Career
Laid down:	1913-11-12
Launched:	1916-09-12
Commissioned:	1917-09-01
Fate:	Scrapped 1949
General Characteristics
Displacement:	28,000 tons standard 31,200 tons max
Length:	624 ft (190 m)
Beam:	88 ft (27 m), later expanded to 102 ft (31.1 m)
Draught:	28 ft (8.5 m)
Armament:	8 x 15 in (381 mm) guns in twin turrets 14 x 6 in (152 mm) guns in single casemates 2 x 3 in (76 mm) guns in single mountings 4 x 47 mm guns in single mountings 4 x 21 in (533 mm) submerged torpedo tubes
Propulsion:	Steam turbines, eighteen boilers, four shafts, 40,000 hp (30 MW)
Speed:	23 knots (43 km/h): only 21 knots after the torpedo bulges were added in 1917. By 1939, only about 18 knots with her old machinery
Complement:	997–1,146

HMS Ramillies (pennant number 07) was a Revenge-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named after the Battle of Ramillies. Download high resolution version (1072x607, 61 KB)HMS Ramillies This image is copyrighted by the maintainer of the Web site http://www. ... Image File history File links RN-White-Ensign. ... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... November 12 is the 316th day of the year (317th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 49 days remaining. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... 1949 (MCMXLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday. ... A torpedo in Rail terminology refers to a small explosive device strapped to the top of the rail to alert an approaching train of immediate danger ahead. ... HMS Royal Sovereign The Revenge-class battleships were five battleships of the Royal Navy, ordered as World War I loomed on the horizon, and launched in 1914–1916. ... HMS Victory in 1884 Battleship was the name given to the most powerfully gun-armed and most heavily armored classes of warships built between the 15th and 20th centuries. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services being the oldest of its three branches. ... The Battle of Ramillies was a major battle in the War of Spanish Succession, May 23, 1706. ...

Construction and launch

Ramillies was built by William Beardmore and Company at Dailmuir in Scotland. She was launched on 1916-09-12 and commissioned on 1917-09-01. Commissioning was delayed because her rudder was damaged during launch. She was towed with great difficulty to the Cammell Laird works on the River Mersey for repairs. As a result Ramillies missed the Battle of Jutland. William Beardmore and Company was a Scottish Engineering and Shipbuilding company based in Glasgow. ... Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within Europe Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... September 12 is the 255th day of the year (256th in leap years). ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... Cammell Laird logo Cammell Laird, one of the most famous names in British shipbuilding during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, came about following the merger of Laird, Son & Co. ... The River Mersey is a river in the north west of England. ... Combatants United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland German Empire Commanders Sir John Jellicoe, Sir David Beatty Reinhard Scheer, Franz von Hipper Strength 28 battleships, 9 battlecruisers, 8 armoured cruisers, 26 light cruisers, 78 destroyers 16 battleships, 5 battlecruisers, 6 pre-dreadnoughts, 11 light cruisers, 61 torpedo-boats Casualties 6...

In common with other Revenge class battleships, Ramillies suffered from having her secondary armament, the 6 in (152 mm) guns, located too low, on the main deck, with the result that in heavy weather they were liable to be awash.

Because of an increasing awareness of the danger of torpedo attack from submarines and destroyers, Ramillies, being completed later than her sisters in this class, had anti-torpedo bulges fitted. These were streamlined external compartments fitted along the waterline and filled with various shock absorbent materials, designed to take the impact of a torpedo before it could breach the hull.

Ramillies had aircraft platforms installed on B and X turrets in 1918 as well as a catapult to launch the airplanes. The Fairey Flycatcher was flown during most of the 1918 to 1939 period, useful for both spotting shells and scouting. Corbelled corner turrets at Newark Castle, Port Glasgow. ... Fairey Flycatcher was a Royal Navy single seat biplane carrier borne fighter aircraft which served in the period 1923 to 1934. ...

Early days

Ramillies joined the 1st Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet in May, 1917. During World War I, the British Home Fleet was renamed the Grand Fleet. ... 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ...

In the disturbances between Turkey and Britain in 1920, Ramillies fired from her position in the Sea of Marmora at Turkish shore targets. 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... The Sea of Marmara (Turkish: Marmara denizi, Modern Greek: Μαρμαρα̃ Θάλασσα or Προποντίδα) (also known as the Sea of Marmora or the Marmara Sea) is an inland sea that separates the Black Sea from the Aegean Sea (thus the Asian part of Turkey from its European part) by Bosporus and...

