Warship Profile 19 - HMS Hood, Battle-Cruiser 1916-1941.pdf - Warship Profile - MiliFan

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HMS Hood/Battle -Cruiser 1916-1941

Operational History

by R. G. Robertson, CA

Profile

The technical history of HMS Hood will be

published shortly.

COVER PHOTO:

The Hood during the Spanish Civil War 1937. Note anti-

torpedo bulge.

The Hood fitting out at John Brown's Yard, Clydebank, 9January 1920.

HMS HO O D/B attle-Cruiser 1916-1941

by R. G. Robertson, CA

Operational History

For almost 20 years she was the largest warship in

the world. Few, if any, of the others could match the

beauty of her lines, none could match her speed of

30 knots, combined with a main armament of eight

15in guns. In the navies of the world she was in a

class by herself and her formidable appearance

excited the admiration of all who set eyes upon her.

Such a ship was the Hood. When she was sunk by a

few shells from the German battleship Bismarck in

the early hours of Empire Day 1941 it seemed to

many in Britain and the Commonwealth that they

had lost a part of their naval heritage.

As it would be impossible to do justiceto such a ship

in one Profile it was decided to publish the story of

the last 10 years of her life now, leaving a later

Warship Profile to tell of her design, her building

and her early years in service.

Design Changes

As a result of Jutland very extensive investigations

were carried out on the design of the Hood and it was

found that considerable protection could be added

by accepting a deeper draught and a slightly

reduced speed.

On account of the design changes an additional

5000 tons of armour were worked into her hull and

although the total weight of the armour and

protection at 13,800 tons was almost equal to one-

third of her load displacement and was nearly as

heavy as that of a contemporary battleship, the

Hood remained a battle-cruiser in conception.

There is no doubt that she could have withstood

severe punishment from torpedoes, mines or shell-fire

directed against her sides. The tragedy of her

otherwise superb design was her lack of sufficient

deck armour. Had this been provided when she was

145

The Hood on trials in the Clyde, 5 March 1920.

built, the result of her action with the Prince of Wales

against the Bismarck might well have been very

different.

Searchlights

4 36in on platform between funnels

2 36in on After Control Position

2 36in on foremast

4 24in signalling (on admiral's bridge)

THE SHIP AS COMPLETED IN 1920

Laid down:

Design modified:

Launched:

Trials completed:

Commissioned:

Displacement:

31 May 1916 (original design)

1 September 1916

22 August 1918

5 March 1920

15 May 1920

41,200 tons at 28ft bin draught

45,200 tons at 31 ft 6in draught

860ft 7in

850ft

81 Oft

95ft at 28ft 6in draught

105ft 212 in

1169

Boats carried

2 50ft steam picket boats

1 45ft admiral's barge

1 35ft motor boat

1 42ft sailing launch with auxiliary motor

1 36ft pinnace

4 32ft cutters

1 32ft galley

2 30ft captain's gigs

227ft whalers

21 6ft dinghies

7 large and 2 small Carley floats

Length (overall):

Length (waterline):

Length (B.P.):

Breadth (waterline):

Breadth (outside bulges)

Complement (1923):

Armament

815in Mark 1 (1913)

12 5 5in Mark I

(spare guns from Chester and Birkenhead

who were taken over from Greece)

Her Early Years

After reaching a mean speed of 32.07 knots on her

trials held in the Clyde during February and March

1920 in stormy weather, the Hood commissioned

on 15 May 1920. Two visits to Scandinavia and a

world cruise were the most notable events of her

early years in service.

On 17 May 1929 she paid off into Dockyard

control at Portsmouth to undergo the most extensive

refit since her completion, a reconstruction which

lasted two years, until 12 May 1931.

44in Mark V AA

43-pounders

2 21 in submerged torpedo-tubes

4 21 in above water torpedo-tubes

Protection

Side midships.

Side forward:

Side aft:

Side submerged:

Barbettes:

Turrets:

Conning Tower:

1 2in, 7in, 5in

6in, 5in

6in

3in

1 2in

Face 1 5in

Side 1 2in, 11 in

Outer shell 1 2in

Inner shell 6in

Crown 5in

6in

Proposed Reconstruction

In the years immediately preceding the war, plans

had been drawn up for a reconstruction of the Hood.

It had been intended that the work would begin

when the Renown's major refit was completed in

1939. From 'B' 1 5in turret forward to 'X' 1 5in turret

aft, the Hood would have been completely refitted.

The changes would have included:

The complete removal of the conning tower and

bridge structure.

The removal of all the 5.5in guns and the above-

water torpedo tubes.

The removal of the 4in AA guns.

Director Tower:

After Torpedo

Control Tower:

Decks:

4in, 3in

Fo'c'sle 1'z in

Upper 1 in, fin

Main 2in, 112in

Main (over magazines) 3in

Lower, forward 1 f-1 in

Lower, aft 2in 1 in

Machinery

Brown Curtis geared turbine

SHP: 144,000

Propellers: 4

Designed speed: 31 knots

Trial speed (maximum): 3207 knots

Oil fuel (maximum):

4000 tons

146

Hood's seaplane and catapult July 1931.

June 1931.

In their place would have been fitted a modern

bridge structure incorporating aircraft hangars as in

the King George V class; eight twin 5.25in dual-

purpose guns in four twin mountings, to port and

starboard midships. (These guns were to prove

extremely successful in the Dido class of cruiser.)

A point of particular interest was the intention

greatly to increase her deck armour. Modifications

would also have been made to her under-water

protection. It was also intended to fit new machinery

with high-pressure boilers.

It was not expected that these alterations would have

greatly increased her tonnage. About 4000 tons of

unnecessary weight-the conning tower alone

weighed over 900 tons-would have been removed

and this would have allowed for the necessary

increase in her protection, just where it was most

needed.

Had it been possible for the Hood to have been

modernised along the lines planned she would

indeed have been a match for any of her adversaries,

German, Italian or Japanese. With the international

situation as it was in 1939 there was, of course, no

possibility of allowing her to be out of commission

for the time necessary to complete such a refit. All

that could be done when she returned to Portsmouth

in February 1939 was to increase her AA armament

and fit other supplementary equipment.

Portsmouth Refit:

February - August 1939

The four 4in single AA mountings were removed and

replaced by four twin 4in mountings on the boat

deck between the after funnel and mainmast.

Two High-Angle Directors were fitted on either side

of the signal platform on the bridge structure. Two

High-Angle Calculating Positions with the latest

High-Angle calculating tables served the new 4in

mountings.

June 1931.

147

Warship Profile 19 - HMS Hood, Battle-Cruiser 1916-1941.pdf

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