t FOREWORD b y t h e Chairman of The HMSBelfastTrust, i Rear-Admiral M o r g a n Giles, DSO. OBE. GM, MP, A - who was Captain of HMSBELFASTfrorn 31 .l...
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FOREWORD b y t h e Chairman of The HMSBelfastTrust, R e a r - A d m i r a l M o r g a n Giles, DSO. OBE. G M , M P , who w a s C a p t a i n o f H M S B E L F A S T f r o r n 31 .l ,631-2.7.62.
In the thirty-three yearsof her life, H M S Belfast hasoften been i n the news. J o h n Wingate. DSc, has oroduced a most interestina record of her life i n manv, Darts . ~~~of the world. b n e o f thelargest cruisers &er builtforthe Royal Navy, she is n o w absolutely the last survivorof the durina 1971 bia-aun shios of the World War II era: she was due to be scraooed , , it now, thenksto the imaginative intervention of the Navy Minister, M; ~ e t e r ~ i rMP, k , she has been saved and handed overto the H M S BelfastTrust to be put on permanent exhibition i n London. The Government has gifted theship t o thischaritabletrust o n conditionsthat n o publicfundsare involved in the scheme. ~
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h M S Belfastoccup'esa splendio berth afloat i n tne Poo o f Lonaon. n t t h acress to theshore The cast qift o f preparing the berth and f tting out thesh p for exh oition has oecn met oy a very. q?nrroLs . - from M r J o h n Smith of London, and many other individual subscriptions. W th theencoJragernent and guidance01 the Mar:timeTrust ano the mperial War M ~ s e u m a fascinattng series of exhibitsconnected with the shipand her ties has been arrangen on hoaro TheTrusteesareconfident that very large numoersof Brttsh visitors, as n e l l as fore g n toJrists, will r n l that snc snall oe wish to vtsit her i n her new roleasa mJseum snip The T r ~ ~ t e e ~ a r e d e t eried maintained i n a condition which befits her proud record of past service. r e Just as H M S Victory at Portsmouth is a fitting memorial tothedaysof sail so for f ~ t ~generations H M S Belfast will ne a memorial to thea
T h e T r u s t e e s of t h e H M S B E L F A S T T r u s t a r e : Admiral Sir Deric Holland-Martin, CouncilofMaritime Trust;Peter Masefield Esq. Chairmanof BritishAirportsAuthority;The Earl of Dalkeith, M P ; Sir Alexander Glen, Chairman ofBritish Tourist Authority; Dr Noble Frankland, Director o f Imperial War Museum; Dr C. H. Roads, Imperial War Museum;A. C. Poynter Esq. Ashippingso1icitor;andAubrey Bowden Esq. Maritime Trust.
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HMS Belfast by John Wingate, DSc Last o f t h e Dreadnought Era Pro tanto quidretribuamus is carved into the wooden scroll beneath the ship's badge of HMS Belfast. I n the language of the sailor, 'We give as good as we get', was a strangely prophetic motto for the largest cruiser of the Royal Navy. She suffered grievously but she contributed through her experiences to farreaching improvements i n Warship design under battle conditions. Then, when recovered from her wounds, she fulfilled her promise with ruthless efficiency. 'Why,' visitors to this surviving cruiser from Hitler's War must ask, 'Why have we, an island people, chosen this particular ship to be preserved as a memorial of our heritage?. The answer lies i n the list of 'firsts' achieved by HMS Belfast during her long life of thirty-two years.
Shewas: One of the largest cruisers in the Royal Navy The last big ship to be built of steel to pre-war specifications One of the first ships to capture a German prize of World War 2 The first large warship to be immobilised by Hitler's secret weapon, the magnetic mine To act as Flagship longer than most other cruisers One of the most heavily damaged ships to survive and fight again To undergo one of the longest and most comprehensive refitsof any ship One of the last cruisers in the Royal Navy to retain a catapult aircraft TOtake part i n the last capital ship action i n history Engaged i n the only radar-controlled gun action fought bythe Royal Navy between big ships
The Headquarters ship and Flagship off the Normandy beaches, spear-heading the attack on D-day The first Flagship of the Royal Navy to serve i n a World Peace-Keeping Force To provide the power of a 'fleet-in-being' from Hong Kong during the Amethyst incident The first warship since H M S Victory t o be preserved bv the nation
Cruiser P o l i c y i n t h e T h i r t i e s : The com~lexitiesand evasions that evolved from the various 'naval treaties and conferences resulted finally i n the farce of the Second London Treaty of 1936. By this ultimate absurdity, the Royal Navy was fettered whilst Japan. on 31 December 1936, jettisoned all agreements and proceeded to re-arm her navy under a cloak of secrecy. The 8in gun cruiser of the twenties, (Kent, London, Norfolk and York classes) was designed under the s restrictions of the naval treaties but these s h i ~ were built primarily for the protection of our far-flung sealanes and for troop carrying. Though these Countvclass cruisers were of high freeboard and constituted considerable targets, they were armed w i t h the most efficient gun of the day-the high muzzle-velocity 8in gun, i n t w i n turrets. So, when Japan contemptuously turned her back upon armament limitations, the Royal Navy considered carefully its probable adversaries of the future-and, i n the cruiser strength, particularly the most revolutionary and modern of the Japanese secret building : the 1 5 X 6in Mogami-class cruiser. Instead of standing off at extreme range and deliberately picking off the enemy with the 8in gun. the proposition was that a faster cruiser, heavily armoured against 8in hits, should be able rapidly to close an opponent and smother him with a hurricane of smaller, but highly penetrative shells. The original proposal was for sixteen 6in guns i n four quadruple turrets and the politicians, being nudged by the threat o t Hitler, included the building of 4 Southampton cruisers in the 1933 Estimates. No longer was the Royal Navy t o be hamstrung by treaty limitations. The S o u t h a m p t o n Class Cruiser The Southampton was a natural develo~mentof the Amphion design (7000 tons) but hav/ng triple instead of twin turrets. The Staff set out the following basic requirements: 9000 tons; Armoured to withstand a direct hit bv 8in aunfire : High speed-32 knots; Rapid smothering fire with 12-6in guns; To be able, by intensive air reconnaissance, t o cover wide areas of the world's trade routes: A realistic close range anti-aircraft defence, made possible by the success of the 8-barrelled pom-pom which had been installed in the Nelson and Rodney since 1927. (The 4-barrelled pom-pom was developed later for cruisers and destroyers). TO achieve these requirements, the positions of the main machinery, boiler rooms, the main and the secondary armament, were similar to that i n the
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Amphion-class: boiler room, engine room: boiler room, engine room 2 turretsforward 2 turrets aft 6in DCT (Director Control Tower)-one, above the after end of the bridge catapult and crane-as in Amphion The air reconnaissance requirement, however, produced the conception of three Supermarine Walrus amphibians, t w o to be housed i n hangars built into each side of the after bridge structure, and one on an athwartship fixed catapult. It was this innovation which produced the powerful but revolutionary profile of these beautiful ships. The Three Groups The Southampton class cruisers were divided into three groups, the first t w o ships of the first group originally being named Polyphemus and Minotaur after mythological monsters. Happily, these impressive ships finally adopted the names of the nation's towns and cities thus strengthening the bond between Nation and Navy. S o u t h a m p t o n Class 1st Group 1933 Estimates Southampton (ex Polyphemus) 9100 tons Newcastle (ex Minotaur) 1934 Estimates Birmingham
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Glasgow
Sheffield 1935 Estimates Liverpool
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Manchester
(1936 Estimates Gloucester
Edinburgh Class 1937 Estimates Belfast 3rd Group 10.000 tons Edinburgh
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The common features between all groups were the main armament of twelve 6in guns i n four triple turrets, the torpedo armament of six 21in torpedoes i n t w o triple tubes and the four 3pdr saluting guns. The second arouo - . was sliahtlv - . laraer than the first. havng a standaro d sp~accmentof 9400 tons. The t h ~ r daroLD cons sreo of Edinburoh and BeNarr. the class L i n g named afterthe forme; Their Lordships' opinion of these t w o ships is best reflected i n a letter from the Naval Constructive Department of 2 January 1940 to Harland 8 Wolff who were informed that it was proposed to build repeat Belfasts with an extra 2ft 6in beam on a standard displacement of 10,885 tons. The ships were t o be more heavily protected with a deck armour of 4in. No more was heard of this proposal and i t can be presumed that the disasters of the war at sea were soon to overtake the warship building programme.
