Roberts class monitor
Encyclopedia
The Roberts class of monitor
s of the Royal Navy
consisted of two heavily-gunned vessels built during the Second World War
. They were the Roberts
, completed in 1941, and Abercrombie
, completed in 1943.
Features of the class, apart from two 15" guns in a twin mounting (taken from two First World War era Marshall class monitors
), were shallow draught for operating inshore, broad beam to give stability (and also resistance to torpedoes and mines) and a high observation platform to observe fall of shot.
One of HMS Robert's guns (formerly in HMS Resolution) is mounted outside the Imperial War Museum
in Lambeth, South London, together with one from the battleship Ramillies
. HMS Roberts herself was sold for scrapping shortly after the war, but hired back by the navy as an accommodation ship at Devonport
until 1965: it was widely rumoured that the ship-breakers who bought her had more than recovered their purchase price in rent before they then sold her remains as scrap metal.
Monitor (warship)
A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...
s of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
consisted of two heavily-gunned vessels built during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. They were the Roberts
HMS Roberts (F40)
HMS Roberts was a Royal Navy Roberts class monitor of the Second World War. She was the second monitor to be named after Field Marshal Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts....
, completed in 1941, and Abercrombie
HMS Abercrombie (F109)
HMS Abercrombie was a Royal Navy Roberts class monitor of the Second World War. She was the second monitor to be named after General Sir Ralph Abercrombie....
, completed in 1943.
Features of the class, apart from two 15" guns in a twin mounting (taken from two First World War era Marshall class monitors
Marshal Ney class monitor
The two Marshal Ney class monitors were built for the Royal Navy during the First World War-Design and development:The need for monitors for shelling enemy positions from the English Channel had become apparent only at the start of the war and they were designed with some haste...
), were shallow draught for operating inshore, broad beam to give stability (and also resistance to torpedoes and mines) and a high observation platform to observe fall of shot.
Ships
- HMS Roberts (F40)HMS Roberts (F40)HMS Roberts was a Royal Navy Roberts class monitor of the Second World War. She was the second monitor to be named after Field Marshal Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts....
, named after Field MarshalField MarshalField Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Frederick Roberts, 1st Earl RobertsFrederick Roberts, 1st Earl RobertsField Marshal Frederick Sleigh Roberts, 1st Earl Roberts, Bt, VC, KG, KP, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, KStJ, PC was a distinguished Indian born British soldier who regarded himself as Anglo-Irish and one of the most successful British commanders of the 19th century.-Early life:Born at Cawnpore, India, on...
.
- Built by John Brown & CompanyJohn Brown & CompanyJohn Brown and Company of Clydebank was a pre-eminent Scottish marine engineering and shipbuilding firm, responsible for building many notable and world-famous ships, such as the , the , the , the , the , and the...
, ClydebankClydebankClydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
, laid down 30 April 1940, launched 1 April 1941 and completed on 27 October 1941. She reused the turret of the World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
monitor Marshall Soult. Roberts provided bombardment support during Operation TorchOperation TorchOperation Torch was the British-American invasion of French North Africa in World War II during the North African Campaign, started on 8 November 1942....
in north AfricaNorth AfricaNorth Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, where she was damaged by two 500 kg bombs. She was repaired in time to support Operation HuskyAllied invasion of SicilyThe Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
(the invasion of SicilySicilySicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
), Allied landings near Salerno Operation Avalanche, the D-Day landings and the Walcheren operations. She was scrapped in 1965.
One of HMS Robert's guns (formerly in HMS Resolution) is mounted outside the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
in Lambeth, South London, together with one from the battleship Ramillies
HMS Ramillies (07)
HMS Ramillies was a Revenge-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named after the Battle of Ramillies. The ship is notable for having served in both the First and Second World Wars...
. HMS Roberts herself was sold for scrapping shortly after the war, but hired back by the navy as an accommodation ship at Devonport
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
until 1965: it was widely rumoured that the ship-breakers who bought her had more than recovered their purchase price in rent before they then sold her remains as scrap metal.
- HMS Abercrombie (F109)HMS Abercrombie (F109)HMS Abercrombie was a Royal Navy Roberts class monitor of the Second World War. She was the second monitor to be named after General Sir Ralph Abercrombie....
, named after General James AbercrombieJames Abercrombie (general)General James Abercrombie or Abercromby was a British Army general and commander-in-chief of forces in North America during the French and Indian War, best known for the disastrous British losses in the 1758 Battle of Carillon.-Early life:Abercrombie was born in Glassaugh, Banffshire, Scotland to...
, built by Vickers ArmstrongVickers ArmstrongVickers-Armstrongs Limited was a British engineering conglomerate formed by the merger of the assets of Vickers Limited and Sir W G Armstrong Whitworth & Company in 1927...
, Tyne. She was laid down 26 April 1941, launched 31 March 1942 and completed 5 May 1943. She used a 15-inch gun turret originally built as a spare for HMS FuriousHMS Furious (47)HMS Furious was a modified cruiser built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord John Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Furious was modified while...
. She was damaged by contact minesNaval mineA naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
on several occasions while supporting the invasion of Italy, but was repaired. Scrapped in 1954.