Could the USN could have sold the Aircraft Carrier (Medium), aka the CVV, to foreign navies similar to the RN did prior to WWI, and if so, what navies would buy/accept such ship?
What was a planned/ blueprint ship that was either never built or half way completed before being cancelled . That despite how crazy or ridiculous or cracked the design of the ship was. WOULD have actually worked very well and would have been successful despite the ridiculous nature of the design?
how would the Royal Navy of the period the channel covers have handled the "Lobster war" or the Canadian Cod Crisis? Would they have let the merchants of such minor nations walk all over them?
I will accept the salute but you can only salute a Union Jack if you're looking at the small flag on the back of a boat or ship, the regular one is the Union Flag. That said given the channel I will assume you are currently aboard an age of steam vessel fnah fnah pip pip
@sherrile I can imagine Royal Marines of that ship had tough job to keep bloody Yanks swarming that ship if they found out what it is dispensing. "Now, go to your soda fountain and icecream bar on your own ships there!!"
@@kimmoj2570 If I was one of those bloody yanks you better believe I'd be storming it! Although, they could try telling them "the beer is Warm" and see if that works. (They would likely just bring some ice)
To boost troop moral they were like weapons of mass destruction for the enemy. Worn out tired troops who can be offered a slice from home like ice cream, Coca Cola, pie, beer etc.etc.
@@obelic71I recall an anecdote from a German officer during the Battle of the Bulge where he found a parcel sent to a G.I. that held a cake. What he found distressing was that the Americans had gasoline for trucks to ship cake, where they had none for their tanks.
@@Sherwoody Well, there's a scene depicting said "anecdote" in the 1965 movie of that name; but in all of the historical reading that I've done about the battle, I've never seen any actual evidence that it actually happened. It seems to be one of those "We have awakened a sleeping giant" moments that sounds like it SHOULD have happened, but there's very little historical evidence to suggest that it actually did.
That guy would be the most popular old NCO in British version of the American Legion or VFW. There’s lots of us with the standard combat arms and combat support MOS jobs, but a skill like that?! That’d be the tits, man.
Way back when I served in the US Navy, our submarine was sent to Fort Lauderdale as part of Publicly Tour. We conducted tours aboard for about a week. This was during Spring Break, the first day, crew had to be assigned to be tour guides, but after boat loads of young collage age women wearing swimsuits were taking the tour, there were more than enough volunteers to be tour guides each day there after. I was one of the Day One tour guides, one of my first groups was a group of English Sailors...the very FIRST thing I was asked by this group? "Where is the beer?" I tried to explain that there is NO beer onboard a US Navy Ship. It was quickly explained to Me that UK Ships HAD beer onboard and it was practically uncivilized NOT to have at least beer for the crew. I was invited to tour their ship, I guess to see how a "civilized ship" treats their crew.
Yank Marine here, Between you and the replays from Jingles. I am really gaining an appreciation for the way the British Navy does things. I wish I had the opportunity to visit one of your ships when I was still in service. To be able to have a beer onboard like that is quite unique to us. Cheers and thanks for another great video. I have learned a LOT!...
I guess it's a cultural thing. I recall, back in the 1990s, being told it was quite normal for McDonalds in Germany to sell beer. My sister-in-law worked in the international airline industry. She had to tell American transfers that they couldn't fire somebody for drinking alcohol at lunchtime. British employees were generally less sensible/moderate about their alcohol consumption. Americans seemed more prudish all the time. Some cultures are generally moderate about alcohol. Kids getting diluted wine rom an early age in France, so less desire to go hell for leather when they are older. I don't have an answer for the problems.
I don't know if the Navy maintains a similar tradition, but RAF bars have 'the black bottle'. This is maintained at one end of the rack of vertical dispensers, completely covered in tape to obscure both identity (generally something strong and reasonably cheap) and level. A patron is free to request a shot from the black bottle at any time. If it comes out complete, the shot is free. If it empties the bottle, said patron is required to buy a complete new bottle.