H:dS Br:lf.irt l c a v ~ n g l ~ ~ r b o u i a f r e i ~ i a l s
(Courtesy Cdi S. Ferguson RN (Rer'd))
Her four boiieis. standing in rhe workshop of ifailand & Wolfi. Belfasr Courtesy: (Cdr. S. Ferguson RN (Ref'd))
One of her four HP turbines: nore-half of rhe fluid flywheeldrive from rhe cruising turbine (Courresy: Cdr. S. Ferguson RN (Ref'd)) During rrials in Belfast Lough. 1939. The corrugared doors ro the hangars can be seen. The RedEnsign issriiiflying. denoring rhar sheissriilin rhe builder's hands (/WM)
1939
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SECTION 126
1939
1943
Left: Secr,ons 96 and 126in 1939 before rhe mining. Rfghr: Secrions 96 and 126 afrer the majorreconsrrucrion of 1940-42. The side armour belt was removedandrebuiir outboard of rhe bulge which was mcoiporared in rhe reconstrucrion.
in dry dock. s l l c wa,si;r,:ir
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(Crown c u p w : g ~ ~pr'rr:.r.s.rm :, o: C~,,ir~.lr~r H I S Staironarj Office)
L;,>C~~PA,;I~C:T ,s#;~#;jc <~f:<,! I ) > ( , ,?,.I,(;, !<"c rs:r.,cI!on of 1940~42.Note tile Ouiqc and. ourooiid of i r . i l c i side armour herbilge keeiruns rhc IerlQrhof the ship
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(Crown copyrighi, perm#irion ol Coniivlier HM Siaiioneiy Office)
Asshe emergedfrom hermajorreconsrrucrion in Devonpon. 1940-42. HernewradarourfirandOerlikon armament can be (MOD) seen. She isnow wearlng herAdmlralry Dlsruprive Camouflage
H M S BELFAST When Lieutenant (E) Stuart Ferguson, joined her in October 1937, the ship was o n the slip and well advanced: the drums of the boilers were being drilled, the boilers tubed and the turbines bladed. Six months later, on St. Patrick's Day. 1 7 March 1938, Mrs Neville Chamberlain, wife of the Prime Minister, sent H M S Belfast sliding safely down the ways. Trials were satisfactorily completed and she was commissioned on 5 August 1939 in Belfast Lough. THE SHIP: Standard disolacement:
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Length between perpendculars (pp) : 578hll8in Length overall : 613ft s h i n Beam extreme: 66fl Draughfofwaterafrtandarddsplacement: Forward : 18ft3in Aft: 19ft9in
. .. .. ... Forward : 22f139in Aft: 22ft51in Number of tons necessary to Increase draught by l i n in standard 67-6ions condition: Momentintons-fttochangeTrim bylininstandardcandrtion: 2 2 7 9 (betweendraught marks) Oilfuelcarried: 2256tonr (including dieseiod) Aufhorisedstawageoffrerh waterforboilerr: 15Otonr SHP (ShaftHarsePower)full Dower: ao.ooo Correrpondlngspeed: 3 2 knots Typerofenglnes: P B I S O ~GearedTurbines L madeby Harland LtWolff Ltd Typeaf bailer: Three drum, smalltubetype, ruperheaten and preheaters Aircraft: 2 Supermarine Walrus (designed to carry three,withonein catapult) Catapult: l i n No D I H t y p e : 5 5 5 knots. made by Brown Bros. Edinburgh Searchlight Proiecfors: 4~20in 52ftaboveStandard W L (Water Line) 2 x 4 4 i n aft 45ft61n (ACP)aboveStandard W L Zx448nfore 48ff (hangartap) abovestandard W L made by Harland b Wolff Ltd DATES: gunsordered April 1936 laiddown l 0 December1936
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T H E H U L L STRUCTURE The longer 4 t i n belt and the additional 2$in armoured deck spread across her magazines, added £10,000 to her cost; the improvements required a larger hull-22ft longer (pp) and 4ft beamier-than her predecessors in Group I. In order to restrict the enlargement within bounds, the safety training arcs of the main armament were only 140" on each relative bearing (145" i n Southampton) so that the distance between turretscould be reduced. There was one other significent difference i n design
between the first group and Belfast which was to have far-reaching results: In the Southampton the 4in H A magazines were below the guns and were therefore tucked i n abaft the after boiler room and engine room. In Belfast, the 4in HA magazines, bomb room and small arms magazines were sited below the catapult and between the forward boiler room and the bridge structure. Considering the length of the hull, therefore, there was, forward, the combined weights of A and B turrets and the massive bridge structure; aft, the combined weights of the boiler rooms, machinery spaces and X and Y turrets. These t w o masses were 'hinged' at the space between the for'd funnel and the aircraft hangar, approximately at section 119. Machinery The original design called for a SHP of 82,500 but i n May 1936 the Controller found that propulsion was more efficient at 300 revolutions instead of 330, so the SHP was reduced to 80,000. The Propelling Machinery The propulsion was of four independent units arranged in t w o ERs (Engine Rooms) : outer shafts, for'd ER; inner shafts, after FR -. ..
