I was FDC for 8 inch and 155mm. We could do the calculations by hand as fast as the computers could using slide wheels and slide rulers with some charge 1-6 books. It's due to ergonomics. Punching numbers on computer is slower than spinning a slide ruler.
Which of the last incomplete imperial Russian battleships would have been the most potent and if they had been completed by the Soviet union later on could they have been useful in WW2? Or just another Luftwaffe target?
The Zumwalt class has been canceled due to it being too expensive to fire the guns, has this or something like this ever happened before in naval design?
I was surprised to learn that the Imperial Japanese navy defined a role for a light cruiser to serve as a support ship for submarines, even going as far as to develop the Oyodo class for the role (with the previous Agano class also being utilized in the role at a time). Online it simply states that the Oyodo was obsolete upon completion, the remainder of the class canceled, with the Oyodo itself being converted to other uses. How accurate is this assessment? It would seem like the doctrine itself changed (Japanese submarines being tied to the fleet rather than used for commerce raiding); which makes it seem like the role ceased to exist rather than a deficiency of the ship. As originally designed, what do you think the viability of a purpose-designed submarine support cruiser (as opposed to an auxiliary cruiser or "milk cow") would have been in WW2? And do you think the Oyodo herself could have been useful in that role?
I remember CAVALIER from the 1966 Far East Fleet deployment to Australia. I spent a day at sea on her as a young naval cadet, and was even allowed to fire the port side Bofor. I also managed to keep the brass, which has since become one of my many service trophies!
Thank You Drach, I was left disabled after two amputations a series of opperations and legacy of other major health issues your tours take me to places I can never hope to get to anymore and a with a personal Guided Tour included as well, Keep Up the Great Work just joined on Patreon to help things along 👍🇬🇧👍
Thank goodness for UA-cam over the last two years Dave. In lockdown my health wouldn't allow me out at all considering my unexpected health condition. That and on demand TV. 👍
Dear Drach, thanks to your videos I have already visited the ORP Błyskawica, SMS Leitha, HMS Unicorn, the Portsmouth historic dockyard, and I intend to visit all the other surviving historic ships in the future as well.
You'll find a lot here in America Battleships like the Iowa classes And the remaining ones of the South Dakota and North Carolina class with a mention of the USS Texas and the cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and more
I have also been to Fall River Mass The battleship there is well worth a visit We should have kept the VG HMS VANGUARD our last battleship instead of scraping it out
The people at the Chatham historic dockyard are incredibly kind. We really can't thank them enough. For my mum's 60th birthday, at my Dad's request, they granted our family a guided tour around the ship as well as special permission, despite government restrictions, to take a look around the captain's and officers' quarters as well as the wardroom. Her father had been captain of HMS Javelin, a J class destroyer the hulls and machinery of which were used as the basis for the emergency programme destroyers. She was very pleased by the opportunity to see those areas.
As one of your American fans, I have to say I absolutely love the chance to see these amazing ships I'll probably never be able to see in real life. Cavalier is beautiful.
22:17 The good old wooden cabinet is the chart table and chart stowage. I have never visited HMS Cavalier and I am unlikely to do so as I now live in Thailand, but I did meet one of her crew members in Seaview (Nr Sunderland) in 1990. I was the Squadron Ops Officer to the 3rd MCM Sqdn at the time and we were running an exercise and based at Seaview. We stayed in the Seaview Hotel for 2 weeks and the Landlord was an ex crew member of HMS Cavalier, a Leading Seaman Gunner if I recall. We had an amazing time.
I’m always gratified to see any ship preserved for future generations to see, but especially with British ships saddened at all the history that’s been lost with so many ships sent to the breakers.
Agreed. One of the saddest episodes was the loss of HMS Warspite to the breakers starting in 1947. Even with its relative lack of naval history and tradition, Canada saved perhaps its most famous ship of WW, HMCS Haida.
If they tried to save all their historic ships for museums I doubt if the interest in them would be enough to pay for the dock space and upkeep. Sometimes you just have to take the best money you can get, and often that means ship breakers. One of my favorite books is "Cox's Navy: Salvaging the German High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow 1924-1931", about salvaging ships of the German high Seas Fleet that were first interned, and later scuttled, in Scapa Flow.
Great memories. I was a stoker on HMS Caesar for her last commission in the Far East 1964/65 and all destroyers at that time had beautiful lines. I did my submarine training at Dolphin on P&O boats so a visit to Cavalier was a must for me.
It' good that she is preserved, I served on her sister ship Caprice, which incidently was the last serving CA, she was in service with the RN up to 1972.
@@nickmaher7169 Total respect, life onboard was not comfortable even in peace time home waters let alone doing Wartime Artic Convoys. Little chance of survival for the poor souls who found themselves in those dreaded seas.
This reminds me of touring the USS Sulivans in Buffalo with my father and seeing all the vents and fittings about the deck. My dad told me that most of the casualties they suffered on the DE he served on were from sailors being thrown about and hitting these "toe stubbers" in rough seas in the North Atlantic. If you think this destroyer is crowded you should see what a DE is like! There is a DE docked on display in Albany New York for you to see BTW. You can also see how vulnerable a non-armored ship was, just a few hits could knock out vital systems right when you needed them most! My hat is off the Drachinfel for showing us this wonderful ship!
The MoD missed a bet with Squid antisubmarine weapons system. A simple name change would have the commander ordering, "Unleash the Kraken!" upon detecting an enemy sub.
Man, she is a handsome little ship. I've only ever visited Laffey in Charleston but already I can tell destroyers are a special treat. Basically speedy ladies with a license to thrill.
When you show all the strange looking wooden cabinets and things it always makes me smile. I did my service in the US Navy in the 90's. Most people don't think about the two states that ships are set for. When at sea everything is clearly functional, and everybody has their post. The other state only comes into play when in port. Then the bridge and a lot of areas are empty most of the time. The ship then is sort of run or watched over by a deck officer and or petty officer of the watch who stands near some sort of cabinet for the logbook and what not. They keep track of comings and goings and take the reports from machine spaces. I spent many hours leaning on those sorts of things and pretending not to.
