Stephen Jagger

Graphic Designer, Digital Artist, Photographer, Animator, Warships International Fleet Review magazine Assistant Editor based in Plymouth, UK

[Iain Ballantyne @IBallantyn]

US Navy battleship USS Arkansas (nearest) unleashing a bombardment of German positions in Normandy on this morning - D-Day - 82 years ago. Also firing are French cruisers George Leygues and Montcalm. This is by American war artist Dwight C. Shepler. Image: USNHHC.

[Warships IFR @WarshipsIFR]

UK Prime Minister (allegedly) thinks the Iran War has mucked up his government's spending plans and so the supposed increase in Defence spending has to be cut, while the Defence Secretary is supposedly being castigated for the Strategic Defence Review of a year ago not being fully costed when it comes to the long delayed Defence Investment Plan. Meanwhile 'war footing latest' - https://t.co/0Jjgafwgt4 Someone make it make sense 😬

[Modern Royal Navy @ModernNavy]

Prime Minister Keir Starmer is not serious about defence says @spectator. Defence Investment Plan one year late. Critical capability gaps in the armed forces
- No medium RAF helos
- 14 howitzers
- No HMS ALBION or BULWARK
- No new ship orders under Labour

https://t.co/7StJB9c5zb

[Navy Lookout @NavyLookout]

The Strategic Defence Review was published one year ago today

Aspiration without commitment...

https://t.co/kRJJLgLrhE

[On This Day RN @OnthisdayRN]

#OnThisDay 50 yrs ago in 1976 the 3rd and final Cod War between the UK & Iceland ended with Iceland winning a 12 mile exclusion zone and a 200 mile economic zone around it's coast, now an international standard. The Royal Navy was heavily committed to escorting UK Fishing Boats.

[Navy Lookout @NavyLookout]

.@HMSTrent alongside with 🇺🇸USCG Mohawk for Sail 250 New Orleans.

[Iain Ballantyne @IBallantyn]

The frigate HMS Campbeltown departs Plymouth on this day in 2004, heading across the English Channel to act as flagship for the Royal Navy's commemorations during D-Day 60. I am aboard the ship (the tiny figure, centre, in the sandy jacket, alongside photographer Tony Carney, my great friend and colleague who sadly crossed the bar about a week ago).

At Caen in '04 Campbeltown would host the First Sea Lord. Tony and I were on assignment for @WarshipsIFR We had covered the D-Day 50 events in 1994 for the Evening Herald in Plymouth, on that occasion sailing across in a Type 21 frigate with the Allied commemorative fleet.

That time we were put off at Ouistreham, but in 2004 secured accommodation on Her Majesty's Ship throughout. Both great times with Tony and an honour for us to cover them.

Tony and I did numerous assignments aboard Royal Navy vessels across years, most memorably spending several weeks in Dubai in 1990 and visiting various ships on task in the Gulf. He didn't go back to that part of the world, but was instrumental in getting me to Brize Norton in 1991 (driving his car very fast through torrential rain, like a motorboat) to deliver me for the RAF flight to the Middle East. Sail on TC.

[Iain Ballantyne @IBallantyn]

HMS Warspite and the Battle of Jutland - 110th anniversary post 2: 'As 6am on 1 June came around, Warspite was about to enter a danger zone off Scotland where German submarines traditionally lurked to attack British warships leaving, or returning to, Rosyth.
At just after 9.30 am a U-boat fired two torpedoes, which passed down either side of the battleship. Commander Humphrey Walwyn reckoned that'one missed across the bow, the other followed up astern alongside the starboard side.'

Warspite increased her speed despite having sustained serious damage the previous day and zigzagged away as vigorously as she could. Lookouts had already been doubled. Officers not on watch, or otherwise engaged, were ordered onto the upper deck to watch out for periscopes and torpedo tracks. Below decks Surgeon Lieutenant Gordon Ellis, who had been busy dealing with the wounded, heard about a torpedo near miss from a sailor who stuck his head around the curtain of the Principal Medical Officer’s cabin, saying it passed ‘only about some ten feet off.’

Ellis observed: ‘This was a new complication and had the effect of making me feel I wanted to go up on deck at once - for what reason I don’t know - but the PMO went on writing with his usual imperturbability so that for sheer shame I felt bound to stay also.’