Each unit consisted of one High Pressure (HP) turbine working i n series with a Low Pressure (LP) turbine, each driving through a flexible coupling a pinion which geared to a common wheel coupled t o the propeller shafting. The Astern Turbine was incorporated in the LP
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For economical speeds (20,000 SHP and below). a cruising turbine was fitted to all shafts. Each cruising turbine could be clutched down on the HP turbine by means of a fluid flywheel device. The Boilers I n April 1938,fourAdmiralty TypeThree Drum, Water Tube Boilers, built by Harland Et Wolff and fitted with superheaters and air preheaters, were installed in A and B boiler rooms. With a safety load of 3501blsq in, each boiler produced 20.000SHP: each boiler room, 40,000SHP. to give the total SHP of 80,000. Speeds Fuel consumption resulted in the following ranges and speeds: Maximum speed (Trials) : 32knots E c o n o m i c a l speed: 13knots ( 6 months out of dock, maximum draught, temperate water at 3.8 tonslhr (1 06 revs) =6864 miles) M a x i m u m speed with cruising turbines: 23knots (clean bottom, at 7.5 tons/hr=6141 miles) (6 months out of dock, 22knots at 8.2 tons/hr= 4890 miles). M A I N A R M A M E N T : 1939 6in, breech loading, Mark XXlll on Triple Mark XXlll Mounting. Total weight, 615 tons. plus 28 tons for the hoist. The Revolving Structure Four 6in. Triple Mark XXlll mountings were fitted i n Edinburgh and Belfast and in ships of theFijiand repeat-Fijiclasses. The design of the mounting was very similar to that
fitted i n the Southampton, except that the turret trunk and magazines stretched down to the double bottom i n the hold deck; and that cordite and shell hoists were fitted, on the revolving structure, from the cordite handing room and the shell room, one to each gun i n the gun house. The Fixed Siructure There was one shell room. magazlne and cord te hand.ng room to eacn turret Shell i n the shell room was transferred oy hand from the shell bins t o the oower-ooerated revolvina shell ring which accepted'two sheik, one on each side of the rina and fed bv hand into the hoists. by hand from the magazine. cordite was through the revolving flashtight scuttles to the cordite handing room where i t was fed by hand into the cordite hoists. Turret Capabilities 45", elevating in power or hand Elevation : Extreme range : at 44"-24,800yds with 1121b shell Rate of fire: 8 rounds per gun per minute The Gunhouse The turntable floor was three feet below the gunhouse deck. On the underside of the turntable floor was the upper roller path resting on the rollers of the live roller ring. The Guns Twelve 6in, breech loading; Mark XXIII, of the allsteel type. 1121b weight of projectile : weight of charge: 301b elevation : 45" loading angle: between 5" depression and 12" elevation His Majesry. King Geoige V/ reviews his Home Fieer. 15 Augusr 1943. at Scapa F l o w Behlnd him can be seen Canrain Parham. V/ce-Admiral Burnerr and Admiral Bruce ~ i d & r . His Malisty is Inspecting rhe Royal Marines of Belfast (IWM)
Turret Cre W Each turret's crew consisted of 46 men : Captain of Turret (CT), Local Sight Layer (LSL). Turret Trainer (TT), Sightsetter (SS), Telephone Operator (TO) Three Guns' crews of 7 men each: Shell Room Crew, 9 men; The Cordite Handing Room Crew, 3 men; The Magazine Crew. 8 men; I n addition, one OA and one EM were allowed per pair of turrets. Each cordite charge remained in its cardboard container inside an anti-flash metal case, from the magazine to the gunhouse. This ensured that the whole complex of the shell and cordite supply was flashtight. Theoun wellswere watertiahttoa depth of 12in. ~loo>in the ~ magazinescoild beachieved through a e from the sea, bv opening a flood and 7in ~ i o direct a see "alve which could be operated b; rod gearing from the magazine handing room, from the lower deck or from the upper deck flooding cabinet. H A A R M A M E N T : 1939 Twelve4in Quick Firing MarkXVl'gunson H A T w i n MarkXIX mountings. The HA and close range armament were concentrated aft, where arcs were restricted. This concentration made the ship very vulnerable to hits i n this position. The Mountings Three twin mountings of the extended shield type (kin plate) were sited on each side between the for'd funnel and the foremost end of the after superstructure. Blast screens were sited between the mountings. The Guns The guns were quick-firing, with breech blocks which moved downwards to open: this arrangement allowed for the guns to be placed close together i n the cradle, but a large and strong spring was required to close the breech in semiautomaticfirina. Fusesetting Fuses wereset by the Mark I and II fuse setting machines. Starshell fuses were set by means of a hand-fuse setting key. FiringArrangements Ammunition was fitted with combined electric and percussion primers. The guns were normally fired electrically from the HA Director Tower (HADT) position or locally by the gunlayer's trigger.
Close Range W e a p o n s : 1939 Two .5in quadruple mountings, one on each side of the hangar top. Two 8-barrelled 2pdr quick firing Mark V l l l pompoms on Mark VIA mountings, sited at superstructure level abreast the mainmast. M a i n Armament Fire Control The 6in triple turrets were controlled from the t w o armoured DCT's (Director Control Towers), one above the upper bridge, the other on the after superstructure. A 22ft Rangefinder was mounted i n t h e f o i d DCT. The Main Armament Transmitting Station (TS) was sited immediately above the 4in HA magazines and
was therefore protected by the main armoured belt and by the armoured deck. In this compartment was the calculating machine (The Admiralty Fire Control Table) which converted the range and bearing received from the Director Control Towers into gun elevation and gun training. These t w o components were then transmitted electrically direct to theguns and turrets. H A Fire Control The 4in guns were controlled from their o w n HADTs, as follows: S1. Starboard HADT (lower bridoe\-Mountinas " , ~. S2, S3 Port HADT (lower bridge) -Mountings P I . P2, P3 After HADT (after superstructure)-All mountings through their HA Calculating Stations (HACS), forward and aft Four barrage directors which served the 6in turrets were sited, t w o each side of the lower bridge and t w o abreast the after superstructure. They covered all sectors of arc from 0-360". The Pom-pom directors were sited on each side of the after superstructure, forward of the after HADT and on shielded platforms at a level above the 44in searchlight projectors. Each director controlled its o w n multiple pom-pom.
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Enemy B e a r i n g I n d i c a t o r ( T h e c a p t a i n ' s S i g h t ) Mounted on a pedestal on each side of the bridge. The Captain's binocular positions were linked to the 6in and 4in Director Towers and thereby to the F/C (Fire Control) system. Ammunition Supply 200 shells, HE (High Explosive), AP (Armour Piercing) or SAP (Semi Armour Piercing) per 6 i n gun, ie 2400 shell i n total. 250 fused 4in HA shell per gun. ie 3000 in total. plus 200 starshell per ship supplied by 'the Scenic Railway', along the exposed upper deck Each pom-pom had available 2500 rounds per barrel.
Ships total ; 40,000 rounds. .5in machine gun ammunition totalled 20,000 rounds. Note: The 4in magazine, the Bomb Room, Small Arms, P o m - ~ o mand .5in magazines were c a ~ a b l e of being flooded from variou; positions, incl;ding from flooding cabinets on the upper deck. T o r p e d o D e p a r t m e n t : 1939 Torpedoes 6-21 in Mark IV torpedoes were carried i n the triple tubes mounted o n the upper deck i n the waist on each side. No spare torpedoes were carried. Searchlights (SILs) 44in: Four stabilised Mark VII searchlights, t w o on after control deck, t w o in wings of hangar top. 201n Signalling Projectors: four, t w o on top of for'd 44in SILs. t w o on lower bridge. ~aravanesFour paravanes Mark I were stowed, t w o on each side of the forward suDerstructure deck. Depth Charges 6in rails; spares on port quarter of quarter-deck. AsdicType 132.
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Belfast fires her torpedoes dur,ng exercises (Counesy: Cdr. S. Ferouson R N iRer'd)l
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The Russian Run again: a close-up of X ' a n d 'B'turrets (IWM) .I. I..
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Chipping away the snom .vmd ice to reduce t!>o !rar,?rd of added top- weighr (IWM)
V,cc~Adn>urrlSir R v l j c r ! Uorirer!. K h ' i CB , ~ 5 0 . !)is cabin in Bclfsst before being honoiircd after rlic Battle of Norrh Cape (IWM)
Handling With considerable power and with her four propellers, Belfast handled excellently. Being heavy, she took some stopping; she had a quick roll and tended to be wet.
