Exploded diagram of HMS Belfast

A tour round this huge and complex warship will take you from her Quarterdeck up to the top of her Bridge and all the way down through nine decks to her massive Boiler and Engine rooms.

On the way you will see her triple 6-inch gun Turrets, the heavily armoured Shell Rooms and Magazines and experience what life was like for her crew by visiting the cramped Messdecks, Officers' Cabins, Galley and Sick Bay.

The Quarterdeck

Your tour of HMS Belfast begins here. Officers and ratings always salute when stepping onto the Quarterdeck of a Royal Naval vessel. It was here that flag officers, captains of ships and others who were entitled to the honour were 'piped' on board and where guards and bands were paraded.

Officers and men gathered on the Quarterdeck of a British cruiser (IWM neg A11316)

The Quarterdeck on HMS Belfast was 'Officer Country' and ratings were not normally permitted to set foot on it except when on duty or to attend the regular Sunday church services presided over by the Captain of the ship. This tradition of worship is maintained when each November the Quarterdeck is the setting for HMS Belfast's annual Remembrance Day Service. The White Ensign is flown here day and night by all Royal Naval vessels at sea, and from 'Colours' (8.00 am in summer, 9.00 am in winter) to sunset when in harbour.

Ship's Battle Honours and Silver Bell

Next to the Quartermaster's Lobby, you will see the board which lists HMS Belfast's battle honours beneath her crest and the motto Pro Tanto Quid Retribuamus (What shall we give in return for so much?), which is also the motto of the city of Belfast where the ship was built.

The ship's silver bell was presented by the people of Belfast in October 1948. On the inner rim of the bell are the names of those children born to serving officers and sailors when christened on board, when the upturned bell was used as a font. When HMS Belfast was in service, the original ship's bell, which is not on view, was sounded every half-hour to mark the passing of each watch.

The Bridge

On either side of the Bridge wings are two 40mm Twin Bofors Mark V Mountings. In all, HMS Belfast w as equipped with six of these mountings during the course of her modernization between 1956 and 1959.

Three of the four Bofors mountings can be trained and elevated by hand, although very young visitors may need some assistance as each mounting weighs almost 7 tons!

Fire from the guns was controlled by two Close Range Blind Fire Directors (CRBFDs), which are best seen from the top of the Bridge.

Operations Room and Compass Platform

On the deck below are HMS Belfast's Operations Room and Compass Platform, the nerve centre and brain of the entire ship. Although the layout and equipment in both these areas differs from that fitted in the Second World War, the plots and 'stateboards' have been reconstructed to show her role in the Battle of North Cape on 26 December 1943, which ended in the sinking of the Scharnhorst.

The entire operation of the ship could be controlled from the Compass Platform by the Officer of the Watch. The Captain would usually take command when the ship was in action or carrying out dangerous manoeuvres.

Admiral's Bridge and Officer's Sea Cabins

On the deck below the Compass Platorm are the Admiral's Bridge and the sea cabins reserved for the Admiral and his staff and for the Captain. HMS Belfast was built as a flagship and carried an Admiral for most of her operational life.

The additional bridge was provided so that the Admiral and his staff could exercise control over the fleet or squadron of vessels under his command without overcrowding the Compass Platform and interfering with the operation of the ship.

The Boiler and Engine Rooms

HMS Belfast's main propulsive machinery is laid out according to a system first introduced by the United States Navy, known as Unit Propulsion. This system was based upon the grouping together of the boilers and engines into self-contained units. A single hit from an enemy shell or torpedo could therefore never disable more than 50% of the ship's power plant.

Forward Boiler Room

The entrance to the Forward Boiler Room is guarded by a double set of doors forming an airlock into the huge compartment beyond. This was essential as any sudden change in air pressure could result in the boilers 'flashing back' and incinerating anything, or anyone, in front of them.

HMS Belfast's boilers burned a heavy oil mixture, known as Furnace Fuel Oil, to produce superheated steam at a pressure of 350 pounds per square inch.

The steam was then piped through to the turbine engines, which in turn drove the propeller shafts. It took about four hours to raise sufficient steam to get the ship under way.

Forward Engine Room

HMS Belfast has four propeller shafts, the two outer ones driven by the engines in the Forward Engine Room and the inner ones driven by engines in the After Engine Room. Each of the four turbine engines is capable of generating 20,000 shaft horsepower, making a total of 80,000 shp (an average family car develops 100 hp), enough to drive HMS Belfast through the water at 32 knots - or 36 miles per hour (58 kph).

