Ships They Should Have Saved

By Consultant Editor Syd Goodman

Consultant Editor Syd Goodman considers three illustrious British battleships that should have been preserved but were instead sent to the breakers' yards by a nation bankrupted by war.

Warspite on the rocks in Prussia Cove. Photo: Goodman Collection.

What qualifies a warship for historic ship status and consideration for preservation as a museum piece?

Is it just the age of a vessel, or simply the battles it may have endured in past conflicts? Should a warship's history be closely examined and its impact on the maritime history of the nation become the benchmark for preservation? All these facets are relevant, of course, but the practical aspects of berthing, restoration and day-to-day maintenance have been the undoing of many worthwhile candidates for preservation. Despite this, in the United Kingdom, the National Register of Historic Vessels totals more than 1,500 names headed by such famous ships as the WW2 cruiser Belfast and Nelson's HMS Victory. Also included in the list are vessels that sailed under the Blue and Red Ensigns.

Among the warships that earned an illustrious place in the pages of history is the Queen Elizabeth Class battleship HMS Warspite, which arguably should still be on show to the nation. Probably the most famous Royal Navy warship of WW2, Warspite in fact fought in both 20th Century global conflicts, winning more Battle Honours than any other British vessel of war. Between the wars she underwent major reconstruction, emerging with a new profile and losing one of her two funnels. Unaltered by modernisation was the battleship's mighty 15-inch main armament, which could still dish out heavy punishment, while the Grand Old Lady, as she was fondly called, could take it too. By the end of her second war, the proud and battered ship had lost the use of X turret and was enduring major damage to her keel from bomb damage sustained in the Mediterranean. Because of the extensive damage to her hull, Warspite was beyond economic repair as a fighting ship and, anyway, at war's end large numbers of battleships were soon facing demolition. Despite the country's great affection for the Grand Old Lady, and public opinion in favour of preserving her for the nation, the post-war UK government was bankrupt and the ship's poor condition was against her. Sadly then, she was sold for scrap, but in defiance of the breaker's yard that awaited her, the old girl managed to break free from her tow during a storm and ended up on the rocks of Prussia Cove, Cornwall. Westcountrymen still talk of Warspite with affection, having been Westcountry-built at Devonport and Westcountry manned. It was in the Westcountry, too, where she eventually submitted to the breaker's torch, the beach at Marazion, near St. Michael's Mount, becoming her final resting place.

The steel from discarded warships, many with glorious wartime records, was needed to build a modern fleet, new merchant ships and new factories. Sentimentality had no place in the austere world that followed the war's end.

Rodney with her mighty 16-inch guns ready to fire. Photo: Goodman Collection.

HMS Rodney, another famous battleship worthy of preservation was readily discarded, too. Built by Cammell Laird on the Mersey, she entered service in 1927 and was present the following year at the first Navy Week held at Devonport Dockyard. The unconventional-looking, yet undeniably impressive, Rodney soon became a favourite in the Westcountry, earning herself the nickname Rodbox and retaining her popularity well into the 1930s. She played a key role in the sinking of the mighty German battleship Bismarck as well as taking part in many more operations, including the bombardment of German troops in Normandy during the D-Day landings. Rodney was placed in reserve in 1945 and decommissioned the year after. With no prospect of being saved, the battleship was eventually handed over to the British Iron and Steel Company, a government organisation that allocated scrap warships to various breakers' yards.

Vanguard, last of the breed, at sea. Photo: Goodman Collection.

If Warspite's poor state contributed to her demise, what prevented the UK's last battleship, which was in good condition, HMS Vanguard from becoming a historic warship? Last of the line and considered by many to be the most beautiful of all, Vanguard had many new features and modern facilities, while still retaining guns, which originated from WW1 battle-cruisers. With the battleship era over, the magnificent Vanguard served as a Royal Yacht, a NATO Headquarters ship and a training vessel, but there would be no place for her once her service life expired in 1960. Taking Warspite's cue, the Vanguard also put up a fight on the way to the breaker's yard, running aground as she left Portsmouth harbour. Her stubborn resistance was finally overcome though, by the many tugs that fussed around her.

Many historic warships exist today because there are countries that are proud of their naval heritage and are keen to cultivate a national sense of pride in their nation's maritime achievements. Remarkably, there are small countries with serious economic burdens that manage to rival richer nations with their enthusiasm and practical endeavour in warship preservation, albeit on a smaller scale. Sadly, the UK seems to have turned its back on its extensive maritime heritage and chooses to let historic warship preservation struggle for survival in a harsh economic environment. It is a sad note to end on, but it is truly shameful that the most illustrious of all naval nations does not have a single preserved dreadnought, or super-dreadnought, battleship.

• The Editor of WARSHIPS IFR, Iain Ballantyne, is currently writing a book on the fighting life of HMS Rodney. It will, like a previous volume on HMS Warspite in the same series, use images from the Goodman Collection and draw on documents and research conducted by Consultant Editor Syd Goodman during his distinguished career as a naval historian.