Massive Royal Navy RC Ship (1930’s)

[shipwrightParticipant @shipwright]

[shipwrightParticipant @shipwright]

I thought some of you might like to see this rather dated Pathe News clip :

**LINK**

I thought that my RC boats are of reasonable size but they are mere pigmies compared with this remotely controlled RN battleship target. Incidentally, I wasn't very impressed with the gunnery practice – most of the shells were off target. Given that the film was probably 1930's it was advanced technology to be able to control the ship via a radio link. I reckon the servos would have been interesting (the ship's steering would have been hydraulic so the designers needed to connect in somehow to that system).

Ian

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

The target ship was HMS Centurion a decommissioned KIng George class battleship and even though it was remote controlled the ship still carried a crew of over 200. They must have been brave men but as Ian pointed out perhaps, given the accuracy of the guns, being on the target might have been the safest place to be.

HMS Centurion had an odd life being used as a target ship, anti aircraft battery, block ship and a decoy battleship.

HMS Centurion was eventually scuttled as a breakwater to aid the Normandy landings, the Germans who witnessed the sinking reported the ship was sunk by axis forces and as they only counted 70 men leaving the ship they assumed a great loss of life when in fact the 70 men were the entire ships compliment.

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