Where Were They?

Watch or interact with ___ World War 1-era Royal Navy vessels as they move about the globe.

The ships’ positions shown here, taken from the logs published at , can only be approximate.
Generally, the positions are those given once a day at noon (though sometimes positions are not given), so there will be occasions when the ships appear to have travelled overland.

Navigation and Controls

Use mouse

or touch
to navigate the globe or map.

Pan
Left-click and drag.
Drag one finger.
Zoom
Right-click and drag, or use scroll wheel.
Pinch two fingers.
Tilt
Rotate
(Not in 2D view)
Middle-click and drag, or hold Ctrl-key and left- and right-click simultaneously, and then drag.
Drag two fingers in the same direction to tilt.
Drag two fingers in a circular motion to rotate.

Click or tap a ship to get more information about the ship.
Double-click or double-tap a ship, or select in the information window, to track its position.
While a ship is being tracked the map cannot be panned.
To stop tracking a ship, and to regain control over the map navigation, click or tap anywhere but on a ship, or select in the information window.

18 Jul 1914
Select to change the date through the date picker.
Or, to move the clock forward or back, drag to the right or left respectively, and release.
The clock moves faster as you move away from the centre.
The animated date and the time for lower animation speeds are shown.
Reset the animation to the first available date.
Animate backwards in time, or pause animation.
Animate forwards in time, or pause animation.
Select animation speed.
Search for your favourite ship.
If the ship is available at the shown date, the view will zoom in on it.
If it isn't available at the shown date, select or in the information window to set the clock to the first available date.
Return to the default view.
Select map view; 3D view, 2D view or Columbus view.
Select map imagery provider.
Enter fullscreen mode (recommended), or leave fullscreen mode.