I am sure Bill Greenwood was on board for that review, he was an uncle of mine. Your opinion really sums it all up, that although unwanted by the Admiralty from 1943 to 1945, she justified the cost, she was the tonic the country needed after 1945, and even ABC was at the launch with his familiar cheerfulness.

It's too bad that the HMS Hood was not a real battle ship but a cruiser, but was asked to do a battle ships job. She was being armored but never got around to applying more armor to her fore deck, which was her Achilles heal. May those that served aboard her rest in peace.

nightlightabcd It's incredible to think that the Royal Navy lost the battle of the Denmark Strait purely because of mechanical and engineering blunders, and the poor crews of Hood and Prince of Wales had to pay the price for it. Lesson learned (hopefully).

+Tim C Their only real blunder was succumbing to a need to have ships operational. Hood missed out on vital upgrades to her deck armor in the rush to have her operational and Prince of Wales was basically fresh from the builders yard with an under trained crew and not even having completed sea trials.

HMS Hood is the best looking capitol ship ever built.......Bismark the most menacing.

Holland fought a miserable battle, that didn't help matters. His insistence on radio silence meant that instead of crossing the german's T, he had to chase to catch up and never had a chance to fire all his guns at Bismarck, and the cruisers did not take part in the battle. Plus, he mistakenly ordered firing at Prinz Eugen instead of Bismarck. And he didn't send in destroyers for a torpedo attack -- that's what did in Scharnhorst. None of that would have added armor over Hood's magazines but it might have given them more of a fighting chance.

Trouble with Vanguard she had no history other than being the last battle ship built in the UK. Warspite on the other hand served through 2 world wars and was a true dreadnaught so in terms of historic naval significance far more important

***** Ahh, but the thing about preserving technology isn't always about military victory. Vanguard was British Battleship design and engineering at its zenith. The biggest, best and last. The sort of thing that should have been preserved for coming generations to visit. We've spent decades scrapping our heritage in many areas, it needs to stop. The Yanks have the right idea, mooring an old carrier in New York harbour, etc., etc.

***** Yes but what you have to remember is that Vanguard had some of her 15' Guns from HMS Ramillies and I think the other R Class Battleships. The idea of keeping one of these is I agree fantastic, but back in 1948 when most were broken up, our Country had no money to preserve them. Somehow Belfast was kept, but of course she is small compared with a true Battleship. I would have kept the Ramillies, she was at D-Day and fired 1002, 15'' shells the most of any ship ever. Not even Warspite did that, think she went back to Pompey for repairs after the first day or so.

The only definite piece of good news is that scrapping Vanguard gave Belfast the honour, which was more politically important than preserving the prestige project

That would be a sight it’s like twice the size would be cool

As a Brit one Day I must visit USS Texas and any of the Iowas.Great ships! fantastic they were preserved.

We do have HMS Belfast which is moored on The Thames in London as a floating museum but she is a Cruiser not a battleship. Better than nothing I suppose.

Have been on Belfast 3 times . Warrior Victory and Mary rose also. Like to see the Brit built predrednought battle ship Mikasa in Japan.

Thank you for that elswick. I had no idea about the Mikasa.

They also built Kongo which served in WW2.

Funny how the Brits can't let go of their pride/sentimentality and call everything 'Royal' from their army to their navy to their air force, yet they don't keep REAL things to be sentimental about

@@tennoshenaniganizer9234 Yes you`ve got a good point there. Not one battleship left from what was once the greatest navy in the World - unbelievable but not unsurprising. The mindset in the 1950`s was generally very narrowly focused with no imagination for preservation for future generations.

@@paullewis2413 British rail steam giants to disappear off the face of the earth in 1968, yet no plan to stop sale to steam enthusiast and no plan to ensure the engine could not be used on the British rail line - the State attempted cuckoo land and was brought down to earth by market forces serving the public interest.

@Alexander Challis My comment was meant simply to relate that the government failed to foresee the type of action Alan Peglar spearheaded, buying the Flying Scotsman and obtaining both storage and right to steam on British rail. This was to highlight the negligence so often apparent to consider the realities, not just the immediate agenda, yet you reply alleging that same negligence against me. You will find in my comments generally a general agreement with scrapping policies, and statement that more important things need preservation, for example the understanding that war is cruel. Your comment is therefore obviously based on misunderstanding. And I was aware that the public generally are preoccupied with money issues, which is one reason governments are. I would simply reiterate that the government was in cuckoo land concerning British rail, and while I do not advocate anyone falling in love with the steam ,locomotive they purchased, at least those who live in that cuckoo land do not harm society, governments that take us all for granted do, because listening is the last thing on the governments mind, and the only listening you get is from the parasites calculating who will be their next pile of scrap - and the media itself is guilty of that process, telling you whatever serves the industry, not what needs to be said.

A cuckold son and a nympho daughter in law...Queenie needs saving. Why doesn't she follow Roman Popes and retire. God help us us.

Can't leave kind enough alone. You should do something about your trolling anger issues. God save you more like it.

You will have to excuse me. Not everyone is smitten with the Queen or Britannia. Anglophilia is a disease in the US, like Momism.

and hate is taught so I guess your parents are at fault. Do me a favor keep your nasty Hate filled trolling to yourself. Oh by The way do us all a favor and don't procreate The world has enough angry nasty people. One last thing slap your parents they did a shitty job.

Slap my parents? How ugly of you. Not even your Brit-mania can excuse that contemptuousness toward people. Cover yourself in the Union Jack, and be a pig. It's the white man's burden.

Right on William!!!

Hi, Harry. Many thanks. Kindest regards, Bill.

They make me wince.Tragic thing is,they are on most military sites spewing there bile.

You know the level of controversy concerning this ship that the Admiralty did not approve of from 1943? There are British government decisions good and bad, and controversy almost every time, and many people cannot identify the good from the bad, not least because of politics but media. I wonder if that is not an invitation to many to express little respect as you relate. Manners are quite elementary components but heirarchy often uses them to appear civilized, and it is the public who suffers it. You can lecture people, but remember what they are up against, an extraordinary bombardment of hype!

The Aurora does have new bottom not sure how they removed the old bottom and kept the superstructure together. Greece has old cruiser moored next to fletcher class DD. Super BB Musashi has been found by Paul Allen

Wylye guy, yes I had the enormous pleasure of visiting this ship in 1954,when it was on display to the public at Portland Naval base near Weymouth, this during Navy Days in early August, me and my Dad climbed aboard from a pleasure vessel from Weymouth and spent a couple of hours aboard, my enduring memory was being shown around in A turret, as a young boy it seemed huge inside, and the Gunners demonstrated how the shells and charges were inserted into the breech, the film bought it back very vividly, why oh why do we British SCRAP EVERYTHING! What a Great Attraction this great ship would be now! Bloody Tories!

Yes I like the Nelson best as well. It looks like a fortress.

I love the Flower Class (corvette) and there's only 1 left, and it's in my home city. HMCS Sackville, it's amazing and if anyone who sees this ever has the chance don't miss out.

You can find a loading animation of the 15 inch guns on Wikipedia

HMS Vanguard's gun turret was filmed for all of the world to see in the film Sink the Bismarck!

Not usually, orphen!