'A Light Cruiser off Scapa Pier' RMG PW1757, William Lionel Wyllie, circa 1918

'a light cruiser off scapa pier' signed by artist (in black) and lightly inscribed in pencil below it, lower right ' a light cruiser in scapa bay', this finished watercolour was reproduced in colour with the title given above in wyllie's co-authored book 'more sea fights of the great war', f. P. 78. The ship shown on the right, in scapa flow with her boat booms out, is a 'chatham'- or 'birmingham'- class light cruiser of the 2nd or 3rd light cruiser squadron attached to the battlecruiser force in 1918. She appears to have range-finder baffles on her foremast, which is unusual since photographic evidence for this on any vessels of these classes is elusive. Date: circa 1918. Dimensions: Sheet: 284 x 452 mm; Mount: 481 mm x 633 mm. Collection: Fine art.