Belfast ship museum. The legendary British cruiser Belfast

Military Cruiser Belfast (HMS Belfast) is the pride of the British fleet, forever moored on the Thames in the very center of London. It once took part in military battles and distinguished itself during the Second World War, and now it is a naval museum, popular with tourists and residents of the UK.

It was built in 1936 in Ireland, and was named after its capital, Belfast. It just so happened that he was immediately destined to take part in hostilities.

On August 31, 1939, the ship Belfast was added to the 18th cruiser squadron, and from September 3 it took part in the naval blockade of Germany. True, he was unlucky - almost immediately he was blown up by a mine and was under repair until 1942.

When he finally returned from his “vacation”, he was fully involved in military operations: he accompanied sea cargo to the allies in the USSR - goods and military equipment.

And in December 1943, the cruiser Belfast became famous for the destruction of the German battleship Scharnhost. He was transferred to the British Pacific Fleet, where he saw the end of the war patrolling the waters of the Far East.

The Belfast ship also provided considerable assistance during the Korean War in 1950-1953, but was heavily damaged during an artillery attack.

HMS Belfast from the Tower

After repairs in the 1960s, she was decommissioned and was almost sent to be melted down, but she was rescued by the Imperial War Museum, which turned her into a popular floating museum.

Opening hours of the museum cruiser Belfast

Cruiser Belfast compared to a regular cruise ship.

What to see on the cruiser Belfast?

This ship is big, very big, you can see it when you get closer - it has 9 decks! And you can visit them all, look into every nook and cranny, examine every detail. To get started, I recommend downloading and familiarizing yourself with it.

In Great Britain they know how to make museums - this is not just a ship, but an exhibition of a real warship! Everywhere there are figures of sailors going about their business, in the cabins there are re-enactments of sea life.

Cost of visiting HMS Belfast

It's only from a distance that it's so small.

Private Guided Tours

Prices are presented for a group of up to 12 people.

This excursion is a unique tour led by one of the ship's company members. Naval Clerks (Yeomen) are highly trained crew members with unparalleled knowledge of the cruiser Belfast.

They will talk about how sailors survived in the harsh conditions of cold Arctic convoys, its role in history and the lives of sailors living and working on board.

The entrance to the cruiser Belfast is that long covered bridge.

The price for this excursion is indicated for a group (it seems to be up to 15 people, but you need to clarify). This can be done by mail [email protected], if interested. At the same address you can find out the details of the tour and the possibility of booking it.

How to get to HMS Belfast?

Finding this ship is easy - it is moored on the river between London Bridge and Tower Bridge.

Nearest metro station: London Bridge (5 minutes walk), Tower Hill (10 minutes)

Nearest railway station:London Bridge (5 minutes)

Buses: any that go to London Bridge.

Not far from the Tower Bridge on the Thames River is the Belfast Museum Ship, which amazes every traveler with its gigantic size. It is also called a symbol of Great Britain's military power. A few decades ago, it took a direct part in the Second World War, and today it is permanently parked, as if demonstrating all its inexhaustible power to curious tourists.

Construction of Belfast began in December 1936. The ship became one of 10 so-called Town cruisers, each of which was named after a particular English city. In this case, the name was borrowed from an Irish settlement. The ship was launched in 1938 on St. Patrick's Day, and was commissioned a year later, shortly before the outbreak of World War II. In November 1939, the cruiser was damaged as a result of a powerful explosion. Restoration work was carried out over two years.

In 1943, the ship played a significant role in the destruction of the German battleship Scharnhost, in July 1944 it took part in the famous Normandy operation, and in 1950-1952 in the Korean War. Between 1956 and 1959 the ship was significantly modernized. And on August 24, 1963, he was decommissioned from the Navy. In 1967, through the efforts of the active public, the Belfast was saved from the expected disposal, and in July 1971 the cruiser was permanently moored near the Tower Bridge, and 4 months later a museum was organized in it.

The snow-white giant amazes with its enormous size. Its length is more than 190 meters, width - over 19.

The ship has 9 decks. The cruiser's crew at one time consisted of 730 people. By the way, several veterans from his first squad are still alive, who sometimes come to visit Belfast. On a tour of the museum ship, you have a unique opportunity to look into all its cabins, where the life of the crew of the 1940-1950s has been restored. In almost every one of them you will see wax figures of captains and their assistants, junior commanders and sailors. Some crew members are resting, others are busy working, and others are having dinner. You will also go to the kitchen, where the dishes that sailors ate in the 1940s are presented. There is also a ship's infirmary, where the wounded members of the Belfast crew were sent, and even a post office. Go into the modest chapel where they prayed in their most difficult moments. Your cruise tour will end on the top deck with stunning views of the Thames.