The Ships' C o m p l e m e n t : 1939 The ship was designed as a flagship and, on commissioning, the authorised war complement was 881 (Flagship),781 (Privateship). Anchors a n d Cables 3 stockless anchors, two bower and one sheet, and each weighing 110 cwt. were originally carried. In June 1943, the sheet anchor was landed t o reduce weight and its hawsepipe blanked over. One stocked kedge anchor, weighing 16 cwt, was also carried. The Ship's Boats: 1939 The ship's boat complement changed throughout her life, as did her Carley Float outfit which, combined with the boats, were capable of accommodating the wartime ship's company, when shecatried30floats. Shecarried: 2 ~ 3 5 ffast t motor boats (one Admiral's barge) 1 x25ftfast motor boat 1 x 3 6 f t motor pinnace 6ft'skimming dish' 1 XI 1 x 3 2 f t cutter 2 ~ 2 7 fwhalers t
C o m m u n i c a t i o n s : 1939 Visual ( V I S ) The primary means of inter-ship communication wasvisual. Wireless Telegraphy (WIT) 2 MediumIHigh Power HF CW ICW (both with LF Alternative-Low power available). 3 Low Power HF CW ICW Novoice capability. Flying D e p a r t m e n t : 1939 The original allocation of aircraft was one (Fairey) Swordfish and t w o Blackburn Roc fighters. but on 30 November 1938 the Controller stipulated that t w o Supermarine Walrus amphibians were t o be carried, one in each hangar. The catapult was type D1 H costing €18,475. and mounted athwartships. Two cranes were mounted abreast the for'd funnel for recovery of aircraft and loading torpedoes. L2260 raxjes up to the Thomas Grab - the paten1 quick^ release (andattachment) g e a r suspendedfrom the cranc of an unknown Town-class light cruiser. (Photo: Peter Arnold via R. C. Jones)
Colours on quarterdeck of Belfast. Vice-Admiral Bornett attending The rwo rwin Oerlikons can be seen protruding abaft rhelr shelrer screen. In rhe background HMS Renown protectedby anti-torpedo nets (lWM)
A Fine S h i p This, then, was the ship. After a few weeks of working-up, gunnery torpedo and flying exercises, she joined the Fleet on 3 August 1939. She represented the German cruiser Hipper, on a breakout exercise and, when war was declared, she was at Invergordon. On 31 August 1939, Belfast had transferred t o the 18th Cruiser Squadron which comprised Aurora, flying the flag of Rear-Admiral (Destroyers), Sheffield and Edinburgh; the squadron operated from the Home Fleet base at Scapa Flow in the Orkneys. Immediate patrols were set up to institute the blockade of Germany and Belfast carried on with the routine chore of a patrolling cruiser in wartime. On 1 October 1939. Belfast had again left Scapa for the Northern Patrol where, on 9 October at teatime she captured, i n misty weather and 50 miles northwest of the Faroes, the German liner Cap Norfe of the Hamburg Sud-America line. Two other ships were intercepted that day and, under charge of Belfast's prize crews, were steamed independently for Scapa where Belfast also proceeded, having been somewhat depleted of her ship'scompany. The torpedoing of Royal Oak in Scapa Flow forced the Home Fleet t o use safer and more remote bases.
Belfast transferred on 1 0 November t o the Second Cruiser Squadron which was assembled at Rosyth asa new Striking Force. On 21 November the Force proceeded out of the Firth of Forth on its first sortie. Belfast was to exercase gunnery practlce w,rn Soulharnpton ano two destroyers beforcclbar~nq theA S (Ant -S,bmar~ne) boom. E x t r a c t F r o m t h e Log Tuesday21 November 1939 0947 Passed through A/S boom 1005 Out paravanes 1030 A/c to 025" 1037 295" 1042 115" 1049 060" 1058 Violent explosion felt in Belfasf. Extensive damage 1140 Taken in t o w bytug Krooman 1314 Prepared to abandon ship At the time of the explosion, the immediate reaction of the Captain and his officers was that Belfast had been torpedoed bya U-boat lurking off May Island. The ship had broken her back. She reached Rosyth where, through the skill and ingenuity of the dockyard, she was sufficiently strengthened and made sea-worthy for the passage t o Devonport where she arrived on 3 0 June 1940.
HMS Belfast as she appeared shorriy before the Bariie of Norrh Cape Nore rliar [he sheer anchor hawse Pipe has been (IWM) blanked over
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HMS Norfolk. She was badlydamaged,n !he bailie
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The Re-Building With her broken back and the extensive shock damage (even the feet of the turbine castings were fractured) the decision was almost taken to scrap her. It was decided, however, t o give her an extended refit, but not at the expense of the efficiency of Devonport dockyard. During the next t w o years, she was constantly cannibalised to keep other ships in service, a frustration which delayed her final completion. Vital lessons were learnt from her regarding shock damage, and all future design and building was t o incorporate anti-shock policies and mountings. Her magnetic mining also added impetus to research i n counter measures. Belfast, by her long refit (30 September 19403 November 1942), also enjoyed the advantage of being fitted out with the most modern radar of the day.
Close Range: November 1942
Main Armament: November 1942
Ammunilbn
asat1939 as a1 1939 1 xType284onfaid DCT 1xType 273 General warning. surface; in lantern aft of for'd DCT 4xType283in bllnd barragedirectorsfor6in 1 xType252 IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) tocombine w r h 2 7 3 lnType251 IFF High Angle: November 1942 ArmsandMountings: asat 1939 Ammon;lion: as811939 Fire Control: The three HA Directors were modified to Mark IVsto take Type 285 radar for radar confr~lledfire Radar. 3nType285 1 xType 281 Air Warning; Transmitter aerial onforemasi:receiveraenalan mainmarttruck 1 x Type 2 4 2 A n Warning IFFaerlals on top of 281 receiver M#;": ~mmunifion: F;ie Control: Radar:
Zpd, Pom-pomr
The two Mark I1 mountings were replaced by two MarkVIII RPC (Remote Powercontrol)
Ammunition:
1800 rounds per barrel 14 rounds per belt: 40 bells per tray
Fire Control:
The Mark I1 Directors were replaced by two Mark IV pom-pom directors and reporiiiooed near fhe mountingr, 2 x Type 282 radar being fitted to the directors. Theguns anddirectorswere RPC
Twin ZOmm Oerlihons:
Single 2Omm Oerlikons:
Ten 20mm Oerlikan guns in five Mark V twin mo~ntingsequipped-wifh tachymefric sights were fitted to exposed positions about the ship. The mountings were shielded. power c~nfrolledand later lied to radar rights; 1 on roof of 'B' turret. 1 on each wing of the lower bridge. foid: 2 right aft on the quarterdeck and protected by concave and roofed shelters
8 single Oerlikons. Mark IV and Mark lllA fixed pedestal mountings were fitted. tour on eachsideonrhecalapultdeck
5 i n Maehme Guns:
2400 rounds per gun in Ready Use lockers and stowage in pom-pom magazine removed
Other Alterationsand Additions Degaussing coilsfitted 4 oil fuel hoses added for fuelling destroyersat sea The 4in hoists and conveyors (Scenic Railway) were modified to take the ammunition direct to the guns. Ready Use lockersfitted Type 132Asdic was modified A 22ft FM 7 range finder fitted to for'd DCT t o replace original instrument. The t w o lower bridge rangefinders were removed
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G { ~ , ! r a r i ~TONG5 n TE,\. 3 ApVi :W,i, o f f r::. .l!,~~, 0r.m coasr 7i;e c a m e i ~arc tuii>,,,g into wind before riw atrack begins. Lefr to righi: a destroyer. the aircraft carriers Furious and Victor!ous. Anson. Belfast and anoiher destroyer Fighters are ranged on the f l ~ g h t deck of HMS Emperor (IWM) 3 A p r i l 1944. a Barracuda dive-bomber returns to Furious after the air-strike on Tirpitz. Belfast h close company (IWM) H,s Majesty reviews his Fleet from rhe bridge of HMS Belfast. Rear~AdmiralDa/rj~mple~Ham,iion in affendance. 15 May 1944. In the background can be seen a F i j i class ciufser and Rodney. Note ihe Captains Sighr (Enemy Bear,nglnd,cator) ,n the lehforeground (IWM)
Communications: Tvoe 86 TBS was fitted: thouah " glv nq volce c o m m - r l ~ ~ . ~ t l o 11s n lransmls9on frenuencv ~ntcrlcrcdW rn the 284 raoar at tnc Battle of North Cape.
A r c t i c C o n v o y s a n d t h e N o r t h e r n Patro1.1943 HMS Belfast was n o w one of the most powerful cruisers i n the world. How she exerted that power can best be judged by the results of her operations. The bland record which follows cannot, however, convey the feelings of thosethousands of men in the Royal and Merchant Navies who shared the miseries of sea warfare in those freezing waters of the Arctic winter.
D i a r y 1943 Russian Convovs Northern fafro; Russian Convoys Various Operalions HomeFleet Offensive SweepoffBodo
Russian Convoys
1 9 Februarv-2 March 29 ~ a r c h L 2 ~ 8uly 15-28August 3-27 September 5/13 October-an offensive sweep against enemy shipping in the Bodo area of the Norwegian fiords: Duke o f York, Anson, 10th Cruiser Squadron (Belfasf), USS Ranger (carrier) and USS Tuscaloosa. Object: to bring pressure to bear on Russian front 30 October-1 9 December
The enemy: Scharnhorst.