The wooden cabinet next to the radar on the bridge is a chart table Drach. The relevant charts for the area were kept in the draw for easy access. On a lighter note the last time I saw Cavalier was in the 70's in Gibraltar where she was being refitted there to provide work for the dockyard. And the coincidence is I was serving on HMS/M Ocelot which was berthed next to the Cavalier in Gibraltar. Good to see them together one more time. Thank you for the video.
Great to see the Cavalier again. I was transported back on the Cavalier in the sick bay for 5 days to Singapore from Hong Kong back in 1967 after being in a road accident in HK ! The sick bay medic introduced me to James Last as he played the same music every day! Prior to boarding the Cavalier on the dockside on a stretcher my Chinese tailor who made some zip leg trousers for me was waiting for payment and the Cavalier purser had to pay him before I came aboard!! The tailor new my movements before I did! Ha!
I joined HMS Diana (D126) as a Midshipman in August 1968 in Singapore, we accompanied Cavalier on exercises and visits around the Far East from then until our return home, via Beira Patrol, in April 1969. One particularly interesting joint visit was to Hiroshima. So good that she is preserved.
As a family resident in southern home counties, Portsmouth was always the place to visit over the years from childhood in the sixties to the full opening of Mary Rose, but my only visit to Chatham, in the last ten years on a sunny day, was a revelation and I recommend it to anyone. This detailed video on Cavalier took me straight back to Chatham and a wonderful day out, many thanks.
I find it incredible they put a full Mk 6 275 radar flyplane with full AA capability into this small hull which was obsolete as built in 1945. Surely the equipment wasted and on this open awash relic could have been put into more Battle class conversions. Combining the 8 Ca conversions, 4 Weapon 965 picket conversions and three half complete Battle conversions abandoned after Sandys Defence review in 1957, another 8 Battle class could have been given a GP conversion close to the std of the 4 AD Battles While the basic 50/55 degree single 4.5 mounts might have been useful for GFS the fire control fitted in the CA refit would have been far more useful if applied to the two twin 4.5 Mk 5 mounts on Battle which should have provided a driver more stable gunnery system.
Thank you Drach, much appreciated. I am an Australian (ex-Leigh on Sea boy actually), so watching from afar a video like this was almost as good as being there. Keep up the great work!
Having recently watched your "Russian 2nd Pacific Squadron" videos, the "many instructional plaques" approach to pressing raw recruits into service on a naval ship, comes off as an elegant technology for solving the urgency vs competence problems that come from filling the positions with new meat and getting the ship into useful service rapidly.
Could also be because she was in reserve for a while - don't know what knowledge or skills might be forgotten, so label everything so the next crew can figure it out if no one is left from before.
Following your You Tube visit to HMS Unicorn I went there on my holidays last week. I spent a couple of hours exploring the whole ship without once striking my head (I am over 6 feet tall!) but since then I have had a bad back!! I don't blame you for that and in any case it was well worth it. I look forward to a somewhat easier visit to Chatham at some point. Thanks for these tours of preserved ships reminding us of how much naval heritage has been preserved.
This type of history needs to be remembered. The men who fought these ships were hero's for sure. Just the raw primitiveness compared to even 80's-90's warships is a stark contrast.
Thank you for the video, was great to learn more about a unique ship. Visited the Cavalier a couple of times with my Dad who served on her sister Caprice (He claims Caprice was faster - citation very much needed). Very glad one of the destroyers was preserved, looking forward to visiting again sometime!
Hey Drach! I would like to request you cover the Treasury Class cutters of the United States Coast Guard. They served proudly before, during, and after WWII. As a current member of the USCG I would love to see my service get more recognition! Thank you
My father was on HMS Cossack R57 from 1944-46 & was sent straight to the Pacific. He later transferred to the carrier HMS Venerable before transferring to the New Zealand navy where he stayed until 1952.
I was staying in Worthing back in 2007 and noticed a local hotel was holding a reunion for the surviving compliments of the last two Cossacks. I would have loved to have eavesdropped on some of the reminiscences, especially of your father's shipmates.
As a general rule, I find that once you leave the age of sail you enterinto a period in which military vessels are almost aggressively ugly. They may or may not have a kind of functional elegance of design, but even that tends to be limited because ships are simply no longer purpose built, but rather constantly remodeled rebuilt, roles changed, every aspect of their appearance being changed without reference to appearance. Contrast this with the age of sail, where progress was rather slow, and while changes occured they tended to be incremental, and also sailing ships were part of a very strong visual tradition, and so ourt minds have learned to see their shapes as having the potential for beauty. However as we start into the revolutions of steam, the ironclad, the rapid developments of the gun and the evolution of the gun's eternal enemy, the armour. Radio, radar, sonar, optical range finding, new weapons packages like hedgehogs or torpedo launchers are being bolted on and then torched off, and all of this happening at an increasingly frenetic pace. The result is an aesthetic that only a sdailor could love, and it seems likely that even that sailor would quietly agree that set beside, say, HMS Victory, the ships of this era were fortunate if they had a great personality. I said that so I could say this: As ships of the period. go, this is actually a nice looking ship. The hull has lovely lines, and especially in some of the pictures you showed of the ship closer to her commisioning, the massing of her superstructure and the proportions and loaction of her gunmounts work quite well together. This is actually pretty rare, to find a ship with any pretentions at all to beauty is exceedingly rare at this point in history. Interestingly, as the missile has risen to preminence, and radar sugnature control has become a priority, a design language for warships has begun to assert itself. The 'bolt everything on and torch off what doesnt work' that was (for extremely good reason!!) dominant for at least 100yrs has given way to the gorgeaous razor sharp hull lines of destoyers you could easily waterski behind, the paring down of clutter, in service of stealth, and the mniaturization of many systems due to advances in electronics, have begun to make warships (regrettably not aircraft carriers, which will always look like awkward half plucked ducks to me) sometimes look good again, though the americans seem determined to make sure ships STAY ugly, with the Zumwalts and the barious LCS vessels being amonmg the ugliest scows ever to disgrace the waves. Which brings me to my personal request, I would love to see Drachinifels ten most beautiful warships ever video. I know you don't do much past ww2, but as far as just looks go, I wont object if you want to include modern vessels.