Cruiser" Belfast" (H.M.S. Belfast) was launched on March 17, 1938. He went through the entire Second World War and was withdrawn from the Royal Navy only in 1963 (24 August 1963). Over its long history, the cruiser has covered many miles and been in more than one battle.

He took part in the battle of the North Cape in Norway, where on December 26, 1943, the no less legendary German battleship Scharnhorst was sunk. The Belfast was also involved in the Korean War.

Now the ship is permanently moored in the center of London on the River Thames and is a museum ship.

Let's take a walk around the cruiser. We immediately find ourselves in the carpentry workshop. A cruiser can be on a cruise for a very long time and it is very important that the ship is in full service and combat readiness.

The office or cabin, I don’t know how to say it correctly, the postman. To put it bluntly, he doesn't look friendly :)

One of the many corridors.

Main characteristics of the cruiser

Ship plan.

We go down to the engine room. There are a lot of pressure sensors on the walls

and other various devices.

Another repair shop.

We move to the kitchen, or rather the galley.

How delicious it smelled of vanilla... mmm....

I wanted to run away from the dental office as quickly as possible. The sounds of the drill and the patient's screams were very realistic, and the smell of dentistry was very natural.

From the dentist we went straight to the operating room.

View of the city through the porthole window.

Sailors at their leisure.

Dear cat:)

Loading installation of the head gun.

Cruiser armament:
152 mm gun - 12;
Gun 102 mm -12;
Torpedo tubes 533 mm - 4

The cruiser "Belfast" is currently the only warship in Europe from the Second World War that has survived to this day.

Anti-aircraft installation.

Skyscraper view "Shard", which I wrote about earlier.

View of the Tower.

During the war years, the cruiser used seaplanes for reconnaissance. The Belfast had 3 Walrus type aircraft. The plane was launched using a powerful powder catapult, and was lifted back on board using special cranes. But the development of radar technology changed the principles of reconnaissance and therefore in 1944-1945 the equipment for aircraft was removed.

The cruiser was awarded the Certificate of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (March 19, 2010) - for the courage and heroism shown by the crew of the cruiser Belfast of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the protection of transport convoys delivering military aid to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Second World War.

How good it is that such a ship, with a legendary history, was not scrapped or written off, but remained in service as a museum. I wish there were more such interesting museums.

More photos from the cruiser here.

Cruiser « Belfast"is the only artillery ship in Europe that took part in the Second World War and has survived to this day. In 1971, it was permanently moored as the cruiser "", almost in the very center of London.

cruiser Belfast

English cruiser « Belfast"is interesting in many respects. Firstly, this is the most powerful light cruiser in the history of the British Navy. Secondly, he had the opportunity to take an active part in the famous battles of the Second World War. One of the most striking stories is the fiery voyages in the Arctic Ocean. The ship took part in operations to escort military cargo to the Soviet Union - they were considered the most difficult operations in the history of the world wars.

the legendary British cruiser Belfast

Cruiser "Belfast“At the beginning of the war, it was blown up by a mine and was out of action for a long time. But then he took full revenge for himself. His finest hour was the battle with the German « Scharnhorst» in December 1943, which ended with the destruction of the fascist military vessel.

The British Admiralty considered it an important tool in the implementation of its maritime policy. Previously, confusion and vacillation reigned in this class. With the advent of dreadnoughts, cruisers were divided into classes. Battlecruisers, which became the successors to armored cruisers, very quickly turned into a type of fast battleship. During the First World War, these were most actively built in England and Germany.

cruiser "Belfast" in the roadstead

Cruiser « Belfast"was built on March 17, 1938 at the shipyard of the company" Harland & Wolff» . Entered the British Navy on 3 August 1939. The starting point when designing the Belfast was the requirement to increase the number of 152 mm gun barrels to at least 15. It can be considered one of the most powerful light cruisers in the class. The thickness of the armor belt reached 114 mm.

cruiser "Belfast" lord of the seas

Aviation weapons in the 30s were considered a very important element of the combat power of large ship. On a cruiser " Belfast", like its predecessors, three Walrus seaplanes were constantly based. Two of them were stored with folded wings in individual hangars in the bow superstructure, the third was stored openly on the catapult. The catapult was gunpowder. The aircraft were lifted on board by two 7-ton electric cranes installed behind the catapult. The development of radar quickly negated the importance of seaplanes as the main means of reconnaissance. Therefore, during repairs in 1944 - 1945, the seaplanes with all equipment were removed.