Each engine has four distinct turbine rotors: the two large high and low pressure turbines, which worked in series to develop full power ahead; a small cruising turbine for more economical speeds; and an astern turbine.

The superheated steam from the boilers could be directed to the desired combination of rotors by means of control throttles, driving the turbines, which in turn drove the propellor shafts through the gearbox mechanism attached to each engine.

The Gun Turrets

Overlooking the Fo'c'sle, you will see 'A' and 'B' Turrets, the forwardmost of HMS Belfast's four 6-inch Mark XXIII Triple Gun Turrets.

'A' Turret is open to visitors and there is a video information monitor inside which will tell you all about the complex operation of the ship's main armament.

The guns in both turrets are trained and elevated onto a target some 12.5 miles (20 kilometers) away in north-west London - the London Gateway Motorway Services Area on the M1 - a reminder of the awesome power of naval gunnery in the Second World War!

Overlooking the Quarterdeck are 'X' and 'Y' Turrets, the after pair of HMS Belfast's four 6-inch Mark XXIII Triple Gun Turrets.

'Y' Turret is open to visitors, and shows the shells and cordite charges ready to be rammed into the open breeches of the 6-inch guns.

Shell Rooms and Magazines

Each of the 6-inch Gun Turrets is served by its own Shell Room and Magazine, with the Magazines and their vulnerable cordite charges sited below the Shell Rooms on the Hold Deck, the lowest of all HMS Belfast's seven habitable decks.

The shells and cordite charges were sent up to the turrets above by mechanical hoists.

The picture shows the 6-inch shells lined up on the handling carousel which revolved around the mechanical hoists leading to the gun house above.

In the event of HMS Belfast receiving a hit which threatened an explosion in the Magazines, the compartments could be rapidly flooded to prevent the loss of the ship. In such circumstances, the men working in the Handing Rooms would have had little chance of escape.

Forward Messdecks

When HMS Belfast was first commissioned, a sailor's life was in many respects little changed from the days of Nelson. Sailors joined the Navy at 16 and signed initially for a 12 year engagement, starting from the age of 18. Like their predecessors in Nelson's time, HMS Belfast's ratings lived, slept and ate in communal areas known as messes, which were crammed into every available space. While officers were allocated cabins, the ratings slung their hammocks in their mess or slept where they could around the ship.

The red lighting - 'darken ship routine' - is intended to preserve the crew's night vision when in action and to ensure that HMS Belfast shows no bright lights which might betray her position to the enemy.

Despite the fact that hammocks were slung only 21 inches (52 cm) apart, the hugely enlarged crews required in wartime (HMS Belfast's authorised peacetime complement increased from 761 to 950 by the end of the Second World War) meant that it was not at all unusual for men on different watches to share the use of a hammock or to sleep on the deck beneath one of the mess tables.

Each mess would appoint a duty cook who would collect the basic meal for his messmates from the galley, return to his mess, serve it and wash up before returning the empty containers to the galley.

The red lighting - 'darken ship routine' - is intended to preserve the crew's night vision when in action and to ensure that HMS Belfast shows no bright lights which might betray her position to the enemy.

Each mess had an allowance to purchase additional or 'luxury' items of food and the ship's supply officer - the 'Pusser' - would present an account for payment at the end of each month. Naval food was stodgy and unimaginative but there was generally plenty of it.

Officers' Sea Cabins

The picture shows a typical officer's sea cabin. The officer handing a mug of scalding hot naval cocoa (known as 'Ki') to his colleague is a Captain of the Royal Marines.

The red lighting - 'darken ship routine' - is intended to preserve the crew's night vision when in action and to ensure that HMS Belfast shows no bright lights which might betray her position to the enemy.

Ship's Company Galley

The Ship's Company Galley dates from the period after HMS Belfast's modernisation, when meals for the crew were prepared by properly trained and qualified staff and served from the counter - a practice known as General or Cafeteria Messing. This system resulted in a dramatic improvement in the quality and variety of meals served in HM warships and reflected the much better living conditions which were expected by sailors in the post-war Royal Navy.

Sickbay

As a cruiser, HMS Belfast was specifically designed to spend lengthy periods at sea, so it was essential that she should be adequately equipped to look after the health of her crew. In addition, she was expected to provide emergency services for smaller vessels.

Following modernisation, HMS Belfast was authorised to carry a medical complement of two officers and up to five sick-berth attendents, including a radiographer and physiotherapist. The operating theatre was sufficiently well-equipped, with its own small X-ray machine.