pennant number british king class battleships royal_navy built laid june launched april originally named changed howe admiral howe completed august building time extended needed war supplies diverted work higher priority construction repair merchant ships escort ships like sister ship howe spend career arctic providing cover russian convoys howe took bombarded naval base support allied invasions king george howe escorted surrendered italian battleships alexandria howe sent pacific attached task force provided naval allied landings okinawa april following end war howe spent years flagship portland placed reserve battleship marked disposal sold scrap completely broken construction aftermath world war drawn effort stop arms race developing britain japan france italy united_states treaty limited number ships nation allowed build capped capital ships tons restrictions extended treaty london mid-1930s japan italy withdrawn treaties british concerned lack modern battleships navy result admiralty ordered construction new battleship class king george class provisions treaty london effect king george designed main armament class limited inch guns prescribed instruments battleships built time adhere treaty soon apparent british signatories treaty ignoring requirements late change design class laid keel howe ship king george class laid june shipyard originally named admiral commander british battlecruiser squadron battle jutland changed admiral howe launched april completed august carried improved anti aircraft armament radar equipment result lessons learned world war design howe displaced long tons built long tons fully loaded overall length feet inches beam feet draught feet inches designed metacentric height feet inch normal load feet inch deep load ship powered parsons geared steam turbines driving propeller shafts steam provided admiralty drum water tube boilers normally delivered shaft horsepower produce shp emergency gave howe speed knots mph ship carried long tons fuel oil carried long tons diesel oil long tons reserve feed water long tons freshwater speed howe range nautical miles knots mph armament howe mounted inch vii guns inch guns mounted twin turret forward quadruple turrets forward aft guns elevated degrees depressed degrees training arcs turret degrees turret degrees turret degrees training hydraulic drives rates degrees second respectively gun broadside weighed pounds fired seconds secondary armament consisted inch guns mounted twin mounts weighing tons maximum range guns degrees shell anti aircraft ceiling feet guns elevated degrees depressed degrees nominal rate fire rounds minute practice guns fire seven rounds minute commissioning main secondary batteries howe carried inch viii anti aircraft guns guns operational history home_fleet howe joined home_fleet august building time extended owing urgent demands industry like sister ship spend early years combat career arctic waters covering convoys bound russia december howe sister ship king george provided distant cover convoy safely arrived january howe king george provided distant cover convoy march helped recover ships sunk howe transferred gibraltar king george operation allied invasion sicily battleships alabama substituted absence home_fleet british ships shelled naval base july based pair offered cover operation allied landings setting september september howe king george escorted surrendered italian battleships alexandria end october howe king george returned britain end year howe underwent long overhaul devonport number alterations anti aircraft armament increased changes radar watertight integrity stern improved modifications accomplished officers crew quarters operations tropical climates included changes extensive use air conditioning equipment pacific operations august howe arrived ceylon join eastern fleet modern british battleship deployed eastern waters loss prince wales december howe action quickly providing cover carrier based air operations targets sumatra december moved sydney sailed flag waving visit february howe king george sailed sydney begin operations earnest pacific theatre carriers cruisers destroyers task force major undertaking task force redesignated operation offshore support landings got way april force subjected sporadic japanese attacks ships emerged unscathed actions howe anti aircraft batteries succeeded shooting attacking plane ships principal roles air defence land bombardment carried accurately particularly howe anti aircraft installations island half way okinawa post war week june howe sydney immediately decided send refit saw remainder war relocated portsmouth january howe placed reserve towed devonport ordered scrapped howe towed broken royal_navy presented ship bell edinburgh reported parts gun turrets exist having nuclear laboratory career howe refitted occasions bring equipment date artefacts ship bell inscribed hms howe preserved edinburgh
HMS Howe (32)