Visited the dockyard a few months ago it was a great place! As far as ID tags go the sub was much more impressive! Every light fixture had a tag with the bulb's part number and model as well as the function of every switch, valve, gauge etc.
Thanks for this video, as i was debating visiting HMS Cavelier on my next visit to London in Spetember/ October, watching your video has just made up my mind to go and visit. Thanks for that 🙂
I've always loved visiting WW2-era museum ships. Visited USS Texas several times and there's always something new to find every time I go. Can't wait to visit Lady Lex and Alabama. Nice vid Drach!
Went on the cavalier when she was still on the Tyne. About a year later stood all day waiting to see towed out of the Tyne on her journey south to her new home. There were a couple of old sailors there who had the privilege to serve on her. One had even done his apprenticeship on her, then his national service in the in the late fourties. Sad to see her go. Nice to see her now. Would love to visit her again hopefully sooner rather than later.
Thanks Drach for an informative video It shows just how much technology has changed over the years. During WW2 new systems could be obsolete almost before the crew got used to them.
Thank you, Drach, a very interesting tour. I can remember seeing her sister ship HMS Caprice in Portland Harbour during the early 70s, and remarking that she was much better armed and protected against air attack than the later classes of frigate. She was still faster than most of the other ships around at the time such as the Leanders.
Marvellous and fantastic video, thank you very much Drachenifel. I've been four times to Chatham Historic Dockyard 1992, 95, 2014 & 18. I have lots of photos from 2014 and 18. I could not go below the main deck, no magazine, no boiler or engine room. The fire control table would have bee super interesting for me to see. But it might not have been open at my visits. Sad.
As a Seaslug and Seacat maintainer I must correct you on those weapon systems. Seaslug and Seacat were both designed in the late 40's. Seacat mostly worked, when the aimer fired the weapon, it mostly left the launcher and could be radio guided to the target, so the system was only as good as the operator and maintainer. Seaslug on the other hand was a much more sophisticated weapon, with each missile weighing 2 tons and placed on the launcher by hydraulic rammers using a rail system within the magazine. Seaslug used 901 radar to acquire a target and then the missile would launch into the radar and beam ride that radar to the target. Remembering when these systems were originally designed, Seacat was a very short range system as a replacement for the Boffor and Seaslug was a medium range system designed to take large bomber formations. These two systems were not comparable in any way and were basically out of date before Devonshire was even completed. I served on both the Devonshire and Antrim as a maintainer the latter as a section head and in all my time on the Seaslug system I never had a misfire and always hit the target, so even though it had design flaws, due to it's age, it was still able to do what it was designed to do.
Ok, that was pretty awesome! When I first clicked on this video I didn't notice it was as long as it is. And the really cool thing too is I just watched the video on Chathem.
Those WW2 destroyer losses are so very poignant. Over 100 destroyers… over 11 000 men lost. Those numbers are staggering. As a World War 2 buff all of my life, I’ve always been aware of USN and Royal Navy capitol ship losses. I even know much about those with great loss of life, like Hood or Arizona, but I never considered the destroyer losses. And even other ships like submarines; we know the USN lost 25% of the Pacific boats, as well as individual subs, those on “Eternal Patrol.” However, it seems I only know destroyer losses as side numbers to battle losses like, the U. S. lost a carrier-the Yorktown, and a destroyer; Adm Halsey lost three destroyers in a typhoon (I think one was the USS Monaghan). I’d like to know more about these losses. I believe within that typhoon incident, over 800 souls were lost between the three destroyers. I am a confirmed battleship admirer. I have been, ever since I saw one out to sea coming into to Norfolk Naval Base. They are as large as aircraft carriers, majestic in appearance, and have the biggest guns, but I admire the destroyers too. Unarmored as they were, and sporting the smallest guns in the fleet, they are responsible for many of the most heroic tales in naval history. We remember that, and we remember the more famous sacrifices, but we should also remember the sheer number of heroes lost on these ships during five savage years.
Update: We did the sleepover, the staff who did the tours were very knowledgeable and welcoming and the food was excellent. The scouts had an informative day making rope and learning about the dock and its history. I would recommend anyone with a youth group who can take them on overnight trips to consider this.
Hope you did the tour of HMS Ocelot next door too! When I did, ~20 years ago, the Ocelot tour guide was someone who had served on her. Curious to know if that's still possible.
Always a nice treat when a ships history doesn't end in sunk/scrapped. Chathams been on the list for a long time but hopefully will get a chance to pop over soomer rather than later.
I remember Cavalier berthed in a sad state at Jarrow , it's good that she found a home. My brother in law served on HMS Cavendish in the early 60's ( I was about 10-11 at the time ) and sent home loads of pictures from the far east deployment. Cavendish was eventually broken up in my home town Blyth by which time he was working at the local power station but I don't know if he was ever aware of her being there.
If you ever find yourself making a trip to Australia be sure to visit the Australian National Maritime Museum. As a museum ship they have the HMAS Vampire (D11), an Australian built Daring class destroyer. They also have a replica of the HM Bark Endeavour.
Thank you for doing this. Like some of the other viewers, I'm an "international" so appreciate the opportunity you are giving us an ocean away. By the way, have you thought of listing naval museum or interesting sites to visit for travelers who find themselves in the UK? For tanks, clearly Bovington is a must see. For the RAF - ? Bentley Priory? For navy - Portsmouth, Western Approaches in Liverpool, HMS Belfast? Anything up in Scapa Flow?
Hi,it is great to watch video tours of ships….but there is nothing like the feeling of actually being onboard,being able to touch and sometimes even smell the vessel.i have seen films of HMS Belfast but the best is visiting her twice,and would do so again if the opportunity where there.thank you for the video.Roly 🇬🇧
I was on HMS Ulster bound for a "jolley" to Bangor NI. In Irish sea the Cavalier and Manxman(fast minelayer) were racing...fantastic sight on a flat calm sunny day(1970)
I went on Cavalier when it was moored in Brighton Marina diluting 1983-87. It was there for about 3 or 4 years and opened to the public. One day I’ll go and visit her again in Chatham.
