HMS Warspite (03) - Queen Elizabeth Class Battleship. Grand Old Lady.
A ship, A battleship, A ship for war...
HMS Warspite Launched in 1915
The Grand Old Lady fought valiantly in 2 World Wars. Survived 150 direct hits in 1916 at Jutland before she was fully combat ready. Tried to ram a Uboat while damaged and who tried to sink her with 3 torpedoes. She was Bombed, Mined, Rammed and even struck by a guided missile. Still she floats.
Even when the time came to retire, she did not want to leave service on anybody else's terms. After leaving Portsmouth for the Clyde for scrapping in 1947 after having guns removed, A storm caused her to break free from her tug and eventually run aground and stuck fast in Prussia Cove.
After two world wars, Battered and bruised, i think this would be a nice place to retire, wouldn't you agree?
After years of various failed attempts to refloat her, she refused to be budged.
Eventually deciding that she was never going to go to the Clyde, it seemed fitting that a ship of the Warspites service should decide for itself where its final resting place should be and so was slowly dismantled where she lay.
Must have been quite the sight.
To many HMS Warspite is a tool of war and that is all and really it is. But to me it defined an era for this country during this time. Resilience, grit, defiance and determination. I think it is absolutely criminal that it wasn't turned into a museum ship, despite this countries financial woes post-war, this is one Battleship that should have survived IMO.