Player’s Cigarette Card Album “Modern Naval Craft” 1938 3 of 20
This is a cigarette card album dating from 1938, showing “modern” naval vessels of the major powers.
Once hugely popular, cigarette cards had vanished by my childhood in the 1950s; I collected tea cards from packets of Brooke Bond or Horniman's tea.
All of the vessels saw war service, many failed to survive it; those that did, generally, ended up at the breaker’s yard.
HMS Nelson, Pennant Number 28, was launched in 1935. During WW2, she, served in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, supported the Normandy D Day landings and was sent to the Pacific in mid 1945. She took part in Op Pedestal, the famous convoy that saved Malta from defeat. During the war she was damaged twice by mines and torpedoed once. In 1946 she became a training ship and two years later was scrapped after being used as a target in bombing tests.
HMS Revenge, Pennant Number 06, was launched in 1915 and took part in the Battle of Jutland in 1916, her only WW1 engagement as both sides became cautious in the event of mines and torpedoes. In WW2 after service in home waters she was transferred to the Far East, used on convoy escort. By 1943 she was considered worn out and her last voyage was carrying Winston Churchill to the Teheran Conference in November 1943. Post war, after a period as a training ship she was scrapped in 1948.
HMS Warspite, Pennant Number 03, was launched in 1913, another ship whose only major action in WW1 was at the 1916 Battle of Jutland. During WW2, illustrious service in the Mediterranean Far East and the Salerno and Normandy landings, earned her the most battle honours of any Royal Navy ship. She had the nickname “The Grand Old Lady” from a remark by Admiral Cunningham whilst she was his flagship in 1943. In 1947 she was under way to Faslane for scrapping when storms forced her aground in Mounts Bay, Cornwall. After various unsuccessful attempts to salvage her she was left until 1950 when more attempts were made to refloat her. Eventually she was scrapped in situ described as the biggest salvage operation ever mounted in British waters.
Player’s Cigarette Card Album “Modern Naval Craft” 1938 3 of 20
This is a cigarette card album dating from 1938, showing “modern” naval vessels of the major powers.
Once hugely popular, cigarette cards had vanished by my childhood in the 1950s; I collected tea cards from packets of Brooke Bond or Horniman's tea.
All of the vessels saw war service, many failed to survive it; those that did, generally, ended up at the breaker’s yard.
HMS Nelson, Pennant Number 28, was launched in 1935. During WW2, she, served in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, supported the Normandy D Day landings and was sent to the Pacific in mid 1945. She took part in Op Pedestal, the famous convoy that saved Malta from defeat. During the war she was damaged twice by mines and torpedoed once. In 1946 she became a training ship and two years later was scrapped after being used as a target in bombing tests.
HMS Revenge, Pennant Number 06, was launched in 1915 and took part in the Battle of Jutland in 1916, her only WW1 engagement as both sides became cautious in the event of mines and torpedoes. In WW2 after service in home waters she was transferred to the Far East, used on convoy escort. By 1943 she was considered worn out and her last voyage was carrying Winston Churchill to the Teheran Conference in November 1943. Post war, after a period as a training ship she was scrapped in 1948.
HMS Warspite, Pennant Number 03, was launched in 1913, another ship whose only major action in WW1 was at the 1916 Battle of Jutland. During WW2, illustrious service in the Mediterranean Far East and the Salerno and Normandy landings, earned her the most battle honours of any Royal Navy ship. She had the nickname “The Grand Old Lady” from a remark by Admiral Cunningham whilst she was his flagship in 1943. In 1947 she was under way to Faslane for scrapping when storms forced her aground in Mounts Bay, Cornwall. After various unsuccessful attempts to salvage her she was left until 1950 when more attempts were made to refloat her. Eventually she was scrapped in situ described as the biggest salvage operation ever mounted in British waters.