All seven dwarfs in action as Portsmouth battleship lets rip with broadside | Nostalgia

Mickey, Minnie and all seven dwarfs from the Snow White film exploded into spectacular action on this Portsmouth battleship.
By Debz Croker
Published 27th Sep 2021, 20:32 GMT
The Royal Navy Nelson-class battleship HMS Nelson, named after Horatio, fires a full broadside with her nine16-inch (406 mm) guns known as Happy, Grumpy, Sneezy, Dopey, Sleepy, Bashful, Doc, Mickey and Minnie after the characters in the film Snow White whilet on operations in the Mediterranean as part of Force H on August 1, 1942, in the Mediterranean near Gibraltar. Picture: Keystone/Getty.The Royal Navy Nelson-class battleship HMS Nelson, named after Horatio, fires a full broadside with her nine16-inch (406 mm) guns known as Happy, Grumpy, Sneezy, Dopey, Sleepy, Bashful, Doc, Mickey and Minnie after the characters in the film Snow White whilet on operations in the Mediterranean as part of Force H on August 1, 1942, in the Mediterranean near Gibraltar. Picture: Keystone/Getty.
The Royal Navy Nelson-class battleship HMS Nelson, named after Horatio, fires a full broadside with her nine16-inch (406 mm) guns known as Happy, Grumpy, Sneezy, Dopey, Sleepy, Bashful, Doc, Mickey and Minnie after the characters in the film Snow White whilet on operations in the Mediterranean as part of Force H on August 1, 1942, in the Mediterranean near Gibraltar. Picture: Keystone/Getty.

It was August 1942 and HMS Nelson was in the Mediterranean not far from Gibraltar when all nine of her 16-inch guns were deployed in this broadside.

You can only imagine what it must have been like to be on board when her guns were fired, let alone to be on the receiving end.

All our pictures today are devoted to HMS Nelson.

Sailors painting HMS Nelson's anchor, April 1929. Picture: GettySailors painting HMS Nelson's anchor, April 1929. Picture: Getty
Sailors painting HMS Nelson's anchor, April 1929. Picture: Getty
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She was launched on September 3, 1925, and commissioned on August 15, 1927.

This ship and her sister, HMS Rodney, had a distinctive silhouette making them instantly recognisable. During pre-war service she was given periodic refits but a planned full modernisation was not carried out because of the outbreak of war.

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Related topics:PortsmouthGibraltarPompey

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