105-538: Operation Highbrow was a British Ministry of Defence (MoD) operation to evacuate civilians from Beirut as a result of the escalating 2006 Lebanon War . Initially, helicopters started ferrying the most vulnerable to Cyprus with several Royal Navy ships later transporting evacuees across the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus. The operation involved Royal Navy surface ships and helicopters, with Royal Air Force helicopters also providing support and transit. The operation
210-520: A hatchelling house, tarring house and storehouses) were laid out alongside and parallel to the ropehouse; they largely date from the same period. Later, in 1784, a large new house was built for the Dockyard Commissioner. Unusually for the time it was designed by a civilian architect ( Samuel Wyatt , with Thomas Telford as clerk-of-works); most other dockyard buildings were designed in-house. The dockyard chapel , built eighty years earlier,
315-510: A parliamentarian town during the civil war .) A resident Commissioner was first appointed in 1649; fifteen years later the Commissioner was provided with a house, and extensive gardens, at the centre of the yard. A new double dry dock (i.e. double the standard length so as to accommodate two ships at once) was built by the Commonwealth government in 1656, on what was then the tip of land at
420-533: A torpedo workshop (built to the east of No 12 dock in 1886). Before the end of the century, it was recognised that there would have to be still further expansion across all the Royal Dockyards in order to keep pace with the increasing likely size of future naval vessels. At Portsmouth two more dry docks, Nos 14 & 15, were built alongside the Repairing Basin in 1896; (within ten years these, together with
525-411: A " ship caisson " to close off the entrance to the basin (another innovation which soon became a standard design). To deal with the increasing number of docks, Bentham in 1797 proposed replacing one of the horse pumps above the reservoir with a steam engine. His plan was that the engine should be used not only to drain the reservoir (by night) but also to drive a sawmill and woodworking machinery (during
630-460: A concern during the 1930s, Stanley Baldwin created the position of Minister for Co-ordination of Defence . Ernle Chatfield, 1st Baron Chatfield held the post until the fall of the Chamberlain government in 1940. His success was limited by his lack of control over the existing Service departments, and his lack of political influence. On forming his government in 1940, Winston Churchill created
735-578: A defence policy with four primary missions for the Armed Forces: The review stated the Armed Forces will also contribute to the government's response to crises by being prepared to: Defence is governed and managed by several committees. The following organisational groups come under the control of the MOD. Top level budgets The MOD comprises seven top-level budgets . The head of each organisation
840-410: A dramatic and ongoing increase in the potential size of new vessels. The Dockyards found themselves having to expand in kind. At Portsmouth, plans were drawn up in the late 1850s for further land reclamation north and east of the new Steam Basin, and from 1867 work was begun on a complex of three new interconnected basins, each of 14–22 acres. Each basin served a different purpose: ships would proceed from
945-638: A floating HQ. The Sea Kings were equipped with Airborne Surveillance and Control (ASAC) and kept watch on what the Israeli Air Force and opposing forces were doing to ensure safe flight paths. The first flights involved the Chinook helicopters ferrying the most vulnerable from Beirut straight to the military base of RAF Akrotiri. Initially, 60 people were evacuated, with some being treated at The Princess Mary's Hospital, RAF Akrotiri . Griffin helicopters from No. 84 Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri, were also used in
1050-579: A galleon in 1559. The appointment of one Thomas Jermyn as Keeper of the Dock at Portsmouth is recorded in 1526, with a Clerk of the Stores being appointed from 1542. Contemporary records suggest that the dry dock was enlarged and rebuilt in 1523 in order to accommodate the Henry Grace à Dieu (the largest ship of the fleet at that time); but a hundred years later it is described as being filled with rubble. Following
1155-568: A government department and has responsibility for the strategy, performance, reform, organisation and the finances of the MOD. The role works closely with the Chief of the Defence Staff in leading the organisation and supporting Ministers in the conduct of business in the department across the full range of responsibilities. The Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015 included £178 billion investment in new equipment and capabilities. The review set
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#17330848838921260-428: A military threat to England, the strategic importance of Portsmouth grew. In 1689, Parliament ordered a new dry dock to be built there, large enough to accommodate the latest first-rate and second-rate ships of the line (which were too big for the existing docks). Work began in 1691; as with all subsequent extensions to the dockyard, the new works were built on reclaimed land (on what had been mud flats, to north of
1365-587: A million people along the south coast of England, from Torquay to the New Forest , were exposed to bacteria including E.coli and Bacillus globigii , which mimics anthrax ." Two scientists commissioned by the Ministry of Defence stated that these trials posed no risk to the public. This was confirmed by Sue Ellison, a representative of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down who said that
