Sunday, 7 February 2010

HMS Hood in Colour


A superb long shot of the Hood during the summer of 1939 on her sea trial.

Arthur Whelan HMS Hood Part 2

1923

01–06 January: Still at Devonport. Travelled to Portland on 06 January. Conducted action stations exercises En-route Also conducted inclination exercises with H.M.S. Resolution.

06–10 January : At Portland. Departed with Atlantic Fleet for Gibraltar on 10 January.

10 January–31March:Spring Cruise to Spain and Mediterranean:


10–15 January: En-route to Gibraltar. Conducted evasion and engagement exercises, Exercise involved engagements against battleships, cruisers and submarines. Hood was "hit" by torpedoes resulting in a negative grade.

15 January–01 February: At Gibraltar. While there, conducted crew drills, sub-calibre practice, gunnery exercises (day and night) plus torpedo exercises in co-operation with Repulse. While conducting night firings, employed star shell and search lights. Also exercised steam pinnace crews plus cleaned and painted the ship. On 31 January, discharged PO Thomas Broad (alias Coombis) who died as the result of an acute haemorrhage of the pancreas. At Devonport. Exercised fire stations. Cleaned and provisioned ship. Gave leave to both watches. Travelled to Málaga on 01 February. While en-route, conducted submarine exercise in conjunction with H.M.S. Repulse and H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth.

01–06 February: At Málaga. Cleaned ship, conducted boat/pinnace training plus exercised gunnery programme. On 05 February, Squadron at Home to residents of Malaga.

06–07 February: Travelled to Cartagena with Repulse. Conducted WT trials with Repulse while en-route.

07–08 February: At Cartagena. Saluted numerous dignitaries.

08–16 February: At Valencia. Tested life buoys, practised handling of various anchors. Conducted additional boat practice.On 14 February Squadron at home to residents of Valencia.

16–17 February: En-route to Gibraltar. Carried out 5.5" throw-off firing with Repulse, plus conducted antisubmarine exercises while under way.

17 February–24 March: While in Gibraltar, Hood's company took part in a march/review first for the Rear Admiral commanding the Battle Cruiser Squadron, then again for the Commander-in Chief, Atlantic Fleet. Additional cleaning of ship.

24–26 March: En route to Arousa Bay

26–31 March: At Arousa Bay. Departed for Devonport on 31 March.

31 March–3 April: En route to Devonport.

03–21 April: At Devonport.

21–23 April: En route to Rosyth.

23 April–12 May: At Rosyth. Taken in hand for docking 23 April-11 May.

12–14 May: En route to Devonport.

Arthur Whelan HMS Hood Part 1

1922

08 July–14 August: At Devonport.

14–17 August: En-route to Gibraltar.

17–20 August: At Gibraltar.

20 August–02 November: Brazilian and West Indies Cruise.

20–24 August: En-route with H.M.S. Repulse to São Vicente (St Vincent). On 22 August, conducted search for Boy 1st Class Alfred Field. Field was missing and presumed fallen overboard/drowned. On 23 August, conducted 5.5" throw off firing and a WT exercise with Repulse.

24–26 August: At São Vicente. On 25 August, held Court of Enquiry on Alfred Field.

26 August–03 September: Travelled from São Vicente to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. While en-route, Hood and Repulse conducted 5.5" throw off firing, High Angle exercises, torpedo exercises and 15" throw off firing. On 29 August, stopped briefly at the Equator for "crossing the line" ceremony.

03–14 September: At Rio de Janeiro. Purpose of visit was to represent Great Britain during Brazilian Independence celebration. Members of crew participated in a "mini Olympics" against members of other navies (which included Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and the United States).

07 September: Hood's naval battalion marches through city; illuminates ship.

09 September: Hood triumphs in International Regatta. Ship visited by President of Brazil.

10 September: Hood Wins Midshipmen's cutter race but comes in second in Seamen's cutter race.

11 September: Hood wins eight out of 15 athletic events, including tug-of-war.

13 September: Hood hosts illuminated water pageant in Botofoga Bay.

14–15 September: En-route to Santos.

15–20 September: At Santos.

20–30 September: En-route to Trinidad. While en-route, Hood and Repulse conducted concentration exercises, searchlight exercise, inclination exercises, night (and day) gunnery practice (15" and 5.5"), High Angle practice and torpedo exercises.

30 September–10 October: At Trinidad. Saluted dignitaries. Cleaned ship and conducted sea boat, fire control and anchor handling exercises.

