the HMS MALAYA...a beauty she is...credit photo to MaritimeQuest
not many of us know that...before Malaysia was formed in September 16th 19(oh shit i forgot...)..and before we gained independence in 1957.....before there was even a thinking of getting an independence.....we had our own warship named after our homeland....
the warship is HMS MALAYA....a Queen Elizabeth class dreadnought....built by the Sir W.G Armstrong Withworth and Co. Ltd.....
she was sponsored by the kings from the Federated Malays States (state of Perak..Selangor..Pahang and Negri Sembilan) thus the name MALAYA....(imagine our kings those day sponsored a warship for the British Empire....damn....so kaya eh)...the proposal for the sponsor were made by the Sultan of Perak in 1913 ans supported by the Sultan of Selangor...
the HMS MALAYA is a 33 020 tonne...196.82 metres long warship...capable of steaming 25 knots..which is driven by the Parsons direct steam turbines consisting of 24 boilers driving 4 shafts at 56 500 horse power.
she is armed when she came out from the yard in 1915 with eight Mk1 15 inch gun, fourteen single MkXII 6 inch gun, two single 3 inch anti aircraft guns, four single 3 pounder saluting guns and four 21 inch torpedo tubes....
yes ladies and gentlemen...that is the 15 inch gun...and she got eight of em...
HMS Malaya served on both world wars...the first during the Battle of Jutland...where this warship..along with other Queen Elizabeth Class dreadnought of the 5th Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet...fought against Imperial German Navy....
she was hit by enemy fire eight times....but still managed to return to safe haven....with losses of 65 seaman....
during the Second World War...HMS Malaya were stationed at the Mediterranean as convoy escort and at the same time operating against Italian fleet. She fired her guns in anger at Genoa in February 1941 under Operation Grog which is the air and naval bombardment campaign against Italian harbour city of Genoa and La Spezia.
On 20th March 1941, HMS Malaya were damaged by a torpedo fired by a German U-boat number U-106. HMS Malaya were hit on the port side causing her to list 7 degrees. She reach Trinidad and later New York for repairs.
HMS Malaya bears the coat of arms of the Federated Malay State and had its own naval ensign..uniquely different from other battleship in the British Grand Fleet at that time...
Although at that time..there is no Malayan crew or officers serving onboard HMS Malaya.
More photos of HMS Malaya on this link.
she was hit by enemy fire eight times....but still managed to return to safe haven....with losses of 65 seaman....
during the Second World War...HMS Malaya were stationed at the Mediterranean as convoy escort and at the same time operating against Italian fleet. She fired her guns in anger at Genoa in February 1941 under Operation Grog which is the air and naval bombardment campaign against Italian harbour city of Genoa and La Spezia.
On 20th March 1941, HMS Malaya were damaged by a torpedo fired by a German U-boat number U-106. HMS Malaya were hit on the port side causing her to list 7 degrees. She reach Trinidad and later New York for repairs.
coming out from New York after repairs....
HMS Malaya bears the coat of arms of the Federated Malay State and had its own naval ensign..uniquely different from other battleship in the British Grand Fleet at that time...
Although at that time..there is no Malayan crew or officers serving onboard HMS Malaya.
More photos of HMS Malaya on this link.
HMS Eagle and HMS Malaya in Operation Spotter in 1942 at the Mediterranean. Operation Spotter is a transport operation carried out by British forces to transport 6 RAF Spitfire MkV fighter aircraft to Malta on March 7th 1942
the crew of HMS Malaya on the deck in front of the 15 inch gun having an exercise...somewhere in Mediterranean
HMS Malaya..HMS Warspite and HMS Nelson (March 1938). More photos of HMS Malaya can be viewed here through this site link
Salutation for these majestic battleship...although not operated by our countrymen but at least bearing the name of our former nation...brought prife and glory in our own annals of history
Come to sea and see for yourself
2 comments:
The ships bell was hang in my school, Victoria Institution until some idiot return it to the navy 1-2 years ago. Legend has it tthat if the bell was rung KL will be flooded.
so i heard the bell was in VI....wah..bila bunyi KL boleh banjir...ganaaazz.....
if you dont mind...if there is a photo of the bell...can you share..??
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