1470-505: A modern stone dry dock (known today as No 1 dock, it currently accommodates the museum ship HMS M33 ). North of the reservoir a channel was dug leading to a new boat basin, beyond which several shipbuilding slips were constructed on reclaimed land at what became known as the North Corner of the dockyard. The rest of the reclaimed land was given over to storage space for timber with saw pits and seasoning sheds alongside, as shown in
1575-555: A racial discrimination claim against the Ministry of Defence (MoD). In November 2019, mixed race soldier Mark De Kretser sued MoD for £100k claiming he was subjected to "grindingly repetitive" racist taunts from colleagues. In October 2009, the MOD was heavily criticised for withdrawing the bi-annual non-operational training £20m budget for the Territorial Army (TA), ending all non-operational training for six months until April 2010. The government eventually backed down and restored
1680-457: A set of gates, thus forming a second dry dock (called the "North Stone Dock" after it was rebuilt with stone altars in 1737, and known today as No 6 dock). Severed from the harbour, the Upper Wet Dock became a reservoir into which water from various nearby dry docks could be drained; it was vaulted and covered over at the end of the eighteenth century, but still exists today underground. By 1700
1785-465: A shipbuilding slip had been constructed off the (Lower) Wet Dock, parallel with the dry dock (roughly where No 4 dry dock is today). Between 1704 and 1712 a brick wall was built around the Dockyard, following the line of the town's 17th-century fortifications ; together with a contemporary (though altered) gate and lodge, much of the wall still stands, serving its original purpose. A terrace of houses for
1890-572: A system called the Defence Sourcing Portal. A separate internal policy generally operates in respect of low value purchasing below this threshold. DEFCON contract conditions are numbered defence contract conditions are in contracts issued by the MOD (not to be confused with DEFCON as used by the United States Armed Forces , which refers to a level of military "defence readiness condition"). Examples include: A full set of
1995-585: Is neoclassical in style and was originally built between 1938 and 1959 to designs by Vincent Harris to house the Air Ministry and the Board of Trade . A major refurbishment of the building was completed under a Private Finance Initiative contract by Skanska in 2004. The northern entrance in Horse Guards Avenue is flanked by two monumental statues, Earth and Water , by Charles Wheeler . Opposite stands
2100-593: Is "in excess of £3.3 billion". The defence estate is divided as training areas & ranges (84.0%), research & development (5.4%), airfields (3.4%), barracks & camps (2.5%), storage & supply depots (1.6%), and other (3.0%). These are largely managed by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation . The headquarters of the MOD are in Whitehall and is known as MOD Main Building . This structure
2205-672: Is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom . It is responsible for implementing the defence policy set by the government and serves as the headquarters of the British Armed Forces . The MOD states that its principal objectives are to defend the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and its interests and to strengthen international peace and stability. The MOD also manages day-to-day running of
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#17330848838922310-552: Is also the Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel). Permanent Secretary and other senior officials The Ministers and Chiefs of the Defence Staff are supported by several civilian, scientific and professional military advisors. The Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence (generally known as the Permanent Secretary ) is the senior civil servant at the MOD. Their role is to ensure that it operates effectively as
2415-704: Is personally accountable for the performance and outputs of their particular organisation. These are: Executive agencies Executive non-departmental public bodies Advisory non-departmental public bodies Ad-hoc advisory group Other bodies Public corporations Enabling organisation In addition, the MOD is responsible for the administration of the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus. Competitive procurement processes are used whenever possible, and all new direct tender and contract opportunities valued over £10,000 are advertised on
2520-530: Is the home base for two-thirds of the Royal Navy surface fleet , including the two aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales . Naval logistics, accommodation and messing are provided on site, with personnel support functions (e.g. medical and dental; education; pastoral and welfare) provided by Defence Equipment and Support . Other functions and departments, e.g. Navy Command Headquarters support staff, are also accommodated within
2625-497: Is the name given to the portion of the base which is open to the public; it plays host to: The Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust has long sought to extend the area of the Historic Dockyard to cover Dry Docks 4 and 5 and the historic Block Mills building among others. In 2015 an architectural design competition for the project was won by Latz+Partner ; however, the Ministry of Defence subsequently indicated that property to
2730-715: Is the regulatory authority of the Dockyard Port of Portsmouth , an area of approximately 50 square miles (130 km ) that encompasses Portsmouth Harbour and the Eastern Solent. KHM Harbour Control is based in the Semaphore Tower building. Shipping movements are handled by a team of admiralty pilots headed by the Chief Admiralty Pilot. In 1836 the Commander-in-Chief, Portsmouth was given accommodation within