I served aboard an American naval tugboat, a DDG, an LPH, , a CV, and as one member of a squadron of PBR's. I was a "guest" aboard a Canadian DDH ( HMCS Nipigon) for a short Caribbean cruise. I have crossed the Pacific, twice, sailed the North Atlantic, and most of the Caribbean. I cannot imagine going to sea in an "open bridge" ship. How those men actually steamed around in the North Atlantic-in the winter-makes me shudder. Wet. Cold. Exposed to the wind, and sea spray, only to turn in to wet rack, is amazing to me. I had it soft compared to the sailor's that went before me. I knew at the time I was doing these things I had it better than those that came before me. You should do an episode of what serving as a deck officer was like on a ship with an "open bridge" ? I find it hard to even imagine what that must have been like. Those men were tougher than the steel decks they walked upon.
Once again thanks for your video,blessings from 🇨🇦,unfortunately may not make it over your way. This tour was fantastic, when this first started said to myself I saw this ship another time. Have good week.
Okay, I gotta I ask - at 20:55, what is up with the rooster ahead of the bridge windscreen?? You may explain later, but I am too impatient to wait to the end of the video to ask... Great video, Drach!!
I think that this ‘rooster’ is the trophy for the best rowing boat crew in an annual fleet competition - known as ‘Cock of the Fleet’. You can also see it in some photos of ships of the Mediterranean Fleet between the wars. If I recall correctly, Admiral Cunningham’s autobiography mentions it because his ship won it at Malta once.
There are two sets of pass through ports for ammunition. One to port and one to starboard so the gun mount can be served to it's rear whichever beam it is trained on. The ready use lockers hold a total of 10 rounds. One of them is for propellant cartridges the other for shells. It is two part ammunition. If I remember right, blue shells are inert practice rounds. Green are HE
I was astonished to learn that eleven thousand men perished in destroyers during the war. It seems that one's chances of living to V-E Day were only slightly better in a destroyer than a U-boat.
Probably worth comparing the number of crew serving on destroyers total vs the crew of submarines, then taking into account the personel losses on each vessel type. At least on a destroyer, there's a chance if it goes down that you get picked up from the water. If a sub goes... you're going to be very lucky indeed if you are "Sunk" and have any survivors.
Sea cat was supposed to be replaced by lightweight sea wolf on the same allocation... if not for cutbacks this would have been in full fleet deployment by 80
Thanks for the video, just thought I’d mention that i was lucky enough to be onboard HMS Rapid for the Last of the Greyhound’s race with Cavalier. There is some footage of this on UA-cam.
I’m impressed by the size of those gun director systems, especially the one for shooting at planes. Do you know what kind of technology they used? Electromechanical, vacuum tubes, transistors?
This will have to suffice for me, I do not move around easily nowadays, thank you. I vistited Belfast some years ago and she had a sort of Roller Cam thing on A-Turret which seemed to be a Gun Depression limiter to stop them blowing of the Bow.
I met a man in Cobh (Queenstown) Ireland who served on Cavalier in the 1960s.That was three years ago, and when I lived in Pembroke Rapid was moored in Milford Haven for use as a target and eventually sunk as one.
![Naval Legends: HMS Cavalier | World of Warships]](/img/n.gif)
Pinned post for Q&A :)
I was FDC for 8 inch and 155mm. We could do the calculations by hand as fast as the computers could using slide wheels and slide rulers with some charge 1-6 books. It's due to ergonomics. Punching numbers on computer is slower than spinning a slide ruler.
Which of the last incomplete imperial Russian battleships would have been the most potent and if they had been completed by the Soviet union later on could they have been useful in WW2? Or just another Luftwaffe target?
The Zumwalt class has been canceled due to it being too expensive to fire the guns, has this or something like this ever happened before in naval design?
More of a comment. A collaboration with Aaron AKA JivTurkey from Sub Brief about modern Subs or Sub Tech.
I was surprised to learn that the Imperial Japanese navy defined a role for a light cruiser to serve as a support ship for submarines, even going as far as to develop the Oyodo class for the role (with the previous Agano class also being utilized in the role at a time). Online it simply states that the Oyodo was obsolete upon completion, the remainder of the class canceled, with the Oyodo itself being converted to other uses. How accurate is this assessment? It would seem like the doctrine itself changed (Japanese submarines being tied to the fleet rather than used for commerce raiding); which makes it seem like the role ceased to exist rather than a deficiency of the ship. As originally designed, what do you think the viability of a purpose-designed submarine support cruiser (as opposed to an auxiliary cruiser or "milk cow") would have been in WW2? And do you think the Oyodo herself could have been useful in that role?
I remember CAVALIER from the 1966 Far East Fleet deployment to Australia. I spent a day at sea on her as a young naval cadet, and was even allowed to fire the port side Bofor. I also managed to keep the brass, which has since become one of my many service trophies!
That is terrific!!
@@brownwrench YEAH THAT'S ALL RIGHT!
Thank You Drach, I was left disabled after two amputations a series of opperations and legacy of other major health issues your tours take me to places I can never hope to get to anymore and a with a personal Guided Tour included as well, Keep Up the Great Work just joined on Patreon to help things along 👍🇬🇧👍
Thank goodness for UA-cam over the last two years Dave. In lockdown my health wouldn't allow me out at all considering my unexpected health condition. That and on demand TV. 👍
Loved your playing days for the Spurs, sorry to hear of the amputations
@@Midlife_Crisis_ Shut the fuck up about the Spurs. I get this joke but pretty inappopriate considering what he mentioned he went through.
OH I'M SO SORRY FOR YOU STAY WELL
Dear Drach, thanks to your videos I have already visited the ORP Błyskawica, SMS Leitha, HMS Unicorn, the Portsmouth historic dockyard, and I intend to visit all the other surviving historic ships in the future as well.