In 1924, Ramillies joined the 2nd Battle Squadron of the British Atlantic Fleet. By 1926 she was with the Mediterranean Fleet. 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The British Atlantic Fleet was a major fleet formation of the Royal Navy. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ...

During the interwar period, Ramillies was lightened by having crushing tubes, wood and cement filling removed from her anti-torpedo bulges. By 1928, her antiarcraft defences had been altered to 4-4" quick fire Mark IV guns and her two forecastle deck 6" guns were removed.

When political disturbances broke out in Palestine in 1929, Ramillies was sent out to support the British presence. Map of the territory under the British Mandate of Palestine. ...

From June 1932 to August, 1934 she was in Plymouth for a major refit. Plymouth is a city in the South West of England, or alternatively the Westcountry, and is situated within the traditional county of Devon. ...

Old Empire, Old Ship

During 1937 Ramillies had her antiarcraft batteries changed to 8-4 in (102 mm) quick fire Mark XVI arranged in dual mountings. As well two eight barrelled pompom antiaircraft guns were added. 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Ramillies lost her torpedo tubes before the outbreak of World War Two and had her aircraft catapult removed. German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ...

It was found more difficult to modernize the Revenge Class battleships than the Queen Elizabeth Class (ex. HMS Valiant), since the smaller displacement and more narrow hull prevented the installation of larger machinery to increase speed, perhaps the greatest need. The Queen Elizabeth class battleships were five super-dreadnoughts of the Royal Navy, named in honour of Elizabeth I of England. ... HMS Valiant was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship of the Royal Navy built at the Fairfield shipyards in Glasgow and launched in November 1914. ...

The new and the modernized Japanese battleships under construction in the 1930's made from 24 to 27 knots (44 to 50 km/h) while the modernized Italian ships made 26 to 28 knots (48 to 52 km/h) and the new Littorio Class made 30 knots (56 km/h). The German pocket battleships could achieve 28 knots (52 km/h), while the battleships Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau made 32 knots (59 km/h) and the Bismarck and the Tirpitz made 29 knots (54 km/h). By 1939, Ramillies' design speed of 23 knots (43 km/h) could no longer be achieved with her old machinery. Often 18 knots (33 km/h) was her top speed, though in an emergency she could sometimes make 20 knots (37 km/h). Pocket battleship is an English language term for a class of warships built by German Reichsmarine in accordance with restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. ... Scharnhorst was a 31,500 tonne Gneisenau class battlecruiser of the German Kriegsmarine, named after the Prussian general and army reformer Gerhard von Scharnhorst and to commemorate the World War I armored cruiser SMS Scharnhorst. ... Gneisenau was a 31,100 ton Scharnhorst class battlecruiser of the German Kriegsmarine. ... The battleship Bismarck is probably the most famous warship of the Second World War. ... Tirpitz was the second Bismarck class battleship of the German Kriegsmarine, sistership of Bismarck. ...

This put the Royal Navy in a difficult spot. When Ramillies and her sisters were in a battle fleet, the entire group was reduced to their top speed. This enabled faster Italian fleets to choose whether to engage and, if battle loomed, to manouver to advantage. When faced by superior Japanese forces, the British were too slow to get away. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services being the oldest of its three branches. ...

When on convoy protection duty and attacked by enemy battleships, Ramillies was too slow to pursue or to gain the most favourable position. However her 15 in (381 mm) guns were still lethal, and changed the course of events on several occasions.

Obsolete But Needed

Despite her age, she gave useful service in the Second World War, doing everything from engaging enemy battleships to convoy escort to shore bombardment. Ramillies illustrated the value of an old capital ship for its deterrent effect, making technically superior enemy ships decide not to attack for fear of sustaining damage while in British controlled seas, far from repair bases.

While it is often argued that Britain during the 1930s should have replaced the battleships she was allowed under the Washington Naval Treaty (and subsequent London Conferences) with newer vessels, the fact remains the she was close to bankruptcy after World War One and later mired in the Great Depression. It could be argued that victory in World War Two hinged, among other things, on Britain's possession of the obsolescent battleships left over from World War One, as they were superbly manned, ably led and aggressively used. The Washington Naval Treaty limited the naval armaments of its five signatories: the United States, the British Empire, the Empire of Japan, the French Third Republic, and Italy. ... Dorothea Langes Migrant Mother depicts destitute pea pickers in California, centering on Florence Owens Thompson, a mother of seven children, age 32, in Nipomo, California, March 1936. ... German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ... Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...

