Inscribed by the artist 'Royal Oak', lower right. A port proadside study of the battleship 'Royal Oak' in her spring 1917 configuration. The range finding baffles on her funnel were only fitted for a very short time in the spring of that year before being removed. 'Royal Oak' was the first capital ship loss of the Second World War when she was sunk at anchor in Scapa Flow by a daring U-boat torpedo attack.