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HMS Caroline Saved


Max Headroom

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Whilst reading about the saving of the LCT7074 in the Liverpool Echo, passing mention was made of this Great War survivor.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/hms-caroline-first-world-wars-last-surviving-battleship-docked-in-belfast-is-to-be-transformed-into-a-floating-museum-30666311.html

It seems that it may come back to Birkenhead where she was built to be refitted in her new role as a museum ship back in Belfast.

Trevor

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Good news, although they say she is a battleship, more like a cruiser, looking at the photos will need some restoration, who built the house on the back LOL

if only the government back then had the hind site to at least save one battleship from that era or WW2, H.M.S Warspite as an example

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Good news, although they say she is a battleship, more like a cruiser, looking at the photos will need some restoration, who built the house on the back LOL

if only the government back then had the hind site to at least save one battleship from that era or WW2, H.M.S Warspite as an example

The whole of the upper decks are walled in all the way around. T'was the Navy wot dun it.

She is far from 'derelict' as described in the news article. She is still excellent on the inside, still being looked after and cared for, just not to the very best.

She belongs to Belfast and should remain here. Pity we no longer have a viable shipyard which could do the refurbishment locally,

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  • 2 weeks later...

Even as a Birkenhead lad - I wouldn't think Peel Holdings would take her in - they are dying to clear Birkenhead Docks of anything and everything, to make way for their 'Wirral Waters' property development.

A C-Class Cruiser - a fine class of ships......

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The article mentions this as both the last Great War battleship and warship. If that's referring to all ships, and not just British ships then that's incorrect on both accounts - the U.S.S. Texas is the last of the original Dreadnought-type battleships left in the world, having been built in 1912. It fought in both World Wars, and is currently berthed outside of Houston, Texas at the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site. I've seen it in person - it is an impressive ship. I can remember rapping on the huge armoured pylons that the turrets rested on - it was like rapping solid rock.

Regards,

Jason

Edited by Learstang
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It's great to her being saved. Learstang, you are right about USA Texas. HMS Caroline isn't even the last British warship from the Great War as the Monitor M33 is extant down in Portsmouth. Goes to show that the journalist didn't do much research.

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  • 1 year later...

Almost two years from the last post!

 

More of these grand old ladies need to be preserved, as living monuments to terrible times.

 

But let's not forget USS Olympia. Not a battleship but a 'protected' cruiser that served as flagship for Commodore Dewey. Launched in 1892 and recommissioned and decommissioned repeatedly until final decommissioning in 1922.

 

In less 'molested' shape than the Caroline, but really deserving of the rebuild that Caroline is hopefully now enjoying.

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 23/09/2016 at 2:28 AM, Thom216 said:

Almost two years from the last post!

 

More of these grand old ladies need to be preserved, as living monuments to terrible times.

 

But let's not forget USS Olympia. Not a battleship but a 'protected' cruiser that served as flagship for Commodore Dewey. Launched in 1892 and recommissioned and decommissioned repeatedly until final decommissioning in 1922.

 

In less 'molested' shape than the Caroline, but really deserving of the rebuild that Caroline is hopefully now enjoying.

 

...and probably more necessary too- I think I've read that Olympia is in a very parlous state and a while back before emergency hull repairs even risked sinking at her moorings.

 

https://www.facebook.com/USSOlympia/

 

Will

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