I've heard that the wardroom at HMNZS Philomel has or had one until recently (by recently I mean the 80s). My mum was in the bar when someone emptied it. The poor steward, tending bar, was just about crushed to death in the stampede to obtain a shot.
My father worked for Alfred Holt (Blue Funnel Line) until the early '70s. All of their ships were named after ancient Greeks. Most carried a few passengers and had a rather nice pre-war sort of atmosphere. Although there were none with a brewery, I remember that there was no shortage of bars and I spent a lot of my childhood making extra holes in empty beer cans and chucking them off the back.
The Welkomhoff on the River Elbe would put up the flag and play the anthem of each ship that passed. Sadly CP Ships always got the Canadian anthem though we were UK crewed. You can’t have it all tho 😂 Hamburg was always a good run ashore.
A mobile brewery is the most British idea ever - our military seems to have always persevered through the use of alcohol and tobacco as have many other military - in my very brief service back in the 80s I was of the firm if joking opinion that if the soviets had come through the Fulda Gap on Christmas morning between leave and hangovers no one would have noticed till they were in Paris 😂
Something we somehow adopted in the 90ist here in germany. We had a Minesweeper, called "Kulmbach". That little city also has a brewery. So on her maiden voyage there somehow suddenly were some trucks full of kegs and a drafting-station on the pier the weekend before she left. Not really like a brewery on the ship, but at least well supported by it 😂
"Sir, they sunk the beer ship!" "ATTENTION ALL HANDS! ATTENTION ALL HANDS! PREPARE FOR BOARDING ACTION, I REPEAT PREPARE FOR BOARING ACTION! THE JAPS JUST SUNK THE BEER BOAT." ::Waaaaaaghh!::
Essential supplies must get through. Nice story of the RN. I talked to a few US crew form the Bunker Hill after the Gulf war and they were all very happy to have visited the Royal Navy ships for a beers or two during the conflict.
This is now my favourite warship. Why didn't I know about it before? Why is there no model kit of it? Who was the genius who came up with the idea? We at least need a photo. Who was the master brewer and what rank did they hold? How did the Royal Navy recruit such a oerson? I take it that they got a medal for honourable service?
In the 1990’s the Chief’s Mess aboard U.S.S. Guadalcanal (LPH-7) invited the Chief’s Mess of HMS Ark Royal for Cocktails. One PROBLEM U.S. Navy was dry since probation and Sec Nav Joe Danials. So they sent a rep up to the Flag Bridge to ask permission. The way my Dad put it too the Admiral, “We have already been invited to their Mess, customs and courtesy dictates we should do the same. It would be an embarrassment too the U.S. Naval services too offer only Coffee. We would like the Mess to serve Beer and other Spirits. Oh and of course Gentlemen, your invited. “(Skipper was in on it as well) It occurred twice, once in Portsmouth England, and once in Norfolk, Virginia. My dad was sent as rep both occasions. Good fun was had by all. I at the time a young Lance Corporal in the Marines was able too attend cocktails on HMS Ark Royal in Norfolk, Mom was in woods with her Girl Scouts and I was home on Liberty from Camp Lejeune.
Always fun watching the Royal Navy in Bahrain take a beer delivery. I believe it was HMS Marlborough (F233) had some sort of store room forward that they kept their beer in. A truck came down the pier and they were shifting the beer in the room to fill every possible space and telling the truck to unload just a few more, then a few more until it was soo fully packed that it was just possible to get the door closed.
Thank you for your short history of one of the vsls of the late great Blue Funnel Line, in which I had the pleasure of sailing in the 1950s-built 'M' class and the last of the line, 1970s Nagasaki built 'M' class. PS. Your second pronunciation of Menestheus is correct as far as Blue Flue is concerned, I'm not sure for Greek scholars.
