Not a great shock, but Cmdr. Andrew Coles has been relived of his command of HMS Astute, the Royal Navy’s newest and “stealthiest” submarine which very publicly ran aground last month near the Skye bridge off the Isle of Skye. Officer relieved of … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Royal Navy
The holiday shopping season is in full swing. But what can you get for the person who has everything? Why not a used aircraft carrier? Just because the Royal Navy won’t be able to launch ship-borne fixed wing aircraft for the next decade doesn’t mean … Continue reading
Embarrassing and rather bad timing. Billed as the “world’s most advanced nuclear submarine,” the recently christened HMS Astute ran aground this morning off the Isle of Skye. Nuclear submarine runs aground HMS Astute: world’s most advanced nuclear submarine runs aground … Continue reading
The announced British budget cuts will slash spending across the board but will hit the Royal Navy hardest of all of the military services. Anchors away: Britain’s once-proud navy falls prey to budget cuts In all the carnage, the worst damage, at least to … Continue reading
In early July we celebrated the 40th anniversary of the return of the SS Great Britain to Bristol. Yesterday was a more somber anniversary – the 40th anniversary of “Black Tot” Day. Ceremony to mark ending of rum tot at … Continue reading
Iceland volcano: Naval ships sent to rescue stranded Britons Three Royal Navy ships are on their way to help repatriate up to 200,000 Britons stranded by five days of flight restrictions following the Icelandic volcano eruption. The aircraft carrier Ark … Continue reading
Last October, we wrote about how researchers are using eighteenth century Royal Navy ship logs to study climate change. (See Logbooks may yield climate bounty.) Now, through the wonder of the internet, many of these log books are on-line. The … Continue reading
Thanks to David Hayes for passing this along. There is something slightly frightening about sailors on a nuclear submarine receiving daily rum rations. Royal Navy Rum – issued daily to sailors 1655 to 1970 Alcohol and the Royal Navy often seem … Continue reading
The Royal Navy in joint operations with the US Coast Guard off South America has seized a £240 million cocaine shipment – the biggest haul in Royal Navy history. HMS Iron Duke’s crew sank the 138ft drug boat with bursts of cannon fire … Continue reading
Of the some sixty books written by C. Northcote Parkinson, his Richard Delancey series of nautical adventures is still a favorite among many aficionados of Georgian nautical fiction. Of course, Parkinson is best known for his “Parkinson’s Law” – that “work expands … Continue reading