10–11 October: En-route to Barbados. Conducted torpedo exercise en-route

11–16 October: At Barbados. Conducted general drills. Saluted dignitaries.

16–17 October: En-route to St Lucia.

17–20 October: At St. Lucia. Saluted dignitaries. Carried-out gunnery programme. Departed for Las Palmas 20 October. Conducted night time torpedo exercise en-route

20–30 October: En-route from St Lucia to Las Palmas. Stopped at Dominica on 21 October. Conducted sub calibre, High Angle and 15" firing exercises with Repulse. On 29 October, stopped briefly to conduct a memorial service for Boy 1st Class Alfred Field.

30 October–02 November: At Las Palmas. Departed for Gibraltar on 02 November.

02–04 November: En-route to Gibraltar. Conducted full power and 20 knot trials. Conducted gunnery and inclination exercises.

04–30 November: At Gibraltar. Saluted and conducted tours for dignitaries (Governor and Vice Admiral of Gibraltar). General cleaning and maintenance (painting of ship's boats). Exercised main derrick. Conducted General Drill.

15 -17 November: Participated in Battle Cruiser Squadron Regatta.

30 November–03 December: En-route from Gibraltar to Devonport.

03–31 December: At Devonport. Exercised fire stations, cleaned/provisioned ship and gave leave to both watches.

"Britain's Birthright"

Britain's Birthright
(rolls 1, 2, 4 & 6)"
UK 1925 "35mm (tinted, toned)"
Royal Navy Special Service Squadron Empire Tour.

*****************************************************************************
ID Number:
Item Name: BRITAIN'S BIRTHRIGHT [Main]
Production Date: 1924
Production Country:
GB

Production Company:
New Era Film
British Instructional Films

The goodwill tour of the Royal Navy's special service squadron around the world, November 1923 to September 1924.

The squadron's tour takes in the principal ports of the Empire. At each port the ships of the squadron are thrown open to the locals. Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick L Field has his flag on board «HMS Hood». The second battle cruiser in the squadron is «HMS Repulse». The remaining ships in the squadron are the light cruisers «HMS Delhi», «HMS Dauntless», «HMS Dragon» and «HMS Danae» under Rear-Admiral the Honourable Sir Hubert G Brand. Brand and his light cruisers are rarely seen in the film.

An animated map shows the movement of the squadron between ports, and day-to-day scenes on board the ships are shown during the film.

(Reel 1) Shots of the «Hood» with Field on board, the «Repulse» and the «Delhi» are all shown.

On 27th November at dawn the «Hood» leaves Portsmouth harbour and joins the rest of the squadron in the Atlantic. On 8th December the squadron docks at Freetown, Sierra Leone. The locals look over the «Hood» and the sailors inspect the market-places. On 14th December the squadron sails again. The crossing the line ceremony is shown with "King Neptune".

(Reel 2) The squadron carries on to Table Bay. The Lord Mayor of Cape Town welcomes Field to the city. The flower market and memorial to Cecil Rhodes are shown. The squadron continues up the coast to Durban, where the officers meet Zulu chiefs and watch a war dance, and on to Zanzibar, reached on 12th January 1924. The Sultan, Seyyid Khalifa Bin Harub, comes on board. In Zanzibar itself the squadron's marines and sailors march past the watching crowds. Officers relax by riding camels. The squadron sails on, reaching Trincomalee, Ceylon, on 27th January. There is no ceremony, instead the locals wash the sailors' laundry.

(Reel 3) On to Penang, where Chinese schoolgirls come on board the «Hood», and to Singapore, showing the city. On the way to Australia the ships practise torpedo fire and gunnery. On 27th February they enter Fremantle harbour. The marines and sailors march through Perth. Some of the local aborigines are shown. The squadron continues around Cape Leeuwin and across the Great Australian Bight, through rough weather, and reaches Adelaide, with its parks, before going on to Melbourne on 17th March. There the Governor General, the Right Honourable Lord Forster, inspects the marines on board the «Hood» and crowds of people visit the ships.