When do we get to see a video on USS New Jersey
You'll find a lot here in America
Battleships like the Iowa classes
And the remaining ones of the South Dakota and North Carolina class with a mention of the USS Texas and the cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and more
Pop over to Gosport and the A Class submarine (Alliance) and the museum.
I have also been to Fall River Mass
The battleship there is well worth a visit
We should have kept the VG
HMS VANGUARD our last battleship instead of scraping it out
The people at the Chatham historic dockyard are incredibly kind. We really can't thank them enough.
For my mum's 60th birthday, at my Dad's request, they granted our family a guided tour around the ship as well as special permission, despite government restrictions, to take a look around the captain's and officers' quarters as well as the wardroom.
Her father had been captain of HMS Javelin, a J class destroyer the hulls and machinery of which were used as the basis for the emergency programme destroyers. She was very pleased by the opportunity to see those areas.
The J-class were one of the best destroyers of the war, and HMS Javelin herself is one of my absolute favorite ships.
As one of your American fans, I have to say I absolutely love the chance to see these amazing ships I'll probably never be able to see in real life. Cavalier is beautiful.
22:17 The good old wooden cabinet is the chart table and chart stowage.
I have never visited HMS Cavalier and I am unlikely to do so as I now live in Thailand, but I did meet one of her crew members in Seaview (Nr Sunderland) in 1990. I was the Squadron Ops Officer to the 3rd MCM Sqdn at the time and we were running an exercise and based at Seaview. We stayed in the Seaview Hotel for 2 weeks and the Landlord was an ex crew member of HMS Cavalier, a Leading Seaman Gunner if I recall. We had an amazing time.
"Ammunition is safe unless its dangerous" may be the ultimate Drachism and I love the sign at 32:45
Sign actually says "unless you forget it's dangerous" but I agree the sign is pretty funny,
Yeah don't tell that to Russian tank designers.
@@MeYou-yz2yz mean generally they're designed to reduce the chances of Ammunition cook off/detonation
Not far from the Cavalier lies the wreck of the battleship HMS Bulwark, which blew up in WW1. Another ammunition-handling accident!
@@Voron_Aggrav They need to put parachutes on those T72 turrets.
I’m always gratified to see any ship preserved for future generations to see, but especially with British ships saddened at all the history that’s been lost with so many ships sent to the breakers.
Agreed. One of the saddest episodes was the loss of HMS Warspite to the breakers starting in 1947. Even with its relative lack of naval history and tradition, Canada saved perhaps its most famous ship of WW, HMCS Haida.
If they tried to save all their historic ships for museums I doubt if the interest in them would be enough to pay for the dock space and upkeep. Sometimes you just have to take the best money you can get, and often that means ship breakers. One of my favorite books is "Cox's Navy: Salvaging the German High Seas Fleet at Scapa Flow 1924-1931", about salvaging ships of the German high Seas Fleet that were first interned, and later scuttled, in Scapa Flow.
Yeah, especially HMS Illustrious!!!!
Great memories. I was a stoker on HMS Caesar for her last commission in the Far East 1964/65 and all destroyers at that time had beautiful lines. I did my submarine training at Dolphin on P&O boats so a visit to Cavalier was a must for me.
It' good that she is preserved, I served on her sister ship Caprice, which incidently was the last serving CA, she was in service with the RN up to 1972.
My father served on HMS Caprice as an ASDIC operator on Arctic convoys.
@@nickmaher7169 Total respect, life onboard was not comfortable even in peace time home waters let alone doing Wartime Artic Convoys. Little chance of survival for the poor souls who found themselves in those dreaded seas.
This reminds me of touring the USS Sulivans in Buffalo with my father and seeing all the vents and fittings about the deck. My dad told me that most of the casualties they suffered on the DE he served on were from sailors being thrown about and hitting these "toe stubbers" in rough seas in the North Atlantic. If you think this destroyer is crowded you should see what a DE is like! There is a DE docked on display in Albany New York for you to see BTW. You can also see how vulnerable a non-armored ship was, just a few hits could knock out vital systems right when you needed them most! My hat is off the Drachinfel for showing us this wonderful ship!
The MoD missed a bet with Squid antisubmarine weapons system. A simple name change would have the commander ordering, "Unleash the Kraken!" upon detecting an enemy sub.
😆😆😆😆
Man, she is a handsome little ship. I've only ever visited Laffey in Charleston but already I can tell destroyers are a special treat. Basically speedy ladies with a license to thrill.
As I like to say, destroyers are a naval embodiment of AC/DC's "Shoot to Thrill"!
INDEED SO THOSE WW2 'TIN-CANS' WHICH WHO WOULD BLOW THE DOORS OF THOSE DDG'S AND THEN SOME!
When you show all the strange looking wooden cabinets and things it always makes me smile. I did my service in the US Navy in the 90's. Most people don't think about the two states that ships are set for. When at sea everything is clearly functional, and everybody has their post. The other state only comes into play when in port. Then the bridge and a lot of areas are empty most of the time. The ship then is sort of run or watched over by a deck officer and or petty officer of the watch who stands near some sort of cabinet for the logbook and what not. They keep track of comings and goings and take the reports from machine spaces. I spent many hours leaning on those sorts of things and pretending not to.
The wooden cabinet next to the radar on the bridge is a chart table Drach. The relevant charts for the area were kept in the draw for easy access. On a lighter note the last time I saw Cavalier was in the 70's in Gibraltar where she was being refitted there to provide work for the dockyard. And the coincidence is I was serving on HMS/M Ocelot which was berthed next to the Cavalier in Gibraltar. Good to see them together one more time. Thank you for the video.
Great to see the Cavalier again. I was transported back on the Cavalier in the sick bay for 5 days to Singapore from Hong Kong back in 1967 after being in a road accident in HK ! The sick bay medic introduced me to James Last as he played the same music every day! Prior to boarding the Cavalier on the dockside on a stretcher my Chinese tailor who made some zip leg trousers for me was waiting for payment and the Cavalier purser had to pay him before I came aboard!! The tailor new my movements before I did! Ha!
