Steam Pinnace 199 – Newsletter – May 2016 Under tow to Gosport – to undertake a

survey on her hull, 199 needed to be moved

over to the Joint Service Adventurous Sail

Training Centre at Gosport where she was lifted out ashore on 8th April. She will now

be allowed to dry out for about ten days before a formal inspection. A quick look at

the hull suggested that there

was little wrong that could

not be easily fixed but this

has to be confirmed.

Left – the tow team preparing

outside Boathouse 4. Ivan,

Steve, Paul + Martin

Right – Ivan making yet

more arrangements.

Above and left – in the hoist at JSASTC Hornet

Above and left – on a trailer for wash off

and transport

Photos by Clive and Martin

Left – All this fresh air makes you hungry – Steve

Barnes tucking into a “significant” lunch at

JSASTC; alongside is Clive Kidd.

At long last, some good news on the hull!

199 Hull Survey - on 3rd May, and the reason for the late newsletter, 199 was re-surveyed by an expert in the restoration and renovation of old boats. In his opinion the remedial work required is neither extensive nor complicated. Therefore 199 will be soda blasted below the waterline in about ten days’ time so that the seams can be thoroughly inspected. At the foot of the stem he reported that there is the potential for a leak and along the line of the keel another area was identified. These can be closed with an appropriate sealant. The hull will then be painted below the waterline. The opportunity will be taken to increase the cathodic protection which seems to have been tested severely in the enclosed mooring at Boathouse 4.

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London Flotilla visit - A group from the London

Flotilla of the Royal Navy Volunteer Supplementary

Reserve (RNV(S)R) travelled to Portsmouth Historic

Dockyard on 7th April to present memorabilia to the

National Museum of the Royal Navy. The items

consisted of a framed print, a framed description of

the unit’s history, a haul down signal and a souvenir

tile.

Above -Hugh Stephenson (left) of London

Flotilla makes the presentation to Dominic

Tweddle, Director General of the National

Museum of the Royal Navy.

Left - Flotilla members and Group 199

volunteers

The RNV(S)R was created just before the

Second World War, in 1936. It consisted of

yachtsmen and boat owners who were

interested in assisting the Royal Navy as junior

officers should the need arise. Their motto

was ‘No Pay – No Promotion’. Within one year

there were 1,032 volunteers.

Right - Flotilla members and group 199

volunteers alongside Steam Pinnace 199’s

berth.

Left - the

framed

print. Below – the commemorative tile

In London, members formed the London

Flotilla. They attended training sessions

provided by the Little Ship Club and also

elsewhere. They bought themselves two

steam pinnaces, RESPONSE and REPLY,

which allowed the students to train

practically in navigation, boat-handling and other maritime skills. Many

London Flotilla members served with distinction in the Second World War and

the names of 48 members who died in service are included in the Roll of

Honour at the War Memorial to all RNVR officers and ratings housed at the Naval Club in London. They are

also noted on a memorial plaque in HMS PRESIDENT.

After the war, the London Flotilla reformed to provide a possible source of trained manpower for the Royal

Navy should the need arise. It became a charity and encouraged membership principally from both retired

Royal Navy and Merchant Navy officers. Members met regularly at the Naval Club to present topics and

courses of maritime interest and to arrange ship visits and training at sea.

The decision to close down the London Flotilla was taken recently by the Committee of Trustees after

consultation with the membership.

The Battle of Jutland Animation – https://vimeo.com/162655850 A superb full account of the Battle of Jutland narrated by Admiral Jellicoe’s grandson as part of the Jutland Centenary Commemorations. The 24-minute animation gives the viewer an overview of the major “chapters” of the battle – the opening battle cruiser action, the Grand Fleet deployment, the Turn Away and the Night Destroyer actions. Additionally, the 1917 submarine campaign is explained as a consequence of Scheer’s decision not to risk another Fleet-to-Fleet encounter. Graphics, animation, animated maps and contemporary photography illustrate key points. Recommended viewing. Dockyard Volunteers trip to Chatham Dockyard – Possibly a little late now but this will take place on

Wednesday 11th May at a cost of £13.00 to cover coach and entry costs. Meet at 8:15am with an aim to

leave at 8:30am and hope to be back in Portsmouth by 18:30. Still waiting on more details from the Mary

Rose so times may change slightly. There were 25 seats available (as at 18th April) so it will have to be first

come first served. Cash or cheques – cheques made out to Mary Rose Trust. Please let Alice know if you

would like to go on this visit ASAP and pay money by Thursday 5th May. Contact Alice Roberts-Pratt,

NMRN Volunteer Coordinator (Working days Monday – Tuesday) Volunteering@NMRN.org.uk

German WW1 destroyers found in Whale Island mud

Reproduced courtesy of Navy News/Crown Copyright.

