HMS Vanguard (1944)

HMS Vanguard was a modified King George V class battleship of the Royal Navy. She was the last battleship to be built for the Royal Navy, and also the last in the world.

Related Topics:
''King George V'' class - Battleship - Royal Navy

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Early in 1939, the Admiralty decided to build a new battleship that would use four spare twin 15-inch mountings originally manufactured for HM ships Courageous and Glorious during World War I; thus giving rise to the nickname "battleship with her great aunt's teeth".

Related Topics:
1939 - Admiralty - ''Courageous'' - ''Glorious'' - World War I

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A design for a 40,000-ton battleship was produced, intended to be the core of a Far East Fleet, where her high speed and armament would be a match for Japanese warships. At the outbreak of World War II the Admiralty decided to concentrate the limited shipbuilding resources on vessels that could come into service quickly rather than larger or more powerful ships that might be too late. As a result the planned Lion class was cancelled. It was suggested that the turrets and mountings from the two battlecruisers be utilized in a modified Lion design for speedy construction. The plan was approved and the ship built.

Related Topics:
Far East Fleet - World War II - Admiralty

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Vanguard was laid down in 1941, and her hull was launched in November 1944; the ship was not however commissioned until 1946, and became known as the only British battleship never to fire her guns in anger. (In fact, however, these guns had indeed been fired during minor skirmishes during the latter parts of the First World War, when mounted aboard HMS Courageous and HMS Glorious prior to their conversions to aircraft carriers.) After various duties as flagship, training ship and "royal yacht", but never seeing combat, she was decommissioned in 1954. With her engines removed, Vanguard was towed to Faslane in 1960 and scrapped.

Related Topics:
1941 - 1944 - Commissioned - 1946 - Aircraft carrier - Flagship - 1954 - Faslane - 1960

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Vanguard was unique among British battleships in having remote control for both main and secondary guns. She was well regarded as a good seaboat, able to keep an even keel in rough seas. During NATO exercises in the 1950s Vanguard's main deck was dry in heavy North Atlantic swells whereas US Navy Iowa-class battleships had their forward turrets awash with spray.

Related Topics:
Remote control - NATO - 1950s - Main deck - North Atlantic - US Navy - ''Iowa''-class

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See HMS Vanguard for other ships of the name.

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