British Naval Ships:
The Destruction Of The Chilean Reefer

Although naval vessels are often depicted as a form of ship portraiture little different from that portraying merchantmen, a commission can sometimes require the reconstruction of a naval action - a somewhat more demanding body of work.

Commissioned in 1989 these three paintings record a little known but savage action fought on the North Atlantic on 16th. March 1941.

The Danish cargo ship CHILEAN REEFER, under British wartime management, was intercepted and set ablaze by the German battlecruiser GNEISENAU, despite a spirited defence.

Forced to abaandon ship the survivors took their one remaining boat towards GNEISENAU, which had hove to in an attempt to pick them up.

However she suddenly made off at speed, alerted it later transpired, to the proximity of British warships.

The survivors were later found by the searchlights of the British battleship HMS RODNEY, and picked up without loss.

Each canvas: 24" x 36"

Click on the pictures for a larger version.

Examples of previously commissioned work: Sail | Merchant Shipping
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