I was just reading about HMS Caroline, she is now 81 years old and still flying the white ensign of the royal navy. This ship was in the Battle of Jutland in WWI she is the last of the C class crusiers still alive today and one might think that she is the last WWI ship in the world still around (can anybody clarrify this). She now serves as a depo ship for the Northern Ireland Naval reserve.
This is HMS Cleopatra, Carolines sister ship and leadship of the class.
HMS Caroline today- note the class rooms that have been built onnthe aft deck-17-11-2004%5Dcaroline%20image.jpg)
I reflected back on to who has the oldest ship still flying the flag for her country and I can’t go past HMS Victory, Admiral Lord Nelson’s boat that won the battle of Trafalgar 200 years ago. She is still afloat and very much on the active list of the RN.
Are there any other ships out there that are really old but still serving there countries well (and yes I know about the 1930’s built river patrol boats in Brazil- I was thinking something more along the lines of Greece, Italy something like that, maybe even Spain, Portugal or France).
By: Gollevainen - 11th April 2006 at 06:09
Well is old Kommuna still in service?? For beeing launched in 1913 and still serving in its orginal role in 21st century as submarine salvageship, is rather nice achievment, something above museums and historic fleets…
By: Ventose - 11th April 2006 at 05:50
for adduction, in France we have the old tank “ondee” from 1935, just recently decomissioned
http://www.netmarine.net/bat/remorque/ondee/mecene.htm
http://www.netmarine.net/bat/remorque/ondee/index.htm
funy story, this steam boat have made secret missions and supply nuclear-quality water for the french SNLE, when the base “Ile Longue” was short of
actually, this ship need a mecene for save it
and by the way, French Navy still have 4 sailing ship:
“Etoile” and “Belle Poule” 1932
http://www.netmarine.net/bat/be/bpoule/index.htm
“Mutin”, 1926
http://www.netmarine.net/g/bat/mutin/index.htm
and “Grande Hermine” around the same age
By: Ventose - 11th April 2006 at 03:45
The aurora is still here
in china are different old ship, but not old such as the Constellation or the Huascar
I means you have a destroyer post WWII in Dalian, the “Anshan” from Anshan class, back on 1960”
and then the Kiev in Tienjin and the Minsk in Shenzen
By: XN923 - 7th April 2006 at 12:22
Fascinating discussion… and one fraught with devils in the detail. Whether a ship is listed in service or not, as we have seen, does not necessarily mean it is in any kind of service in reality. As I understand it, HMS Victory is both the name of a ship and a shore establishment. Indeed, HMS Audacious was on the books as being part of (I think) the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet throughout the First World War despite having been sunk by a mine in 1915 (it was kept on the lists for, ironically, intelligence reasons hoping to keep the fact of the sinking from the public and the enemy, despite the fact that the sinking had been witnessed by the liner RMS Olympic which was in the vicinity). So ‘in service’? technically, yes – even when sitting on the bottom of the Irish Sea, or concreted to a dock in Portsmouth, or even preserved floating on her own bottom in Baltimore. – you might as well expect the aircraft of the BBMF to be posted to Iraq.
(I’d be interested to know just how original both Victory and Constitution are in any case – I read recently that the protected cruiser ‘Aurora’ preserved at St. Petersburg got a completely new hull below the waterline in the 1960s – and she is 100-150 years newer than Constitution/Victory. I saw a stall in a shopping centre recently selling pieces of wood from Victory removed during renovation. True Cross anyone?)
The question of which is the oldest vessel still performing some kind of useful service is an interesting one though. Presumably this excludes parts of ships – the mast of HMS Ganges still stands at Shotley after all!
By: rogersjr - 31st March 2006 at 09:46
Although a fascinating ship Huascar is not a monitor but a “turret ship”. A monitor has low freeboard. The turret on Huascar was originally a manual version of the 2 on Cerberus. It has since been steam powered and the guns replaced by breech loaders.
John Rogers
Fleet Engineer (Victorian Navy)
website & research
www.cerberus.com.au
By: Distiller - 31st March 2006 at 08:28
What about old World War I and II ships still serving in a proper military role, even if they are just depot ships. Wasn’t the Philippines Navy still using World War II vintage frigates in a frontline role?
There is a handful of Sumner class destroyers still on duty, but the “Puno” is 60 years older, even though she serves in fresh water, not the ocean.
By: Dubya - 31st March 2006 at 02:05
What about old World War I and II ships still serving in a proper military role, even if they are just depot ships. Wasn’t the Philippines Navy still using World War II vintage frigates in a frontline role?
By: Nicolas10 - 30th March 2006 at 23:22
What about the ship in Sweden from the 1600s, I think. Don’t think it is afloat, tho. The Vasa. Not sure if it is still listed as being part of the Swedish Navy.
If you’re talking about the Wäsä; she is not afloat. She has been recovered from the bottom of the sea near Stockholm where she sank on her first trip outside the bay.
She’s now part of a very nice museum that’s been built around her.
Nic
By: Distiller - 30th March 2006 at 22:10
The Peruvian Navy vessel “Puno” on Lake Titicaca, built in 1879 and still active.
By: rogersjr - 30th March 2006 at 21:15
HMVS Cerberus
Regarding JA Worsley’s post on HMVS Cerberus. Thank-you for spreading the word about Cerberus. I wish we had just been given $52 million. We actually received $80,000 to remove the four 18 ton guns. This reduces the weight of the central superstructure and hopefully buys us some time to raise the $6.5 million required to stabilise the ship. A study undertaken by the Engineering firm GHD concluded that “Catastrophic Collapse in Imminent”.