Without the five old Revenge class battleships, Britain might well have lost control of the Mediterranean Sea after France surrendered. Malta would then have fallen, and convoys from Italy would have reached North Africa unmolested, ensuring intact supplies for Rommel's Afrika Korps. This could have led to the loss of Egypt and the oil fields of the Persian Gulf. Satellite image The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ... Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ) (November 15, 1891–October 14, 1944) was one of the most distinguished German Field Marshals, and one of the greatest military leaders of his time. ... The seal of Afrikakorps The German Afrika Korps (German:Deutsches Afrikakorps ( (help· info)) (DAK)) was the corps-level headquarters controlling the German Panzer divisions in Libya and Egypt during the North African Campaign of World War II. Since there was little turnover in the units attached to the corps, the... Map of the Persian Gulf. ...

Without the Revenge class ships on North Atlantic convoy duty, German raiders could have created significant destruction and, breaking out beyond, threatened the troop convoys from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India.

The outbreak of the war found Ramillies as part of the British Home Fleet based at Scapa Flow. She participated in a sweep of the waters between Iceland, Norway and Scotland from 31 August to 7 September 1939 with a mission to intercept German merchant ships trying to get back home before the start of war. The Home Fleet is the traditional name of the fleet of the Royal Navy that protects the United Kingdoms territorial waters. ... Scapa Flow is a body of water in the Orkney Islands, Scotland, United Kingdom. ... Motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within Europe Scotlands location within the United Kingdom Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining. ... September 7 is the 250th day of the year (251st in leap years). ...

In late September 1939 Ramillies escorted a troop convoy to Alexandria in Egypt. In October she was stationed at Gibraltar. This article needs to be updated. ...

Indian Ocean

In late 1939 Ramillies sailed for the East, with a stint in the Indian Ocean, when HRH Prince Philip was a crew member. She visited New Zealand at Christmas 1939 and from January 6, 1940 to February 12 she escorted 13,000 New Zealand troops from Wellington to Suez. From April 15 to May 7, 1940 she escorted Australian soldiers from Melbourne to Suez. The Duke of Edinburgh The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (Philip Mountbatten, formerly Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark) (born 10 June 1921) is the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. ... January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Wellington (Te Whanganui-a-Tara or Poneke) is the capital of New Zealand, the countrys second-largest urban area and the most populous national capital in Oceania. ... Suez (Arabic: السويس as-Suways) is a port town (population ca. ... April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... May 7 is the 127th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (128th in leap years). ... Melbourne is the state capital and largest city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-largest city in Australia, with a population of approximately 3. ...

But before this she was diverted from escort duties when the Admiralty became aware of the presence of the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee in the Indian Ocean off Lourenco Marques (current Maputo) on November 16, 1939. Ramillies was detached at Aden and formed Force J along with the battleship HMS Malaya, and the aircraft carrier HMS Glorious. They were sent south to intercept the German raider, but she sailed back into the South Atlantic where she was caught in the Battle of the River Plate off Montevideo by Force H, the cruisers HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles, joined by HMS Exeter from Force G. Pocket battleship is an English language term for a class of warships built by German Reichsmarine in accordance with restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. ... Admiral Graf Spee was a pocket battleship (Panzerschiff, later reclassified as heavy cruiser) launched by Germany in 1934 and named after the World War I Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee who died in the first Battle of the Falkland Islands on 8 December 1914. ... Map of Mozambique with Maputo highlighted Maputo is the capital of Mozambique. ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Port of Aden (around 1910). ... HMS Malaya was a Queen Elizabeth class battleship of the Royal Navy built by Armstrong Whitworth and launched in March 1915. ... An aircraft carrier is a warship designed to deploy and recover aircraft—in effect acting as a sea-going airbase. ... HMS Glorious was a warship of the Royal Navy. ... Combatants Nazi Germany United Kingdom New Zealand Commanders Hans Langsdorff Henry Harwood Strength 1 pocket battleship (Panzerschiffe) Admiral Graf Spee 1 heavy cruiser 2 light cruisers Casualties 1 pocket battleship scuttled 36 killed 1 heavy cruiser Exeter heavily damaged 72 killed The Battle of the River Plate (December 13, 1939... Montevideo Downtown and port, Montevideo Independence Plaza, c. ... The USS Port Royal (CG-73), a Ticonderoga class cruiser. ... HMS Ajax was a Leander-class light cruiser. ... HMS Achilles (from 1941 HMNZS Achilles) was a Leander class cruiser of 7,200 tons built in Birkenhead, England and launched on 1 September 1932. ... The fourth and best known HMS Exeter (68), was a County-class heavy cruiser of the York subclass that served in World War II. She was built by Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth, Devon. ...

