HMS 'Princess Royal' with a tug

Inscribed by the artist, lower right, 'Princess Royal'. A loose watercolour sketch of this battlecruiser from off her starboard quarter, probably manoeuvring in an anchorage, with a paddle-tug alongside to assist. The ship was built by Vickers at Barrow, launched on 29 April 1911 and completed in November 1912. Her bow is shown unnaturally high but her stern is at the right draught. She was completed with torpedo nets and booms but they were removed sometime in 1915-16 and definitely before the Battle of Jutland. She still has the foremast signal yard which was removed in 1915. She also has the original foretop which was enlarged in 1917, which all suggests the image probably dates to 1915. The suggestion of high ground behind plus the tug might indicate the Firth of Forth as a location, but that is far from certain. [BTodd/PvdM 2/13]

Object Details

ID: PAE2680
Collection: Fine art
Type: Drawing
Display location: Not on display
Creator: Wyllie, William Lionel
Vessels: Princess Royal (1911)
Date made: circa 1915
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Caird Collection
Measurements: 246 mm x 310 mm