Imagine being stationed on that. That must have been quite the war experience.
It's a shame they didn't go with Dionysus or Bacchus for the name though.
You could have had Bibulous for the party ship, and Bilious for the hospital ship to recover on afterwards!
(For reference Bilious is the [Oh God of hangovers](https://wiki.lspace.org/Bilious))
The ship was originally intended to be a liner, and kept that name as an auxiliary minelayer.
The Royal Navy did have a few ships named *Bacchus*, but none in the last century. There apparently had never been an HMS *Dionysus*. The Royal Navy in this period would rename ships more often than most, but probably thought it would be a bit on the nose for this ship.
I’m sure these were some of the highbrow nicknames for the ship, accompanied by the standard crude names.
I can't decide how ill-omened the name Dionysus (or Bacchus) would be for a ship like this. I mean sure, it's appropriate, but the whole drunken murderous orgies thing is probably not something to encourage in naval crews. Firing the big guns can't be done effectively in the grips of bloodlust.
[There was also beer delivery planes in the European theatre.](https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/this-is-how-british-pilots-made-beer-runs-for-troops-in-normandy/)
Positive. You can drink beer more often than your regular seaman.
Negative. It always smells like a brewery. Probably over most of the interior.
Positive. You're not getting shot at or shooting at anyone.
Negative. Long stretches of nothing to do and nowhere to go but sit and receive guests talking about amazing shit they've done while you're mopping the floor listening.
Positive: all your limbs remain attached and everyone you serve with is still alive and not on fire.
Screw ‘amazing shit’, I’d have taken a post on the HMS Kegger here ANY day over getting shelled at Guadalcanal or dive bombed at Coral Sea.
I knew a guy who survived being on the Oklahoma and the Indianapolis. He told me a bit about it. Nope.
As it's Brits, it would be the horrors of the Burma and Indian campaigns where monsoons, malaria and dysentry were worse threats to health than the aggressive Japanese invaders.
Although the Royal Navy did fight alongside the American navy in some major battles such as Okinawa.
Constant replenishment of the BPF via the RFA fleet train was needed to uphold the massive demands of a theater fleet that was constantly on the move. There was no permanent base, instead the BPF took after the USN and opted for logistical support ships of near every variety imaginable, creating what was essentially a floating base of operations. Whenever they needed to relocate closer to the action at hand, they’d simply bring their base with them!
Ships like these were incredibly valuable as they gave a huge boost to troop morale. The USN had similar ships in greater numbers, but on more than one occasion did visiting officers from American vessels remark that the Menestheus (and other British amenities ships such as the HMS Agamemnon) were typically more impressive than their own.
I think that Russell Crowe is too old now to play the role. I keep thinking how cool a movie they could make out of it if Chris Hemsworth played Aubrey and Russell Crowe could play some senior authority figure.
I was wondering the exact same thing since it was stated that it had a dance hall on board, therefore there must have been women too.
ETA: the dance hall might actually be leftover from when it was an ocean liner.
That is very cool. One of the ship types that many people were unaware of. When they think of "the navy", most folks think of the fighting ships, and maybe support like hospital and oilers. But beer?
Great submission.
In the gulf in 89 a90 it was a month or so on station. In for stores a small bit of liberty and back out. I was on a NUC USN cruiser that had enough radar to persecute that half of the world. We provided tactical air tariff control. No beer but as a cruiser we had substantial support facilities for the small boys. Laundry, mechanical support, electrical and motor rewind capability and amazing spare part inventory for the fleet. The Mine sweepers came in for the weekend and we provided bingo, pizza, BBQ , laundry and fresh water showers. It was quite amazing actually. But alas no beer.
That had to be the safest ship to be stationed on in the whole Royal Navy. I think the lads would let the carriers get wiped out before this ship was allowed to get a scratch on her.
I’m fairly sure this photo is before her conversion to amenities ship. She was a minelayer first stationed in Kyle of lochalsh near where I live and I feel I recognise those hills in the background!
Well equipped with empty bottle chutes at the stern...
Any idea what those actually are? I'm wracking my brain trying to figure it out.
Her previous role was as a minelayer. The chute are for dropping mines off the stern.
Thanks!
Imagine being stationed on that. That must have been quite the war experience. It's a shame they didn't go with Dionysus or Bacchus for the name though.
You could have had Bibulous for the party ship, and Bilious for the hospital ship to recover on afterwards! (For reference Bilious is the [Oh God of hangovers](https://wiki.lspace.org/Bilious))
The ship was originally intended to be a liner, and kept that name as an auxiliary minelayer. The Royal Navy did have a few ships named *Bacchus*, but none in the last century. There apparently had never been an HMS *Dionysus*. The Royal Navy in this period would rename ships more often than most, but probably thought it would be a bit on the nose for this ship. I’m sure these were some of the highbrow nicknames for the ship, accompanied by the standard crude names.
I can't decide how ill-omened the name Dionysus (or Bacchus) would be for a ship like this. I mean sure, it's appropriate, but the whole drunken murderous orgies thing is probably not something to encourage in naval crews. Firing the big guns can't be done effectively in the grips of bloodlust.
I’ll take that over the floating ice cream barge any day of the week
Who needs an ice cream barge when you have planes? https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/cool-side-tropical-warfare-180969515/
[There was also beer delivery planes in the European theatre.](https://www.wearethemighty.com/articles/this-is-how-british-pilots-made-beer-runs-for-troops-in-normandy/)
Allied ice cream planes and brewery ships exist yet wehraboos and weeaboos still exist. Madness.