2835-676: The Gurkha Monument, sculpted by Philip Jackson and unveiled in 1997 by Queen Elizabeth II . Within it is the Victoria Cross and George Cross Memorial, and nearby are memorials to the Fleet Air Arm and RAF (to its east, facing the riverside). Henry VIII 's wine cellar at the Palace of Whitehall , built in 1514–1516 for Cardinal Wolsey , is in the basement of Main Building, and is used for entertainment. The entire vaulted brick structure of
2940-569: The HMNB Devonport by 2023; HM Ship HMS Argyll moved in the opposite direction. HMS Monmouth and HMS Montrose were also to move to Portsmouth. However, Monmouth retired in 2021, Montrose decommissioned in 2023 and Argyll and Westminster followed in 2024. Richmond became a Devonport ship on completion of her refit. St Albans moved to Devonport in July 2019 in preparation for her major refit. Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
3045-552: The Mary Rose respectively). While constructing a new entrance to the Basin, Bentham introduced the innovation of an inverted masonry arch to tie together the walls on either side. He went on to use the same principle in constructing the new dry docks attached to the basin; it soon became standard for dock construction around the world. In constructing the docks and basin he made pioneering use of Smeaton 's waterproof cement . He also designed
3150-451: The Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus. Similarly, six Sea King helicopters from No. 846 Naval Air Squadron based at RNAS Yeovilton , also deployed forward to Akrotiri to assist in the airbridge. They left on 18 July, with four stopovers for refuelling, and arrived in Cyprus 24 hours later. The helicopters were used primarily to get around the Israeli naval blockade. Some evacuees were processed at
3255-510: The DEFCONs can be accessed via the MoD's Defence Gateway (registration required). The government noted in 2013 that the MoD's third-party expenditure was characterised by "complex, high-value contracts". Defence purchasing contributes to government ambitions to make supply chains more accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises , but the government commented that it had yet to secure good insight into
Operation Highbrow - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-691: The Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the British Armed Forces and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister . The CDS is supported by the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) who deputises and is responsible for the day-to-day running of the armed services aspect of the MOD through the Central Staff, working closely alongside
3465-600: The Dockyard (in Admiralty House) and in 1889 he was given HMS Victory to be his ceremonial flagship . These privileges were inherited by the Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command (whose post was combined with that of Second Sea Lord in 1994), who continued to fly his flag from HMS Victory until 2012. That year the post of Commander-in-Chief reverted to the First Sea Lord , and with it
3570-472: The Great Stone Dock was rebuilt and a new dry dock (known today as No 4 dock) was built alongside it over a five-year period from 1767. During 1771–76 the former Upper Wet Dock was reconfigured to serve as a reservoir into which water from the dry docks could be drained by way of culverts (enabling ships to be dry docked much more speedily). From 1789 work was begun on replacing the old wooden South Dock with
3675-617: The Indian Ocean in July 2006, when they were diverted to Operation Highbrow in the Mediterranean. With the airport at Beirut closed and roads within the region blocked, the best route out was via sea transport, with a short term flight in a military helicopter from the Port of Beirut to one of the awaiting ships, either, HMS Gloucester , HMS York , HMS St Albans , HMS Illustrious , HMS Bulwark , or RFA Fort Victoria . One civilian vessel
3780-561: The MV Alkioni , hired in from the Greece, carried 1,000 in two trips. HMS Gloucester carried three trips in total, safely carrying 766 people to Cyprus. The operation came to an end on 22 July 2006, with between 3,500 and 4,400 UK personnel evacuated. The number of people evacuated led to the government describing the operation as the biggest rescue since Dunkirk. The Royal Naval Sea Kings of 846 Squadron remained at Cyprus to ferry diplomats around
3885-610: The Ministry of Defence. Those departments merged in 1964, and the defence functions of the Ministry of Aviation Supply were merged into the Ministry of Defence in 1971. The unification of all defence activities under a single ministry was motivated by a desire to curb interservice rivalries and followed the precedent set by the American National Security Act of 1947 . The Ministers in the Ministry of Defence are as follows, with cabinet ministers in bold: The Chief of
3990-711: The Naval Base, under a 99-year lease, as an heritage area, the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard . It allows members of the public to visit important maritime attractions such as Mary Rose , HMS Victory , HMS Warrior and the National Museum of the Royal Navy . The Naval Base Commander (NBC) since June 2022 is Commodore John Voyce. The harbour is under the control of the King's Harbour Master (KHM), who
4095-518: The Naval Base. The base is additionally home to a number of commercial shore activities, including the ship repair and maintenance facility operated by BAE Systems Maritime Services . The base is the oldest in the Royal Navy, and it has been an important part of the Senior Service 's history and the defence of the British Isles for centuries. It is home to one of the oldest surviving drydocks in