Mediterranean

After the entrance of Italy into the war in June 1940, Ramillies served in the Mediterranean. Along with HMS Royal Sovereign she escorted a convoy from Alexandria, Egypt, to Malta between June 27 and June 30, 1940. From August 16 to August 18 she bombarded the port of Bardia and Fort Capuzzo in the Italian colony of Libya in North Africa. On the way back she was attacked by Italian aircraft, but was not hit. She was a part of Admiral Andrew Cunningham's Mediterranean fleet, Force D, based at Alexandria. HMS Royal Sovereign, launched in May 1915, was a Revenge-class battleship of the Royal Navy. ... This article needs to be updated. ... June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 187 days remaining. ... June 30 is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 184 days remaining. ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... August 18 is the 230th day of the year (231st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Bardia is a seaport in eastern Libya. ... Fort Capuzzo, at the beginning of World War II, was an Italian fort in Libya, Africa. ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ... Bronze bust of Lord Cunningham, looking at Nelsons column and Whitehall Andrew Browne Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope (7 January 1883 - 12 June 1963), familiarly known as ABC, was the most famous British admiral of World War II, winning distinction in Mediterranean battles in 1940 and 1941, then... This article needs to be updated. ...

Ramillies escorted a convoy from Alexandria to Malta between October 8 and October 14, 1940. On the way back the ships were attacked by eight Italian torpedo boats. There were no British losses, but three of the Italian boats were sunk and four damaged. October 8 is the 281st day of the year (282nd in leap years). ... October 14 is the 287th day of the year (288th in Leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

From October 25 to October 28, 1940, Ramillies escorted a convoy bound from Alexandria to Crete. In the period November 10 to November 13 she was on convoy escort duty from Alexandria to Malta, and then went on to Crete. During this time an enemy submarine spotted Ramillies and fired torpedoes but did not hit her. October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 67 days remaining. ... October 28 is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 64 days remaining. ... Crete (Greek Κρήτη Kriti; called Candia in the Venetian period and Turkish: Girit) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ... November 10 is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 51 days remaining. ... November 13 is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 48 days remaining. ...

The Royal Navy's attack on the main Italian naval force at Taranto, on November 11th, 1940, reduced the Italians to two serviceable battleships. So, Cunningham was able to release to North Atlantic convoy duty his oldest and slowest battleships, the Ramillies and the Malaya, thus freeing up escort destroyers in the Mediterranean. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services being the oldest of its three branches. ... Founded 706 BC as Taras () Region Apulia Mayor Rossana Di Bello Area  - City Proper  217 km² Population  - City (2001)  - Density (city proper) 201,349 973/km² Time zone CET, UTC+1 Latitude Longitude 40°28 N 17°14 E www. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ...

Hence Ramillies steamed west with the Mediterranean fleet in late November, 1940, forming part of the escort for four merchant ships bound for Malta with much needed supplies. When she was in the central basin of the sea, she broke off from the rest and headed for home, and, accompanied by the cruiser HMS Berwick, steamed on alone through the Sicilian Narrows. She was to join up with Force H from Gibraltar under Admiral James Somerville which was in the area escorting two large fast merchant ships headed east for Malta and one headed east for Alexandria. They would then turn the escort duties over to Admiral Cunningham and make haste out of the danger area and return to Gibraltar. Ramillies was making her best possible speed of 20 knots (37 km/h) running the gauntlet nicknamed "bomb ally". Several ships of the British Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Berwick, after the town on the border between England and Scotland. ... Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville, GCB GBE DSO, (17 July 1882 – 19 March 1949) was one of the most famous British Admirals during World War II. The son of a New Zealand sheep farmer, James Fownes Somerville was born in Weybridge, Surrey. ...