(J Weisr. Siiiltoarr)
B a t t l e o f N o r t h C a p e : 26 D e c e r n b e r l 9 4 3 : S c h a r n h o r s t sunk S u a ~ si n tnls Prof o ones not perni t tnc: l n c l ~ on s of an accoLnr of tne Hatllc of Nortn Cape Scl~ar,?norsl, the only German capital ship still operational in December 1943, was sunk by combined Cruiser and Battleship Forces of the Home Fleet. Force Two (Duke o f York) was under the command of Admiral Bruce Fraser; Force One, the Cruiser Force, was commanded by Rear-Admiral 'Bob' Burnett in Belfast. With Tirpitz still immobilised from the midget submarine attack of September 1943, Germany's fleetin-being was no more. The U-boat assaults on the Russian convoys and upon the Atlantic lifelines were being mastered by the rapid growth of the Escort Groups and the Escort carriers. There was, for the first time, a scent of victory in the air during the spring of 1944. I n March 1944, however, Tirpitz was again on the move, her presence thus posing a threat to the last stages of planning for the invasion of Normandy. Without further ado, the Fleet Air Arm struck on
Belfast's Walrus W9586. being paddled towards the crane. Hvaifjord March 1943, ('S' denotes pi101/ . e Sarqenr who is sitting above cockpit.) flwM)
Leav~ngScapa Flow for Normandy
7 June 1944-the background
assault troops stream ashom in their LCls and ,ri.iu/: ho.;;c Sclfast. Hradqvniteis shjp.
The bombardmenr conrinues: her 4in in action. Her44in bridge searchlight is clearly v~sible
(IWM)
!,I the (iWM)
3 April, flying off from the Home Fleet carriers to deliver their dive-bombing attacks. Belfast formed part of the covering forces which took part and the operation was successful: Tirpitz was immobilised once again, until finally sunk by the RAF a few months later. The Liberation o f Europe: Normandy, 6 J u n e 1944 Belfast was the flagship of Commander Force E, and she spear-headed i h e bombardment which opened up on the June beaches at 0530 on 6 June. She was in action until 8 July 1944 when the British Army broke out of Caen. During this vital period she played a vital role in establishing the beachheads into Europe. Belfast had fired her guns in anger for the last time in Hitler's War; there now remained one further enemy to subjugate-the Japanese military machine. Belfast, therefore, had to be refitted to fight in tropical waters, a far cry from the Arctic wastes of two months earlier. T r o p i c a l R e f i t : J u l y 1944--April1945 In addition to her being altered for the tropics, the object of the refit, carried out by The Middle Dock and High Shields Engineering Company, was to arm her with the latest weapons and fire control for defence against the Japanese 'suicide-planes', the Kamikazes. When Belfast emerged from trials after her refit in April 1945, a few weeks after Hitler had shot himself in the Berlin bunker, she was, as before, a ship well ableto take care of herself. Alterations a n d Additions: May 1945 4in HA: S3 and P3 mount#ngr removed (after mountinosi. Remaimno mountinas fS1. S 2. PI.. P2) mod;fiedta RPCCLOSERANGE: Greatly augmented, now that w e a ~ o n rwere avallabletodeal with Kamikazes. Pom-pomr: 2x8-barrelled Mark Vlll guns on Mark VIA mount#norRP10 A e d Mark VIII guns on Mark VII mounti,rgs.RP50 Pam-pomOirectors 6 Mark IV ~ 8 t hGyro Rate Units Mark I with Type282 radar The pom-poms were concentrated between the sfler funnel and the After HADT. 1 x 8 and 2 x 4 eachside 20mm Oerlikonr: 12twin mountingrfitted and re-sitedasfollowr: 6 Twin Mark V 20mm. powered mountings ~ 8 t h tachymetricsighf~ 6 newly designed hand-worked mountingrwith tachymefricsight~
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To rheFarEasrafterherlongrefirin 1945: 1 l July 1945
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Below Sydney harbourbridge. August 1945
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(IwM)
In addition. two single Mark Vlll mountings were rlted one each side of the after superSIruCfure. in Drotected soonsons, The mountmm u n t o o I , , n..xra C"., oetnren B' (1J" ""C* I ~ loner C or uge i n o r e v a c nq I , . . ' * o 5 1 7
,
6edrC"
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(11115
1,0111
'.nnn. > and aflrr r.u..l~ -
Structure. Magalinestoragewasenlarged
Radar:
In May1945rhecarrled: Type2421FF Type2431FF Type253 IFF Type, 277Q AA Height-finding and surface warning
Type281 Airwarning Type282 Pom pom Directors and blind Type283)barr~e Type274 6inArrnament Type285 HA Type2930 Clorerange height-finding and surface warning The 44in Searchlights and aircrafl were landed. The Catapult war removed and the Hangar convened into recreation and accommodat$on
Accommodation;
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The'internals'of the ship were modified to make moretolerablethe heat of thetropics
O i l Fuel Replenishment a n d Transfer a t Sea The vast sea distances in the Pacific had produced the Fleet Trains of the huge American Task Forces. It was vital therefore that Belfast should be modernised to the latest developments and standards of oiling at sea and she was brought up to date during this refit. Replenishment speed was about 9 knots. T o t h e Far East.17June1945: Sydney R e f i t The refit ended on 17 April 1945. A short work-up in Malta followed at the beginning of July when, on the twelfth. she learnt that she was to be Flagship of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, British Pacific Fleet (BPF). She arrived in Australia and, after her short refit in August to improve close range armaments, her armament was as follows: 2x8-barrelled Pom-poms. 4x4-barrelled Pom-poms.)as before
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Fieia: Blue Badge: Upon waves in base w h ~ t eand blue, a sea horse gorged with a mural crown proper.
SILHOUETTES 1939, port and starboard
1943, port
5071 HOME FLEET DARK GREY
HMS BELFAST is depicted in the Admiralty Disruptive 25 she wore as she went into action at Camouflaae T v ~ e the ~attle-of~ o r t hCape on 26 December 1943. At that date, the Admiral's barae would have been covered and both Walrus amp6ibians had been landed on 6 June 1943, the flight being disbanded in Se~tember. A second battle ensignwould h v e been flying at the foremast. James Goulding @ Profile Publications Ltd.