4200-660: The Permanent Secretary. They are joined by the professional heads of the three British armed services ( Royal Navy , British Army and Royal Air Force ) and the Commander of Strategic Command . All personnel sit at OF-9 rank in the NATO rank system . Together the Chiefs of Staff form the Chiefs of Staff Committee with responsibility for providing advice on operational military matters and
4305-513: The Philippines, 25,000 from Australia, 25,000 from the United States, 22,000 from Great Britain (of which 10,000 had dual nationality), and 20,000 from France. The Foreign Office contacted the estimated 22,000 who were deemed to be allowed to evacuate, and established that around 5,000 people wanted to leave the country. HMS Illustrious and HMS Gloucester were both on a security mission in
Operation Highbrow - Misplaced Pages Continue
4410-404: The Royal Dockyards. As such, he took on responsibility for overseeing the continued rebuilding at Portsmouth and initiated further key engineering works. A prolific inventor and precision engineer, Bentham's initiatives at Portsmouth ranged from instituting new management principles in the manufacturing departments to developing the first successful steam-powered bucket dredger , which began work in
4515-458: The adjacent docks 12 & 13, had to be extended, and by the start of World War I Dock No 14 was over 720 ft in length). In 1843 construction began on a railway system within the dockyard. In 1846 this was connected to Portsmouth Town railway station via what became known as the Admiralty Line. By 1952 there was over 27 miles of track within the dockyard. Its use declined in the 1970s:
4620-401: The allocation of contracts. A government report covered by The Guardian newspaper in 2002 indicated that between 1940 and 1979, the Ministry of Defence "turned large parts of the country into a giant laboratory to conduct a series of secret germ warfare tests on the public" and many of these tests "involved releasing potentially dangerous chemicals and micro-organisms over vast swathes of
4725-501: The area in 1212. The docks were used by various kings when embarking on invasions of France through the 13th and 14th centuries, including the Saintonge War in 1242. Edward II ordered all ports on the south coast to assemble their largest vessels at Portsmouth to carry soldiers and horses to the Duchy of Aquitaine in 1324 to strengthen defences. The first recorded dry dock in the world
4830-571: The armed forces, contingency planning and defence procurement . The expenditure, administration and policy of the MOD are scrutinised by the Defence Select Committee , except for Defence Intelligence which instead falls under the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament . During the 1920s and 1930s, British civil servants and politicians, looking back at the performance of the state during World War I , concluded that there
4935-415: The building which faces Admiralty House on South Terrace. Taking on students from the age of 14, this was the forerunner of Portsmouth Dockyard School (later Technical College) which continued to provide specialist training until 1970. The adoption of steam propulsion for warships led to large-scale changes in the Royal Dockyards, which had been built in the age of sail . The Navy's first 'steam factory'
5040-480: The camber was rebuilt in Portland stone between 1773 and 1785. On the other side of the camber, on newly reclaimed land, two more sizeable brick storehouses were built to serve as a sail loft and a rigging store; the reclaimed land was later named Watering Island after a fresh water supply was provided for ships mooring alongside. The Great Ropehouse, a double ropery over 1,000 ft (300 m) in length, dates from
5145-564: The cellar was encased in steel and concrete and relocated nine feet to the west and nearly 19 feet (5.8 m) deeper in 1949, when construction was resumed at the site after World War II . This was carried out without any significant damage to the structure. The most notable fraud conviction has been that of Gordon Foxley , Director of Ammunition Procurement at the Ministry of Defence from 1981 to 1984. Police claimed he received at least £3.5m in total in corrupt payments, such as substantial bribes from overseas arms contractors aiming to influence
5250-407: The day); he also envisaged linking it to a freshwater well, to enable water to be pumped through a network of pipes to various parts of the dockyard. A table engine , designed by Bentham's staff chemist James Sadler , was installed in 1799; it represented the first use of steam power in a Royal Naval Yard. By 1800 a second steam engine (a Boulton & Watt beam engine) was being installed alongside
5355-411: The dockyard model of 1774. Several of Portsmouth Dockyard's most notable historic buildings date from this period, with several older wooden structures being replaced in brick on a larger scale. The three great storehouses (Nos 9, 10 & 11) were built between 1764 and 1785 on a wharf, alongside a deep canal (or camber ) which allowed transport and merchant vessels to moor and load or unload goods;
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#17330848838925460-450: The edges of the basins: five cranes, seven caissons and forty capstans were run on compressed air from the pump house. The "Great Extension" of Portsmouth Dockyard was largely completed by 1881. Alongside the new Basins new buildings were erected, on a huge scale, to accommodate new manufacturing and construction processes. These included a gun-mounting workshop (built alongside the pumping station in 1881) which produced gun turrets , and
5565-431: The engines by way of line shafts . At the same time as building his Wood Mills, Bentham, with his deputy Simon Goodrich , was constructing a Metal Mills complex a little to the north-east. Alongside a smithery were a copper-smelting furnace and refinery , and a steam engine which drove a rolling mill and tilt hammers . Begun in 1801, these facilities were for recycling the copper sheathing of ships' hulls. In 1804
