HMS Illustrious and HMS Kenya at
Devonport by Ivan Berryman
HMS Illustrious slips quietly away from the docks at Devonport, Plymouth with the Fiji class cruiser in the middle distance,
1941.
HMS Glorious by Ivan Berryman
HMS Glorious flying off a Fairey Swordfish at sunset with HMS Ardent
off to Starboard.
HMS Victorious by Ivan Berryman
Completed in May 1941, HMS Victorious had been in commission just nine
days when her pilots encountered and attacked the Bismarck. She is seen
here in August 1942 with HMS Eagle astern of her.
HMS Cossack by Ivan Berryman
HMS Cossack, one of the fast Tribal class destroyers will always be
remembered for the daring rescue of 300 prisoners of war from the German
Altmark in Norwegian waters. She is shown here departing Grand Harbour,
Malta.
HMS Dido by Ivan Berryman
HMS Dido was launched on 18th July 1939, she took part
in the evacuation of troops and defense of Crete, where she was damaged
on B gun, killing 46 men. HMS Dido took part in the second Battle of
Sirte during 1942, she sank three supply ships off North Africa. She
also took part in the Anzio landings and the invasion of Southern France
in August 1944.
HMS Ajax by Ivan Berryman
HMS Ajax was built as a light cruiser at Barrow and launched in 1935.
She saw service initially in the American and West Indies theatre before
temporary commission in the Mediterranean. Then followed her never to
be forgotten role in the Battle of the River Plate ending in the scuttling
of the Graf Spey. She is seen here entering Portsmouth Harbour with
the Isle of White in the background.
HMS Belfast During the Battle of North Cape by Randall Wilson
Under lowering arctic skies HMS Belfast (Admiral Burnets Flagship) leads HMS
Sheffield and HMS Norfolk in the race to protect convoy JW55B from Scharnhorst.
Dunkirk by Ivan Berryman
Between 24th may and 4th June 1940 an extraordinary armada of craft,
large and small, naval and civilian, embarked on one of the greatest
rescue missions in history. the evacuation of 330,000 British and French
troops from the beaches of Dunkirk in northern France. the destroyer HMS
Shikari dominates the foreground here as troops pour onto the beaches and
harbour moles in search of salvation. MTB are seen picking up troops and
taking them to ships further out including MTB102. Also shown is a
paddle steamer with very shallow draft taking on troops close to the beach
and in the distance HMS Grafton can be seen taking troops from the mole.
She was lost later during the evacuation.
