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Unidentified Ships - ID Required World Naval Ships Forums Archive

Unidentified Ships - ID Required

Posts 1 to 50

Here are a few photos that have not been identified. Some have a few clues, but most we just have no idea! [IMG]http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/images/unknownsub2.jpg[/IMG] [B]British Submarine - Photo taken from HMS Shropshire.[/B] [IMG]http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/images/unknown4.jpg[/IMG] [B]No clue on this one.[/B] [IMG]http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/images/aircraftcarrier.jpg[/IMG] [B]Or this one.[/B] I know the photos aren't great quality, but hopefully they are good enough for some identification to be made.

Here are a few photos that have not been identified. Some have a few clues, but most we just have no idea! [IMG]http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/images/unknownsub2.jpg[/IMG] [B]British Submarine - Photo taken from HMS Shropshire.[/B] [IMG]http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/images/unknown4.jpg[/IMG] [B]No clue on this one.[/B] [IMG]http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/images/aircraftcarrier.jpg[/IMG] [B]Or this one.[/B] I know the photos aren't great quality, but hopefully they are good enough for some identification to be made.

I believe the Submarine to be from the Rainbow Class of submarines. Note the distinct to type bathtub forward of the tower for the main gun. Another indication is the characteristic step of the deck towards the stern. The Cruiser is the hardest to identify and I'm not 100% sure, but she looks like and early Protected Cruiser from the Edgar Class. The Carrier has a wide cord funnel with a mast forward, this points towards the Illustrious or Implacable classes of carrier. The sloping off of the landing deck at the bow and the stern does however identifies her as being from the Illustrious class during the War years (Implacable & Indefatigable having flush/flat landing decks went built).

I believe the Submarine to be from the Rainbow Class of submarines. Note the distinct to type bathtub forward of the tower for the main gun. Another indication is the characteristic step of the deck towards the stern. The Cruiser is the hardest to identify and I'm not 100% sure, but she looks like and early Protected Cruiser from the Edgar Class. The Carrier has a wide cord funnel with a mast forward, this points towards the Illustrious or Implacable classes of carrier. The sloping off of the landing deck at the bow and the stern does however identifies her as being from the Illustrious class during the War years (Implacable & Indefatigable having flush/flat landing decks when built).

I believe the sub to be one of the 'Porpoise' class minelaying subs and if the photo was taken from HMS Shropshire it must have been taken in the Med. The wall in the background looks like the south mole wall in Gib to me but there must be some old salts out there who remember!! I think the cruiser is one of the 'Astrea' or 'Edgar' class - pity I can't expand it to see better! The 'Eclipse' class also had 2 funnels but had fighting tops fitted to the masts so I think that rules them out. I think the carrier is an 'Illustrious' class early in her career as the flight deck slopes down quite sharply at the blunt end Steve

And Carriers are my specialist subject as well! :D Well, I have studied and studied the carrier photo and I am still not sure of the identity but here is my very best guess for what it is worth. :confused: HMS Indomitable..... (Built Barrow 1937.. in service 1941) and that guess really is based on the superstructure that I can see and the overall lines of the ship. HMS Indomitable is very similar to the Illustrious class of carrier.

Have a look and see if you can identitify this vessel.Most proably a USN survey ship from around the 1950s seen somewhere in the Persian Gulf. Regards Dave
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Hellooo rumrat I believe she's the USS Duxbury Bay AVP38 a Seaplane Tender commisioned 1944, scrapped 1967. Alan

You might be right Alan i haven't a clue. Regards Dave

Have you seen this link guys, it may help with a rough date going by the pictures displayed here: [url]http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-d/avp38.htm[/url]

I recognised her as an AVP. The colour made me think she was in the USCG as were some of her sisters. So not a bad guess, I guess. :o Oh and the pennant no. helped.

Looks like you are spot Alan well done matey. Regards Dave

Anyone know who she is ?
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HMS Exeter?

Possibly HMNZS Leander, transfered when commisioned, I think, at the George VI Coronation Fleet Review 1937. Depending on which way she's swung, the ship behind could be either Devonshire or Shropshire. Should be Devonshire or Frobisher.

She's definitely a Leander class Alan. LEANDER is the best suggestion to date. Were there any other Leander Class at the Coronation ?

Hiya Rik I'm now torn between Leander and Achilles. All Leanders were either scrapped by 1950or lost in WW2, Neptune, Orion. Achilles was sold to India and became the Delhi and she was present at the 1953 review. The photo looks like a review of some kind. I'm not sure If there were any other Leanders at the 1937 review. If the ship poking it's nose out behind is the Icarus, spelling, then it could be Leander.

Alan, I'd stick with the 1937 Review, as that's when the picture dates from. It was bought from eBay with a few other miniature photo's. On the back it says " View towards Cowes". Hope that helps.