Dont forget we also put kettles in our tanks for hot food and drinks (tea obviously, but i guess coffee as well...) on the go, i guess we have done war so long we have worked out the essentials!
Gonna be honest, when I saw the title of the video I thought some Ship Captain was doing some business on the down-low. This was way more tame then I thought it would be when I clicked.
I visited the HMS Antelope (RIP Falklands) in 1978 and was delighted to offered cold John Courage tallboys by by the friendly crew we met at the Long Beach EM club. Very civilized.
I almost wish I could go back in time just to experience an "Amenity Ship". I've been into naval history for a decade and never had heard of them. They're kind of creative, and kind of awesome!
In the 1950 the Med Fleet had a mobile Beer Bar, HMS Boxer ex LCT, that was beached as a bar for the Annual Fleet Regatta. The ships where dry except for the daily rum ration.
Army Officer ''Our tank crews can make themselves a cuppa tea in their tanks to help keep their morale up'', Naval Officer ''Well you see old chap I think we might have you beat there''.
thought you started talking about another ship for a sec half way through the video when I wasn’t paying attention, that’s quite the glow up for any ship nevermind an auxiliary-
Sadly, for Al, a ship off shore of Chicago in the middle of Lake Michigan would still have been in US Territorial Waters, with the State of Michigan on the other side. There were Casino Ships outside the [then] Three Mile Limit that catered to the speakeasy crowd. They were adequately supplied with hard liquor from the Carribbean.
I am impressed with how the British were so forward thinking and level headed with their support programs. Too bad there wasn't a ship available to distill whisky while they were at it.
Two cans of beer a day and that's yer Bleedin' Lot! And now we got an extra one because they stopped the Tot, So we'll put on our civvie-clothes, find a pub ashore, A sailor's still a sailor, just like he was before...
Interesting video :) btw was there any rationing of beer in the WW2 Royal Navy? Or was it generally regarded as a soft drink in these more alcoholic days ;) When I was in the German Navy we had a two cans per man and day rule (though special beer calls were also called) but that was in the 2000s. I have no either either of how the Kriegsmarine handled it.
I love the Royal Navy priorities - firstly we had HMS Unicorn as a Forward Aviation Support Ship (honestly guv she's not a light fleet carrier in disguise) and then we get HMS Menestheus, ostensibly an 'amenties ship' that isn't a floating brewery - look she's got a cinema and everything... no wonder - with that kind of thinking - that the empire lasted as long as it did!
Now that is a ship I would have begged to be stationed on. A beer brewery on board. Now were talking, happy volunteers. I'm sure it was limited, but it also wasn't the piss water they served at one of the Coast Guard training schools clubs I was at in the 70's
@@Trek001 no thanks. First, it tastes like what I imagine watered-down piss tastes like. Second, to avoid loss; they stayed in Muscowy until the Muscowites confiscated their breweries. They should have just accepted the loss and kept morale. Aarhus Bryghus, Thisted Bryghus, Refsvindinge Bryggeri, or Frederikshavn Bryghus. Now we are talking
The so called "ice cream" ships were actually refrigerator ships that transported fresh food such as meat, dairy and vegetables to troops in the Pacific. This is of course the source of the rumors that American sailors and troops were the best fed in the world. My father served aboard a destroyer escort in the Atlantic before being reassigned to the Pacific and remembered how they had shore leave on an island where each sailor was given two cans of chilled beer. Later they watched movies and enjoyed a live show of some Hollywood singers. He and his ship mates recalled at a reunion that this was the best shore leave they ever had!
@@MM22966 Yes, there was just ONE barge used to make ice cream. But there were several refrigerator ships that not only carried fresh meat and vegetables but also made ice cream. I should also mention that many warships made their own ice cream on board, except that Destroyer Escorts didn't. The DEs had very small refrigerators and generally ran out of fresh food in a month. This info comes from my father, who like many DE sailors thought they were the "real" navy, but were jealous of the sailors on the bigger ships none the less.
