The second vehicle in our new ‘Military Series’ ‘HMS Belfast’.

Built in the mid 30’s and launched in March 1938. She served as a flagship throughout the second World War, playing a leading part in the destruction of the German Battle Cruiser ‘Scharnhorst’ at the battle of North Cape and was one of the larger vessels taking part in the Normandy landings.

After the war ‘Belfast’ supported the U.N. forces in Korea and remained in service with the Royal Navy until 1965.

She carried an all male crew of 916 ratings and officers happily smoking ‘RN’ cigis we guess!

In 1971 she was saved from the scrap yard and moored on the Thames near ‘Tower Bridge’ to serve as a permanent museum and historic reminder of Britain's naval heritage in the first half of the twentieth century.

An hour round this huge and complex warship will take you from the Quarter deck up to the bridge and all the way down through nine decks to her massive boiler and engine rooms. On your journey, you will see her triple 6 inch thick gun turrets and heavily armoured shell rooms. You can almost feel the atmosphere, whilst experiencing what life was like for her crew, especially when you visit the cramped Mess decks, Officers cabins, Galley and Sick Bay.

The guns in both turrets are trained and elevated onto a target 12.5 miles away in North West London. In fact, targeted onto the Gateway Service Station on the M1, a reminder of the awesome power of naval gunnery in the War.

A NOTE OF ACTION - Take your helmet if going into ‘Gateway’ for a cuppa?

Another interesting points is that the forward boiler room is guarded by a double set of doors forming an airlock into the compartment beyond. This was essential as any sudden change in air pressure could incarcerating anything (or anyone) in front of them.