Warspite Quotes

“The second HMS Warspite (also spelt Warspight)”
― Iain Ballantyne, Warspite: Warships of the Royal Navy

“The origins of the name Warspite are not clear but the most popular theory is that it was a compound creation – ‘War’s spite’ embodies contempt for one’s enemies (an obvious reflection of English feelings towards Spain at the time). The word ‘spight’ was also a colloquial name for the green woodpecker. A ‘warspight’ would obviously be ready to ‘peck’ at the wooden hulls of opponents.”
― Iain Ballantyne, Warspite: Warships of the Royal Navy

“Somehow her engineers managed to squeeze twenty-two-and-a-half knots out of the Warspite, which was pretty remarkable for a thirty-year-old ship. However, just when she was making good progress, her old steering problem struck again. Careering off on a mad circle, she nearly collided with one of her destroyer escorts.”
― Iain Ballantyne, Warspite: Warships of the Royal Navy

“During the voyage Midshipman Corbett had been tasked with calculating the miles steamed by Warspite since the beginning of the war. After arriving at Greenock he recorded the following figures in his journal: 1939 (from declaration of war in September) – 12,984 miles. 1940 – 43,978 miles. 1941 – 25,253 miles. 1942 – 61,481 miles. 1943 – 17,168 miles.”
― Iain Ballantyne, Warspite: Warships of the Royal Navy

“Misfortune struck again when Warspite managed to ram HMS Valiant amidships on returning from some night shooting. Warspite’s bows were stoved in again while Valiant’s oil tanks were cracked open. Warspite was out of action for more than a month. An inquiry into”
― Iain Ballantyne, Warspite: Warships of the Royal Navy

“here it was in black and white from the First Lord of the Admiralty... again! King George V had already asked his Private Secretary to write to Winston Churchill and make it abundantly clear, when the Iron Duke Class was being built, that under no circumstances would a battleship be christened His Majesty’s Ship Oliver Cromwell. Now, in October 1912,”
― Iain Ballantyne, Warspite: Warships of the Royal Navy

“alienated Essex from the Queen’s favours. Meanwhile Raleigh revived his place at Court and was again one of the Queen’s closest advisors. Embittered, Essex let his hatred of Raleigh get the better of him and in 1601 attempted to stage a rebellion against the Queen which would also rid him, finally, of his rival. He paid for it with his head. But Essex would have his revenge, for when his old friend James I succeeded Elizabeth, he had Raleigh executed for treason. Following the Islands Voyage,”
― Iain Ballantyne, Warspite: Warships of the Royal Navy

“Hatred of the Spanish overwhelmed any qualms Raleigh might have felt about begging his bitter rival for help. Calling up he asked for the loan of some small boats and, to his surprise, Essex eagerly agreed”
― Iain Ballantyne, Warspite: Warships of the Royal Navy