Marlborough HMS

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Marlborough HMS

Post by shipstamps » Wed Sep 24, 2008 3:37 pm



Malta has not forgotten the part played by Sir Winston Churchill in the Second World War, nor the fact that "Operation Pedestal" was his plan. The Maltese issue of Churchill commemorative stamps fittingly shows his portrait against a background of the island on the 2d. and 1 s. stamps and with the George Cross, H.M.S. St. Angelo and a battleship on the 3d. and ls. 6d. stamps.
The battleship, I (E Argyle) was convinced, was not put on the stamp just to fill a gap. The stamp designer, Chevalier E. V. Cremona, is one of the foremost artists in Europe and every small portion of his many stamp designs has some practical or historical significance. I must confess that the significance of a battleship of the First World War, which I took to be H.M.S. Iron Duke, in relation to Sir Winston was not immediately apparent.
Then I realised that the vessel shown was one of the sister ships of the Iron Duke; the Benbow, Emperor of India or Marlborough and there was the connection—both Churchill and the ship were Marlboroughs. H.M.S. Marlborough was built at Devenport Dockyard on January 25, launched on November 24, 1912 and commissioned in June 1914. Her dimensions were: length 6223/4 ft., beam 891/2 ft., and draft 321/2 ft., while her nominal displacement was 25,000 tons, with a fully loaded displacement of 28,800 tons.
Armament consisted of ten 13.5 in. guns in five turrets; twelve 6 in. guns in a battery forward, two anti-aircraft guns and 20 smaller pieces. With turbines developing 29,000 s.h.p., her speed was 21 knots, and she had a complement of approximately 1,000. Serving in the Home Fleet until war broke out, she became flagship of the Grand Fleet 1st Battle Squadron.
The Marlborough was torpedoed and severely damaged at Jutland; she was flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet from 1919 to 1926, transferring in the latter year to the Atlantic Fleet. Following the 1930 Treaty of London, she was sold for breaking up in 1932. SG363, 365 and label. Sea Breezes 5/66

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