HMS Prince of Wales

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I went down to Portsmouth today and it was well worth it to see the PoW come in, a very impressive sight.

Just as the ship was due to pass through the harbour entrance a gentleman with a power boat decided that it was a nice afternoon for a trip out and headed for the open sea despite all the security boats with flashing blue lights in the immediate vicinity. Immediately the MoD Poluice boat put on the 'blues and twos' and told him in no uncertain terms to get lost.

Album ref here:

**LINK**

Colin

Colin

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Arrival in Portsmouth 16 Nov 2019

[Andy StonemanParticipant @andystoneman15177]

Good pic Colin, she looks huge when your close

Andy

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

She is huge – believe me!

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Good pictures Colin.

Dislike the flat front on these things…wonder if it’s anything to do with stealth or wind-over-deck, or just the cheapest way to finish off the bow?

Ashley

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Despite being a lot smaller in displacement than the US carriers the QE class flight deck area is only marginally smaller, 4 acres against 4.5 acres.

Colin

[David Marks 2Participant @davidmarks2]

Before I retired I used for visit a company where one of the Project Engineers was ex Royal Navy. He had served on Ark Royal and showed me a photo of when the Ark visited the States include one of Ark Royal moored with some US carriers. Which one is Ark Royal, I asked? He pointed to the vessel which I had assumed was just used for ferrying the crew back and forth to the shore.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Comparison photo here:

**LINK**

But you are not comparing like with like. The RN Invincible class was just 20% of the displacement of the big US carriers.

QE and PoW statistics stack up quite favourably proportionately compared with the Americans. Far less crew needed for example. (Just as well as we haven't got enough sailors anyway!)

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I read a very good “why aren’t the QE carriers nuclear” sort of expose somewhere and there are many advantages to NOT being nuclear and not having cats/traps.

some of them include a much reduced crew compliment especially in the engine dept, much reduced manning when not at sea, the ability to use virtually any port around the world (as many of them will not accept the nuclear option, and they need much increased security/facilities). The ability to launch and recover strikes rapidly without an awful lot of aircraft shuffling.

in addition the QE’s have a brill mechanised weapon handling facility and even the much vaunted “unlimited range and speed” from the nuke doesn’t stack up due to the need for fossil fuel and crew nosh resupply at regular intervals.

AND the ski jump and short rolling landing capability makes amend to some of the supposed shortfalls of the B version compared to the C cat types.

Given the much reduced cost of the QE’s compared to the Gerald R Ford (which is still non operational) and its no wonder I read that some Americans are wondering if they should not go down this route,,,,?

As for the Invincibles, I think they did us proud for many years at a very modest cost.

Ashley (armchair expert)

 

Edited By ashley needham on 17/11/2019 19:26:54

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Yes, we did get good value from the Invincibles but like so many of our ships of that era they were sized down to a price which restricted their versaility and scope for upgrading. I went aboard a few times and the hangars were really small compared to the WW2 vintage USS Intrepid we visited in New York.

Later RN ships like the type 45s are more roomy and capable of being upgraded which should prolong their service life. Saves money in the long run. (a concept alien to most politicians!)

Colin

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I really don't understand why they build these things, as I imagine they are very easy targets. I would go for loads of submarines myself, although I don't particularly like them, (In fact I don't like them at all) but feel that they would be a better deal than enormous surface ships when it comes to either defence or attack, as they can creep about in secret!

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

A bit difficult to fly aircraft off submarines, although it has been done.

Colin

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

They have to have somewhere to come back to, and a giant aircraft carrier is a very huge target (As Mr Putin said). Much as I dislike them, (submarines) I would still prefer a huge fleet of British built, Navy submarines operating silently and secretly without any publicity at all.

Bob

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Well here are two for the price of three….

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Fab picture Colin.

As for having more subs instead of carriers, they have little utility unless you have a shooting war. Apparently it is not easy to find carriers in the ocean in war time , and they would always be well protected.

Ashley

[Bob WilsonParticipant @bobwilson59101]

I think it would be quite easy to find one, especially with satellites, but I am speaking from a mind "unclouded by fact," so am most probably wrong! Can't say I have all that much interest in naval affairs, and when I found my ship taken over by them for 13 months, I found it quite alien to my senses to see guns fitted along decks where passengers should be sunning themselves, and our cargo holds packed with supplies for the British colony of St Helena, rather tha naval supplies etc.. I didn't suffer either mentally or physically from it, and it was all quite interesting (South Atlantic, 1982), but not really my "cup of tea!" Was glad to get back to normal again. Later, I heard tell that we had a British sub underneath us all the way out to make sure we came to no harm, Don't know if it is true, or not, because we never saw any sign of one.

Bob

Edited By Bob Wilson on 29/12/2019 20:24:36

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

A bit like our first Nile cruise when some Egyptian soldiers set up a machine gun at the stern of the boat.

Colin

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