Two RIBs at Castletown, Portland Harbour

Portland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, off Dorset, on the south coast of England. It is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world. Grid reference: SY 685 765. rigid hulled inflatable boat This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... rigid hulled inflatable boat This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The human rib cage. ... Castletown is a small village in Underhill on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. ... Chesil Beach from the hill above Fortuneswell, Portland Harbour is on the right. ... Dorset (pronounced Dorsit, sometimes in the past called Dorsetshire) is a county in the southwest of England, on the English Channel coast. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... The British national grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references commonly used in Great Britain, different from using latitude or longitude. ...

The original harbour was formed by the protection offered by the south coast of England, Chesil Beach and the Isle of Portland. This gave protection from the weather to ships from all directions except the east. King Henry VIII built Portland Castle to defend this anchorage. Chesil Beach from Fortuneswell Chesil Beach (sometimes called Chesil Bank) is a 18 mile (29km) long, 200 metre wide and 18 metre high shingle tombolo in Dorset, southern England. ... Chesil Beach from the hill above Fortuneswell, Portland Harbour is on the right. ... Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... Portland Castle is one of the Device Forts built in 1539 by Henry VIII on the Isle of Portland to guard the superb natural Portland anchorage. ...

Construction of the modern harbour began in 1848 when the Royal Navy created a breakwater to the south of the anchorage, made of blocks from local quarries on the Isle of Portland. This was completed in 1872 and created a much larger harbour providing protection from south-eastly winds. The Verne Citadel fort, East Wear Battery, High Angle Battery and two forts on the breakwaters were also built. 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defense. ... Chesil Beach from the hill above Fortuneswell, Portland Harbour is on the right. ... 1872 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Verne Citadel is a citadel on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. ... East Wear Battery is a gun battery to the east of the Verne Citadel on the Isle of Portland, in Dorset, England. ... The High Angle Battery is a derelict fort built in 1892 on the Isle of Portland. ...

In 1906, with the threat of torpedo attack from the eastern side of the anchorage, two more breakwaters were added. A further barrier against submarine attack from the south came in 1914 when HMS Hood was scuttled across the southern entrance to the 1848 breakwater. 1906 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... A modern torpedo, historically called a self-propelled torpedo, is a self-propelled guided projectile that (after being launched above or below the water surface) operates underwater and is designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target. ... USS Los Angeles A submarine is a specialized watercraft that can operate underwater. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... The second warship to be named HMS Hood was a modified Royal Sovereign-class battleship of the Royal Navy, and the last of the eight built. ...

South entrance of Portand Harbour looking northeast. The dark colour of the water between the two breakwaters in the foreground indicates the position of HMS Hood

The harbour is a popular location for wind surfing, diving and sailing, as Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy which will host sailing events in the 2012 Olympic Games, is located on the south-western shore of the harbour. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 76 KB)Portland harbours south entrance File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x768, 76 KB)Portland harbours south entrance File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The second warship to be named HMS Hood was a modified Royal Sovereign-class battleship of the Royal Navy, and the last of the eight built. ... Windsurfing in Essex, England Windsurfing (also called boardsailing) is a sport involving travel over water on a small 2-4. ... Diving has several meanings:- Jumping or falling deliberately, often acrobatically, into water. ... Wooden sailing boat Sailing is the skillful art of controlling the motion of a sailing ship or smaller boat, across a body of water using wind as the source of power. ... The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy is a centre for the sport of sailing on the south coast of England. ... The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, will be held in London, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012. ...

In addition to Hood, there are other wrecks around the harbour: The second warship to be named HMS Hood was a modified Royal Sovereign-class battleship of the Royal Navy, and the last of the eight built. ...

• on the inside of the harbour, against a breakwater:
  • Countess of Erme - barge 30 metres north of the Eastern Ship Channel
  • the Spaniard - barge 50 metres south-west of the Chequered Fort
  • a World War II landing craft and a Bombardon Unit, a harbour device intended for the D-Day beaches in Normandy, 50 metres north east of the curve of the south break water
• in "open" water inside the harbour:
  • a Sea Vixen Royal Navy aircraft - a diver training carcass between Ferrybridge and the helicopter base
  • Himalaya - a coal or fuel barge in the centre of the harbour

The only Victoria Cross ever awarded for action in the United Kingdom was posthumously bestowed on Jack Foreman Mantle who died at his post on HMS Foylebank during a 1940 air raid on Portland Harbour. Mantle's grave can be found in the Portland Naval Cemetery. Self propelled barge carrying bulk crushed stone A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. ... The metre, or meter, is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units (SI: Système International dUnités). ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that engulfed much of the globe... Landing craft Rapière A landing craft is a type of boat used to convey infantry and vehicles on to a shore during an assault from sea to land. ... Land on Normandy In military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. ... Mont Saint Michel is a historic pilgrimage site and a symbol of Normandy Normandy is a geographical region in northern France. ... The de Havilland Sea Vixen was a two-seat jet fighter of the Fleet Air Arm (FAA); the air wing of the Royal Navy (RN), and built by de Havilland, most famous for designing the de Havilland Mosquito. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... The worlds most popular helicopter, the Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more large horizontal rotors (propellers). ... Coal is a fossil fuel extracted from the ground by deep mining, coal mining (open-pit mining or strip mining). ... Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ... Photo submitted by Simon Manchee Jack Foreman Mantle was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. ... 1940 was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

External links

• Portland Port
• Portland Breakwater Fort