A tiny drone has scanned the wrecks of two German WW1 warships – forgotten and mostly buried by the sludge and mud at the southern end of Whale Island.

Marine archaeologists hope to bring the two vessels - one a veteran of Jutland - back to life in 3D computer model form as part of centennial commemorations of the Great War.

Pictures: Maritime Archaeology Trust A small drone takes to the sky over Portsmouth Harbour at low tide, its mission: photograph destroyers. Not Type 45s across the water in the naval base, but the remains of two German WW1 warships – one a survivor of the great battle at Jutland - forgotten and mostly buried by the sludge and mud at the southern end of Whale Island. Marine archaeologists hope to bring the two vessels - which have largely slipped from memory since the 1920s - back to life in 3D model form as part of centennial commemorations of the Great War. The Forgotten Wrecks of World War 1 initiative, backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund, aims to remind the public that the four-year conflict was not merely waged on the Western Front. The Maritime Archaeology Trust chose destroyers V44 and V82, beached at the southern tip of Whale Island around 1920 after being salvaged from Scapa Flow – where the entire German Fleet was scuttled in June 1919. V44 saw extensive action at Jutland, twice firing torpedoes at the lines of British battleships and battle-cruisers. V82 was completed too late to see action at Jutland; most of her service was spent with the German Navy’s flotilla in Flanders.

Both destroyers fell into the RN’s hands at the war’s end and were interred in the Orkneys while Allied leaders debated the fate of the German Fleet - until the ‘grand scuttle’ took the decision out of their hands.

V82 beached at the foot of Whale Island, as painted by William Wyllie between 1920 and 1922. Painting: National Maritime Museum PAF2085 Towed to Portsmouth, they were used as target practice - Whale Island was the home of the RN gunnery school, HMS Excellent - until finally being beached in the mud near the site of the present-day marina, awaiting breaking up, when they were painted by the leading naval artist of the day, William Wyllie - the man behind the Trafalgar panorama in the historic dockyard. “Despite a brief mention in the Portsmouth News in 1921, the two destroyers have lain largely forgotten where they were beached - ironically in front of headquarters of today’s Royal Navy,” said Lt Paul Lane of HMS Scott, who’s helping the trust with the project. “The attentions of scrap dealers as well as the ravages of time and tide have taken their toll on the vessels, leaving them largely unrecognisable to all but the trained eye.”

The remains of the two destroyers protruding from Portsmouth Harbour at low tide

The westerly wreck was largely ravaged by salvagers by the time of WW2; the other destroyer was much more intact until the harbour was dredged in the mid-70s as part of work on Portsmouth’s ferry port opposite Whale Island. Still, at least two of her boilers remain and her bow and forecastle are still identifiable as they rise about 5ft above the mudflats. Using an off-shelf drone equipped with a high-definition video camera, the trust gathered reams of high-quality images of the remains of both wrecks - enough imagery to lay the foundations for 3D models being created. You can follow progress at http://forgottenwrecks.maritimearchaeologytrust.org/jutland-german-wrecks

The BBC have a short film on the wrecks at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36058154

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Photo from Clive Kidd

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For sale: spotted on the web. £35K asked.

The advert states: 'Dorsella' is an ex-Admiralty

pinnace that was built in 1928 by J.S. White in Cowes.

The hull is oak, double cross hatched teak. The

decking is in teak and GRP, with a steel and teak

superstructure. Originally steam powered and working

in the Solent, she was converted to diesel (gloom!)

and modernised from the 1980's to 2011. From 2011

to the present she has been rebuilt where necessary,

waterproofed and fully modernised with up to date fixtures being added. Full specification and contact

details: https://www.apolloduck.com/z/441054 (Their external photos are dark but responded to Photoshop –

above.)

RIP - Kareat – lost in the

Cowes fire

Maritime Trips - Many readers will be aware that Mike

Critchley (right) sold his company Maritime Books last year.

He is now “Retired” and living in Gosport. When he sold

Maritime Books, the new owner was not interested in a

small part of the business that saw Mike escorting groups of

customers to areas of naval interest round the globe. He

met some great people doing such trips so will continue

them, so long as he is able.

Forthcoming trips include:

May - Jutland weekend. Preview visit to HMS CAROLINE in Belfast. Local Maritime Festival + visit of 5 UK

and Irish naval vessels. 26-31 May. Also includes a visit to the Giant’s Causeway. Limited availability.