1945, Britisn Pacific Fleet, port and starboard
U-
1956, port and starboard
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LOUR CODE
Be
MIC FOREIGN SlATIOWl LlOWT GREW
I
Presentation ofsilver bellandship's crest. 22 October 1948. The LordMayorof Belfasr. Sir William Neill (Courresy: Belfast Newsletter Ltd. Belfast Trust)
4Xsingle barrel Pom-poms Mk. XVI with Mk. XIV sights 2 Bofors (Boffins), with MarkXIVsights 3 Bofors Mark Ill (oneon'B'roof) Note: The twin Oerlikon mountings were used for each single Bofors 2 T w i n Oerlikons, Mark XIVsights 4 single Oerlikons. MarkXIVsights T h e JapaneseSurrender-Aftermath: S e p t e m b e r 1 945 The Atomic bomb had exploded above Hiroshima and Nagasaki before Belfast reached Sydney. Forthe Pacific Fleet. however. these weeks immediatelv after the surrender were hect c and conf-seo On 9 September 1945. Rear-Aom~raR M. Servaes CBE, commanding the 2nd Cruiser Squadron, BPF; hoisted his flag in Belfast and i n September, the Squadron wasstanding-by off China. In Shanghai were massing our emaciated survivors of the Japanese prison camps. To these British souls, both men and women, the sight of White Ensigns fluttering proudly from the great ships lying offshore would remain an unforgettable memory. The work of mercy continued, day and night: the ships were ferrying between Shanghai and Hong Kong the sick and dying who were gently lifted ashore to be tended i n the hospitals manned by British medical men and nurses. On New Year's Eve, 1945, Belfast arrived at Shanghai forthe last lift. Uneasy Peace: 1946-'48 The early months of 1946 were a difficult period for the Pacific Fleet. The East lndies were in a turmoil and the Japanese had still to be rounded up. Demobilisation had begun and men were, after seven years of war, hungry t o learn the ways of peace. A system, the fairest possible, of Age-and-
Service release was instituted but the inevitable upheaval disturbed the efficient functioning of the Fleets. For Belfast, however, the pain was bearable with the thought of the cruises that lay ahead after her next visit to Sydney. There i n February 1946, her torpedo armament and depth-charges were landed, the bed plates being left for future contingencies. On 6 March Belfast arrived in Wellington, New Zealand, at the start of her Pacific Island and Japanese cruise which lasted until May. She returned to Singapore in May for a refit which wascompleted on 29 July 1946. The next fifteen months were spent showing the flag i n Japan, China and Malaya; she returned to Portsmouth to pay off into Reserve on 1 5 October 1947. Thesilver Bell finds i t s Rightful H o m e : T r a f a l g a r Day.31 O c t o b e r 1 9 4 8 After emerging on 1 5 October 1948 from her year's refit, the ship paid a three-day visit to the City of Belfast: after nine years she was at last to be presented with the magnificent silver bell which the people of Belfast had donated to the ship in 1939. The Lord Mayor and the Prime Minister of Ulster came on board for the ceremony and, after reciprocal hospitality, the ship sailed the next day, again for the Far East where world tensions were building up. T h e A m e t h y s t I n c i d e n t : 20 A p r i l l 9 4 9 The Chinese civil war was by now raging, the Communists being o n the left (north) bank of the Yangtse, the Nationalists, on thesouth. On 20 April 1949. Amethyst, a Black Swan sloop, was on her way u p river to relieve Consort, fleet destroyer, the guardship in Nanking. When off Kiang
Korea. September 1951 A hel,coprerhovenngnear Belfast)n the Ye//owSea
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(IWM)
(IWM)
TheKorean War. M a y 7 9 5 1 - ' l i r a l s r i ~ ~ i y i i r - s h o o u i 1 ~ ~ ~ i 1 ~ p '
Yin Island, Amethyst was attacked by Communist shore batteries. She suffered heavy casualties, including the death of her captain, and after 2 4 hours of heroism and disaster, she managed to land her wounded o n the Nationalist bank. The story of her escape down river has n o w passed into history, but Belfast, having relieved Sussex, acted as the Commander-in-Chief's flagship during the final phase of this tragic incident. Belfast remained in the Yangtse area for several weeks while waiting for events to calm down. She sailed on 8 August for Malaya where her presence was needed during the trouble there. After rescuing 226 passengers from a Chinese Nationalist LST (Landing Ship Tank) aground on the Pratas Reef i n the China-Sea, Belfast was docked at Singapore i n January 1950, her bottom scrubbed and antifouled, her boilers cleaned and examined. Several alterations were also made to the ship before completion of the refit in March 1950. Alterations during r e f i t arch 1950 SixTachymetric Drecforr replacedfhe Pam-pom Directors M a h I V f o r fhe RP50MarkVIIandfheRPlO MarkViA Mountings The Range-finderwasremovedfromthefaid 6in DCT ThefiitingofaType268radarwasbegun. butnotcompleted.until1951
T h e K o r e a n W a r : T h e ' S t r a i g h t - S h o o t i n g Ship' This t w o year struggle (June 1950-September 1952) involved Belfast i n many months of bombarding, patrolling and working with the other units of the United Nations. She flew the flag of Flag Officer 2 Far East and by the accuracy and effec-
tiveness of her bombardments earned from the American Admiral the accolade of 'that Straightshooting ship'. Apart from a routine refit and a brief period when she went home to re-commission at Sheerness o n 19 October 1950, she was operational for the whole war. She supported the armies during their seesawing campaigns down the length of the peninsular, until the Communist Chinese and North Koreans were finally hurled back over the line whence they had originally poured. On 26 September 1952 the Korean war ended. On 27 September 1952, Belfast was relieved on patrol by Newcastle, and on station by Birmingham. Belfast had steamed over 80,000 miles in the combat zone and had fired over 8000 rounds of Gin-an average speed of 8.3 knots, and a round from the main battery every 72 minutes. She returned home to pay off in Chatham on 4 November 1952. She was accepted a i Devonport into Class Ill reserve on 1 December while her fate was determined.
E x t e n d e d R e f i t : J a n u a r v i 9 5 6 - M a v 1959 The work that was started i n 1956 at Devonport Dockyard was to transform H M S Belfast into the vessel she istoday. The appearanceof the ship was radically altered and the HAarmamentwas brought u p t o date. Modern living conditions were installed, complete with air conditioning for ABCD (Atomic. Biological and Chemical Warfare Defence) state and for ~
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. . . and her Korea
Belfast discomfons the e n e n i y . . ,
(IV~ivl)
tropical conditions. The principal features of the modernisation were: Structure The advent of possible nuclear andtor chemical warfare demanded an air-tight citadel, inside which a slight positive pressure had to be maintained. The profile of the ship changed when a newly designed enclosed bridge replaced the structurethat had seen so much action and service. Mast a n d Decks The tripod masts were replaced by lattice structures. All timber decks were removed. except o n the quarter deck. The steel decks were painted with anti-slip paint and anti-slip strips were attached t o thesteel deck. Belfast bombarding offKorea. 24 February 1952
Royal Marine Band raises morale ashore in (IwM)
Armament The 6in turrets were retained The t w o DCTs were replaced by modern 6in Directors, fitted with RP40 The 4in RP52 mountings were replaced by four 4in RP51 MarkXVIV'mountings The three 4in HADTs were removed and the 4in control system replaced by four MRS8 directors, sited o n a platform between the funnels, adjacent to the 4in mountings A clean sweep was made of the existing Close Range armament and its control systems. They were replaced by fitting six Twin Bofors Mark V mountings controlled by four MRSB Directors sited
Belfast a t s p r e o C//ICOI(II
NOICI ~ C I I ~HC oiN ori . i ~ r ~ ~ a r n c ~ ~ :
(A,,:OD)
Plymoiiftr. June 1959 a f t c i modcri~isnrio,~.Her new Bofors armament and the HA Directors are siiown plainly. Hersiiver be/! hangs on the afterscreen (IWM)
Hersrern. Plymourh Sound. 30 June 1959
(MOD)
A good photograph of her enclosed bridge afrer modernlsarlon (MOD)
between each pair of mountings. (2 directors each bridge wing-4 twin mountings). The barrage director was removed. All torpedo tubes, torpedoes, torpedo control systems; all depth charges and the quarter-deck D/C chute were to be removed (completed 1.7.57). Type174/176Asdic wasfitted. Aircraft A deck landing pad for helicopter use was fitted on the quarterdeck. 'Y' gun had t o be trained o n the beam when operating helicopters. Accommodation Accommodation was modernised and increased for a ship's complement of 956. Full centralised messing was provided and electric galleysreplaced the oil f ~ r e darrangements. Centralised air conditioning was provided throughout, including the Bridge action spaces and the communication spaces. RadarTypes 262 Gunnery close range 274 Main armament 277 Q Height-finding and surface warning 293 Q Close range H/F and surface warning 960 M Air warning 974 Warning surface H M S Belfast recommissioned at Devonport on 1 2 May 1959 and, after working u p in Malta during September, returned to the Far East to become flagship of the Station.
