Belfast London ship. HMS Belfast - light cruiser Belfast
Cruiser Belfast (HMS Belfast)– floating naval museum in London, moored forever between Tower and London Bridges. This is a 7-deck heavily armed armored ship, whose main historical merit is participation in the 1944 landing of Allied forces in Normandy.
« Belfast"can be called London "Aurora", these ships are “twin brothers” in the exchange of museum experience, but judging impartially, the museum cruiser in London is many times more interesting.
It will be interesting to visit Belfast with a child from the age of six, and first of all, of course, boys. Children here are allowed to run around the echoing decks, examine the installed guns and even turn their turning mechanisms.
Seven floors of corridors are fraught with a lot of interesting things - everywhere there are mannequins of sailors performing their duties in the cabins details of everyday life were recreated and scenes from ship life. In the underwater part of the ship "Belfast" you will even see a terrifying battle to save the ship from an underwater explosion - torn bulkheads, gurgling water and a flaring fire!
Official information of HMS Belfast
Website http://hmsbelfast.iwm.org.uk/
Address: Morgan's Lane, Tooley Street, London SE1 2JH
Metro: London Bridge
Buses: 21, 35, 40, 43, 47, 48, 133, 381
Open to the public: daily,
March – October: 10.00 – 18.00,
November – February: 10.00 – 17.00,
Last entry is one hour before closing.
Closed December 24, 25, 26.
Ticket price for cruiser Belfast:
Adults £13.50 (including voluntary donation), children under 16 free
Cruiser Belfast - history
At the Harland & Wolf shipyard in Belfast, in 1936, the cruiser Belfast was laid down; it was a special order for the shipyard: the cruiser received slipway No. 1000. But it was in demand only at the beginning of World War II.
Although the ship had improved armor protection, it suffered failure in its first combat operations. In November 1939, the warship hit a German mine, which put it out of action for three years.
After repairs at the end of 1942, Belfast was fully involved in hostilities, but, fortunately, did not receive any further damage. Along the Arctic sea route, the ship repeatedly accompanied and protected cargo transferred by the allies to the USSR. It supplied necessary goods and materials, and military equipment to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk.
In December 1943." Belfast took part in the destruction of the German battleship Sharnhorst, in which he played a key role. During the battle, the cruiser fired 38 salvos, while avoiding being hit. During the Normandy landings he supported the Allied forces. Since June 1944, the ship, firing at Nazi fortifications, thereby provided cover for the British landing force.
A lot was done with participation in the Korean War. In 1950-1953 Belfast accompanied American and British aircraft carriers, carried out diplomatic missions in Japan, and served as a headquarters ship. It received minor damage from coastal artillery fire. After a major overhaul and minor modernization, the cruiser began to be used on foreign voyages.
In 1960 he visited India, Ceylon, Australia and Singapore, Hong Kong. In 1961, Belfast called at the ports of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in Tokyo. In 1962, the cruiser visited Pearl Harbor, off the coast of Canada and the USA.
In 1963, the ship was no longer used for its intended purpose and was put into reserve. During its entire service, Belfast covered about 500 thousand miles.
In 1971, it was decided to turn the last surviving cruiser from World War II into a museum (officially it is considered a branch of the Imperial War Museum).
"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.
- group tour (no more than 15 people) for a first acquaintance with the city and main attractions - 2 hours, 15 pounds
- see the historical core of London and learn about the main stages of its development - 3 hours, 30 pounds
- find out where and how the culture of tea and coffee drinking was born, and plunge into the atmosphere of those glorious times - 3 hours, 30 pounds
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.
It's time to continue the story about London's military museums. After a series of articles about, I want to talk about another worthy object - the cruiser "Belfast", installed on a conditionally eternal parking lot near the Tower Bridge in the city of fugitive oligarchs and journalists, the capital of Great Britain, London.