5670-517: The establishment of Chatham Dockyard in the mid-1500s, no new naval vessels were built here until 1648, but ships from Portsmouth were a key part of the fleet that drove off the Spanish Armada in 1588. Naval shipbuilding at Portsmouth recommenced under the English Commonwealth , the first ship being the eponymous fourth-rate frigate Portsmouth launched in 1650. (Portsmouth had been
5775-414: The first. Meanwhile, Bentham designed and built a series of subterranean vaulted chambers over the reservoir, upon which he erected a pair of parallel three-storey workshops to contain reciprocating and circular saws, planning machines and morticing machines, built to his own designs, to be driven by the two engines (which were accommodated together with their boilers in the south workshop). Tanks installed on
5880-603: The funding. The TA provides a small percentage of the UK's operational troops. Its members train on weekly evenings and monthly weekends, as well as two-week exercises generally annually and occasionally bi-annually for troops doing other courses. The cuts would have meant a significant loss of personnel and would have had adverse effects on recruitment. In 2013, it was found that the Ministry of Defence had overspent on its equipment budget by £6.5bn on orders that could take up to 39 years to fulfil. The Ministry of Defence has been criticised in
5985-492: The harbour in 1802. The 1761 rebuilding plan had envisaged the old wooden double dock being refurbished, but Bentham instead proposed expanding the Basin (building over the double dock in the process) and adding a further pair of single docks built entirely of stone (unlike previous 'stone docks' which had had timber floors). The proposal was accepted; the new docks (now known as Nos 2 and 3 docks) were completed in 1802-3 and are still in place today (accommodating HMS Victory and
6090-405: The journey back to Portsmouth , however, this was cancelled at short notice and the helicopters from No. 800 Naval Air Squadron were offloaded at Gibraltar and she left for the eastern Mediterranean. Illustrious covered the 2,200-mile (3,500 km) journey in four days. The airbridge paths and patterns were overwatched by Sea King helicopters from HMS Illustrious , and Illustrious acted as
6195-513: The link to the mainline was closed in 1977 and locomotives ceased operating within the yard the following year. In 1876 a railway station was built on what became known as South Railway Jetty on Watering Island (west of the Semaphore Tower). It was served by a separate branch line which crossed the South Camber by way of a swing bridge and continued on a viaduct over the foreshore , joining
6300-484: The main line just east of Portsmouth Harbour railway station . A small railway station and ornamental cast-iron shelter served in particular the needs of Queen Victoria and her family, who would often transfer from yacht to train at this location; this line soon became the main arrival/departure route for personnel. The swing bridge and viaduct were damaged in the wartime blitz and subsequently dismantled in 1946. The Royal Naval Railway Shelter has recently been moved to
6405-433: The military base on RAF Akrotiri, and had onward flights from there to Gatwick Airport arranged by private charter. When the number of evacuees involved became too great to be accommodated in the aircraft between the two ports at Beirut and Cyprus, shuttles were run from Beirut to Royal Navy ships outside the naval blockade area. HMS Illustrious was due to leave Gibraltar with the families of serving personnel on board for
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#17330848838926510-568: The new Minister of Defence , who had a seat in the Cabinet. The three service ministers – Admiralty, War, Air – remained in direct operational control of their respective services, but ceased to attend Cabinet. From 1946 to 1964, five Departments of State did the work of the modern Ministry of Defence: the Admiralty , the War Office , the Air Ministry , the Ministry of Aviation , and an earlier form of
6615-466: The newly opened block mills before embarking from Portsmouth on HMS Victory , leaving Britain for the last time before his death at the Battle of Trafalgar. From 1814 wooden covers were built over some of the slips and docks, to designs by Robert Seppings . From 1815 the system of Dockyard apprenticeship was supplemented by the establishment of a School of Naval Architecture in Portsmouth (for training potential Master Shipwrights), initially housed in
6720-443: The north of the Mary Rose will not be ceded for several years at least, due to the site's proximity to the berth of the new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers . Along with Woolwich , Deptford , Chatham and Plymouth , Portsmouth has been one of the main Royal Navy Dockyards or Bases throughout its history. Richard I ordered construction of the first dock on the site in 1194, while his successor John added walls around
6825-403: The north of the country, and the main runway at Beirut Airport . The UK Government started to work on plans to use either an air or seabridge to evacuate British nationals. Whilst both warring sides attacked each other, Britons were advised to lie-low until the navy ships arrived. People who had considered evacuating to Syria were told stories by those inside Lebanon about how people were killed on
6930-470: The north-west corner of the yard. It was joined by a single dry dock, just to the south; the yard's one shipbuilding slip (completed in 1651) stood between the two docks. These would all have been built of timber, rather than stone. By 1660 the dockyard had, in addition to these large-scale facilities for shipbuilding and repairs, a new rope house (1,095 ft (334 m) in length) and a variety of small storehouses, workshops and dwellings arranged around
