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**
to
view the unique detail of this drawing click on bow section.
A four month pencil and scalpel
blade drawing working by naked eye only, of course.
Measurements of original and print.
28.8 cm. x 17.5 cm.
Copyright 1997.
Price of Artist's signed conservation quality print each :
£85
inclusive.
Description of composition :
The
‘Improved` ‘Southampton` class 6” cruiser ‘Belfast` shown sailing
up Belfast Lough, towards the
port of Belfast, early one morning in 1947.
Sailors and marines parade on the decks. In the background, looking
northwards, behind the ship, would be historic Carrickfergus, while one of
the many memorials to the bravery of the gallant 36th. (Ulster)
Division on the first day of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, Knockagh, is
properly shown above Greenisland covered in morning mist beyond the ship`s
bows.
Launched in March 1938 and built by Harland and Wolff in Belfast,
this superb looking cruiser, sister-ship of the ill-fated ‘Edinburgh`
sunk in 1942, saw much active service throughout the Second World War –
in particular, on the notorious Arctic convoys to North Russia
and in the North Atlantic. All of this too, having spent nearly
three years in extensive repair and improvement after hitting a magnetic
mine in the Firth of Forth in November, 1939 while part of the 18th.,
Cruiser Squadron of the Home Fleet.
Most notably, ‘Belfast` was Rear-Admiral Robert
Burnett`s flagship at the Battle of North Cape in December, 1943
– the sinking of the ‘Scharnhorst` - her radars playing an invaluable
role as did her guns, of course, too.
She also took part in ‘Operation Tungsten`, the carrier-borne
airstrike against ‘Tirpitz` in Altenfiord, North Norway, in April 1944.
In June 1944, the ship was Flagship of Force ‘E` at Normandy
carrying out much bombardment duty on shore targets in support of the
Allied advance on land. In 1950-51, she carried out similar bombardment
duties off the coast of Korea.
On return from the Far East, ‘Belfast` was taken in hand for an
Extended Refit and Modernisation at Devonport, Plymouth which lasted from
1956 until 1959, perhaps her most notable new feature being the enlarged
bridge superstructure. She was the Navy`s largest cruiser in the 1950s..
Following subsequent service in the Far East again and later the
Home Fleet, the ship was placed in the Reserve in 1963, being reclassified
as a Harbour Accomodation Ship.
Seemingly facing the inevitability of being
broken-up, very, very happily indeed, ‘Belfast` was towed from
Portsmouth to the Pool of London in 1971, now owned by a newly formed
Trust, where she has remained as a quite awesome museum ship ‘open` to
the public and owned by The Imperial War Museum since 1978.
On a personal note, the yachts in the left distance are intended to
be from the Artist`s own yacht club at Cultra!
Along with a wide variety of other
Royal Navy warships during World War Two, Belfast and Ashanti
were frequent visitors to the relative sanctuary of Loch Ewe, in the
Western Highlands of Scotland. At this period, the large, sheltered
Loch was used both as a Fleet base and convoy assembly anchorage - and, in
particular, by those ships sailing on those notorious Arctic convoys
to North Russia. Information on Loch Ewe can be found at
www.highlandwelcome.co.uk
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'Morning Glory '
H.M.S.
Belfast, early morning, Belfast Lough, 1947.