Admiral Somerville had the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal somewhat behind the rest of the force, his flag in the old battlecruiser HMS Renown, along with the cruisers HMS Sheffield, HMS Manchester and HMS Despatch and five destroyers. At 10:40 am on November 27, 1940, a scouting plane from the Italian cruiser Bolzano reported a force of one battleship, two cruisers and four destroyers north of Bône Algeria. Italian Admiral Inigo Campioni was at sea with two battleships, six heavy cruisers and fourteen destroyers. His orders were to attack only if faced by a decisively inferior enemy. With a two to one superiority in capital ships, he had his opportunity and altered course to intercept. His force was centered around the new and powerful battleship Vittorio Veneto and the modernized battleship Giulio Cesare. This was a dangerous situation for the British. The HMS Ark Royal (R09) began construction in 1943 during World War II. She replaced the previous Ark Royal which was lost to enemy action on November 14, 1941. ... HMS Renown was the lead ship of the three 26,500-ton Renown class battlecruisers of the Royal Navy, the other two were HMS Repulse and the cancelled HMS Resistance. ... HMS Sheffield (24) was a Southampton class cruiser in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. ... The second HMS Manchester (15) was a Town-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. ... November 27 is the 331st day (332nd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Annaba (ِArabic عنّابة, formerly Bône) is a city in the north-eastern corner of Algeria near the river Wadi Seybouse and the Tunisian border. ... HMS Victory in 1884 Battleship was the name given to the most powerfully gun-armed and most heavily armored classes of warships built between the 15th and 20th centuries. ... Vittorio Veneto was an Italian Vittorio Veneto class battleship, that served in the Regia Marina during the World War II. Her keel was laid down 1934 at Cantieri Riuniti dellAdriatico, Trieste; she was launched on 25 July 1937, and her construction was completed in 1940, after Italy entered in... Giulio Cesare is an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel. ...

Somerville became aware of the danger from the Italian fleet and sent his convoy off to the southeast with a small escort. He pushed ahead to rendezvous with the Ramillies and the Berwick, so as to get between the Italians and the convoy. Odds favoured the Italians, since Ramillies was slow and her guns were outranged by the Italians. In addition Somerville's ships were within easy range of shore based enemy aircraft. But, his object was to get the convoy safely to Malta, so he charged ahead at the Italians. He sent his cruisers out front under Vice-Admiral Lancelot Holland, keeping his two slower capital ships further back screened by destroyers. The Ark Royal was well behind with two escorting destroyers. Campioni, after hearing of the presence of another British capital ship and an aircraft carrier, decided not to risk Italy's only two serviceable capital ships and after a brief exchange of gunfire at long range, in which Ramillies got off several salvoes, the Italians turned away and made for Naples. Berwick was damaged in the engagement, as was one Italian destroyer. Lancelot Ernest Holland (September 13, 1887–May 24, 1941) was an admiral who commanded the British force in the Battle of Denmark Strait in May, 1941 against the German battleship Bismarck. ... The capital ships of a navy are its important warships; the ones with the heaviest firepower and armor. ... A salvo is a concerted firing of guns; the term is most commonly used to describe the firing of broadsides by naval ships, especially battleships. ... Naples (Italian Napoli, Neapolitan Nàpule, from Greek Νέα Πόλις - Néa Pólis - meaning New City; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is the largest city in southern Italy and capital of Campania Region and the Province of Naples. ...

The engagement was called the Battle of Cape Spartivento. The Battle of Cape Spartivento, known as the Battle of Cape Teulada in Italy, was a minor engagement between naval forces of the British Royal Navy and the Italian Regia Marina on 27 November 1940, during World War II. The battle ended in a draw, but served to convince the...

The North Atlantic: Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the Bismarck

Ramillies was assigned to North Atlantic convoy duty on her return to Britain. This was a critical assignment as Britain was now alone, submarine losses were high, and the home country was in immediate danger of being starved into submission. Should German surface raiders, whether converted merchantmen, heavy cruisers, pocket battleships or full sized battleships, break out and destroy a British convoy, it might be sufficient to tip the balance. Across this ocean came food, rubber, lumber, mineral ores, weapons and munitions from Australia, New Zealand, South East Asia, South Africa, South America, Canada and the United States, oil from Venezuela and the Middle East and troops from India and Canada. One destroyed troop convoy might lead Canada and the other dominions to stop moving troops across. Outward bound were troops, munitions and aircraft for East Africa, the Middle East, India and the Far East.  Eastern Africa (UN subregion)  East African Community  Central African Federation (defunct)  geographic, including above East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Far East is an inexact term often used for East Asia and Southeast Asia combined, sometimes including also the easternmost territories of Russia, i. ...