This cruiser is a veteran of the Second World War, she participated, among other things, in the battle in which the German battleship Scharnhorst was sunk, in operations to cover the Allied landings in Normandy, as well as in protecting Arctic convoys from the ports of Iceland and the British Isles to USSR. It is worth noting that these convoys delivered about half of all Lend-Lease aid to the USSR.
1. The cruiser "Belfast" in eternal parking in front of the Tower Bridge in London:
Of course, I was “lucky” with the weather that day. The rain, usual for the local population, began in the morning. I had to take a number of tricks to take pictures so as not to get the camera and lens wet. But I think I still managed to get a few decent shots of this museum ship.
Entrance to the museum ship is via a special ramp, at the beginning of which there is a ticket office and, part-time, a souvenir shop with a small restaurant.
2. The difference between high and low tides on the Thames is clearly visible. The water in the river is extremely muddy. Outside the museum pavilion, kegs of beer are cooling: 
3. I buy a ticket at the ticket office and climb the ladder aboard the cruiser. I show the ticket to a specially trained inspector. If you wish, you can take an audio guide, including in Russian: 
4. In case of bad weather (which, as we know, happens quite often in London), an awning is stretched on the poop - this is the aft part of the upper deck. Immediately near the entrance there is a screen on which newsreel footage of the cruiser Belfast is scrolled: 
5. I look around on deck: 
6. On the other bank of the Thames you can see the famous Tower of London, which has been a fortress, a palace, a treasure repository, an arsenal, a mint and even a prison: 
7. A ladder is visible leading upward to the last aft turret of the main caliber: 
8. The ship’s coat of arms and the main stages of its combat activity: 
It is noticeable that in these stages (conducting Arctic convoys and the battle with Scharnhorst in 1943, shelling of German coastal fortifications in Normandy in 1944 and participation in the Korean War on the side of UN forces in 1950-1952) is not included a rather offensive explosion on a bottom mine in November 1939.
On November 21, 1939, the cruiser Belfast was leaving its mooring in the Firth of Forth (east coast of Scotland) for firing training when a German aircraft bottom mine went off under its keel. It should be noted that the cruiser was lucky, since as a result of a mine explosion, the underwater part of the hull was severely deformed, but not destroyed. In fact, most of the shock wave fell on the keel, which eventually bent noticeably and burst. Repairing the ship ultimately turned out to be a very difficult task and took almost three years.
In addition to repairing the lining and the keel itself, the radar equipment was updated. So, after repairs, all the cruiser’s artillery was equipped with radar target acquisition.
In the battle with Scharnhorst, the ability of British ships to “see” the enemy and fire in the absence of visual contact played a decisive role in the destruction of the German battleship on the evening of December 26, 1943 (the Scharnhorst’s own radar installation was destroyed by a direct hit at the very beginning of the first phase battle, still in the morning).
As a result of a long battle with superior forces of the British fleet (one battleship, 4 cruisers and 8 destroyers), the Scharnhorst, which had lost its speed, was finished off by torpedoes. In the final attack, four destroyers fired 19 torpedoes at it. But at the beginning of this day, “Scharnhorst” seriously hoped to profit from the ships of the allied convoy passing near the North Cape...
As I already said, the cruiser Belfast played an important role in this battle, maintaining contact with Scharnhorst and periodically firing at it, controlled by radar readings.
10. Ship's Bell: 
11. “The Last Witness” sign. What does it mean? 
12. This means that our “native” oligarchs chipped in to repair this certainly worthy, but still foreign museum ship: 
I think that many military museums in Russia could use such help.
13. Information stand, a museum employee stands nearby, trying to explain something to his colleague: 
Let's get to know the cruiser "Belfast" better. HMS Belfast (C35) is a pre-war British Town-class (Edinburgh sub-class) light cruiser, one of 10 cruisers of her type. Four of them were sunk by the enemy during World War II, but the remaining six more or less successfully completed it and served until the end of the 1950s, after which they were slowly dismantled for metal.
