Lewin of Greenwich Naval History & Forum

Chilean Navy, Holland 602 Class Submatrines pictured at Boston Navy Yard on July 4th 1917...Ordered by the RN in 1914 from the Fore River Shipyard at Quincy, Massachusetts, once WWI kicked off, the then-neutral US interned HMS H11 through HMS H20 for the duration of hostilities (or at least, it turned out, American neutrality), despite the fact they did not have their torpedo tubes installed. Transferred to the Chilean government to partially compensate for Chilean vessels under construction in Britain that were seized in 1914 (such as the Dreadnoughts Almirante Latorre/HMS Canada and Almirante Cochrane/HMS Eagle) for the fight against the Kaiser.
Commissioned into the Chilean Navy as Guacolda (H1), Tegualda (H2), Rucumilla (H3), Guale (H4), Quidora (H5), and Fresia (H6), on March 28th 1918, the flotilla set sail for Valparaíso on its maiden voyage.

Chilean Protected Cruiser Esmeralda pictured at the opening of the Albert Edward Dock (left) on the Tyne at Newcastle in 1884..Armstrong Mitchell's Elswick Shipyards can be seen on the opposite bank...To meet the need for facilities for goods coming into the River Tyne and to increase the coal shipping facilities on the north side of the river, a dock was commenced in the late 1870s at Coble Dene near North Shields. The Coble Dene dock was commenced, under the direction of P J Messent, engineer to the Tyne Improvement Commission and completed in 1883. The dock was formally opened in 1884 by the Prince and Princess of Wales and renamed the Albert Edward Dock in honour of the Prince's visit. It covered an area of 22.25 acres and could accommodate ships drawing up to 25 feet and 400-450 feet long. It had 20 steam and hydraulic cranes, with Warehousing and Timber yards. The entrance to the dock was via 2 locks powered by hydraulics through an accumulator tower. These systems were supplied by Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth's Elswick Works.

Sir Humphrey

A lovely image of the strength of the Chilean Navy, one of the Royal Navy's closest friends and allies globally, and one with which it shares many traditions and history.