Royal Navy Dockyard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dockyards of the Royal Navy are harbours where either commissioned ships are based, or where ships are overhauled and refitted. Historically, the RN maintained a string of dockyards around the world, although few are now operating today.
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[edit] UK Dockyards
[edit] Current
[edit] Former
- Chatham, UK
- Woolwich, UK
- Deptford, UK
- Queenstown, UK - now in the Republic of Ireland, it is in the custody of the Irish Defence Forces
- Portland, UK
- Scapa Flow, UK
- Pembroke Dock, UK
- Sheerness, UK
[edit] Overseas Dockyards
[edit] Current
- Gibraltar, the dockyard is now operated as a commercial facility by Cammell Laird, although there is still a Royal Navy presence, which provides a maintenance capability. Gibraltar's naval docks are an important base for NATO. British and US nuclear submarines frequently visit the Z berths at Gibraltar (source: Hansard). A Z berth provides the facility for nuclear submarines to visit for operational or recreational purposes, and for non-nuclear repairs.
- Singapore, the original RN base at Sembawang is no longer in use now by the Singapore Navy, who have since built 2 more modern bases in the island nation. There is, however, a continuing RN presence, along with the RAN and RNZN, under the auspices of the Five Power Defence Arrangements. The US Navy is also present at the former HMNB Singapore. One of the many adjacent bases, formerly known as HMS Terror, is now the main recreation and welfare centre for US Navy personnel, known as the 'Terror Club'.
- Stanley, Falkland Islands
- Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory
[edit] Former
- Bermuda. The dockyard on Ireland Island was opened in 1809, on land purchased following US Independence. The Royal Navy had operated from the Town of St. George for a dozen years while an adequate channel was sought by which large naval vessels could reach the West End of Bermuda. The blockade of US Atlantic ports during the American War of 1812 was orchestrated from Bermuda. Bermuda became, first the winter location, and then the permanent location of the Admiralty for North America and the West Indies, as well as the base for a naval squadron. After the Second World War the dockyard was no longer deemed relevant to Royal Navy operations and was closed in 1958. Most of the Dockyard, along with other Admiralty and War Office land in Bermuda was sold to the Colonial Government. However, a small base, HMS Malabar, continued to operate from the South Yard throughout the Cold War. This base was finally closed in 1995, 200 years after the establishment of permanent Royal Navy forces in Bermuda.
- Hong Kong, now in the custody of the Chinese PLAN, the yard is located on Stonecutters Island. Originally the yard was on Hong Kong Island at HMS Tamar.
- Bombay, British India, the naval dockyard is now in the custody of the Indian Navy
- Simonstown, South Africa, now in the custody of the SADF
- Trincomalee, Ceylon
- Alexandria, Egypt
- Valletta, Malta
- Halifax, Canada. This yard is now known as CFB Halifax.
- Kingston, Canada. Now closed, this yard was near where the Royal Military College is now situated.
- Esquimalt, Canada. In 1865, the Royal Navy relocated the Pacific Fleet headquarters from Valparaíso, Chile, to the Esquimalt Harbour. In 1887, a naval base was located at Work Point. In 1905, the Royal Navy abandoned it's base, but the Pacific Fleet headquarters of the new Royal Canadian Navy replaced it in 1910.