the cruiser Belfast fired a salvo

Among the large family of British lungs cruisers, « Belfast» differed from his brothers in his fighting qualities. In terms of the power of its weapons and armor protection, it was undoubtedly the leader in its class - the “lords of the seas.”

cruiser "Belfast" - art

Ship « Belfast"was part of the 18th squadron of the Metropolitan Fleet, and from the first days carried out patrol and reconnaissance service in the Atlantic. In 1942, he actively took part in convoying convoys JW-54A and B, RA-54A and B to the USSR. After glorious battles, the ship needed major repairs. He went to one of the docks in England, where he stayed until May 1945. While under repair, ship received new radar equipment, anti-aircraft weapons, and seaplanes were removed as unnecessary. But it never had to be used - the Second World War ended. In January 1946, while off the coast of China, “ Belfast" was appointed flagship by ship 2nd Cruiser Squadron of the British Pacific Fleet. In this capacity, for almost two years, he was in eastern waters, sailing between India, New Zealand and Japan and thereby “ensuring the interests” of the weakened British Empire in this region. On October 15, 1947, the cruiser was put into reserve and returned to Portsmouth. After a long break, from May 12, 1955, he served in campaigns and visited Hong Kong, Ceylon, India, Australia and Singapore. These were friendly visits. In 1962 " Belfast"visited Pearl Harbor, cities on the Pacific coast of the USA and Canada, and returned to England in June.

"Belfast"(eng. HMS Belfast) is a British light cruiser that functions as a museum. The ship was built in the 30s of the 20th century and today it is the last surviving cruiser of Great Britain.

There were only two such ships (Town class, Belfast subclass) - Edinburgh and Belfast, and both of them performed well in World War II. The cruisers fought heroically in the north, but Edinburgh was sunk by a German submarine, and Belfast participated in battles for a long time and was used to guard Lend-Lease cargo. Despite the fact that the cruiser was a light cruiser, that is, it had limitations in displacement and caliber of artillery pieces, its armament was excellent.

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Ship specifications:

• displacement 10 thousand tons;
• dimensions - 190 meters (length), 19 meters (width);
• maximum speed - 32 knots;
• crew - 730 people;
• three spotter aircraft;
• two torpedo tubes;
• armament - 152 mm main caliber guns (4 turrets with 3 guns in each turret).

The cruiser underwent modernization from time to time, during which small-caliber anti-aircraft artillery was reinstalled. Subsequently, the aircraft and torpedo tubes were removed from the ship. Today Belfast is moored directly opposite the Tower, on the River Thames. In panoramas of the Thames you can often see this floating museum, a memory of the Second World War. The entrance to it is from the embankment along a gangway.

The Second World War for Belfast began with an explosion - in 1939 the cruiser was blown up by a German mine and it took three years to restore it. These years were the most tense for the British navy during the entire conflict. At this time, the Edinburgh, which was transporting Soviet gold - payment for British aid, sank in the Barents Sea. When Belfast returned to the water, she was used as cover for Lend-Lease convoys heading to Murmansk. He also supported Allied troops during the Normandy landings. Later, the cruiser took part in the Korean War, and in the early 60s it was sent to reserve. When it became clear that the Belfast was the last cruiser that took part in the events of the Second World War, the British public came out with a request to preserve the ship for posterity as a museum. In fact, the ship actually owes its "life" to one of its former commanders, Rear Admiral Morgan-Giles. Its construction once cost Britain more than 2 million pounds. Today it costs around £2,000 a day to maintain and park.

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The architecture of the ship differs in the position of the engine installation - it is located closer to the stern to accommodate the seaplane. Outside you can see the main caliber bow turrets (152 mm), Bofors anti-aircraft guns, of which there are 6 in total on the ship. The interior is decorated as it looked during the war. To create the atmosphere, the rooms contain wax mannequins in appropriate Royal Navy uniforms from the last century. Cooks in the ship's bakery and galley, doctors bending over an anesthetized patient in the operating room, a hospital with recovering sailors, a carpentry shop, an artillery cellar, a fire control post. Officers' cabins, sailors' quarters, shower and latrine. Why, on the ship you can even see a dummy of Frankenstein's red cat, who catches a dummy rat. In the radio room, the radio operator plays English music so that the eight hundred sailors who lived for months in this house on the water don’t miss their homeland so much. Former sailors who served on the Belfast are now serving as guides on the ship. It is difficult to get lost in the ship's premises - there are signs everywhere, you can consult information stands with movie screens or even take an audio tour. At the entrance to the ship there is a traditional souvenir shop with military-historical literature at “museum” prices.

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