September - Glorious Gosport 8 -11 September. A look "behind the scenes" at many military sites and

establishments not normally open. Write for details.

October - Historic Malta - always a very popular trip and this year includes a Military Tattoo and Trafalgar

Night dinner (15 couples only). 15 - 22 October. Write for details.

November – he is thinking of a trip to the Far East to include the 75th Birthday celebrations of the RNZN

(Auckland 17-20 November) Please advise him if interested.

For more details or to join his contact list drop him a short e mail Mikecritchley7@icloud.com or write to:

6 Seahorse Walk, Gosport, PO12 1BH

********************************

Nothing to do with steam pinnaces

In memory of Victoria Wood who dies recently. On one occasion she recollected “I went to one of those

parties where everyone throws their car keys into the middle of the room. I don’t know who got my moped

but I drove that Peugeot for years”.

Poster in a maternity ward: “The first three minutes of life are the most dangerous”. To which someone

had added: “The last three can be pretty dodgy too!”

Book List - Part 72

Ottoman Navy Warships 1914-18 Ryan K. Noppen; Osprey Publishing 2015; 48 pages;

ISBN-10: 1472806190 ISBN-13: 978-1472806192. At the start of the 20th century the

Ottoman Navy was a shadow of its former might. Years of defeat, nepotism, and neglect had

left the Ottoman Navy with a mix of obsolete vessels, whilst the list of prospective enemies

was ever-growing. An increasing Russian naval presence in the Black Sea and the alarming

emergence of Italy and Greece as regional Naval powers proved beyond all doubt that

intensive modernization was essential. So the Ottoman Navy looked to the ultimate naval

weapon of the age, the dreadnought, two of which were ordered from the British. But politics intervened,

and a succession of events culminated in the Ottoman Navy fielding a modern German battlecruiser and

state-of-the-art light cruiser instead - with dramatic consequences.

German Commerce Raiders 1914-18 Ryan K. Noppen; Osprey Publishing 2015; 48

pages; ISBN-10: 1472809505 ISBN-13: 978-1472809506. This is the story of Germany's

commerce raiders of World War I, the surface ships that were supposed to starve the British

Isles of the vast cargoes of vital resources being shipped from the furthest reaches of the

Empire. To that end pre-war German naval strategists allocated a number of cruisers and

armed, fast ocean liners, as well as a complex and globe-spanning supply network to support

them - known as the Etappe network. This book, drawing on technical illustrations and the author's

exhaustive research, explains the often overlooked role that the commerce raiders played in World War I.

US Navy Dreadnoughts 1914-45 Ryan K. Noppen; Osprey Publishing 2014; 48 pages;

ISBN-10: 178200386X ISBN-13: 978-1782003861. The development of the US Navy's

dreadnought battleships was a pivotal part of America's evolution into a true world

power. By the beginning of World War I, the United States possessed the world's third

largest navy, with ten dreadnoughts in service and four more under construction. By the

end of World War II, the US Navy was the undoubted global superpower, despite initial

crippling losses to its battle fleet at Pearl Harbour. Richly illustrated with archive

photographs as well as a full cutaway of the world's only surviving dreadnought, this

comprehensive and detailed title covers the technical characteristics and combat record

of the US dreadnoughts throughout their long careers.

Baltic Episode: A Classic of Secret Service in Russian Waters Augustus Agar; United

States Naval Inst.; Reprint edition 1983, original 1963; ISBN-10: 0870219103 ISBN-

13: 978-0870219108. The account of an RN officer who served in the Baltic in Coastal

Motor Boats in 1919 – see autobiography below.

Footprints in the Sea Augustus Agar; Evans Brothers Ltd. ISBN-

10: 0237443783 ISBN-13: 978-0237443788. This book is the biography of

Captain Augustus Agar, a Royal Navy Officer who was awarded a VC for his actions in

sinking the Russian cruiser Oleg during the British intervention in the Russian Civil War

following the Bolshevik Revolution. The author joined the Royal Navy in 1905 at the age of

14 as a midshipman in the pre-1914 Navy. He went to North Russia (Murmansk) at the time

of the Bolshevik Revolution and then to the Baltic where he worked for the British Secret

Service. His Baltic experience included a single-handed encounter with his Coastal Motor

Boat against the Russian Cruiser Oleg, which he sank.

This Noble Harbour: A History of the Cromarty Firth Marinell Ash; John Donald

Publishers Ltd 1990; 250 pages; ISBN-10: 0859763196 ISBN-13: 978-0859763196. A good

book on the remote RN anchorage at Invergordon.

Single page this issue – running out of relevant books as we near 1,000!