Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)
A Long Life
After Gallipoli, HMS M.33 supported Allied forces against the Bulgarians at Salonika in 1916. She remained in the Aegean for the rest of the war, a ‘lucky ship’ with no casualties from enemy action, although her sister M.30 was sunk in May 1916.
Returning to England in 1919, she was sent to the River Dvina in North Russia to support forces opposing Lenin’s Bolshevik revolutionaries. M.33 saw a lot of action in North Russia. She was attacked by Bolshevik artillery, aircraft and snipers, dodged mines, and was hit four times by shells, although she still suffered no casualties.
M.33 is one of only three surviving Royal Navy ships from the First World War.
After the war M.33 was converted into a minelayer and renamed HMS Minerva, but by 1938 she had been put up for sale. The Second World War saved her but her roles became steadily less glamorous. Her last job was as a floating workshop at Gosport, near Portsmouth. This constant recycling is why she survived.
( photo captions )
Below: M.33 as the refuelling hulk C.23(M) in Portsmouth Harbour, 1984. Right: M.33 on the Dvina River in North Russia, 1919. The ship only just made it home after running aground when the river level fell; the monitors M.25 and M.27 were less lucky and had to be scuttled.
Above: M.33 renamed as HMS Minerva, serving as a tender or transfer ship, August 1938, without guns but still with her minelaying rails and other equipment.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, World I • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 50° 48.112′ N, 1° 6.632′ W. Marker is in Portsmouth, England. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Queen Street and Wickham Street, on the left when traveling north. Located in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Portsmouth, England PO1 3LR, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Ship Shape (here, next to this marker); No. 1 Dock (a few steps from this marker); HMS M.33’s People (within shouting distance of this marker); A Unique Survivor (within shouting distance of this marker); Heavy Weather (within shouting distance of this marker); Conservation in Action (within shouting distance of this marker); HMS M.33 (within shouting distance of this marker); Bruce Austin Fraser (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Portsmouth.
Also see . . .
1. Monitor HMS M33 at the National Museum of the Royal Navy. (Submitted on September 4, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
2. HMS M33 on Wikipedia. (Submitted on September 4, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 27, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 4, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut. This page has been viewed 109 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 4, 2018, by Michael Herrick of Southbury, Connecticut.