Launches

The largest naval airship in the world at the time, His Majesty's Airship No. 1 (HMA1), nicknamed the 'Mayfly', emerges from its shed on Cavendish Dock for its first test in May 1911. Many sailors are on the dockside, along with spectators, with many photographers (including Sankeys). Vickers had been hard at work overcoming new technology associated with the duralumin structure and for the gas bags to contain the hydrogen.

REFERENCES

https://www.cumbria-industries.org.uk/a-z-of-industries/airfields-and-early-aviation/airship-building-at-barrow/ http://welweb.org http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/to%20reality/images5/6.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HMA_No.1_%22Mayfly%22_wreck_2.jpg http://www.century-of-flight.freeola.com/Aviation%20history/coming%20of%20age/HMA%209.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R80_(airship) https://www.fleetairarmoa.org/fleet-air-arm-history-timeline

This captures the anticipation of the launch of this amazing structure of wire, alloy and fabric. The forward gondola of the airship has an inflated landing buffer underneath to protect the structure!

REFERENCES

https://www.cumbria-industries.org.uk/a-z-of-industries/airfields-and-early-aviation/airship-building-at-barrow/ http://welweb.org http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/to%20reality/images5/6.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HMA_No.1_%22Mayfly%22_wreck_2.jpg http://www.century-of-flight.freeola.com/Aviation%20history/coming%20of%20age/HMA%209.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R80_(airship) https://www.fleetairarmoa.org/fleet-air-arm-history-timeline

REFERENCES

https://www.cumbria-industries.org.uk/a-z-of-industries/airfields-and-early-aviation/airship-building-at-barrow/ http://welweb.org http://www.century-of-flight.net/Aviation%20history/to%20reality/images5/6.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HMA_No.1_%22Mayfly%22_wreck_2.jpg http://www.century-of-flight.freeola.com/Aviation%20history/coming%20of%20age/HMA%209.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R80_(airship) https://www.fleetairarmoa.org/fleet-air-arm-history-timeline

This well-framed image captures the spray off the first pair of drag chain hawsers, as a large crowd of men and a few women stand precariously on timbers, straining to get a view. A single fireman is ensuring that the crowd stands back.

Nine years after the launch of the Orama, the scene is very similar but with more women and children. This slightly larger ship has seven pairs of drag chains, which will stop the ship in the channel. After the tugs have secured tow ropes to her, the drag chains will be released by the workers on the ship. The rowing boats are there to rescue the launch timbers for reuse before they drift away with the tide.

Airship R80 in flight near its shed on Walney Island. Vickerstown North housing estate is in the background. There is quite a crowd watching from the ground.

Edward Sankey has captured the doves and confetti that were released from the garlanded ball as the Kongo was launched by Madame Koike. This Japanese custom is still followed today. The building of HMIJS Kongo was not without controversy, as two Japanese Admirals were convicted of taking bribes. Sir Charles Craven later said that ‘Sir James McKechnie, who had bribed Admiral Fujii, should have been dismissed and would have been if war had not intervened in 1914’.

HMS Emperor of India, an Iron Duke Class battleship, going down the slipway after her launch by Lady Islington. She had been ordered as HMS Delhi but was renamed before launch. She was commissioned into the Grand Fleet three months after the outbreak of the First World War. Scotch derricks can be seen on the gantry on the right, following a fatal accident and the loss of the travelling crane in strong winds a year earlier.

The ship has come to a halt in Walney Channel secured by the drag chains while the tugs Furness, Cartmel and Walney attach tow lines. The rowing boats are busy collecting the launch timbers. She was launched by and named after Louise, the eldest daughter of the King, who had stayed at the Furness Abbey Hotel the preceding night as guest of the shipyard.

This was the sixth liner to be built after World War 1 by the yard, and the second for the Orient Steam Navigation Company. She had the designation of RMS for Royal Mail Ship. She was taken up as a troop ship in World War 2 and took part in the invasions of North Africa, Sicily and Italy. She was refitted after the war and resumed her service to Australia. She was finally scrapped in 1957.

This Ocean Class submarine was the fastest in the world at launch in 1935, capable of 22.5 knots on the surface and 10 knots submerged. Her main role in World War 2 was on intercept patrols. Interesting that a covered build-berth has now been resurrected in the form of the Devonshire Dock Hall; built for the Vanguard Class submarine construction.

This image shows the new tugs Devonshire and Ramsden securing the submarine ready for towing. The position of the boat relative to the slipway shows how the tide flows north during the flood tide and for an hour after the peak. This means that the launched vessel could sometimes drift out of sight of the launch platform, before it was towed proudly south.

Espardate translates as Swordfish. She was the second of three submarines built for Portugal; her sistership Golfino, was launched on the same day. The man with flag on the shoreline is signalling to the tugs.

The Strathmore was launched by the Duchess of York in April 1935, just four months after her sister ship the Orion. In the centre you can see the Pathe Film camera, which captured some of the shots that are available online on YouTube.

There is a distinctive change in style in this photograph. It is probably taken by Raymond Sankey at what was his first launch as an official photographer.

Lady Elles, wife of Lieut-General Sir High Elles and Lady Brown, wife of Engineer Vice-Admiral Sir Harold A Brown, pass through the Honour Guard of local sea cadets. Furs and stoles were then a must have in society - how things have changed!

Every body strains to see the moment the ship is launched. The new larger cantilever cranes are in the background. They remained on the skyline until around 1990.

A calm wet December morning. The ship is towed backwards out of the dock on her departure. She had a long life of 33 years

Only a small crowd braves the wet morning to watch the resplendent liner depart for her service to Australia.

View of the large platform for the Strathallan launch, with P&O and Vickers dignitaries, on 29 September 1937. The Vickers Band plays below, while people watch the ship after launch. During World War 2, the Admiralty requisitioned the vessel and used it as a troop and hospital ship. She was sunk by German U-boat U172 in the Mediterranean in December 1942.

The sun came out for this ship launch. Unfortunately, less than four years later she was lost at Dunkirk, when a bomb exploded between her and the quay.