K o r e a : T e n t h Anniversary. J u n e 1960 Ten years had elapsed since the outbreak of the Korean War and conditions i n the Far East were still far from settled: the seeds of future tragedy had already begun to germinate. After the SEATO exercise SEALION, on 11 May 1960. Belfast, i n company with the carrierAlbion, the frigates Salisbury, Scarborough, Torquay and the RFA (Royal Fleet Auxiliary) Tideflow, arrived in Hong Kong where the force was reinforced by the Royal Australian Navy: the carrier Melbourne and t w o destrovers. As a Fleet Air Arm pilot from Albion has recorded. 'A week there and off again, this time to lnchon via the passage between Taiwan and China-an interesting day that, with ships at DC State 1 ; and wearing anti-flash gear sitting in the cockpit, ready, strapped to the catapult at Condition One (non-war We were is a terribly subjective experience) convinced that we had stopped World War 3.'
...
Last F o r e i g n C o m m i s s i o n : 1961-1962 The ship re-commissioned in Singapore on 31 January 1961, under the command of Captain Morgan Giles DSO OBE G M RN. Durina the earlv s ~ r i n a .Belfast took Dart in t w o large &ale SEATO' exercises, JET '61 'and PONY EXPRESS.
February 1961. Belfast leaves for Exercise JET '61; two CA Fleet destroyers in company: note the modernised enclosed bridge (MOD) .
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Exercise JET '62: Belfast fires ti~~iDionr/si~/,e
(IWM)
After riding out the fury of Typhoon Alice, she visited Hong Kong for a rest: she had not stopped for three months and her men needed a refit as much astheir ship in which they lived. During her stay, Belfast's ship's company raised £250 to rehouse a Chinese family, whose letter to theship speaksfor itself.
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'D arClnt.lin -~ ~.,
'I thank you with my heart for resettling my family a t House No. 34. Hung Fa Village. Sai Kung. The stone cottage is so nlce that not only help us to have a house to live in but also there is land for us to c ~ l t i v a t eb, e r d e w e havea plgstyforrair8ng pigsand atthe momentwe are raring 3 pigs. Every month Lutheran World Service give us food stuff and help my to go fa s c h o o ~we . live happily in H U , , ~ Village now. I with the names of my famdy members to thank you agaln H s i C h a n g chang yao HS~":
wu
ExerciseTucker B o x a n d A u s t r a l i a n Cruise,
28 A u g u s t - l 4 S e p t e m b e r 1 9 6 1
HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, representing Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the Second, formally granted independence to the country. Belfast provided the guard at the hauling down for the last time of the Union Jack and, for the first time, the hoisting of the Tanzanian flag. By the time that she had returned to Singapore she had steamed over 10,000 miles since leaving Hona Kons: and from the beginning of the commission sTnce January 1961, 44'31 J o u r n e y Home. 26 M a r c h - l 9 ~ u n e l 9 6 2 After taking part from Singapore in Exercise JET'62, Belfast returned home t o pay off, sailing east-about; she bade a last farewell to Hong Kong and then set course across the Pacific for Guam, Pearl Harbour, San Francisco; Seattle next, where the world's Fair was being ~ held, ~and then on ~ to British ~ Columbia~ for
~ Though interrupted by the Kuwait E Belfast c o m ~ l e t e da refit i n S i n a a,~ ~ o r edockvard - - ~,.~. which she leit on 5 August. With Caesar, Carysforf, L Crane. St Bride's Bav and RFA Wave Master..~ she sailed through the ' ~ o r r e s Straits to the Great Barrier Reef. The squadron met the Australian Fleet in the Coral Sea where the joint exercise, TUCKER BOX, took place. She visited Melbourne and Sydney and returned to Singapore in October for Exercise FOTEX. After a further visit to Hong Kong i n November for HRH Princess Alexandra's review of the Far Eastern Fleet, she returned again to Singapore to pick u p the Commander-in-Chief's Royal Marine band forthe impending celebrations of Tanganyikan Independence, on 8 December 1961. Belfast was welcomed by thousands of Africans and Europeans when at the early hour of six o'clock on Thursday, 7 December, she entered the harbour of Dar-es-Salaam. Friday 8 December was Independence Day when
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Herpaymg-offpendant flying from the main. Belfast leaves Guam. Her RoyaIMarine guardcan be seen fallen in on rhe ouaner deck (IWM)
a brief visit to Vancouver and Esquimalt, the Royal Canadian Navy's base at Victoria. She made the transit of the Panama Canal on 3 June 1962 and then called at Port of Spain, Trinidad, for a brief visit. During her final passage homeward-bound across the Atlantic, one of Belfast's company developed acute appendicitis; the ship's Principal Medical Officer operated successfully but, i n case of complications, Belfast increased speed to reach the nearest hospital ashore at Plymouth on 17 June. She paid off at Portsmouth t w o days later o n 19 June 1962.
H o m e Sea S e r v i c e a n d Reserve: 2 J u l y 1 9 6 2 - 2 5 February 1963 After recommissioning, Belfast spent the next six months on Home Sea Service, working up and joining i n with her NATO allies on fleet exercises. During November 1962, she paid a courtesy visit to Amsterdam and then, nostalgically, a final visit t o the City of her birth at Belfast. She paid off into reserve on 25 February 1963.
August 1963-herlasrpassage
Last C o m m i s s i o n : 1 6 J u l y 1 9 6 3 - 2 3 A u g u s t l 9 6 3 It was fitting that she should be commissioned for the last time for service to the officers and men of the Royal Naval Reserve. The Admiral Commanding Reserves, flying his flag i n H M S Belfast, left Portsmouth on 1 0 August and, with 1 6 Coastal Minesweepers, steamed down to Gibraltar. After carrying out Exercise ROCKHAUL, she returned to Devonport on 24 August 1963, having steamed 2600 miles. Reserve From 1966 t o 1970, Belfast still served : she became the Harbour Accommodation Ship of the Reserve Ships' Division at Portsmouth. Then in 1971, she was moved in Fareham Creek and Reduced to Disposal. She had reached the end of her long life of 32 years'service : onlythe scrapyard lay ahead. H e r Last B a t t l e Four years earlier, a team of devoted men from the Imperial War Museum had been working to preserve a 6in gun turret for use by the Museum. From these
ro Gibralraras Flagship o f Admiral Commanding Reserves
(MOD)
Harbour acconmmdarion silip fur iii.siivc SiripsDivi\ion at Whale isiand. Portsmouth: 1 9 6 6 1910 (IWM & Counesy:A. Bowden. Esq)
Reduced to U,s1;3sal: l ,jn,ii,,n, Crc nk i!$/: :,,.l ,,I. i:i r l,+cr journcy up Clian,lci to ilci finai Oertii ill tiie TilarnesOperation SEAHORSE ( l W M & Counesy A. Bowden. Esq)
Homeward bound from Guarn: her paying-off pendant streams in rhe wind
In dry dock: her balancedrudder (Crown copyright, permisaon of Con~rolle, HM Siarioneiy Office)
