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The Photographs And Cartoons Featured Are From My Late Grandfathers Collection Amassed Whilst Serving On The Royal Navy Battleship HMS RAMILLIES. |
HMS RAMILLIES 'The Ram' was listed as a Revenge 'R' Class Battleship though this class was more often referred to as the Royal Sovereign Class. She was laid down 12th November 1913, launched 12th September 1916 and completed in September 1916. Her sister ships were, HMS Royal Sovereign, HMS Revenge, HMS Resolution and the ill-fated HMS Royal Oak (Torpedoed and Sunk, Scapa Flow 14th October 1939). Three more ships of this class were projected these were to be Resistance, Renown and Repulse, the latter two eventually emerged as Battlecruisers. Unlike the similar but slightly larger ships of the 'Queen Elizabeth' Class, Ramillies and the rest of her sisters did not receive any major rebuilding work between the wars. At the outbreak of the second world war the class was near obsolete due to their rather slow speed and lack of anti-aircraft armaments, condemned as Coffin ships by Churchill this did not stop these ships from seeing a great deal action. HMS Ramillies took part in the bombardment of Bardia, August 18th 1940. She also took part in the Battle of Cape Teudada. On the 7th May 1942 in the bombardment of Diego Saurez (Madagascar) it was here she was torpedoed by Japanese midget submarines on the 30th May 1942. After repairs she took part in the bombardment of German positions during D-Day, as well as in August bombardments of Southern France. The ‘Ram’ was finally sold for scrapping on 20th March 1948 at the end of the battleship age. |
