British warships HMS Eagle, Woolston and Witherington and Royal Sovereign leaving Malta in September 1929

HMS Eagle. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

Revenge-class. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

HMS Veteran sister ship Witherington. ©Warshipsresearch.blogspot.com

The American Consulate at Valetta, Malta wrote the US State of Secretary on 11 September 1929 No. 364 that due to the improved situation in Palestina the British aircraft carrier HMS Eagle (1) and the destroyers Woolston (2) and Witherington (3) departed from Malta on 10 September 1929 followed the next day by the battleship Royal Sovereign (4) to join the cruise of the Mediterraneann Fleet.

Notes

1. Building ordered as Chilean battleship Almirante Cochrane on 29July 1912, laid down by Armstrong Whitworth with yard number 858 on 20 February 1913, launched on 8 June 1918, purchased on 28 February 1918, commissioned on 20 February 1924 and sunk by the German submarine U-73 on 11 August 1942.

2. Part of W-class preceded by S-and Parker-classes and succeeded by Thornycroft type destroyer leaders Ambuscade and Amazon. Laid down by John I. THornycroft&Company on 25 April 1917, launched on 27 January 1918, commissioned on 28 June 1918, decommissioned in August 1945 and sold to be broken up on 18 February 1947.

3. An Admiralty modified W-class destroyer ordered under the 14th War Programme . Of the 38 ships ordered were just 7 completed, the other 31 were cancelled. Preceded by S-and Parker-classes and succeeded by Thornycroft type destroyer leaders Ambuscade and Amazon. Ordered in April 1918. Laid down by J. Samuel White & Company, Cowes, Wight on 27 September 1918, launched on16 January 1919, commissioned on 10 October 1919, placed in reserve after May 1945, for disposal after September 1945, sold to be broken up on 20 March 1947 and wrecked underway to the scrapyard on 29 April 1947.

4. Part of the Revenge-class although often referred to as the Royal Sovereign-class or even ‘R‘-class. There were totally 8 ships planned of which two the Renown and Repulse were built using another design as battle cruisers and the third one the Resistance was cancelled. The 5 sister ships were the Royal Oak, Royal Sovereign, Revenge, Ramillies and Resolution. Preceded by the Queen Elisabeth-class and to be succeeded by the planned but never realized N3 class and the realized Nelson-class. Laid down by H.M. Dockyard, Portsmouth, England on 15 January 1914, launched on 29 April 1915, completed in May 1916, transferred to the Soviet Union on 30 May 1944, renamed Arkhangelsk, returned to England in January 1949 and arrived at scrapyardp on 18 May 1949.