HMS Vanguard Battle Ship

1944 HMS VANGUARD. Vanguard was the last battleship built for the Royal Navy, in a line stretching back to HMS Warrior in 1859. She was also in many ways the best British design, although not the most powerful.

A FAST BATTLESHIP FOR THE PACIFIC

As early as 1938 the Admiralty was worried by the shortage of fast capital ships to contain the Japanese Navy. What was proposed was a fifth unit of the projected Lion class, but the time taken to build three more triple 16in (406mm) gun turrets meant delay until 1944. As an alternative it was suggested that four spare twin 15in (381mm) turrets from the light battle-cruisers Courageous and Glorious could be substituted. To find space for a fourth turret, the Lion design had to be lengthened, but the machinery was the same.

TOO LATE

Wartime shortages and changed priorities held up the construction of Vanguard, but she would be ideal as an escort for the fleet carriers in the British Pacific Fleet. Every effort was made to complete her but she was not finished until August 1946. Her first task was to take the British monarch, George VI, to South Africa in 1947. She spent some years with the Home Fleet before being laid up at Portsmouth as Flagship of the Reserve Fleet. She was sold for scrapping in 1960, never having fired a shot in anger (although her guns had been fired in action in 1917). Secondary armament consisted of 16 5.5in (140mm) guns.

TECHNICAL DATA
Type: Battleship
Machinery: 4-shaft geared turbines, 130,000hp
Dimensions: Length, 248.2m (814.3ft); beam, 32.9m(lO8ft)
Displacement: 51,420t (full load) Draught: 10.6m (34.8ft)