1000 Days-1914

(Introduction) | (1910) | (1911) | (1912) | (1913) | (1914) | (1915) | (1916) | (Epilogue) | (The Ship) | (Battle Cruiser) | (Design) | (Protection) | (Ordnance) | (Machinery) | (Miscellaneous) | (Sources)

Habitability
in early 1914, Lion complained of insufficient frying capacity in the galley for preparing breakfast. A call was made for reports from her sisters and other battle-cruisers to determine whether this was a serious problem.

31st January 1914
Based at Portsmouth, a period during which nothing of any great significance occurred, out with personnel changes and the arrival of some new drafts. Finally on the last day of the month she left Portsmouth arriving at Portland shortly afterwards, preparatory to her first foreign cruise to France and Spain. Although this was to be an important goodwill visit for the squadron, it has been noted only as an unwelcome intervention to her proposed general training programme in at least one source.

1st February 1914
Routine work even in harbour could be demanding for some as the squadron prepared for this important cruise. This is quite well noted by one midshipman, when providing the duty steamboat for the squadron in a busy naval port, a trying experience for one so young:

''On Wednesday, when the ship went to sea at 6.15am I took the umpire to the Hercules, the postman into Weymouth, the butcher into Portland, and then I went and lay alongside the Achilles till 12.30pm. Queen Mary came into harbour at 1.30pm. I started off, brought off butcher and launch in tow with provisions, got alongside ship at 2pm went to Monarch, returned to ship. Off again to Hercules and Assistance, back to ship, off to Lion with immediate letter, in to Weymouth with stewards, back to Portland for postman, and so on till 10.30pm from 12.30pm one continuous run. I slept on the floor of the cabin till 5am when we went off on an immediate letter trip to the St. Vincent, and then back to the ship to fetch the postman, and so on till 11.30pm. Last night to Weymouth for naval patrol. Yesterday, as we were duty steamboat for the fleet, we did a continuous run from 5.30am till 8.00am from 9.30am till 12.30pm from 1.30pm till 6.30pm from 7.30pm till 11.30pm but today we shall have a little less work. That is our life on-board: I must say this life of rush is quite fun in a way, and reminds me of London, though at times it is hard to keep awake. (Midshipman Tennyson)''

Undoubtedly the command of one of the ships’ boats loomed large in the training of the midshipmen, with the charge of one of Queen Mary’s pair of 50 feet steam picket boats being regarded as an important episode in their career.

9th February 1914
Tuesday, and Queen Mary left Portland for Brest late in the day, in company with the hands of the recently re-organised 1BCS, brought about because the Indefatigable was now refitting, and being replaced by her sister the New Zealand: The general scene of this evening departure has been well captured: ''We formed rather an imposing sight, leaving Portland and steaming out of the breakwater, Lion leading, followed by Queen Mary, Princess Royal, and New Zealand and leaving the harbour deserted. (Midshipman Tennyson)''

10th February 1914
As this midshipman goes on to relate the passage was not to be all that kind, but apparently this struggle was to be worthwhile, as he goes on to relate the striking visage obtained from a commanding bridge position and their arrival at Brest: ''It was a lovely moonlight night when we left, but when I came on watch at 4am on Wednesday morning it was blowing very hard and raining in heavy squalls. I literally at one time got blown back down the ladder while trying to get up to the compass platform. It was a head sea, and the ship was as steady as a rock, pushing through it at 15 knots, and every time sending up a huge cloud of white spray and wave over the fo’c’sle, a very fine sight when looking down on from the compass platform. The seas were breaking right up to the turrets, like waves against a breakwater. They say that with these long ships a head sea is the most dangerous, as they May break their backs, being so long, and reach over the waves. Two things occur, ‘hogging’ and ‘sagging’, but I don’t think we need worry about them in Queen Mary. I was only telling you as a matter of interest. We sighted Ushant at 7am and then altered course and steamed down along an awful coast strewn with hungry looking rocks and boulders, many of them far out at sea. We arrived in about 10.30am. This channel comes out into an enormous bay, which looks like a lake, and beautiful in the bright sunlight. I went ashore about 4pm wandered about with McMaster, talked French to everybody I saw, and then came off again at 6.30pm. It had just begun to blow, and the wind was rapidly getting up. We were all lying at single anchor, and of course when these squalls come on one is liable to drag, and it means no end of what I call ‘flap’. (Midshipman Tennyson)'' This showing the flag visit to this important French naval bastion was to cover the following week with official visits, calls and exchanges to be undertaken with their French counterparts.