"'Riding the Seagull's Moor' - HMS Iron Duke and HMS Conqueror in the Pentland Firth, November 1914 "

Original Oil Painting on Canvas

Image size: 24 x 36 inches (61 x 91.5 cm)

Signed, lower right

Framed

"Riding the seagull's moor" is a quote from the 12th Century Orkneyinga Saga, a collection of legends and stories of Viking Orkney. In 1914 the Grand Fleet was based in Scapa Flow, Orkney, the greatest fleet of battleships ever gathered, under Admiral Sir John Jellicoe flying his flag in HMSIron Duke.

The painting shows HMSIron Dukeflying the flag of Admiral Jellicoe, in company with HMSConqueror, at sea off Orkney in the turbulent Pentland Firth. It was here the great battleships did their full calibre firing practice. The ships are shown in the unusual paint schemes of October - November 1914, the picture having been painted exactly a hundred years after they appeared in that scheme in Scapa Flow.

The painting was partly executed in Ian Lowe's Orkney studio, only a mile from Scapa Flow.

HMS Iron Duke had a long life; she was built at the Royal Dockyard Portsmouth, launched by the Duchess of Wellington in October 1912 and completed in March 1914.

As built she was a ‘super dreadnought’ of 26,000 tons, the name ship of a class of four. Armed with ten 13 1/2 inch guns and twelve 6 inch guns, she was coal and oil fired and her Parsons turbines made her capable of 22 knots. It took 1,102officers and men to take her to sea and she cost £1,845,000.

Iron Duke was flagship of the Grand Fleet from August 1914 to January 1917 and continued to serve in the Grand Fleet throughout the war. She was fleet flagship at the Battle of Jutland in May 1916 and engaged at least three German capital ships, damaging SMS Konig.

After WW 1 Iron Duke served in the War of Intervention in the Black Sea in 1919 against the Bolsheviks. Subsequently Flagship in the Mediterranean, she was active against Turkish rebels and evacuated refugees from Smyrna in 1922. She served as Flagship of 2nd and 3rd Battle Squadrons 1924 - 1928.

Iron Duke served from 1929 until 1939 as a gunnery training ship. She was demilitarised in 1931 under the London Naval Treaty, having ‘B’ and ‘Y’ turrets removed and her speed reduced. She was present at the 1935 Jubilee and 1937 coronation reviews.

In 1939 she became base ship at Scapa Flow, where she was bombed and grounded in October 1939. Temporarily repaired and refloated, she served as depot ship throughout the war.

HMS Iron Dukewas scrapped in 1946 – 48 at Faslane and Cydebank.

HMS Conqueror was built on Clydeside by Beardmore, launched in 1911 and completed 1912. An earlier generation of ‘super dreadnought’ than Iron Duke she was 21,922 tons, armed with 10 x 13.5”, 16x 4” guns. Her complementwas 750 officers and men in 1914. Coal and oil fired, her Parsons turbines gave her power for up to 21 knots.

To buy the painting or reserve it while obtaining a shipping quote from us

contact  Charles Mayes - cm@marineartists.co.uk   +44(0)20 7352 7759

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A larger photograph / full description is available on request