Quote from: flamingpig0 on 12 April 2021, 04:45:51 PM
Did it really have medical facilities that could be quickly activated if  needed?  Such as HMS Argus had.

Are we talking about Wishbone Ash, again ?

I thought that was in another thread.

Cheers - Phil

Phil change your handle to Complete OIK, thats worthy of Nobby 

Quote from: Techno II on 13 April 2021, 06:07:28 AM
Are we talking about Wishbone Ash, again ?

I thought that was in another thread.

Cheers - Phil

I am more of a  Van der Graaf Generator  sort of person

The Defibulators ain't bad...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3kkHVRllTg

Lol! 

Quote from: Raider4 on 12 April 2021, 04:31:33 PM
Britannia used different fuel to everything else, adding to the logistical complexity, I seem to remember.

What are you remembering?  It got a brief mention during my basic training at DARTMOUTH in dealing with ships' power.  Most ships in the fleet were using gas-turbine engines, HMS BRITANNIA was still on FFF, which in 1954 when it came into service was cutting edge technology, but by the 1980s she was the only ship still using it.  At the time of the Falklands War it was logistically too much hassle to provide fuel in the South Atlantic specifically for just this ship.


One or more hospital ships built and maintained on DFID funds seems a good way of using the money as a stimulus package; as BoJo has just cut DFID funds from 0.7% GDP to 0.5% GDP, on a 'temporary' basis, I should have thought there was financial room to develop such a project.  With outbreaks like EBOLA becoming more frequent and regular disasters around the world, they have global use and they would have been very useful for Covid as additional resources instead of, or additional to, the NIGHTINGALE hospitals.  The Chinese already have three such ships.

Quote from: ianrs54 on 13 April 2021, 05:54:04 AM
Why not ?

Actually tax has got a mention but it is a rather uninspiring topic for a site like Pendraken.

Quote from: ianrs54 on 13 April 2021, 07:56:00 AM
Phil change your handle to Complete OIK, thats worthy of Nobby 

Praise, indeed.

Quote from: flamingpig0 on 13 April 2021, 09:26:24 AM
I am more of a  Van der Graaf Generator  sort of person

I've only got one of their early (?) albums on CD.

Cheers - Phil.

Quote from: flamingpig0 on 12 April 2021, 10:49:56 AM
Apparently there are plans to spend 190 million on a commemorative Royal Yacht to be named HMS Mountbatten

If we need a hospital ship for our armed forces we need to supply them a state of the art one that can keep up with the fleet and has no issues with different fuel etc
It should be equipped permanently as a hospital  with the best equipment money can buy. They deserve no less.  It will then be able to deal with casualties from world emergencies etc. The water desalination plants should also be in excess of what the ship needs to allow for supplying those in need with water.

This makes a dual use ship not viable, that's not a problem as far as I can see . If the Royal Family want a yacht then they can pay for it themselves they can certainly afford it. I see no good reason why the country should pay for it.  

I rather doubt that any of the Royals 'Want' a 'yacht' now. ('New arrivals', apart?). That does not mean that such should not be considered, if just as a concept. Sadly, however, the need to 'show the Flag' in a relatively un-armed ship, has passed.

A dedicated hospital ship would be nice... But, We NEED Warships.

Now, we have  one and a half A/C carriers, (work in progress!)... and probably cannot afford the aircraft except on hire... so, stick some 'State Rooms' into the unused hangar  space of the second one... and we can have a Bloody BIG Royal Yacht !     (Competition could become Interesing!).

As aircraft , eventually, become available... 'downsize'...  could probably get a 'cheap bundle deal package' on S/H LCS...  'might' do for the Thames, anyway! 

Quote from: hammurabi70 on 13 April 2021, 02:44:09 PM
What are you remembering?

Umm, that Britannia did not go south with the task force because she used different fuel to everything else.

Quote from: Heedless Horseman on 14 April 2021, 06:36:27 AM
Now, we have  one and a half A/C carriers, (work in progress!)... and probably cannot afford the aircraft except on hire... so, stick some 'State Rooms' into the unused hangar  space of the second one... and we can have a Bloody BIG Royal Yacht !     (Competition could become Interesing!).

Now there's a thought!

Quote from: Orcs on 13 April 2021, 11:41:42 PM
If we need a hospital ship for our armed forces we need to supply them a state of the art one that can keep up with the fleet and has no issues with different fuel etc
It should be equipped permanently as a hospital  with the best equipment money can buy. They deserve no less.  It will then be able to deal with casualties from world emergencies etc. The water desalination plants should also be in excess of what the ship needs to allow for supplying those in need with water.

This makes a dual use ship not viable, that's not a problem as far as I can see . If the Royal Family want a yacht then they can pay for it themselves they can certainly afford it. I see no good reason why the country should pay for it.  

The Americans recently sent one of their hospital ships up the Hudson when Covid was at its worst in New York City.

I've seen proposals; practical and fanciful to use large warships in civilian crisis situations.
Even a modest one has a big powerplant, a trained crew, communications, water desalination and some medical facilities.
The bigger ones, or a dedicated hospital ship have the potential to tie up and service several city blocks for water and power.

There can be few better ways to "show the flag" than responding quickly to a civil disaster, and render assistance in times of need.

For example: Kefalonia earthquake 1953.

https://www.greeka.com/ionian/kefalonia/history/earthquake/

"Were I to die at this moment, want of frigates would be found stamped on my heart" - Admiral Horatio Nelson

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Indeed, Mike, more frigates needed. The UK has a good track record of sending ships around the world to disaster zones to provide aid. But do we need a dedicated hospital ship? It's a lot faster to send these new fangled aeroplane thingies instead to supply aid and/or evacuate casualties than sail a ship to some far off destination. The last one(?) was a converted cruise ship, the SS Uganda, with the school kids turfed out and a 3 day re-fit implemented in Gibraltar to turn it into a hospital ship for service in the Falklands. With our shrinking armed forces, are we expecting to fight another big campaign on the other side of the world? I like to think there's plans to call up some civil ship and quickly convert it a la Uganda should the Falklands or it's like, occurs again. As for the Royals wanting a yacht well, yes, wouldn't you? But they're not daft. They know the public wouldn't wear it and Charlie plans to downsize the monarchy anyway if/when he's monarch.

Quote from: Ithoriel on 14 April 2021, 12:07:26 PM
"Were I to die at this moment, want of frigates would be found stamped on my heart" - Admiral Horatio Nelson

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.

Apparently there aren't enough frigates to  provide adequate  protection for the two aircraft carriers/ floating targets/vanity projects.

Helen McCrory at only 52.   

Paul

That's a shock. About (less than?) 10 years ago, she was sitting behind us on the plane to Glasgow with her young family on her way to meet their dad (Damien Lewis) on the Isle of Mull. She was tiny. What a good actress. Too young.