On January 12, 1941 Ramillies left Britain as escort for 40,000 troops in a large convoy from Britain south past the danger zone to West Africa. They were bound for the Middle East. A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

The Ramillies was on duty in the North Atlantic Ocean escorting Convoy HX-106, some 41 ships, eastbound from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Liverpool, England when on 8 February, 1941 the two new German battlecruisers, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, appeared over the horizon. The German squadron was under the command of Admiral Günther Lütjens. The captain of the Scharnhorst offered to draw off the Ramillies, so that the Gneisenau could sink the merchant ships. This strategy, if successful, would have entailed little risk to Scharnhorst as she was 11 knots faster than Ramillies, and her newer 11" guns outranged the 1915 era 15" guns of the British ship. But, Lutjens strictly followed Hitler's directive not to engage enemy capital ships. For other uses, see Atlantic (disambiguation) The Atlantic Ocean is Earths second-largest ocean, covering approximately one-fifth of its surface. ... Convoy HX-106 consisted of some 41 ships, eastbound from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Liverpool, England. ... Please read first: This article is about the Nova Scotia community. ... Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... HMS Invincible, one of Britains first battlecruisers Battlecruisers were large warships of the early 20th century. ... Scharnhorst was a 31,500 tonne Gneisenau class battlecruiser of the German Kriegsmarine, named after the Prussian general and army reformer Gerhard von Scharnhorst and to commemorate the World War I armored cruiser SMS Scharnhorst. ... Gneisenau was a 31,100 ton Scharnhorst class battlecruiser of the German Kriegsmarine. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ...

The presence of Ramillies was sufficient to deter the attack. Later two of the convoy's merchant ships were sunk by submarines, including the MV Arthur F. Corwin loaded with 14,500 tons of aviation spirit. She went down on February 13 taking all 59 crew with her.

On May 24, 1941, Ramillies, Captain Arthur D. Read commanding, was south of Cape Farewell, Greenland, on duty escorting Convoy Hx 127 eastbound from Halifax. Some 57 merchant ships were in the group bound for Liverpool, with the most common cargoes being, oil, aviation spirit, lubricants, gasoline, lumber, grain, steel, sugar, scrap iron, and pig iron. Two ships carried general cargo, and there were single ships carrying molasses, trucks and cereal. Other escort vessels were designed to meet a submarine menace, and included a modern Canadian destroyer, HMCS Ottawa, the Indian navy sloop, RIN Sutlej, an ex-US Navy obsolete destroyer, HMS Salisbury, an escort destroyer, HMS Hambledon, corvettes HMS Larkspur, HMS Begonia and several other smaller ships. If anything Ramillies would have been a liability dealing with submarines. She was there as insurance against attack by surface raiders. May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... Cape Farewell can mean: Cape Farewell, New Zealand, northernmost point of the South Island. ... Liverpool waterfront by night, as seen from the Wirral. ... The HMCS Ottawa (FFH 341) is the twelth and final ship of the Halifax-class line of frigates. ... USS Claxton (DD-140), named for Thomas Claxton, was a Wickes-class destroyer in the United States Navy. ...

If Ramillies had to face a major surface attack, the two destroyers were probably the only escorts of value to her.

The new German battleship Bismarck broke out into the North Atlantic after sinking the battlecruiser HMS Hood, Britain's largest warship, in the Battle of the Denmark Strait. Ramillies was well east of Newfoundland to the southwest of Bismarck, and if Bismarck had continued its raid, Ramillies was all that the Royal Navy had to stop it from ravaging the sealanes off North America. On May 24, 1941 the Admiralty ordered Ramillies to leave the convoy and steam on a course to intercept the enemy ship. The battleship Bismarck is probably the most famous warship of the Second World War. ... HMS Hood (left) and the battleship HMS Barham (right), in Malta, 1937. ... HMS Hood (pennant number 51) was a battlecruiser of the Royal Navy. ... Combatants Germany United Kingdom Commanders Günther Lütjens Lancelot Holland Strength 1 battleship 1 heavy cruiser 1 battleship 1 battlecruiser Casualties 1 battleship damaged 1 battlecruiser sunk 1 battleship heavily damaged The Battle of the Denmark Strait was a World War II naval engagement fought between the British battleship... Newfoundland (French: Terre-Neuve; Irish: Talamh an Éisc; Latin: Terra Nova) is a large island off the northeast coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services being the oldest of its three branches. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... May 24 is the 144th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (145th in leap years). ... Old Admiralty House, Whitehall, London, Thomas Ripley, architect, 1723-26, was not admired by his contemporaries and earned him some scathing couplets from Alexander Pope The Admiralty was historically the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. ...

