Battle of Jutland: HMS BARHAM, MALAYA, WARSPITE AND VALIANT of the 5th Battle Squadron

This watercolour is a smaller and mirror image version of another one by Frank Wood on this website, MP120. Was it a trial for the larger one (MP120) or was this one the result of a successful sale of the larger one? The two paintings are virtually identical except of course we are shown starboard views of the ships complete with the two anchors that are housed in the starboard bows of these and other British battleships.

HMS BARHAM (Captain A W Craig RN) wearing the flag of Rear Admiral Hugh Evan-Thomas MVO commanding the 5th Battle Squadron; HMS MALAYA (Captain The Hon Algernon Boyle CB MVO RN); HMS WARSPITE (Captain E M Phillpotts RN), HMS VALIANT (Captain M Woolcombe RN) are here painted as the squadron they were when they went into action on 31st May 1916 off the Jutland peninsular. The fifth ship of the squadron, HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH (Captain G P W Hope CB RN) was famously absent from this action having been incarcerated in dry dock in Rosyth for refit shortly before her sisters sailed with the Grand Fleet for the battle. That action is described at length in MP120’s descriptive text and elsewhere too on this website.