I joined HMS Diana (D126) as a Midshipman in August 1968 in Singapore, we accompanied Cavalier on exercises and visits around the Far East from then until our return home, via Beira Patrol, in April 1969. One particularly interesting joint visit was to Hiroshima. So good that she is preserved.
As a family resident in southern home counties, Portsmouth was always the place to visit over the years from childhood in the sixties to the full opening of Mary Rose, but my only visit to Chatham, in the last ten years on a sunny day, was a revelation and I recommend it to anyone. This detailed video on Cavalier took me straight back to Chatham and a wonderful day out, many thanks.
That view of the targeting equipment was amazing. I had no idea there would be so much equipment on such a small ship.
I find it incredible they put a full Mk 6 275 radar flyplane with full AA capability into this small hull which was obsolete as built in 1945. Surely the equipment wasted and on this open awash relic could have been put into more Battle class conversions. Combining the 8 Ca conversions, 4 Weapon 965 picket conversions and three half complete Battle conversions abandoned after Sandys Defence review in 1957, another 8 Battle class could have been given a GP conversion close to the std of the 4 AD Battles
While the basic 50/55 degree single 4.5 mounts might have been useful for GFS the fire control fitted in the CA refit would have been far more useful if applied to the two twin 4.5 Mk 5 mounts on Battle which should have provided a driver more stable gunnery system.
This 5 minute guide was pretty awesome !!!
Thank you Drach, much appreciated. I am an Australian (ex-Leigh on Sea boy actually), so watching from afar a video like this was almost as good as being there. Keep up the great work!
Having recently watched your "Russian 2nd Pacific Squadron" videos, the "many instructional plaques" approach to pressing raw recruits into service on a naval ship, comes off as an elegant technology for solving the urgency vs competence problems that come from filling the positions with new meat and getting the ship into useful service rapidly.
Could also be because she was in reserve for a while - don't know what knowledge or skills might be forgotten, so label everything so the next crew can figure it out if no one is left from before.
Following your You Tube visit to HMS Unicorn I went there on my holidays last week. I spent a couple of hours exploring the whole ship without once striking my head (I am over 6 feet tall!) but since then I have had a bad back!! I don't blame you for that and in any case it was well worth it. I look forward to a somewhat easier visit to Chatham at some point. Thanks for these tours of preserved ships reminding us of how much naval heritage has been preserved.
This type of history needs to be remembered. The men who fought these ships were hero's for sure. Just the raw primitiveness compared to even 80's-90's warships is a stark contrast.
Thank you for the video, was great to learn more about a unique ship. Visited the Cavalier a couple of times with my Dad who served on her sister Caprice (He claims Caprice was faster - citation very much needed). Very glad one of the destroyers was preserved, looking forward to visiting again sometime!
Superb. Drach, you might consider to increase the camera framerate to 60, the quick spans don't look as good as they could. Still, superb job.
Hey Drach! I would like to request you cover the Treasury Class cutters of the United States Coast Guard. They served proudly before, during, and after WWII. As a current member of the USCG I would love to see my service get more recognition! Thank you
My father was on HMS Cossack R57 from 1944-46 & was sent straight to the Pacific. He later transferred to the carrier HMS Venerable before transferring to the New Zealand navy where he stayed until 1952.
I was staying in Worthing back in 2007 and noticed a local hotel was holding a reunion for the surviving compliments of the last two Cossacks. I would have loved to have eavesdropped on some of the reminiscences, especially of your father's shipmates.
Absolutely fantastic video, the ship tour was fantastic 👌
As a general rule, I find that once you leave the age of sail you enterinto a period in which military vessels are almost aggressively ugly. They may or may not have a kind of functional elegance of design, but even that tends to be limited because ships are simply no longer purpose built, but rather constantly remodeled rebuilt, roles changed, every aspect of their appearance being changed without reference to appearance. Contrast this with the age of sail, where progress was rather slow, and while changes occured they tended to be incremental, and also sailing ships were part of a very strong visual tradition, and so ourt minds have learned to see their shapes as having the potential for beauty.
However as we start into the revolutions of steam, the ironclad, the rapid developments of the gun and the evolution of the gun's eternal enemy, the armour. Radio, radar, sonar, optical range finding, new weapons packages like hedgehogs or torpedo launchers are being bolted on and then torched off, and all of this happening at an increasingly frenetic pace. The result is an aesthetic that only a sdailor could love, and it seems likely that even that sailor would quietly agree that set beside, say, HMS Victory, the ships of this era were fortunate if they had a great personality.
I said that so I could say this: As ships of the period. go, this is actually a nice looking ship. The hull has lovely lines, and especially in some of the pictures you showed of the ship closer to her commisioning, the massing of her superstructure and the proportions and loaction of her gunmounts work quite well together. This is actually pretty rare, to find a ship with any pretentions at all to beauty is exceedingly rare at this point in history.
Interestingly, as the missile has risen to preminence, and radar sugnature control has become a priority, a design language for warships has begun to assert itself. The 'bolt everything on and torch off what doesnt work' that was (for extremely good reason!!) dominant for at least 100yrs has given way to the gorgeaous razor sharp hull lines of destoyers you could easily waterski behind, the paring down of clutter, in service of stealth, and the mniaturization of many systems due to advances in electronics, have begun to make warships (regrettably not aircraft carriers, which will always look like awkward half plucked ducks to me) sometimes look good again, though the americans seem determined to make sure ships STAY ugly, with the Zumwalts and the barious LCS vessels being amonmg the ugliest scows ever to disgrace the waves.
Which brings me to my personal request, I would love to see Drachinifels ten most beautiful warships ever video. I know you don't do much past ww2, but as far as just looks go, I wont object if you want to include modern vessels.
Excellent tour Drach. Many thanks! 🇬🇧👍🏻
42 minutes of oooomph, joy, detail, visual & commentary delight.
I was lucky enough to see this ship last month is was great, i’m glad you made a video on this i was waiting for it!
I love these tour guide videos. Keep 'em coming!