7035-429: The office of Minister of Defence, to exercise ministerial control over the Chiefs of Staff Committee and to co-ordinate defence matters. The post was held by the Prime Minister of the day until Clement Attlee 's government introduced the Ministry of Defence Act of 1946 . After 1946, the three posts of Secretary of State for War , First Lord of the Admiralty , and Secretary of State for Air were formally subordinated to
7140-482: The old double dock) and the civil engineering involved was on an unprecedented scale. The work was entrusted to Edmund Dummer , naval engineer and surveyor to the Navy Board . His new dry dock (the "Great Stone Dock" as it was called) was built to a pioneering new design, using brick and stone rather than wood and with an increased number of 'altars' or steps (the stepped sides allowed shorter timbers to be used for shoring and made it much easier for shipwrights to reach
7245-621: The operation. Subsequent evacuations were handled by Royal Navy ships transporting evacuees across the Mediterranean Sea to Cyprus. Illustrious anchored offshore, but HMS Gloucester was allowed into the port at Beirut. Whilst RFA Fort Victoria was not directly involved in transporting evacuees, she aided the operation by supplying the other ships with fuel, bedding and other essentials. The first ship out, HMS Gloucester , left on 18 July carrying 163 people. HMS York conveyed 600 evacuees in three trips and HMS Bulwark took over 1,300, of which 300 were children. HMS St Albans took 243 people, and
7350-533: The other side of the island and restored. By the end of the 19th century No 5 Slip had been uncovered and extended (to a length of 666 feet (203 m)) to become the yard's principal shipbuilding slip. At the same time the adjacent dry dock (No 9) was filled in to provide space for stacking steel plates, alongside which a further smithery (No 3 Engine Smithery) was erected in 1903. Meanwhile, slips 1–4 were repurposed (being no longer large enough for warship construction). Before long Nos 4 and 3 had been filled in, and
7455-403: The past for poor management and financial control. Specific examples of overspending include: In May 2024, the ministry's payroll system was reportedly targeted multiple times in a cyberattack in which personnel and their bank details were compromised. While initial reports attributed the cyberattack to China , the Minister of Defence Grant Shapps said it would take some time to conclude who
7560-475: The population without the public being told." The Ministry of Defence claims that these trials were to simulate germ warfare and that the tests were harmless. However, families who have been in the area of many of the tests are experiencing children with birth defects and physical and mental handicaps and many are asking for a public inquiry. The report estimated these tests affected millions of people, including during one period between 1961 and 1968 where "more than
7665-592: The preparation and conduct of military operations. The current Chiefs of Staff are as follows. The Chief of Defence Staff is supported by several Deputy Chiefs of the Defence Staff and senior officers at OF-8 rank. Additionally, there are a number of Assistant Chiefs of Defence Staff , including the Defence Services Secretary in the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom , who
7770-484: The region. On 18 August 2006, HMS St Albans returned to her home port of Portsmouth after evacuating 243 people from Beirut to Cyprus. The ship stayed out one-month longer than her original return date. The hospital at RAF Akrotiri was awarded the Wilkinson Sword of Peace in recognition of their efforts during the operation. Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) The Ministry of Defence ( MOD or MoD )
7875-484: The repairing basin, to the rigging basin, to the fitting-out basin, and exit from there into a new tidal basin, ready to take on fuel alongside the sizeable coaling wharf there. Three dry docks were also constructed as part of the plan, as well as parallel pair of sizeable locks for entry into the basin complex; the contemporary pumping station which stands nearby not only served to drain these docks and locks, but also delivered compressed air to power equipment around
7980-576: The results from these trials "will save lives, should the country or our forces face an attack by chemical and biological weapons." In February 2019, former soldier Inoke Momonakaya won £458,000 payout after a legal battle for the racial harassment and bullying he received while serving in the army. In August 2019, A Commons Defence Select Committee report revealed that several female and BAME military staff have raised concerns regarding discrimination, bullying and harassment. In September 2019, two former British army soldiers Nkululeko Zulu and Hani Gue won
8085-643: The road to the north by the bombings. By 13 July, with the main runway at Beirut airport out of action, and a naval blockade of Lebanon by the Israeli Navy , the UK Government turned its planning into a airbridge with careful co-ordination between the Israeli Air Force and Lebanese authorities. At the time of the conflict, the highest percentages of foreign nationals in Lebanon was 40,000 from Canada, 30,000 from
8190-491: The same period. It is, however, the sixth ropehouse (since 1665) to have stood on the site. Both its immediate predecessors were destroyed by fire (in 1760 and 1770) and the current building was itself gutted by fire in 1776 as the result of an arson attack . It was called a 'double' ropery because the spinning and laying stages took place in the same building (on different floors) rather than on two separate sites. Other buildings associated with ropemaking (including hemp houses,
