Category: Gallery

During her 1931 Spring Cruise, HMS Nelson passed through the Panama canal. February 22nd she left from Kingston, Jamaica, and on the 23rd she arrived to receive a pilot and a US Liason officer. She suffered some minor damage entering the Pedro Miguel Lock, but finally berthed at Balboa for five days of festivities and ceremonies including a visit of her officers to the battleship USS Texas. On the 28th she made a return trip through the canal [1].

[1] McCart, N., Nelson & Rodney, 1927-1949, The big battleships, Maritime Books, 2005

Below are a number of postcards; the quality of good enough you can read the name of the locks on the small buildings (on the scan that it).

Entering the first Gatun lock at the far North of the canal

Entering the second Gatun lock.

Passing the Gaillard/Culebra cut

Entering the first Miraflores lock at the far South of the canal.

There’s a spectacular range of images of the event taken from the shore at the Naval History and Heritage Command website, and when I look a bit closer at image NH-57847 I believe I can spot the camera man on the bridge who took the above photographs.

Assorted picture of HMS Hood gallery appended.

Random collection of images bought over the years; copy of a previous post with all images now at high resolution plus a few new ones.

HMS Hood transiting the Panama canal, 7th of July 2925

1932 (HMS Renown in the background)

1932 (HMS Renown in the background)

1932

Not dated, but the aircraft equipment was only present from 1929 to 1933.

October 1936

Gibraltar, 4th of October 1938. Note the neutrality markers on B-turret used during the Spanish civil war patrols (Red/White/Blue forward to aft). See wiki: International_response_to_the_Spanish_Civil_War.

1939. I think this is the nicest photo postcard I ever bought.

1939

Image appears to be taken moments before the previous shot (Note crew on B-turret and near the whalers).

HMS Hood in her final appearance with the (covered) UP launchers visible on B-turret (and in the rear visible on the shelter deck), as well as the type 284 gunnery radar on top of the director control tower.

25th of March 1941. Note the roundel painted on top of A-turret; first appearance as a neutrality marker during the Spanish civil war (1937-1938), but not removed after. Colour unknown.

1940. Footage from 1940-1941 showing anything in detail is really rare. This one show the aft disinfector house between the forward searchlights and is a typical example of the crew paradox: the shot was taken to capture people living and working aboard HMS Hood, but they are also blocking the view to the ship.

1940. A well-known shot of the main deck; we now know Semtex was applied on the ‘wings’ of the boat deck explaining its light one.

1941.

1940, Forth bridge in the background

Following my earlier post of Warspite (1937), a series of images of Warspite after decommissioning and running aground at Prussia Cove. Finding new images is quite difficult and auction prices go up really quickly, but I hope to add more.

Update: 27/11/22 Image #5, marked buoy picture.
Update: 22/03/24 Image #6, port side shot (unsharp, might be nice for reference).
Update: 23/05/24 Image #7

There’s a small line running from the bridge towards A-turret carrying a marker ball. I always remove blemishes from scans and one may inadvertently remove something in error; the postcard above was damaged at the precise location of the ball; the line remains visible and the ball is still there.