The Magazine of friendsof the Royal The National Museum of the Naval Museum and Royal Navy (Portsmouth) HMS Victory HMS Victory and the Friends SCUTTLEBUTT AWARD WINNING MAGAZINE ISSN 2052−5451 46 HMS Victory Last Dreadnought Naval 9772052545006 ‘Trafalgar Day’ in the world Chronology | Scuttlebutt [Edition No46, Spring 2013] [by subscriptionSpring Edition or on sale £2.50]1 The Magazine of friendsof the Royal The National Museum of the Naval Museum and Royal Navy (Portsmouth) HMS Victory HMS Victory and the Friends ISSN 2052-5451 The Friends of the Royal Naval Museum is a Registered Charity No. 269387 SCUTTLEBUTT The National Museum of the AWARD WINNING MAGAZINE Royal Navy and [Edition No46, Spring 2013] [by subscription or on sale £2.50] HMS Victory, Portsmouth is a Registered Charity No. 1126283-1 CONTENTS Council of the Friends 4 Chairman’s Report (Peter Wykeham-Martin) 5 Director General’s Overview (Dominic Tweddle) 6 UPDATES: Make a difference in the future: News from the National Museum of the Royal Navy (Graham Dobbin) 8 Trafalgar Day ceremony (page 10) HMS Victory, Commanding Officer’s Report (Rod Strathern) 10 remember the museum in your will now The Victory Preservation Project (Andrew Baines) 13 199’s Hotchkiss Gun at ‘Explosion’ Museum (John Roberts) 28 Steam Pinnace 199 - Progess Report (Martin Marks) 32 Council would like to take this opportunity to 199 Sponsor a Boiler (Your chance to help preserve our naval heritage) 33 REGULAR FEATURES: encourage all Friends to consider remembering The paintings of C E Turner (Rick Cosby) 16 Naval Museum & Friends Events (including Friend’s AGM 9th May) 36 the Friends or the Museum in your will. It costs you nothing Series on Museum Figureheads (David Pulvertaft) 52 now, but every gift, however small, Museum Model Series – Part 3: The Steam-Paddle Frigate HMS Gorgon (Mark Brady) 54 Big guns of the last dreadnought SPECIAL FEATURES: will make a difference in the future. USS Texas (page 18) The Coming of the Great War First of a new series commemorating the First World War (John Roberts) 18 From Russia with Love (Martin Marks) 30 The Naval Chronology of Great Britain 1803 – 1816 (John Roberts) 34 The Story of Tactical Nuclear Weapons in the Royal Navy Continuing our history of British naval nuclear weapons – Part 2 B: (John Coker) 42 We cannot offer legal advice, The Poseidon Project (Arthur Jones) 56 but if you would like further information, please contact REGULAR ITEMS: the Museum on Tel: 023 9272 7567 Dreadnought battleship Book Reviews 60 HMS Iron Duke (page 20) Letters to the Editor 64 “Welcome aboard!” (come & join us), benefits of membership 67 MISCELLANY: The World Ship Society Annual Naval Meeting 1 June 2013 41 Scuttlebutt is edited by: John Roberts Naval Book & Maritime Art Gallery opened by the Second Sea Lord 41 ‘P’ Class submarine HMS Poseidon (page 56) The Friends of the Royal Naval Museum and HMS Victory National Museum of the Royal Navy, HM Naval Base (PP66), Portsmouth PO1 3NH Tel: 023 9272 7562 Nuclear strike aircraft (page 42) Destruction of L’ Arianne (page 34) Gun gallery at ‘Explosion’ museum (page 29) Friends direct Tel: 023 9225 1589 Editor: John Roberts 01329 843427 ([email protected]) Design: MMCS dh.creative E-mail: [email protected] Print: Limefresh Media Advertising:: SDB Marketing 01273 594455 Find us at www.royalnavalmuseum.org www.royalnavalmuseum.org/support_friends.htm ‘Scuttlebutt’ gained national recognition as winner of the BAFM * award for the best Friends *The term ‘Scuttlebutt’ is nautical slang for the latest gossip and rumours; it derives from scurrilous chatter between sailors gathered magazine 2012. (*British Association of Friends of Museums) round the water cask, the equivalent, in modern terms to the office water cooler. Cover picture: ‘Fleet Review 1953 The Coronation Review of Queen Elizabeth by C E Turner (1883 – 1965) showing Despatch Vessel Photographs courtesy of the National Museum of the Royal Navy (© NMRN Crown copyright) HMS Surprise (Cdr Hennessey) wearing the Royal Standard. unless otherwise stated Image © NMM and reproduced with permission by Captain Cosby’s Maritime Prints. See page 16 Scuttlebutt | | Scuttlebutt 2 Spring Edition Spring Edition 3 The Magazine of friendsof the Royal The National Museum of the Naval Museum and Royal Navy (Portsmouth) HMS Victory HMS Victory and the Friends SCUTTLEBUTT AWARD WINNING MAGAZINE CHAIRMAN’S THE COUNCIL OF THE FRIENDS OF THE ROYAL NAVAL MUSEUM AND HMS VICTORY REPORT The Editor has been walking This has all the hallmarks of being a As the Friends of the National wonderful and appropriate addition to Museum at Portsmouth and HMS Patron: Admiral HRH The Prince of Wales around recently with a big grin the National Museum at Portsmouth. VICTORY, I can assure you that we KG, KT, OM, GCB, AK, QSO, ADC