8295-505: The senior officers of the yard was built at around this time (Long Row, 1715–19); later in the century it was joined by a further terrace (Short Row, 1787). In 1733 a Royal Naval Academy for officer cadets was established within the Dockyard, the Navy's first shore-based training facility and a forerunner of Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth . The second half of the eighteenth century
8400-528: The site, which was now enclosed by a wooden palisade . After the Restoration , there was continued investment in the site with the excavation of a new mast pond, begun in 1664, alongside which a mast house was built in 1669. Between 1665 and 1668 Bernard de Gomme fortified the dockyard with an earthen rampart (complete with one bastion and two demi-bastions ), as part of his wider fortification of Portsmouth and Gosport . As France began to pose more of
8505-417: The supply chain role of SMEs. The Ministry of Defence is one of the United Kingdom's largest landowners, owning 227,300 hectares of land and foreshore (either freehold or leasehold) at April 2014, which was valued at "about £20 billion". The MOD also has "rights of access" to a further 222,000 hectares. In total, this is about 1.8% of the UK land mass. The total annual cost to support the defence estate
8610-450: The timber ground east of the Basin; as well as providing storage space, they accommodated workshops for a variety of trades, including joiners, wheelwrights, wood-carvers, capstan-makers and various other craftsmen. A new smithery was also built nearby, immediately to the north (the latest in a succession of smiths' shops to have been built on the site); dating from 1791, it was mainly occupied with anchor making. Ten years later this process
8715-418: The traditional industrial emphases. In 1984 Portsmouth's Royal Dockyard function was significantly downsized and downgraded, and was formally renamed the 'Fleet Maintenance and Repair Organisation' (FMRO). The FMRO was privatised in 1998; in 2002, shipbuilding (which had not taken place on site since the late 1960s) resumed in the form of block construction , but this again ceased in 2014. Today, Portsmouth
8820-425: The underside of vessels needing repair). Extensively rebuilt in 1769, the Great Stone Dock is now known as No.5 dock. Along with the new dock, Dummer proposed that two wet docks (non-tidal basins) be built: the first ("Lower") Wet Dock was entered directly from the harbour and provided access to the Great Stone Dock; since much expanded, it remains in place (now known as "No. 1 Basin"). The second ("Upper") Wet Dock
8925-437: The upper floor provided a head of water for Bentham's aforementioned dockyard-wide pipe network, providing both salt water for firefighting and fresh water for various uses (including, for the first time, provision of drinking water to ships on the wharves) sourced from a newly sunk 274 ft well. Between the two Wood Mills buildings a single-storey workshop was built in 1802 to accommodate what soon came to be recognised as
9030-732: The use of Victory as flagship. The Second Sea Lord is now based at the Henry Leach Building on Whale Island , which is also the headquarters of the Fleet Commander . Some of the following ships (e.g. the patrol vessels) are not based in Portsmouth, but form part of the Portsmouth Flotilla . In changes to base porting arrangements announced in November 2017, HM Ships Westminster , Richmond , Kent and St Albans were to move to
9135-437: The western edge of the basin, housed a series of workshops: for construction and repair of boilers, for punching and shearing and for heavy turning ; there was also an erecting shop for assembling the finished engines. The upper floor housed pattern shops, fitting shops and other light engineering workshops. Line shafts throughout were powered by an 80 hp steam engine accommodated to the rear. A new Brass and Iron Foundry
9240-450: The widest iron span in Britain when built in 1845). Developments in shipbuilding technology, however, led to several of the new amenities having to be rebuilt and expanded (almost as soon as they were finished). A much larger Iron Foundry was opened in 1861, immediately to the east of its predecessor; it was further expanded in the following decade. In 1867 a very large Armour Plate Workshop
9345-432: The works were extended to accommodate machinery for the rolling of iron to make bars and bolts. A millwrights ' shop was also established nearby. The Wood Mills, Block Mills, Metal Mills and Millwrights' department were all placed under Goodrich's supervision as Mechanist to the Royal Navy. In 1800, the Royal Navy had 684 ships and the Dockyard was the largest industrial complex in the world. In 1805 Horatio Nelson toured
9450-432: The world's first steam-powered factory for mass production: Portsmouth Block Mills . Marc Brunel , father of Isambard Kingdom Brunel , famously designed the machines, which manufactured ships' pulley blocks through a total of fifteen separate stages of production. Having been presented with Brunel's designs, which would be built by Henry Maudslay , Bentham incorporated them into his woodworking complex and linked them to
9555-497: The world. The former Block Mills are of international significance, having been the first factory in the world to employ steam-powered machine tools for mass production. The Royal Naval Museum has been on the site since 1911. In 1985 a partnership between the Ministry of Defence and Portsmouth City Council created the Portsmouth Naval Base Property Trust to manage part of the historic south-west corner of
9660-518: Was a key period in the development of Portsmouth (and indeed of the other Royal Dockyards). A substantial planned programme of expansion and modernisation was undertaken from 1761 onwards, driven (as would be future periods of expansion) by increases both in the size of individual ships and in the overall size of the fleet. In the 1760s the Lower Wet Dock (by then known as the Great Basin) was deepened,