The cruiser "Belfast" was lucky again - museum workers became interested in its preservation, who managed to prevent the ship from being dismantled and created a special fund for its repair. Since 1971, the cruiser Belfast has become a museum ship, and since 1978, a branch of the Imperial War Museum.
14. 152-mm main caliber guns are installed in four three-gun turrets, two each in the bow and stern: 
According to the English naval tradition, the bow towers are designated by the letters A (first), B (second), etc., and the stern ones - X (penultimate), Y (last).
15. Main caliber towers are open for free access: 
16. We approach the ladder leading to the aft 152 mm “Y” turret. On a special board, the time until the next visitors starts is counted down. Five minutes are allotted for viewing the tower, but no one, of course, will chase away a slightly delayed visitor: 
17. We go into the tower, moving aside the fabric canopy: 
18. A “working atmosphere” has been created inside the tower - everything seems to be in a haze of powder gases, secretly located speakers transmit the clanging sounds of bolts and rammers: 
19. Special lamps highlight individual elements of internal equipment: 
20. At some point, a “shot” is heard, the tower really twitches, everything around rumbles, a well-camouflaged disco fog generator releases another batch of steam into the tower: 
21. In general, visiting the main caliber aft tower is a real show, people get really scared when the “shot” is fired, some visitors fly out of the tower as if scalded: 
Anti-aircraft artillery of the cruiser before the second modernization in the second half of the 1950s. was represented by eight twin 40-mm automatic guns QF 2-pounder Mark VIII (due to the characteristic sound of the shots they were given the nickname “pom-pom”). It is worth noting that the British pom-poms were noticeably inferior in effectiveness to similar 40-mm anti-aircraft guns from the Swedish company Bofors, which, for example, were actively installed on American warships of that time (their licensed production was established in the USA).
22. After the second modernization, anti-aircraft guns began to look like this: 
23. 8 twin Pom-Poms were replaced by 6 twin Bofors (Mk V 40mm Bofors): 
24. At the same time, anti-aircraft fire control after repairs and the first modernization in 1939-42. has already been carried out according to radar readings: 
25. Twin anti-aircraft 40-mm machine gun "Bofors" (Mk V 40mm Bofors): 
26. The cruiser's universal artillery was initially represented by six, and after the second modernization in the 1950s. - four paired 102 mm art. installations (QF 4 inch Mk XVI): 
Depending on the situation, universal guns could act as anti-aircraft artillery, be used to combat lightly armored naval targets, or to suppress enemy coastal defense units. For example, while supporting the Allied landings in Normandy in the first weeks after the start of the operation, the cruiser's 102-mm guns managed to suppress several German strong points - until the front line in Normandy moved away from the shore to a distance exceeding the firing range of its artillery.
27.
A curious story connects the cruiser with the name of British Prime Minister Churchill. A few days before the landing in Normandy, Churchill wanted to personally observe what was happening, for which he asked that a cabin be prepared for him on the cruiser Belfast. Having learned of this intention, Admiral Cunningham (First Sea Lord) and General Eisenhower (leader of the Anglo-American forces during the landing of troops in Normandy) tried to dissuade him, but were sent... to go about their business further. Fortunately for the Belfast captain and his crew, the situation was saved by the intervention of the English king, whose opinion Churchill decided to take into account. As a result, nothing prevented the cruiser from calmly and without regard to the highest ranks of the empire from carrying out its tasks of suppressing enemy batteries.
28.
29. Veterans: 
Let's see what else interesting is on the deck of the cruiser.
30. Main superstructure: 
31. Visor: 
32. View from the navigation bridge to the bow of the ship: 
33. Antenna facilities: 
As I already mentioned, the cruiser Belfast managed to take part in the Korean War on the side of the UN forces. At school, during history lessons (and other political information), I was told that in that war the “bad” attacked the “good”. Then it turned out that no, it was still the “good” (according to the previous classification) who attacked the “bad” themselves. But in the end, no one was able to win.
35. Artillery fire control station: 
36. Here the signalmen kept their signal flags.
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.
