this morning that someone had tampered with the sights on the the two big guns prior to their arrival in Albany. One of the sailors, disgruntled, had thrown them overboard somewhere between Portsmouth and Ceylon.
The captain, Commander C.F. Morgan, had orders to pick up relief crews for the Australian squadron and make Albany on 10 September, there to receive the United States fleet on the succeeding day.
One sailor arrived in Albany in chains ready for court marshall.
But my research today sparked more interest in how such a great fleet of ships was supplied .... not just with food but with coal. In many ways the GWFleet was an exercise into creating global contacts for fuel supply.
"Valuable experience was provided to the crews involved. A tight schedule was planned prior to the fleet’s departure – and kept. This was made possible by the economic use of coal, using a cruising speed of approximately half the battleships’ full speed. Maintaining this was made possible by the very careful rationing of coal stoked into the ships’ boiler furnaces.
Operating away from home required a high level of self-reliance of the ships’ engine room staffs and their ability to make repairs themselves. The number of engine room breakdowns was far fewer after the return of the fleet than during the first leg of the cruise.
Steaming at a reduced speed provided commanding and bridge watch keeping officers and staff with plenty of signalling, changing and maintaining formation, range finding and gunnery.
Chartering foreign flag colliers for refuelling was found to be extremely unreliable, particularly when the fleet was in Australasia. It brought home the reality, that unless a reliable source of re-fuelling and provisioning could be found; the fleet ran the risk of being immobile and ineffective when operating far from home.
Recommendations for the navy to operate its own colliers for its own use, was acted on after the fleet returned. However, only 7 such units were in commission at the outbreak of World War 1. The refuelling and provisioning of warships did not become fully managed by the navy until liquid fuels superseded coal.
The ready invitation of the fleet to visit New Zealand and Australia, as well as the overwhelming welcome provided by the citizens of the ports visited, certainly caused the British Government some embarrassment, but it was insufficient motivation for an effective Pacific flotilla to be supplied by the Royal Navy. This in turn was one of the main reasons for founding the Royal Australian Navy in 1911."
http://www.historicalbany.com.au/whitefleet.htm
Lessons well learnt!
I think the coal supplies from the six ships organized to load at Albany brought the coal from South America on this occasion? Western Australia is not known even today for its coal mining. Iron ore yes, coal no.
Thanks for the info about the Jasons. And I thought it AR8 was 'irate' the exact opposite of the meaning of Kevin! Misjudged yet again!
My other question to you Kev is about the guys in uniform in the photo. Are they English uniforms? Any idea of rank? On the Gibraltar they welcomed the US consul and the Chilean consul too. The guy in the bowler hat looks a bit too relaxed to be either of these two characters. They also sold tickets to some prize fights on board, I think. It really was a big event in those days to have The Fleet in town.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/15003245
Tredeman from the Nebraska had a great throwing arm.
Here's the article on the gun sights:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/90542173
Many thanks Jason. It's that eye for detail that counts!
Most winsome image!! : )
Many thanks miKKo and
chevy59
Budek
manddmoir
walksoftly
pops52
musikchoo
Geno
epson233
toracat
bratjdd
czechman
blunderbuss2
mustangtony
Manikin
nldionne
too!
I saw the size of those planks and they change size around the capstan.
Is there a reason for this?
Were they part of a walk around the capstan?
Look at the size of the capstan!
Many thanks inky and ho2cultcha.
What's amiss eye4?
Thanks again for your comments Kevin.
Many thanks that Kentucky gal too!
Many thanks Hedgewalker!
Many thanks Petey!
Many thanks MANIKIN!
Many thanks AIMATHENA!
Many thanks again MOON!
Many thanks VANSKYCOCK!
Many thanks TOM61375!
Many thanks GARGOYLECOLLECTOR!
Many thanks AGHCOLLECT!
Many thanks HO2CULTCHA!
This a unique card, I really enjoyed seeing and reading about it. Thank You.
Many thanks DLPETERSEN !!!!
I love these early rppc, especially with a military theme! They are usually very crisp and quality images-- lots of details in your example.
scott
Many thanks NEWFLD !.!!!!.!
Many thanks MARMOREALMAIDEN !.!!!!.!