Royal Navy Chartered
SS Ben-my-Chree was chartered by the Royal Navy on 1 January 1915. The next day she began her transformation to HMS Ben-my-Chree, a seaplane carrier, at the shipyards of Cammell Laird in Birkenhead. Part of her superstructure was removed, aft of her second funnel, and a hangar was constructed. This was capable of housing six seaplanes, which were lifted in and out of the water by a derrick. There was also a 60-foot-long (18 m) flying-off platform forward. Her armament consisted of four quick-firing 12-pounder guns, and two 3-pounder guns. Later in May 1916 more 12-pounder guns, and 2-pounder pom-poms, along with 3-pounder guns were added.
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Famous quotes containing the words royal navy, royal, navy and/or chartered:
“The Royal Navy of England hath ever been its greatest defence and ornament; it is its ancient and natural strength; the floating bulwark of the island.”
—William Blackstone (1723–1780)
“You know, he wanted to shoot the Royal Family, abolish marriage, and put everybody who’d been to public school in a chain gang. Yeah, he was a idealist, your dad was.”
—David Mercer, British screenwriter, and Karel Reisz. Mrs. Dell (Irene Handl)
“We all know the Navy is never wrong, but in this case it was a little weak on being right.”
—Wendell Mayes, U.S. screenwriter. Otto Preminger. CINCPAC II (Henry Fonda)
“The chartered recountants take the thing to pieces and put it together again. They enjoy it. The artist takes it to pieces and makes a new thing, new things. He must.”
—Samuel Beckett (1906–1989)