Visited the dockyard a few months ago it was a great place!
As far as ID tags go the sub was much more impressive! Every light fixture had a tag with the bulb's part number and model as well as the function of every switch, valve, gauge etc.
Thanks for this video, as i was debating visiting HMS Cavelier on my next visit to London in Spetember/ October, watching your video has just made up my mind to go and visit. Thanks for that 🙂
I'm watching this as I look at HMS Cavalier across the dockyard from me, the coincidence scares me slightly
I've always loved visiting WW2-era museum ships. Visited USS Texas several times and there's always something new to find every time I go. Can't wait to visit Lady Lex and Alabama. Nice vid Drach!
Went on the cavalier when she was still on the Tyne. About a year later stood all day waiting to see towed out of the Tyne on her journey south to her new home. There were a couple of old sailors there who had the privilege to serve on her. One had even done his apprenticeship on her, then his national service in the in the late fourties. Sad to see her go. Nice to see her now. Would love to visit her again hopefully sooner rather than later.
Been there few times, higly recomend. Even the sub is in pristine conditions. Dockyard is a great, great visit.
22:04 The wooden cabinet looks like a compact chart table. It's beside the radar, so that's handy for taking radar position fixes.
Thanks Drach for an informative video
It shows just how much technology has changed over the years. During WW2 new systems could be obsolete almost before the crew got used to them.
I have fond memories of visiting her back in 2016
16:26 hatches lay horizontal. Doors are vertical. Ready Ammunition Service Locker "Door."
Thank you, Drach, a very interesting tour. I can remember seeing her sister ship HMS Caprice in Portland Harbour during the early 70s, and remarking that she was much better armed and protected against air attack than the later classes of frigate. She was still faster than most of the other ships around at the time such as the Leanders.
Marvellous and fantastic video, thank you very much Drachenifel. I've been four times to Chatham Historic Dockyard 1992, 95, 2014 & 18. I have lots of photos from 2014 and 18. I could not go below the main deck, no magazine, no boiler or engine room. The fire control table would have bee super interesting for me to see. But it might not have been open at my visits. Sad.
An amazing detailed tour well done.
As a Seaslug and Seacat maintainer I must correct you on those weapon systems. Seaslug and Seacat were both designed in the late 40's. Seacat mostly worked, when the aimer fired the weapon, it mostly left the launcher and could be radio guided to the target, so the system was only as good as the operator and maintainer. Seaslug on the other hand was a much more sophisticated weapon, with each missile weighing 2 tons and placed on the launcher by hydraulic rammers using a rail system within the magazine. Seaslug used 901 radar to acquire a target and then the missile would launch into the radar and beam ride that radar to the target. Remembering when these systems were originally designed, Seacat was a very short range system as a replacement for the Boffor and Seaslug was a medium range system designed to take large bomber formations. These two systems were not comparable in any way and were basically out of date before Devonshire was even completed. I served on both the Devonshire and Antrim as a maintainer the latter as a section head and in all my time on the Seaslug system I never had a misfire and always hit the target, so even though it had design flaws, due to it's age, it was still able to do what it was designed to do.
I am looking forward to the HMS Gannet (1878) as she is also preserved at Chatham in Kent.
Thanks again for the fascinating tour Drach.
Ok, that was pretty awesome! When I first clicked on this video I didn't notice it was as long as it is. And the really cool thing too is I just watched the video on Chathem.
Those WW2 destroyer losses are so very poignant. Over 100 destroyers… over 11 000 men lost. Those numbers are staggering. As a World War 2 buff all of my life, I’ve always been aware of USN and Royal Navy capitol ship losses. I even know much about those with great loss of life, like Hood or Arizona, but I never considered the destroyer losses. And even other ships like submarines; we know the USN lost 25% of the Pacific boats, as well as individual subs, those on “Eternal Patrol.” However, it seems I only know destroyer losses as side numbers to battle losses like, the U. S. lost a carrier-the Yorktown, and a destroyer; Adm Halsey lost three destroyers in a typhoon (I think one was the USS Monaghan). I’d like to know more about these losses. I believe within that typhoon incident, over 800 souls were lost between the three destroyers.
I am a confirmed battleship admirer. I have been, ever since I saw one out to sea coming into to Norfolk Naval Base. They are as large as aircraft carriers, majestic in appearance, and have the biggest guns, but I admire the destroyers too. Unarmored as they were, and sporting the smallest guns in the fleet, they are responsible for many of the most heroic tales in naval history. We remember that, and we remember the more famous sacrifices, but we should also remember the sheer number of heroes lost on these ships during five savage years.
We are taking a group of Scouts to Chatham to “Crash on the Cavalier” for the night. It promises to be an interesting experience.
Update: We did the sleepover, the staff who did the tours were very knowledgeable and welcoming and the food was excellent. The scouts had an informative day making rope and learning about the dock and its history. I would recommend anyone with a youth group who can take them on overnight trips to consider this.
Really cool video. Thanks man. Great work as always.
Thank you for your study and contextual explanations!
Hope you did the tour of HMS Ocelot next door too! When I did, ~20 years ago, the Ocelot tour guide was someone who had served on her. Curious to know if that's still possible.
Thank you for the video.
Just finished Friedmans AA and Firepower books and was wondering how large the Flyplane system was.
I’m great full for your unique approach to touring museums or museum ships. Good on you. Cheers. Thank you.
Always a nice treat when a ships history doesn't end in sunk/scrapped. Chathams been on the list for a long time but hopefully will get a chance to pop over soomer rather than later.
I remember Cavalier berthed in a sad state at Jarrow , it's good that she found a home. My brother in law served on HMS Cavendish in the early 60's ( I was about 10-11 at the time ) and sent home loads of pictures from the far east deployment. Cavendish was eventually broken up in my home town Blyth by which time he was working at the local power station but I don't know if he was ever aware of her being there.
If you ever find yourself making a trip to Australia be sure to visit the Australian National Maritime Museum. As a museum ship they have the HMAS Vampire (D11), an Australian built Daring class destroyer. They also have a replica of the HM Bark Endeavour.