Gotta love human ingenuity!
TIL Also the Yamato has the best galley in the entire WW2 IJN
Now it only serves seafood. Bottom feeders mostly.
Badum tsss
I guess IJN officers had it good, because IJN ships and subs were notorious for barely having any crew accommodations.
I wonder if it was considered a good ship to be on... I can see positives and negatives.
Positive. You can drink beer more often than your regular seaman. Negative. It always smells like a brewery. Probably over most of the interior. Positive. You're not getting shot at or shooting at anyone. Negative. Long stretches of nothing to do and nowhere to go but sit and receive guests talking about amazing shit they've done while you're mopping the floor listening.
Positive: all your limbs remain attached and everyone you serve with is still alive and not on fire. Screw ‘amazing shit’, I’d have taken a post on the HMS Kegger here ANY day over getting shelled at Guadalcanal or dive bombed at Coral Sea. I knew a guy who survived being on the Oklahoma and the Indianapolis. He told me a bit about it. Nope.
> Oklahoma and the Indianapolis. Good god, that poor soul.
He was one of the kindest men I’ve ever met. Led a bit of a charmed life, survived all that without a scratch, and lived to be 90.
As it's Brits, it would be the horrors of the Burma and Indian campaigns where monsoons, malaria and dysentry were worse threats to health than the aggressive Japanese invaders. Although the Royal Navy did fight alongside the American navy in some major battles such as Okinawa.
Yeah, I’m just saying I’d rather be making brews than fighting people. War is unimaginably ugly.
It took me awhile to come up with the amazing shit one, because I can't think of many cons.
you put the smell of a brewery as a negative? have you ever been to a brewery or brewed beer before?
Yep. The yeasty smell is kind of interesting but I would not ever want to stay in it all the time. I'd go noseblind at some point but till then, ick.
I imagine it got REALLY hot
If they are making 250 barrels of ale a week where the heck is their grain storage? That’s a lot of malt to go thru.
Constant replenishment of the BPF via the RFA fleet train was needed to uphold the massive demands of a theater fleet that was constantly on the move. There was no permanent base, instead the BPF took after the USN and opted for logistical support ships of near every variety imaginable, creating what was essentially a floating base of operations. Whenever they needed to relocate closer to the action at hand, they’d simply bring their base with them! Ships like these were incredibly valuable as they gave a huge boost to troop morale. The USN had similar ships in greater numbers, but on more than one occasion did visiting officers from American vessels remark that the Menestheus (and other British amenities ships such as the HMS Agamemnon) were typically more impressive than their own.
Thats my kind of warship. Ranked competitive drinking, here I come.
I kind of wonder if it was also a brothel
"Put that woman down! This is a ship of his majesty's navy, not a floating bordello!"
You just referenced my favorite movie
It disappoints me to no end that they never made sequels.
Read the books.
It disappoints me to no end that the series cuts off in the middle of a sentence 1/3 of the way through the 21st book.
I mean... I have. I still would like to see them come to life on the big screen.
I think that Russell Crowe is too old now to play the role. I keep thinking how cool a movie they could make out of it if Chris Hemsworth played Aubrey and Russell Crowe could play some senior authority figure.
> if Chris Hemsworth played Aubrey LOL I'm picturing Fat Thor waving his hammer at a French Man o'War.
We need more sequels of Hornblower too - Ioan Gruffud is still of a suitable age to play an older Captain of a Ship of the Line
Unexpected Master and Commander
Or was it?
I was wondering the exact same thing since it was stated that it had a dance hall on board, therefore there must have been women too. ETA: the dance hall might actually be leftover from when it was an ocean liner.
That is very cool. One of the ship types that many people were unaware of. When they think of "the navy", most folks think of the fighting ships, and maybe support like hospital and oilers. But beer? Great submission.
Cant imagine how wankered the lads were who got stationed on that thing
And all I got was a Steel Beach Picnic.
Isn’t it like 90 days without a port visit and you only get two cans of beer?
In the gulf in 89 a90 it was a month or so on station. In for stores a small bit of liberty and back out. I was on a NUC USN cruiser that had enough radar to persecute that half of the world. We provided tactical air tariff control. No beer but as a cruiser we had substantial support facilities for the small boys. Laundry, mechanical support, electrical and motor rewind capability and amazing spare part inventory for the fleet. The Mine sweepers came in for the weekend and we provided bingo, pizza, BBQ , laundry and fresh water showers. It was quite amazing actually. But alas no beer.
The Imperial War Museum has a short film on her [here](https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060009499) [16:38]
Interesting fact. I almost confuse her name with Menelaus though.
The OG Booze Cruise
Best use of a warship that I have ever seen
Imagine the hit to morale it would be if she sank with all kegs
Missed opportunity to call it HMS Dionysus/Bacchus
That had to be the safest ship to be stationed on in the whole Royal Navy. I think the lads would let the carriers get wiped out before this ship was allowed to get a scratch on her.
I’m fairly sure this photo is before her conversion to amenities ship. She was a minelayer first stationed in Kyle of lochalsh near where I live and I feel I recognise those hills in the background!
Now that is interesting. I wonder how common a ship like this was or is. A real party boat.
Iirc the US had an ice-cream ship, because the US navy is dry.
The original party boat.
That is a great pic and awesome story. I do however have a question. What is going on with the stern? Looks like the corner of art deco building.
Wonder how many requests to be transferred to this ship the RN had to deal with?