At 10am a 6-inch gun opened fire at what looked like an attacking U-boat. Surgeon Lt Ellis, who was getting some fresh air, followed the German torpedo track with his eyes. ‘It had come from astern, and, as we watched, the periscope and top of the conning tower of the submarine from which it had been despatched emerged above the surface about half a mile distant on the port quarter. The gun’s crew of the port 6-inch on the forecastle deck immediately fired in its direction, and the shell pitched sufficiently close for the spray to hide all sight of it. It probably wasn’t hit, but at any rate when the spray subsided it was no longer visible...’

Not long after, a submarine periscope was seen right under the battleship’s bows. Despite Warspite’s delicate condition an attempt to ram the U-boat was made - the 6-inch guns opened up too, but hit nothing.

At Rosyth Dockyard HMS Queen Elizabeth was immediately moved to allow Warspite to be docked down. She would be under repair for nearly two months.

• Compressed & edited account of the battleship in the aftermath of the battle from my 'Warspite' punblished by @penswordbooks

#history #Jutland #WW1

[Warships IFR @WarshipsIFR]

The Blue Ridge Class @USNavy command ship USS Mount Whitney inbound to @HMNBDevonport Plymouth yesterday evening. Video courtesy of @StephenJagger4

[Warships IFR @WarshipsIFR]

Action this day! During the second part of their latest fascinating discussion for the Warships Pod @MtarfaL and @IBallantyn have cause to chat about 'the vision thing' - and how it seems to be lacking in today's UK's politicians when it comes to maritime defence, comparing unfavourably with Winston Churchill and his Battle of the Atlantic directive during WW2 🤨 Please do dive into the episode https://t.co/L13OO2mVdw in which they chat about other hot topics too.
#podcast #royalnavy #defence

[Warships IFR @WarshipsIFR]

The Portuguese Navy frigate NRP Bartolomeu Dias inbound to @HMNBDevonport Plymouth this morning. Video courtesy of @StephenJagger4

[Navy Lookout @NavyLookout]

Warships Podcast with @IBallantyn and @MtarfaL

The Royal Navy - Its Decline and Struggle to Survive Pt1

https://t.co/Q11HkxlX3z

[Navy Lookout @NavyLookout]

Latest news article:

Royal Navy uncrewed minehunter docks in mothership for first time ahead of Strait of Hormuz mission

https://t.co/Cgka4Lwf0n

[Dr Gary Blackburn @gjb70]

So short by about £2.5bn per annum

[Warships IFR @WarshipsIFR]

The @RoyalNavy Astute Class nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSN) HMS Anson is seen here inbound to @HMNBDevonport Plymouth this afternoon. Deploying to Australia at the beginning of 2026, she was ordered to somewhere in the Indian Ocean (it is presumed) after the Iran War erupted in late Feb, then sailed into Gibraltar about a week ago. Heading for the UK after a few days alongside, it was speculated HMS Anson would be needing some kind of maintenance period. Devonport Dockyard is the main place for such work. Video courtesy of @StephenJagger4

[HMS SUTHERLAND @HMSSutherland]

HMS Sutherland visited Lisbon this week as her regeneration continues. During the port visit, she hosted the Deputy Commander STRIKFORNATO RAdm Craig Wood CBE for discussions with the crew, alongside the UK and NATO Defence Attachés. @royalnavy

[Navy Lookout @NavyLookout]

HMS Artful alongside in Faslane today - 1,120 days since she last sailed.

Via @air_maritimepic

[Iain Ballantyne @IBallantyn]

This morning, 85 years ago, the British battle-cruiser HMS Hood was destroyed by fire from German battleship Bismarck, the culmination of an 8 min fight in the Denmark Strait. Last year I attended the annual dinner of the HMS Hood Association to commemorate the loss. Couldn't 2026 but here's a display from 2025 of men & boys among 1,415 lost in the ship, also pictured, & some rivets from Hood (which landed aboard HMS Prince of Wales after the fatal explosion). Just 3 survivors. #lestweforget

[Warships IFR @WarshipsIFR]

The article in which Andrew Livsey @AL34495737 outlined how future frigates and uncrewed vessels could work with each other to flush out, see off or destroy hostile submarines was in our April 2026 edition 👇

[Navy Lookout @NavyLookout]

HMS Glasgow in sunny Scotstoun today. Still plenty of work to be completed before sea trials in late 2026 or early 2027.

Via @air_maritimepic