I’m a keen amateur naval historian with a special interest in World War I and World War II battleships, and other general naval, aviation and military history. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit or see a number of battleships and other naval ships over the years. Here are some photos and links.
Naval Photo Galleries
IJN Mikasa Pre-Dreadnought Battleship – visited in May 2024 in Yokohama, Japan
USS Olympia and USS Becuna – visited in May 2022 in Philadelphia, United States
Battleship USS Iowa – visited the Iowa in January 2020 in Los Angeles, United States.
Battleship USS New Jersey – I visited the Jersey in Camden, New Jersey in 2011, 23 years after I first stepped on-board in Australia.
USS Midway Aircraft Carrier and HMS Surprise – visited in December 2019 in San Diego, United States.
HMAS Armidale II Patrol Boat – The lead boat in the Australian navy’s Armidale Class Patrol Boats off the Caloundra coast, Queensland, 03 May 2021.
HMAS Diamantina River Class Frigate – visited and toured in August 2019 including the Queensland Maritime Museum.
USS Ronald Reagan Supercarrier – I was there when it docked in Brisbane, Australia in July 2017.
USS Cassin Young Destroyer – I visited this Boston-based Fletcher class destroyer in July, 2017.
HMAS Canberra Landing Helicopter Dock – Got to see this Canberra-class landing helicopter dock in action off the Queensland coast in July 2017.
Heavy Cruiser USS Salem – I visited the Salem in Quincy, Massachusetts in 2013.
Light Cruiser HMS Belfast – I visited Belfast in 2015
Ship of the Line HMS Victory – Nelson’s famous flagship, visited in 2015
Ironclad HMS Warrior – The huge early ironclad that never saw action. Visited in 2015.
Battleship USS Massachusetts – I visited Battleship Cove when it was closed in Fall River, Massachusetts in 2013.
Aircraft Carrier USS Intrepid – Visited the old aircraft carrier in New York in 2011, including the early cruise missile submarine the USS Growler and a retired Concorde.
HMAS Vampire Destroyer – visited one of the last gun-based surface warships in the Australian navy, the destroyer HMAS Vampire, in September 2018 in Sydney.
Battleship New Jersey, 1988 – When I was 6 years old, the US battleship New Jersey visited Brisbane. My parents took me to visit it – after a multi-hour wait in the queue, we finally got onboard and my interest in these ships was born. No photos but a flyer scan.
Battleships at Maker Faire – Got to watch some battleship duels at Maker Faire in San Francisco, 2012.
Frigate USS Constitution – Got to see it from the outside and sailing in the harbour.
Destroyer Cassin Young – On my first visit got to see it from the outside.
National Museum of the United States Navy, Washington DC, United States – visited July 2018. Includes the famous 26 inch Shinano armor plate penetrated by a US superheavy 2700 lb 16 inch shell in armor tests.
International Maritime Museum Hamburg – visited in 2015, collection of naval models and dioramas.
Battleship Models
IJN Yamato and USS Missouri – I (badly) made a couple of kit battleship models when I was a teenager, one of IJN Yamato and one of USS Missouri.
Tank Photo Galleries
Bovington Tank Museum – The largest collection of tanks in the world, including a functional Tiger I, a Tiger II, Jagdtiger and the Mark I and successor tanks.
Civilian Ships
SS Great Britain – The great passenger liner made of iron by the one and only Isambard Kingdom Brunel, visited in 2015.