British Armoured Cruisers: Duke of Edinburgh-Class

So, here she is, as she probably looked like at about 1830hrs, May 31, 1916 approx 5 nm NNW by N of the German High Seas Fleet and less than three nm off the port bow of HMS Iron Duke, about 35 minutes before engaging the crippled SMS Wiesbaden, drifting inbetween the two enemy battle-lines, which were about to engage.
This happened about six hours before a blissfully ignorant Capt. Thomas Bonham steered almost straight across the path of the Imperial German Navy's 1st Battle Squadron under Konteradmiral Erhardt Schmidt, heading for Horn's Reef.
During the day action the cruiser had been the third ship astern of HMS Defence as Rear Admiral Sir Robert Arbuthnot commenced his naval 'Death Ride at Balaclava', having his flagship blown up and the Warrior severely damaged till a crippled HMS Warspite came to her succour. The Black Prince, too, seems to have received at least a half dozen quite serious hits, but what actually happened to her after the annihiliation of the 1st Cruiser Squadron during the evening hours still remains one of the deepest mysteries of the entire WW1. For sure, there were received both aboard Sir David Beatty's flagship Lion (relayed through the Princess Royal) and Sir John Jellicoe's Iron Duke (received by the Royal Oak) two further messages from the Black Prince. One of the last, faintly registered was about 11pm on May, 31. After that there was silence...

Upon seeing the German battle-line, Capt. Bonham ordered a request to be transmitted by searchlight asking for directions and the head of the British column. Realizing his mistake soon enough, Capt Bonham had the searchlights turned off, but still didn't take evasive action.
The German battle ship SMS Thuringen challenged her, but received no answer. Two more times the Germans repeated this. Then, at about 1am on June 1st the inferno broke loose as one after the other the German dreadnoughts opened fire at the unknown, presumably, hostile vessel.
At that point the hapless Capt Bonham had taken the proper action, initiating a sharp turn to port, away from the closing line of menacing battle wagons. But now it was too late, far too late.
At between 1,100 and 1,000 yards every shot from the German line told. The German expert gunners had to actually depress their gun muzzles in order for them to find their range and target. But found it they did. Desperately trying to fight back, the poor, unfortunate cruiser fired a few rounds of her port side 6" open-shielded battery before those, too, were blown away. Already nearly all her main batteries had been destroyed, the very first German salvo sending 'a' turret hurling into the seas. It took 15 frightening minutes for the German Navy to complete their destructive work. Then a dull, still tremendous, explosion was heard onboard her, as the fiercely burning Black Prince was drifting away from the German battleline. This was followed by several minor ones and then a huge one, and then HMS Black Prince was no more. Nor were 857 tars and officers, including the gallant Capt. Thomas Bonham. As a concluding remark here I would like to insert the German Official Naval History's description of her end:

She presented a terrible and awe-inspiring spectacle as she drifted down the line blazing furiously until, after several minor detonations, she disappeared below the surface with whole of her crew in one tremendous explosion.

My depiction of her in her final moment of glory sees her proudly flying the over-sized White Ensigns which we know Sir David Beatty ordered to be hoisted in the Battle Cruiser Fleet, as well as Hon. Hugh Evan-Thomas' 5th Battle Squadron. We also know that, in order to emulate Beatty, whom he was intensely jealous of, Sir Robert ordered a similar display to be hoisted on his cruisers. Her top-masts have been struck, and range-finders have been fitted on her conning towers as well as on top of her pilot house.
The most noticable change, though, is the complete suppression of her ill-designed secondary battery. Now, instead, there are three 6" open gun mounts between the wing 9.2" turrets, each side. Although woefully exposed to the weather and completely unprotected, they offer a much superior gun position. The misconception, sometimes seen, that the Black Prince sailed at Jutland, essentially in her pre-war configuration, is a myth which hereby can be disabused.

Many details are conjectural, since all the photos, save a few very blurry and scratchy ones, as well as the plans for the class' re-building have all been lost. However, we have eye witness records, not least the German ones! And we know the dates between when she and her sister, the Duke of Edinburgh were taken in hands by yard workers to have their alterations effectuated.

So, with these qualifying remarks I present HMS Black Prince as she may have looked on that fateful day and night; May 31- June 1, 1916. Again CoAs courtesy of KimWerner:

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My Avatar:Петр Алексеевич Безобразов (Petr Alekseevich Bezobrazov), Вице-адмирал , царская ВМФ России(1845-1906) - I sign my drawings as Ari Saarinen

Some discreet juggling of the boats should take care of the black double lines in that area, and my earlier comment also apply here.
Otherwise a very well executed drawing.
It must have been hell to man the 3"(?) gun atop the A gun.

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“Close” only counts with horseshoes, hand grenades, and tactical nuclear weapons.
That which does not kill me has made a grave tactical error

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Source Materiel is always welcome.

The guns on top of the turrets and in the forward and aft superstructure were actually 20 3-pounders. Completely useless as effective anti torpedoboat defense!

BZ Sir
Wonderfull drawing and very good history I didn't know that the casemate 6" guns where removed and added to the upper deck
It just so happens that tonight I looking at the Stae Library of Victory C H Green collections of ship photos and a saw a series of photos of HMS Powerful preWW1 wonderful clear photos that show the lower casemates and how close they where to the water in this class .
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Wonderful pic Graham! If you have more, please send them to me, since I'm planning to do the Powerfuls as well!

I have now updated the pictures per Thiel's kind suggestions.

As a post-script to my story about the end of this fine but sad vessel, I must mention that, when i March, 1916 both ships were dry-docked to be re-built, Sir Robert Arbuthnot,the erratic, charismatic but reckless commander of the 1st Cruiser Squadron vetoed having flash-tight doors added to the ammunition hoists on his entire command. We know what happened to his flagship, HMS Defence, and we know, through the German sources, what happened to the Black Prince. It was only by sheer luck that the Warrior avoided such a horrible fate. She was crippled enough to be sunk in the afternoon of June 1st by her own forces, but her crew got of safely. Oddly enough, and most fortunately so, the sole remaining unit of the obliterated Cruiser Squadron, HMS Duke of Edinburgh survived without any casualties at all! Early in 1917 she was taken in hand and had flash-tight doors fitted...

Thank you Thiel! Appreciate your kindness!

bezobrazov
Here is the link to my photo bucket account where the photos are I suspect that "the managemnent" wouldn't like me posting 20 Meg here !!!!

http://s719.photobucket.com/albums/ww199/graham003/

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