9765-594: Was a need for greater co-ordination between the three services that made up the armed forces of the United Kingdom: the Royal Navy , the British Army and the Royal Air Force . The formation of a united ministry of defence was rejected by the coalition government of David Lloyd George in 1921, but the Chiefs of Staff Committee was formed in 1923, for the purposes of inter-service co-ordination. As rearmament became
9870-551: Was also built soon afterwards, on the southern edge of the basin, and in 1852 the Great Steam Smithery was opened alongside the Steam Factory (where Bentham's Metal Mills had formerly stood), containing a pair of steam hammers designed by James Nasmyth . The infrastructure and buildings were designed by a group of Royal Engineer officers, overseen by Captains Sir William Denison and Henry James . (The new steam basin
9975-434: Was built at Woolwich in 1839; but it soon became clear that the site was far too small to cope with this revolutionary change in ship building and maintenance. Therefore, in 1843, work began in Portsmouth on further reclamation of land to the north of the then Dockyard to create a new 7-acre basin (known today as No 2 Basin) with a sizeable factory alongside for manufacturing marine steam engines . The Steam Factory, on
10080-486: Was built in Portsmouth by Henry VII in 1495. The first warship built here was the Sweepstake of 1497; of more significance were the carracks Mary Rose of 1509 and Peter Pomegranate of 1510—both were rebuilt here in 1536. The wreck of the Mary Rose (which capsized in 1545, but was raised in 1982) is on display in a purpose-built museum. A fourth Tudor warship was the galleass Jennett , built in 1539 and enlarged as
10185-504: Was built over what had been the boat pond and boat houses; so in 1845 a new facility (No 6 Boathouse) was built alongside the mast pond, to the south, which was converted into a boat pond.) Three new dry docks were constructed over the next 20 years, opening off the new basin, and another was built on reclaimed land west of the basin, immediately north of the shipbuilding slips. The slips were now five in number, with Nos. 3–5 being covered by interlinking metal roofs (believed to have comprised
10290-510: Was chartered for the operation (MV Alkioni ). The Ministry of Defence (MoD) mobilised 2,500 serving personnel across the navy, army and air force, including 800 army personnel who provided a "spearhead land element", flying into Beirut by helicopters on 17 July 2006. 22 hours after being activated on 15 July, Royal Air Force Chinook helicopters from No. 27 Squadron , flew into Beirut to ferry British nationals direct to Cyprus, and then later onto waiting Royal Navy ships, which ferried them across
10395-435: Was demolished to make way for the new Commissioner's house and a new chapel ( St Ann's Church ) was built nearby. At the same time a set of offices for the senior officers of the yard was built (in place of an earlier office block), overlooking the docks and basin; it continues to provide office space to this day. After the old Commissioner's House had been demolished, four identical quadrangular buildings were built, flanking
10500-488: Was described as being the largest evacuation that Britain was involved in since Dunkirk . On 12 July 2006, in an effort to kill Mohammed Deif , leader of Hamas ' Military Wing, Israeli jets bombed a house in Gaza . In retaliation, Hezbollah entered into Israel from Lebanon and killed three Israeli soldiers, taking two hostage. Later that same day, Israeli aircraft struck several targets inside Lebanon including many main roads in
10605-399: Was entered by way of a channel. To empty the dry dock, Dummer designed a unique system which used water from the Upper Wet Dock to drive a water-wheel on the ebb tide , which in turn powered a set of pumps. (At high tide, an auxiliary set of pumps was used, powered by a horse gin .) In 1699 Dummer adapted the channel leading to the Upper Wet Dock, enabling it to be closed off at each end by
10710-421: Was officially known as HM Dockyard, Portsmouth : as a Royal Dockyard , Portsmouth functioned primarily as a state-owned facility for building, repairing and maintaining warships ; for a time it was the largest industrial site in the world. From the 1970s, the term 'Naval Base' began to be used for Portsmouth (and other Royal Dockyards), acknowledging a greater focus on personnel and support elements alongside
10815-628: Was opened, filling the space between the new North and South dry docks on the eastern side of the basin. In 1860 policing of the dockyard was also transferred to the new No. 2 Division of the Metropolitan Police , a role it fulfilled until 1933. Technological change affected not only ships' means of propulsion, but the materials from which they were built. By 1860 wooden warships, vulnerable as they were to modern armaments, had been rendered largely obsolescent. The changeover to metal hulls not only required new building techniques, but also heralded
10920-507: Was to blame. HMNB Portsmouth His Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth ( HMNB Portsmouth ) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport ). Portsmouth Naval Base is part of the city of Portsmouth ; it is located on the eastern shore of Portsmouth Harbour , north of the Solent and the Isle of Wight . For centuries it
11025-473: Was vividly described: "The immense masses of the anchors, the ponderous hammers, the vast size of the bellows, the roaring of the flaming furnaces, the reverberations of the falling cumbrous hammers, and the fiery pieces of metal flying in all directions, are truly awful, grand and picturesque". In 1796 Samuel Bentham was appointed Inspector General of Naval Works by the Admiralty with the brief of modernising
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