Thank you for doing this. Like some of the other viewers, I'm an "international" so appreciate the opportunity you are giving us an ocean away. By the way, have you thought of listing naval museum or interesting sites to visit for travelers who find themselves in the UK? For tanks, clearly Bovington is a must see. For the RAF - ? Bentley Priory? For navy - Portsmouth, Western Approaches in Liverpool, HMS Belfast? Anything up in Scapa Flow?
Thank you, Drachinifel.
I think I remember this ship still alongside in Pompey dockyard in the mid- late 70’s when I was on the Gurkha !
Drach, great video of the ship whose motto is "Of One Company".
Here for the Rum Ration.
Guess I’m a Drachoholic.
Splice the Main Brace!
Pretty cool ship , what I like most is that you know what your talking about and not just guessing,
Thanks for the videos, I am a broke American and these videos are the only chance I have to view most of these warships.
Hi,it is great to watch video tours of ships….but there is nothing like the feeling of actually being onboard,being able to touch and sometimes even smell the vessel.i have seen films of HMS Belfast but the best is visiting her twice,and would do so again if the opportunity where there.thank you for the video.Roly 🇬🇧
I was on HMS Ulster bound for a "jolley" to Bangor NI. In Irish sea the Cavalier and Manxman(fast minelayer) were racing...fantastic sight on a flat calm sunny day(1970)
When I have the possibility of getting to England, this ship is definitely on my list.
Amazing a ship that dwarfs the seagoing yachts I see in Kirkland Marina was considered small and vulnerable in its day.
Another interesting upload 😁 love the channel
Thank you. Wonderful video.
Hail Chatham Dockyard, it is a fine museum.
I went on Cavalier when it was moored in Brighton Marina diluting 1983-87.
It was there for about 3 or 4 years and opened to the public.
One day I’ll go and visit her again in Chatham.
More crowded than I thought! Thanks :)
I served aboard an American naval tugboat, a DDG, an LPH, , a CV, and as one member of a squadron of PBR's. I was a "guest" aboard a Canadian DDH ( HMCS Nipigon) for a short Caribbean cruise. I have crossed the Pacific, twice, sailed the North Atlantic, and most of the Caribbean. I cannot imagine going to sea in an "open bridge" ship. How those men actually steamed around in the North Atlantic-in the winter-makes me shudder. Wet. Cold. Exposed to the wind, and sea spray, only to turn in to wet rack, is amazing to me. I had it soft compared to the sailor's that went before me. I knew at the time I was doing these things I had it better than those that came before me. You should do an episode of what serving as a deck officer was like on a ship with an "open bridge" ? I find it hard to even imagine what that must have been like. Those men were tougher than the steel decks they walked upon.
Once again thanks for your video,blessings from 🇨🇦,unfortunately may not make it over your way. This tour was fantastic, when this first started said to myself I saw this ship another time. Have good week.
Okay, I gotta I ask - at 20:55, what is up with the rooster ahead of the bridge windscreen?? You may explain later, but I am too impatient to wait to the end of the video to ask...
Great video, Drach!!
I think that this ‘rooster’ is the trophy for the best rowing boat crew in an annual fleet competition - known as ‘Cock of the Fleet’. You can also see it in some photos of ships of the Mediterranean Fleet between the wars. If I recall correctly, Admiral Cunningham’s autobiography mentions it because his ship won it at Malta once.
@@glennsimpson7659 Thanks for the explanation!
@@glennsimpson7659 nope that rooster was the prize in that race against HMS Rapid in the 1970s.
DING! DING! DING!
Drachinifel, Departing!
There are two sets of pass through ports for ammunition. One to port and one to starboard so the gun mount can be served to it's rear whichever beam it is trained on.
The ready use lockers hold a total of 10 rounds. One of them is for propellant cartridges the other for shells. It is two part ammunition.
If I remember right, blue shells are inert practice rounds. Green are HE
Just wow! Thank you so much!
This is genuinely fantastic content! 😀
I was astonished to learn that eleven thousand men perished in destroyers during the war. It seems that one's chances of living to V-E Day were only slightly better in a destroyer than a U-boat.
Probably worth comparing the number of crew serving on destroyers total vs the crew of submarines, then taking into account the personel losses on each vessel type. At least on a destroyer, there's a chance if it goes down that you get picked up from the water. If a sub goes... you're going to be very lucky indeed if you are "Sunk" and have any survivors.
Excellent, I keep meaning to get over to Chatham to visit.
Thank you for making Wednesday a day to look forward to
Great video, Drach! Once again, I have learned something new!
I've lived so close to this beauty for years but never even realised this was here. A shame they don't promote more often.
Another winner Drach..!
Back when propulsion plants were made in Britain and worked....
Sea cat was supposed to be replaced by lightweight sea wolf on the same allocation... if not for cutbacks this would have been in full fleet deployment by 80
Thanks for the video, just thought I’d mention that i was lucky enough to be onboard HMS Rapid for the Last of the Greyhound’s race with Cavalier. There is some footage of this on UA-cam.
I can imagine you and your crewmates' groans when that steam safety valve lifted...
@@kristoffermangila
Yep, very disappointing seeing as the losing vessel was to be decommissioned.
Bucket list museum. As well as the ships, they also have trains, which Lawrie's Mechanical Marvels featured on his channel.
I’m impressed by the size of those gun director systems, especially the one for shooting at planes. Do you know what kind of technology they used? Electromechanical, vacuum tubes, transistors?
Interesting timing - planning to go see her next week. I guess I now have a great primer before seeing her in real life!
This will have to suffice for me, I do not move around easily nowadays, thank you. I vistited Belfast some years ago and she had a sort of Roller Cam thing on A-Turret which seemed to be a Gun Depression limiter to stop them blowing of the Bow.
Thank you for this very interesting tour
I met a man in Cobh (Queenstown) Ireland who served on Cavalier in the 1960s.That was three years ago, and when I lived in Pembroke Rapid was moored in Milford Haven for use as a target and eventually sunk as one.