and if you look at the Letters 2014 is going to see the start of series will continue to receive reports on of commemorative events marking the the ship and publish updates in VICE PRESIDENTS page in this edition of centenary of the Great War, and this Scuttlebutt. I commend Andrew’s Admiral Sir Brian Brown KCB, CBE Scuttlebutt, you will see the edition contains an article by the article to you. Rear Admiral Richard Irwin CB Editor explaining how we intend to use Lord Judd reason why. The first A4 Scuttlebutt to publicise the role of It is good to report that another refit of edition of Scuttlebutt resulted naval forces during World War I. In a project backed by the Friends, the President: Vice Admiral Sir Michael Moore KBE, LVO particular we would welcome articles Steam Pinnace 199, is going well. Chairman: Commodore Peter Wykeham-Martin Royal Navy in a deluge of Bravo Zulu from Friends. One of the aspects that They had a wonderful Open Day on Vice Chairman: Lieutenant Commander John Scivier Royal Navy letters – thank you to all those the National Museum wishes to focus 2 February, with a range of visiting Executive Secretary & Treasurer: Mr Roger Trise attention on is the area of innovation glitterati from the local MP, Caroline Honorary Secretary: Dr Campbell McMurray OBE of you who took the trouble to led by the Royal Navy throughout the Dineage, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor Commodore Peter Wykeham-Martin RN war, everything from the development of Gosport and local radio. The MEMBERS OF COUNCIL write. Like any first edition of the tank to air defence of London interest was astonishing, and it was a Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Bates, Royal Navy there are some things that s you are all aware, from early bombing raids. great boost to all the volunteers, not Mr David Baynes – Events Organiser & Volunteer Liaison need tweaking here and there, work is progressing least because it raised over £700. Lieutenant Commander Mark Brady, Royal Navy well on the new 20th This edition also sees the first article One of the ideas launched at the Lieutenant Commander Clive Kidd, Royal Navy and hopefully you will think Century Gallery for by Andrew Baines who has recently Open Day was the “sponsor a boiler Mr Christopher Knox this edition is even better than A Storehouse 10. Whilst joined the National Museum staff tube” campaign. With over 860 tubes Captain John Roberts MBE, Royal Navy there have been the inevitable delays with the key role of leading the in the Pinnace’s boiler, the concept Mr Ivan Steele – Steam Pinnace 199 Project the last. Our hopes are that in a building of this age, it is still preservation of HMS VICTORY. was to ask people to sponsor a tube Mr Paul Woodman the advertising revenue will hoped to commence fitting out in He briefed the recent Friend’s Council for £10, or half a tube for a fiver. This September, ready for the opening in meeting on the daunting task of has really fired the imagination, and if EX OFFICIO MEMBERS OF COUNCIL help us maintain this standard March 2014. I recently went around getting the ship into better shape. you haven’t already sponsored a tube Commander John Bingeman, Royal Navy of magazine which will not the site and the first thing that struck His first task has been to initiate a – or more – please do so. There is an – Society for Nautical Research me was what a wonderful addition this thorough survey of the whole ship so advert with all the details of how to Mr Graham Dobbin – Chief Operating Officer NMRN only give current Friends good area will be for the Museum. By that a proper long term work sponsor a tube in this Scuttlebutt on Mrs Erica New – National Museum of the Royal Navy Friends Liaison value for their subscription, extending the Storehouse ground floor programme can be put in place as page 33. I hope that by the time you Lieutenant Commander Rod Strathern Royal Navy out to the colonnade, the display opposed to the somewhat haphazard receive this copy of Scuttlebutt that – Commanding Officer HMS Victory but attract new Friends. areas are well proportioned and with programme of the past which was 199 will be afloat once more and on Councillor Rob Wood - Portsmouth City Council the beams exposed, will also be basically driven by available funding. “trials”. The work done by the Councillor Chris Carter – Hampshire County Council attractive. The linking passage is also His briefing of Council was a volunteers has been amazing; without taking shape and some of the larger masterpiece, succinctly explaining the their dedication this unique craft Executive Secretary exhibits including a 4” gun will be technical issues and the challenges would not be able to steam again. Roger Trise (023 9225 1589) [email protected] installed soon.