|
Lovely photo, but not HMS Barham. This is an Iron Duke class dreadnought (Iron Duke, Marlborough, Benbow or Emperor of India), in the late pre-war or early war period, most likely before the Battle of Jutland. With a Vice Admiral's flag at her masthead, I suspect this is HMS Marlborough, serving as Flagship of the 1st Battle Squadron, Grand Fleet, and flying the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly. HMS Marlborough survived a torpedo hit at Jutland. The ship has a modern gunnery director (the "lump" on top of her foretop), but has not yet gained any "flying off platforms" on her main turrets, and still has the original pattern searchlight platforms around her 2nd funnel, which would be replaced by the tall "tubular" searchlight towers (as also seen later on the QE class) towards the end of the war.
|
view full-size
image -- 3835 x 2575)