Fortunately, Bismarck decided to make for the coast of France and the old ship did not have to face the world's most powerful battleship.

Another typical assignment was to provide ocean escort to convoy HX 130, bound for Liverpool with 45 merchant ships. Ramillies joined the convoy just outside Halifax harbour at 1530 hours on June 1st, 1941 and remained with the ships till June 9 at 53 30 north and 46 48 west, the mid-ocean meeting point, where an escort from Britain took over. Please read first: This article is about the Nova Scotia community. ...

Indian Ocean Again

Ramillies was a part of a British fleet put together hurriedly in March of 1942 under Admiral James Somerville in an attempt to prevent Japanese naval forces from cutting the sea lanes to India. The scratch fleet consisted of two aircraft carriers and three old battleships of the Revenge Class. Fortunately the main part of the British fleet did not meet this crack Japanese fleet. After causing great destruction to Allied shipping, sinking an aircraft carrier and several other smaller warships, the Japanese withdrew. Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Fownes Somerville, GCB GBE DSO, (17 July 1882 – 19 March 1949) was one of the most famous British Admirals during World War II. The son of a New Zealand sheep farmer, James Fownes Somerville was born in Weybridge, Surrey. ... HMS Royal Sovereign The Revenge-class battleships were five battleships of the Royal Navy, ordered as World War I loomed on the horizon, and launched in 1914–1916. ...

In May 1942 Ramillies was still in the Indian Ocean and was sent to cover the Allied invasion of Madagascar. On 1942-05-29, a reconnaissance plane from the Japanese submarine I-10 spotted Ramillies at anchor in Diego Suarez harbour. Ramillies changed berth after the plane was seen. However, the Japanese submarines I-16 and I-20 launched two midget submarines, one of which, commanded by Lieutenant Saburo Akieda, managed to penetrate the harbour and to fire its two torpedoes. The first torpedo severely damaged Ramillies at about 20:25; the second sank the oil tanker British Loyalty at 21:20. Lieutenant Akieda came under depth charge attack from the corvettes Genista and Thyme but managed to beach his submarine and flee inland with Petty Officer Masami Takemoto. Both were killed in a firefight with Royal Marines three days later. This article is about the year. ... The Battle of Madagascar is another name for Operation Ironclad, the Allied invasion of Madagascar launched on May 5, 1942, when it was feared that bases on the Vichy French-controlled island might be used by Japan. ... This article is about the year. ... May 29 is the 149th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (150th in leap years). ... Antsiranana, named Diégo-Suarez prior to 1975, is a city at the northern tip of Madagascar, in Antsiranana province. ... German midget submarine Seehund, with a torpedo A midget submarine is a small submarine, typically with a one or two person crew and with no on-board living accommodation. ... Depth Charge used by U.S. Navy later in World War II The depth charge is the oldest anti-submarine weapon. ... French steam corvette Dupleix (1856-1887) Canadian corvettes on antisubmarine convoy escort duty during World War II. A corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, smaller than a frigate. ... Her Majestys Royal Marines, also known as Royal Marines Commandos usually just known as the Royal Marines (RM), are the United Kingdoms amphibious force and a core component of the countrys Rapid Deployment Force. ...

Ramillies was reported sunk by the Japanese, but in fact was merely severely damaged. She was towed to Durban for temporary repairs, then in August 1942 she returned to Plymouth under her own steam and was back in service in June 1943. Central area of Durban Durban is a city in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa (). It is also known by the Zulu word eThekwini, (which means at the harbour, from the Zulu word itheku). ... Plymouth is a city in the South West of England, or alternatively the Westcountry, and is situated within the traditional county of Devon. ...

While in drydock, an additional 2 in (51 mm) of steel was added to the main deck over the magazines. This reflected the lessons from the sinking of the Hood as well as of the effectiveness of dive bombers at the Battle of Midway. As well an additional 4-6 in (152 mm) guns were removed and two more four barrelled antiaircraft pompoms were added. This reflected the awareness of a greater risk posed by aircraft than by smaller surface vessels. It was ironic that Ramillies faced such a surface attack later in the war. Fortunately the remaining 6 in (152 mm) guns were sufficient to handle it. Combatants United States Japan Commanders Chester Nimitz Frank J. Fletcher Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto Chuichi Nagumo Tamon Yamaguchi† Strength Three carriers, about 50 support ships 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft Four carriers, about 150 support ships 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier, 1 destroyer sunk...

