Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:59:52-2:02:55

Admiralty floating docks outlived their original service

A search for surviving Admiralty floating docks finds postwar examples still serving or only recently leaving use in Iceland at the time of the lecture.

Floating Dry DocksIcelandNaval RepairRoyal Navy
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Question

Were any old British Admiralty floating dry docks still in existence?

Short answer

Yes. As of the 2021 lecture, one postwar Admiralty dock was still reported in use in Iceland and an older wartime-built dock was being scrapped there.

Notes

The records available during the 2021 lecture identified two surviving Icelandic examples of old British floating dry docks. Admiralty Floating Dock No. 26 was fabricated in Calcutta and assembled in Bombay in 1944, later moved to Iceland, and was then being scrapped. No. 60 had been built in the 1960s with capacity for submarine work and was still reported in operation. Their long careers show why a well-maintained floating dock can remain valuable long after the fleet and ship types that prompted its construction have changed. Their status applies to the time of the video rather than describing a permanent present-day condition.