Most of the important elements of Cerberus remain. The 9 inch armour belt has only lost a few millimetres over the 80 years since she was scuttled. Cerberus, launched in 1868, was the first British monitor and the first British warship to dispense with sails. Cerberus prowled Pt Phillip Bay for 34 years. Cerberus is the last Monitor warship capable of being saved and this unique opportunity should not be missed.
Those wishing to help save Cerberus can join the Victorian Navy as free or paid members. Paid ranks range from Stoker at $20 to Commander at $100. So important do many people see saving Cerberus that our most popular paid rank is Commander.
John Rogers
Fleet Engineer (Victorian Navy)
website & research
By: JGR - 5th August 2005 at 03:41
Lake Ships
Regarding the Peruvian vessel; I know they had 2 in service but as far as I can remembert hey have been recently (last couple of years) been retired.
Hello,
Perhaps. The last report that I ran across was mid-2004 with one in service (http://www.mmass.co.uk/News%20and%20Views/news0407.htm) and one being restored. There are some very interesting pictures of the vessel being restored at http://www.profesora.co.uk/Puno.htm. The Puna is the ex-Yapura and was still in service.
BTW – Apparently these ships are made of iron and not steel. An iron ship on a lake should be able to last a very, very long time.
Take care.
JGR
By: Forestin - 4th August 2005 at 07:41
Regarding the Peruvian vessel; I know they had 2 in service but as far as I can remembert hey have been recently (last couple of years) been retired.
By: JGR - 4th August 2005 at 02:37
Kruzenshtern and Others
How old is the Coast Guard ship Eagle?
Hello,
The USCG Eagle was completed in Germany in 1936 (Launched June). It has a number of sister ships (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorch_Fock_%281933%29#USCGC_Eagle_.28ex_Horst_Wessel.29).
The Russian Kruzenshtern sail training ship was built in 1926. Anyone know of an older Training Ship?
According to various sites on the Internet, Peru has a small old naval hospital ship, the Puno, on Lake Titicaca. However, the various sites give different build dates (1860’s or 1870’s). Still, she is an old ship. Lakes due tend to be easier on a ship for corrosion and wave damage compared to the ocean. Maybe we need separate lake and ocean categories.
Take Care.
JGR
By: hawkdriver05 - 4th August 2005 at 01:19
How old is the Coast Guard ship Eagle?
By: JGR - 3rd August 2005 at 13:44
Great Ships
Ok This should settle this discussion right now in Sundays local fishrag their was a photo from Ap the Kicker stated the following.
US Navy Cmdr. Thomas Graves, dressed in period uniform, salutes the city of Boston after taking over as commander of the USS Constition on Saturday, Graves is the 69th commander of Old Ironsides, which earned the nickname in a battle with a British frigate during the War Of 1812. The 207-year-old warship is the oldest commissioned ship afloat in the world.
So there you have it folks it is Old Ironside ahnds down.
RER
Hello,
This is all a matter of definition. Is a ship a ship, if it is never afloat (such as HMS Victory)? It has been decades since I was on Victory, but she sure looked like a ship. On the other hand, USS Constitution is really afloat, but only “goes to sea” to turn around. I am pretty sure that she will never truly sail again like she did a few years ago. It is just too risky.
However, we are very lucky to have these two great ships around under any circumstances.
FWIW – I repeat my new related question, what is the oldest ship that regularly goes to sea to perform a job for a navy? One of the 1930’s training ships?
Take care.
JGR
By: crazymainer - 2nd August 2005 at 05:02
Ok This should settle this discussion right now in Sundays local fishrag their was a photo from Ap the Kicker stated the following.
US Navy Cmdr. Thomas Graves, dressed in period uniform, salutes the city of Boston after taking over as commander of the USS Constition on Saturday, Graves is the 69th commander of Old Ironsides, which earned the nickname in a battle with a British frigate during the War Of 1812. The 207-year-old warship is the oldest commissioned ship afloat in the world.
So there you have it folks it is Old Ironside ahnds down.
RER
By: JGR - 30th July 2005 at 23:11
Truly “Active”
Ok Folks,
First it is a COMMISION SHIP IN THE UNITED STARES NAVY it has an active duty crew along with Reserve Folks, she is taken out under her own powre at least once a year on the 4th of July. I had the chance to see her under full sails a few years back when we did the fly over of her with 12 Warbirds what an increalbe site.RER
Hello,
Another interesting question is what is the oldest truly “active” ship in the world’s navies (performing duties other than ceremonial, regularly at sea…). Various sail training ships are a possibility. Any other ideas?
Take care.
JGR
By: JGR - 30th July 2005 at 22:58
no It can´t be the LW since the ship in the movie was much bigger
There is a video (discussed at http://forums.eyo.com.au/showthread.php?t=47960) that documents the voyage of the Lady Washington on her way to the movie. But, there could have been addition computer generated footage. I’ll have to pull out my DVD some time and have a look.
Take care.
JGR
By: crazymainer - 29th July 2005 at 05:46
Ok Folks,
Lets see if I can settle Old Iron Side debate once for all,
First it is a COMMISION SHIP IN THE UNITED STARES NAVY it has an active duty crew along with Reserve Folks, she is taken out under her own powre at least once a year on the 4th of July. I had the chance to see her under full sails a few years back when we did the fly over of her with 12 Warbirds what an increalbe site.
Now as for the USS Arizonia she is still carried as active FDR signed an exective policy stating this in 1943.
As for all other former US Navy ships they are still owned by the US Navy that is part of the deal that citys who get Naval Ships for display they are carried under the Navl History Centers list of loan artifacts.Its a Federal Law that all US Naval Ships must be either retired then scraped or if put on display the Navy retands ownership.
RER
By: Forestin - 26th July 2005 at 22:37
no It can´t be the LW since the ship in the movie was much bigger
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May 1, 2005 at 11:09 am