I happen to have the program for this event. Here is scan of the positions of the ships. Leander is in row D on the map. Hopefully this will help you with soime of the ships. The program also has a full list of the ships there - let me know if you need any part of it. :)
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Also, looking at my program for the 1935 fleet review, Leander was also present, with Achilles and Kempenfelt on either side in the row. Is that a possibility for this photo?

Hiya kc In the photo it looks like a couple of County class behind as is in your scan. Is there a layout of the 35 review?

Yes, Leander is roughly in the middle of the picture here. Hope it helps.
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KC Any chance of a full scan of the Fleet review layout please? Regrads Dave

Can anyone ID her ? Possibly INTREPID ????
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90% certain it's INTREPID. Does anyone else agree ? Rik

Hi - quite possibly HMS INTREPID or could be ICARUS or IMPULSIVE both of which served with the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla, Home Fleet during 1941/42. The vessel in the photograph has by this time had its after set of torpedo tubes replaced by a single 12 pounder (3 inch), an alteration that was completed on ICARUS during her time under repair following her participation in Operation DYNAMO in May 1940. I may very well be wrong but did INTREPID and IMPULSIVE retained both banks of torpedo tubes during their service with the 3rd DF?

Here's another pic of INTREPID that leads me to think it's her.
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Anybody have any idea as to the identity of the cruiser i was told VENGEANCE but i can't find any reference to a cruiser of that name Help. Regards Dave
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She could be HMS HIGHFLYER Dave. I have a pic of her in her Far East colours and she does match that of the HIGHFLYER class. She was also Flagship between 1900-04 and your pic shows the Admirals flag flying from her foremast. Rik

I may be seeing things but are the two photos not the same the only difference being the first has been doctored by the censor to hide any reference to her area of operations, ie the background has been changed, and the pennant number has also been errased? Dave - stontamar

Looks good to me Rik Cheers Matey. Dave

Have just found some more information i think your right with the class Rik but i believe her to HYACINTH not HIGHFLYER Cheers once again Dave

I am just hazarding a guess on this one,but the second Ship shown looks very much like the SS Nairana ?? Hope i may be correct!! Tony

If this pic was taken around the same time then the carrier is ILLUSTRIOUS.
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Steve I think you might be mistaken about the Porpoise class submarine as they were rather bulky aft of the conning tower. Bob.
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I have already posed this question on Service pals and wondered if there was any help here. The plane is a Blackburn Shark but what is the ship? I thought a Bellona class cruiser but look at the gun turrets. They are not 5.25.s and the Bellona's had eight not six. I,m sure you experts will solve this !
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She looks like one of the Arethusa class Batstiger. One of the experts on here will name her. Is that a deckhouse between the funnels instead of the A/C catapult or is the catapult on top of it? Alan

I think you are spot on there Alan, we now have a one in four chance of naming her.

Mr Batstiger. Is that you Bob ?? ;)

That's me Rik, another good site! Who else can we tempt over here? I see there are one or two already.

It is one of the Arethusa class, but I can discount Arethusa itself because she had a cluster of searchlights in front of the forward funnel (attached). My vote, for what it is worth, is HMS Aurora. Compare the top of the main mast. Regards
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Can you Identify this Cruiser? She appears to only have the "A" turret forward "B" appears to have been removed. I presume they are 8". There also appears to be a rampant lion emblem over the right hand barrelpossibly on the front of the bridge.Does this help?
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Looks like the County class cruiser HMS Devonshire. If you zoom in on the attached photo you will see the Lion rampant on the bridge front, as in your pic. I presume the photo is post 1947, when she was reduced to a training ship role. The other photo is of her entering Malta. Jim
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I knew I could rely on you Jim! Thanks for the list of Pennant numbers. Here's one of the Devonshire with her full armament in 1943. Bob

Sorry Mistake! Here are two pics of the Devonshire.
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HMS Lion (Sister ships Tiger & Blake). No '/B' turret, as you can see! Regards
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Here is a close up of HMS Tiger and if you look closely at your picture I think you will see one of these ! Regards, Bob.
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Seeing Devonshire reduced to training cruiser role reminds me of John Winton's wonderful series "We joined the Navy" et al set aboard HMS Barsetshire, a thinly disguised county class cruiser. I loved thos books and regret parting with them, when I get round to it I shall replace them from the secondhand market. Any other enthusiasts? I beleive it is JW who still writes the Naval obits for the Telegraph. tim

Agree photograph shows HMS AURORA, identified as the only one of the four ships of the ARETHUSA Class not to be fitted with a catapult on completion. Regards stontamar

[IMG]http://www.royalnavyresearcharchive.org.uk/ESCORT/Galleries/STRIKER_Gllery2.htm[/IMG]Can any one idetify this Modified Black Swan Class Sloop serving with the British Pacfic Flet in 1945. The ship is alongside HMS STRIKER and carries the US Navy (?) allocated penant number A468 (Now identified as HMS Crane). US navy publication DNC.4(A) US Navy Visual Call Sign Book (Edition dated 1 March 1944, as corrected by various NRPMs up to 1946) refers. Thanks stontamar

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