first beginnings there developed the idea of preserving a complete vessel as a Museum s h i p for the nation. When HMS Belfast was selected a s being the best ship (her condition being excellent) RearA d m i r a l Morgan Giles DSO OBE G M MP formed
The HMS B e l f a s t T r u s t . In July 1971, the Government a g r e e d to hand over the ship to the Trust and Vice-Admiral Sir Donald Gibson K C 6 D S C w a s a p p o i n t e d its Director. OPERATION SEAHORSE: S e p t a m b s c O c t o b s r 1971 Thefinaljourneyofherseagoinglifewarplannedasfoilowr: Wednesday l September 1330 Unmooredfrom benhin Farehamcreek 1500 Steamed alongside Middle Slip Jetty. H M Dockyard Parts. mouth,fodisembarkunnecessarygear
Lefr gun of 'A' Turret. Note the recojl cylinder below rhe breech block andshe1lload;np tray (Author's Collection)
Thursday 2 September 1000 Slipped and proceeded under tow of tugs, bound for Thames Ertuarythrough thestraits of Dover Friday3September Secured a t lav-bv berth inTilburv Fittedoulas ~ u i e u m s h i p ' Moodsy 4 Oerober Entered King GeorgeV Dock. North Woolwich Thursday 14October Undacked. Towed up river to her permanent berth in the Pool
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Traf8lgarDav. 27 October 1971 The First Sea Lord. Admiral Sir Michael Pollock GCB MVO DSc, addressed the assembled cornoanv on behalf of the
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Ur Pm(.< r N P t $ e N A V VK n %!C? hawed oter in? Sh p c Enr gn 'o inr .oco Mr\nr of .onoon S r P,!w 2 , - m CRF. N A n S . nnnacrrlrtrn 'onoe'la I C , I T - ~ ~ ~ ~ n r tl rai r tr r T"" E"? on *,S ,!,ell no
,
VEW of the centrc qun of 'j',' [ o r r c l . T/bo <~o:,$' W<,L*.'Q ;!c~c,;;l!w rf>c'jr ow:, r?>;!.s!.c~r.s. Tljc: tq>p(:r~ 1 x o 1 f :/,c cr,,O~:(!l~ojsrs and the hoistpedals arc visiblc (Aurl~or's collection) X ' rurrer officer's control posirion. In the background is the disposal chute for the empty cordire case. the turret bearingind~carorisclearly visible (Author's collecoon)
The ControlOfficer's rurrerbearingindicator (Author's collecrion)
The Future A former G u n n e r y Officer, who served in HMS Belfast during the Korean War, has best summarised the life of this great ship: '. . . I next s a w the Belfast in Trincomalee . . . Once more she was the spick and span Flagship of the Far East Fleet, gleaming in her enamel and brightwork, and with her quarterdeck a picture of peacetime smartness. She was now under the command of C a p t a i n , now R e a r - A d m i r a l . Morgan Giles and flew the flag of Rear-Admiral John Frewen, now Admiral, Sir John F r e w e n . As soon as one went on board it w a s possible to sense the same high m o r a l e and pride of the crew for their ship. The Belfast was always a happy ship with a proud ship's company. Even when overcrowded and hard worked with very little shore leave as in the Korean war, she was still the happiest of ships, the crew realising that she was doing a r e a l job and doing it well. She was the best ship I served in, in my 36 years.'
'. . . not an exercise in n o s f a l g i a , but an act of faith for the youth o f the future.' with thesewords, the Chairman of the Belfast Trust summed up the object of preserving this ship, the first to b e so honoured since N e l s o n ' s Victory. Twice in our history, this nation has been within weeks of starvation because of blockades to our sea routes. ASfuture generations g a z e upon this great ship lying in the Thames, may they recall with pride the maritime t r a d i t i o n r e p r e s e n t e d by H M S BELFAST. FIRST GROUP-SOUTHAMPTON (TOWN) CLASS: 9.100 tons Fate Launched Newcaslle 23.1.36Vickers-Armstrangs Scrapped1959 (ex-Minotaur) (Tyne &Barrow) Soorhsmpton 10.3.36Clydebank bombing; (ex-Polyphemus) Medll.l.41 Birmingham 1.9.36 Devonpon Scrapped 1960 Glasgow 29.6.36Sc011s Scrapped 1960 Sheffield 23.7.36 Vickers-Armstrongs Scrapped 1970 Dimensonr: 5911 (oa) x 6 1 f x l 7 f t Machinery: 4~shaftgearedrurbines.SHP75.000=32kts Protecton: Main belt3-41n.DeckZin. Turreis12in.DCT4in Armament: 12~6in (4x3).8-4in H A ( 4 x 2 ) 8-2pdcAA ( 2 x 4 ) 8-.5#n( 2 x 4 ) 6-21," ( 2 n 3 ) T T 3aircrait complement: 700
SECOND GROUP-SOUTHAMPTON tons
Manchester Gloucester
Dime,,si Machinery:
Armament:
(TOWN) CLASS:
Launched 24.3.37Fairfield 12.4.37 ~ a w t h o rerl ~ lie
Fate Scrapped 1958 Sunk by €-boat of1 Hammamet. Tunisra 13.8.42 Sunk by bombing. ~~~t~z2.5.41
19.10.37Devonport S CO~~S 5911(oa)x62tx17fft
4-rhafrgearedrurbiner.s~~62.500-32fkt~ Mainbe113-4in.Deck2in. Turretsl-2in. DCT4ln 1 z - s i ~ ( 4 ~ 3 ) . 8 - 4 i ~ ~ ~ ( 4 ~ ~ ) 6 - 2 p d r (~2~x 4 ) 8-0.5in ( 2 x 4 ) 6-21in ( 2 x 3 ) T T 3aircraft 700
:~:F~t~.",OUP-EDINBURGH
CLASS:
Behrr
Launched 17.3.36 Harland 6Wolff
Edinburgh
31.3.38 Swan Hunter
Fate Preserved by he Belfasl TIUI~. London Pool1971 Sunk by U-456and destroyers. Russian convoy. RP 11 : 2,542
6134 (oa) x66x19fl 4-shafIgearedturbines.SHP80.000=32kts Main belt3-4," Deckoovermagarine:3in Overmachinery and upperand lawerdeckr:2in A,mament: 12-6in (4n3, 12-4in HA ( 6 x 2 ) 1 6 - 2 p d r (~2~x 8 ) pom-pomr B - 0 . 5 i n A ~( 2 x 4 ) 6-21," ( Z n 3 ) T T 3aircraft Complement: 881 (fIagshipj781 (privateship) Dimensions: Machinery: Protection:
Bibliography TheWaiatSea.Vols1-I1 (HMSO) Jane's Fightlng Ships
- S W Roskill - SampsonLow. Marston
Warshipsof World War I1 TheBattleof Nor:hCape(WilliamKlmber) ASailor'sOdyssey
- H T Lenton. J J Colledge - Michaelogden - Admiraloffhe Fleet.
The Naval Waragainst Hitler (Batsford) HMS Belfast (paper) (Imperial WarMu$eum) HMSBelfasf:1961-62
Et CO
Viscount Cunninghamof HyndhopeKTGCB OM OS0 - Donald Macintyre
- Manin Brice - Shlp'3Magazlne
Warships Series Editor: JOHN WINGATE DSc 7
Hersistership.
HMS Edinburgh
... .
(IWM)
Bclf:,st a! A B C D .?!.ir
O!rr
!m(' f!~,,r<,s c>:! !!,c f,~',.'!./,~ C,,(!
7 M a y 1944-in Rosyrh for repairs. Note her radar ourfir andrhe bows o f H M S Rodney in the background (IWM)
G / r ,no/,'!cs o f r t x g0,7 (Couitcsy: Rcai~AdmiialMoigan Giles)
c:,,c'ck!1)<7 t!$t! d r c ! , ! c ~ : ! ! ysprays, !')c!
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to acknowledge the great debt he owes t o all those who have given their knowledge, their patience and their encouragement. So many have helped and i t would be invidious not to mention all by name. There is not sufficient space in this small volume but, i n particular. I wish t o acknowledge with gratitude the following : The HMS Belfasf Trust; The Imperial War Museum; The National Maritime Museum. Greenwich: The Public Record Office; The Naval Repository, Hayes. Middlesex; The Ministry of Defence; Rear-Admiral Morgan Giles. DSO. OBE, GM. MP: Admiral Sir Horace R. Law, KCB. OBE. DSc, Commander-in-Chief. Portsmouth: Cammander Stuart Ferguson. F I MechE RN (Ret'd): Antany Preston Esq. National Maritime Museum; Martin H. Brice Esq. Imperial War Museum; David Brown Esq. Naval Historical Section; Alan Raven Esq,T. Sargent.
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