D-Day and the South of France

On 6 June 1944 Ramillies provided fire support for the Normandy Landings. Sword Beach, at the east of the landing area, was her assigned area with the primary task of silencing the Berneville battery. She began by opening fire on the 6" battery, knocking out four of the six guns in the first 80 minutes and keeping the attention of the rest, allowing landing craft to proceed unmolested. By evening she accounted for the other two guns. June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... The Battle of Normandy was fought in 1944 between the German forces occupying Western Europe and the invading Allies. ... In military science, a battery is a group of artillery guns or rockets, so grouped in order to facilitate battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion. ...

During the course of the first day she repelled an attack by two German destroyers which fired five torpedoes at her, all missing. She also drove off a pack of E boats with her secondary 4 and 6 inch (102 and 152 mm) guns. That evening she returned to Portsmouth and reammunitioned the next day. She was back off Normandy on 8 June, 1944 and knocked out another 6 in (152 mm) battery. A torpedo in Rail terminology refers to a small explosive device strapped to the top of the rail to alert an approaching train of immediate danger ahead. ... E-boat is the British and American name for the German Schnellboot (S-boot), a small, fast torpedo boat a little larger than the American PT boat and the British MTB. Specification Length - 34. ... Portsmouth is a city of about 196,000 people located in the county of Hampshire on the southern coast of Great Britain. ... June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ...

On 9 June Ramillies, directed by forward observation posts, fired on German tanks, guns, infantry concentrations and motor vehicles with great success, breaking up German units before they could launch counterattacks. She also beat off an attack by German motor torpedo boats. June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... Motor Torpedo Boat (MTB) was the name given to fast torpedo boats by the US and Royal Navies. ...

On 10 June, she hit enemy railway marshalling yards near Caen, many miles inland. June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... Location within France Hôtel dEscoville, 16th century, Caen Anonymous pen-and-ink birds-eye view of the fortifications of Caen (Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris) South Wall of the Castle, a huge fortress in the center of the city Town Hall of Caen Caen train station. ...

On 11 June, Ramillies hit a concentration of 200 enemy tanks, inflicting great damage. That night she bombarded more railway marshalling yards. June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ...

On June 12, she suffered a near miss when attacked by a dive bomber. June 12 is the 163rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (164th in leap years), with 202 days remaining. ...

A German mobile artillery fired 32 rounds at Ramillies on June 15, of which two hit the ship. One crew member was wounded in the leg. Ramillies moved out of range and continued her bombardment. On June 16 she continued her bombardment and on June 17 she hit a mobile battery. June 15 is the 166th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (167th in leap years), with 199 days remaining. ... June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining. ... June 17 is the 168th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (169th in leap years), with 197 days remaining. ...

In the course of her Normandy engagement she fired 1,002 15 in (381 mm) shells, thought to be the greatest bombardment by any single ship to that time. Normandy Invasion]] or Operation Overlord that began on June 6, 1944, which today is also known as D-Day. ...

Ramillies provided similar fire support for the invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944. Her particular task was to silence the batteries at the entrance to Toulon harbour. August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... Location within France Coat of Arms of Toulon Toulon (Tolon in Provençal) is a city in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. ...

Finis

John Egerton Broome was captain of the Ramillies from 1945 to 1946. The old ship was put in reserve on January 31, 1945 at Portsmouth and was used as an accommodation ship. January 31 is the 31st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Portsmouth is a city of about 196,000 people located in the county of Hampshire on the southern coast of Great Britain. ...

She was sold in 1946 and scrapped in 1949. One of Ramillies' 15 in (381 mm) guns has been preserved and can be seen at the Imperial War Museum in London. Imperial War Museum, Lambeth, London The original location of the Imperial War Museum was the Crystal Palace, located at the top of Sydenham Hill. ... This article is about the British city. ...

The Ramillies' ships bell is preserved at HMCS Star, a Naval Reserve Division at Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Motto: Together Aspire - Together Achieve Area: 1,117. ...

See HMS Ramillies for details of other ships by this name. Several vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Ramillies after the battle of Ramillies: Ramillies, launched 1664 as Royal Katherine, was a 90-gun second-rate. ...

External link

• Maritimequest HMS Ramilles Photo Gallery