(Reel 4) The visit to Hobart, capital of Tasmania, is briefly shown. The squadron goes on to Sydney, where Australian soldiers lead the marines and sailors, as well as members of the Veterans Association of New South Wales, past the saluting base, on which are Field, Brand, Admiral Sir Dudley de Chair (the Governor of New South Wales) and the Prime Minister, Stanley Bruce. News cameramen record the event. The light cruiser «HMAS Australia», scrapped under the 1922 Washington Naval Treaties, is scuttled at sea while the ships of the British squadron watch in salute, along with «HMAS Melbourne», «HMAS Sydney» and «HMAS Adelaide». (Although rarely seen on the film, the «Adelaide» accompanies the squadron on its tour back to Britain.) The ships continue on to New Zealand, reaching Wellington on 24th April, where the Governor General, Viscount Jellicoe, is received on board. On the following day, ANZAC day, the crews lay wreaths at the cenotaph. Mount Cook and the hot springs of Lake Rotorua are shown, as is a Maori village and its inhabitants. Having left New Zealand, the squadron on 17th May continues on to Suva, capital of Fiji, where the men watch tribal rituals, drink Kava and eat sugar cane.

(continuing onto Reel 5). The ships cross the International Date Line on 27th May, and shortly afterward call briefly at Honolulu in the Hawaiian Islands. At sea the ships practise gunnery again. On 21st June they put into Victoria harbour on Vancouver Island, the capital of British Columbia. A dance is held for the locals on board the «Hood». Logging in the forests is shown. The squadron sails on to Vancouver city where the ships are reprovisioned and the sailors take shore leave in the mountains. A sailor plays with a baby black bear. 5th July the squadron sails again for San Francisco, arriving in the harbour on 7th July, and being met by the British Consul General.

(Reel 6) On leaving San Francisco the four British light cruisers break off to tour the South American ports and do not appear again on the film until its end. The battle cruisers and the «Adelaide» go through the Panama Canal and on to Jamaica, where Field is received in Kingston by a guard of the West Indies Regiment. There are views of the city. On 30th July the voyage continues on to Halifax, Nova Scotia where a children's party and funfair is held on the «Repulse». The ships go up the Saint Lawrence seaway to Quebec, showing the old town, then on to Saint John's in Newfoundland. The marines again perform a march past, and there are scenes of fish curing in the harbour. Rowing races are held between the squadron's boat crews. On 17th September the ships set off across the Atlantic, meeting up with the light cruisers just west of the British Isles. A church service is held on board the «Hood». On 28th September the «Hood», having given three cheers to the «Repulse», follows the «Delhi» into Devonport harbour for the end of the tour.


context: Remarks: Contemporaries presumably found the sight of such exotic places more novel. It is also worth remembering, as the film itself points out, that the Zulu who dance for the ships' crews are the sons of the men who fought for Ctetawayo in 1879


Black & White/Colour: B&W Silent/Sound: Silent Format: P 1/35/A Number of Parts: 6

Saturday, 6 February 2010

HMS Hood 1940

Rare colour footage of the Hood, this is part of a more complete film of the Hood made during 1939 -1940, this is in Gibraltar during the summer of 1940.
A film called 'War from the Hood' was made and this is part of that film, if anyone has the complete film, 'yes please'

HMS Hood 1920

British Pathe Footage

£ 6 M BATTLESHIP 'THE HOOD' (aka SIX MILLION POUND BATTLESHIP "HOOD")



HMS Hood the Royal Navy's new battleship leaves the river Clyde in Scotland for sea trials. L/S An impressive opening shot of the Hood (presumably still on the Clyde) looking towards her bow. Visible are an array of menacing looking gun turrets and masts. Smoke belches from her funnels. A number of Tugboats have lines attached, compared to these the Hood is truly enormous.

M/S from the stern. A closer look at the ship from the starboard side reveals a hive of activity on the deck, sailors and other naval crew can be seen scurrying around, making sure the ship is in tiptop condition.

L/S On the dock side we can see a large crowd of people watching this spectacular occasion, nearby is a dry dock containing the large hull of another ship under construction.

Good L/S The Tugboats are now towing the ship from the bow and appear to be heading down river.

We also see a variety of C/U's, M/S's and L/S's showing the Gun turrets, life boats, the decks, the ladders, and the two huge funnels. This helps you to appreciate the true scale of the vessel in an era when the British Navy was still the envy of the world.

Note: There are no titles to the film.

Wednesday, 7 October 2009

War Diaries - word help!! Sept to October 1916

Find below are images with words underlined, if you can read them please email me at - zeptrader@ntlworld.com

September 15th 1916



September 15th 1916 #2


October 3rd 1916


October 8th 1916 #1


October 8th 1916 #2


October 25th 1916 #1


October 25th 1916#2


October 31st 1916 #1 (the whole paragraph)


October 31st 1916 #2



More to come