Home Fleet 1957

The cruiser is Super-b ( HMS Superb) the ships following in order were : Agincourt, Alamein and Barrosa, Carriers ( in Order) Ark Royal, Albion, Ocean and the cruiser Gambia -just appearing top right.
Astern of Britannia is the Apollo (CinC HF) with Dutchess, Diamond and Corunna
Not sure about the ship crossing the columns ( Corunna) I think she is tailing onto the first column to be followed by Diamond then Dutchess , the manoeuvre in progress is the two columns of ships forming into one to cheer ship for HM
Steve

Wow your depth of knowledge is astounding. Thanks for all the detailed information on historical photos posted Steve. Last batch to come on Monday.

No prob - glad to help

Terrific picture.

Moray Firth/North Sea ex Fleet Review at Invergordon. I was in the Yacht having previously taken the Queen ex Hull to Copenhagen.
Gil.

I too am amazed, Steve, how you remember the names of all the ships in the above photo. I was serving in AGINCOURT at the time, and remember how anxious the Fleet Communications Officer in APOLLO was to ensure that all ships did their bit correctly during this event. He ordered the various manoeuvring signals to be transmitted both by voice and flags, which put rather a strain on the other ships' signal staffs! However, everything went ok and we all anchored off Invergordon, where the Queen spent the next day visiting every ship in the Fleet - she must have been exhausted by the end of it. By the time she reached AGINCOURT, immediately after having lunch with the C-in-C, she really looked quite drained, and didn't seem very interested as I presented the Communications Division to her! However, by the evening, when we attended a Fleet concert in ALBION's hangar, she had recovered, and it was a pleasure to see her looking relaxed and happy as we had drinks on ALBION's quarterdeck after the concert.

With HMS Diamond following in her wake, I can well understand his trepidation re any complicated manouver and his insistance that it be absolutely certain that each ship understood. The last time I saw HMS Diamond she was just going astern after depositing her paint shop and the content of same in the side of HMS Swiftsure after misunderstandings over a manouvering signal.

Ian - just a sad old anorak !
Joking apart thanks for all these wonderful images, it's great to THE navy putting on a show. look at the difference in speed between the Britannia and the Superb's column - some power being piled on there - especially back in the carrier line to catch up, wouldnt fancy this manoeuvre with any of the tankers I sailed in.
Folks who criticise HM forget all the stuff she does.
Steve