lion class battleship lion class battleships class fast battleships designed royal_navy late 1930s larger improved version king george class inch guns ships laid world war began september ordered war construction suspended shortly design changed times response removal treaty restrictions size light war experience ships planned laid proposal modify suspended ships hybrid battleship aircraft carrier inch gun turrets flight deck ships begun scrapped end war design description choice inch gun mix quadruple twin turrets main battery dictated limited battleships long tons standard displacement main calibre inches refused agree terms maximum calibre allowed reverted inches april began preliminary design work ton ship armed inch guns promising director naval construction ordered investigate designs providing aircraft save design time features king george incorporated new design limited size ship real challenge designers increased weight main armament compensated slight reduction overall weight armour elimination twin inch gun turrets designer issues easier march signatories treaty invoked clause japanese refused provide information battleship construction programme signatories feared new ships new japanese battleships new limit long tons american insistence admiralty decided limit long tons inch guns cost grounds larger vessels unable dock portsmouth new design prepared armour powerful machinery twin inch gun turrets restored aircraft added admiralty approved design december bids shortly design version lion class overall length feet beam feet maximum draught feet inches displaced long tons standard load long tons deep load appearance lions closely resembled stern improve steaming efficiency high speed interests saving time shaft unit machinery design king george alternating boiler engine rooms lion class ships sets single reduction geared parsons steam turbines housed separate engine rooms set consisted high pressure low pressure turbine driving propeller shaft designed produce total shaft horsepower condition speed knots mph turbines powered admiralty type drum water tube boilers boiler rooms working pressure psi kpa cm2 temperature turbines boilers cross connected emergency ships designed carry long tons fuel oil maximum estimated range nautical miles speed knots mph equipped diesel generators supplied common ring main volts lion class ships main armament consisted calibre inch guns new design triple powered gun turrets designated bow stern maximum elevation turrets increased guns loaded fired pound projectiles muzzle velocity provided maximum range yards rate fire rounds minute ships carried shells gun secondary armament consisted sixteen calibre inch dual purpose guns twin gun mounts maximum depression maximum elevation fired pound high explosive shell muzzle velocity normal rate fire rounds minute maximum elevation guns maximum range yards rounds provided gun short range air defence provided pounder guns pounder gun fired millimetre pound shell muzzle velocity distance yards gun rate fire approximately rounds minute rounds gun carried ships armour scheme virtually identical king george class waterline belt composed krupp cemented armour inches thick feet long main portion belt feet high lower feet inches high extended additional feet past ends armoured citadel tapered vertically inches thickness inches edge belt plates end belt inches thick transverse bulkheads inches thick closed end central citadel aft end steering gear compartment inch transverse bulkhead face plates main gun turrets inches thick roofs inch non cemented armour plates sides remained inches thickness barbettes inch guns inches thick sides tapered inches closer ship intended resist impact pound armour piercing bomb dropped height feet lions deck protection identical king george class consisted inch non cemented armour magazines reduced inches machinery spaces armour continued forward aft citadel lower deck level forward tapered steps inches inches near bow aft protected steering gear propeller shafts inches armour unlike germans french americans british longer believed heavy armour conning tower served real purpose given chance hitting conning tower small protected forward conning tower inches armour underwater protection virtually identical king george consisted layer system liquid filled compartments meant absorb energy underwater explosion bounded inside inch torpedo bulkhead inner outer fitted pumps flood water level ship counter flood case began list length citadel system found proof tnt scale trials lion class ships double depth feet design construction suspended shortly war began admiralty took advantage time design light war experience late beam increased maximum width locks panama canal increase depth effectiveness ship torpedo protection system long tons fuel oil added increase ship endurance requirement turret able fire directly ahead elevation rescinded radically reduced forward caused king george lot water bow head seas partially compensate additional weight belt armour reduced thickness inch magazines aircraft facilities removed space superstructure freed changes increase light anti aircraft armament quadruple pounder mounts overall length lion class increased feet beam feet displacement grew long tons standard load long tons deep load changes propulsion machinery speed decreased knots mph greater displacement long tons fuel increased endurance estimated maximum nautical miles speed knots forward increased nearly feet radar suite increased match battleship vanguard construction cruiser belfast lost steam power struck early war diesel generators substituted turbo generators additional beam increase depth torpedo protection system amidships feet feet ships crew estimated officers men design attempt started february incorporate wartime lessons create cutting edge design soon concluded power modern weapons increased increasing armour torpedo protection required incompatible limited offensive power ship effort investigate torpedo protection system characteristics finalized naval historians speculate ships feet long beam feet draught feet displaced long tons estimated endurance clean hull improved version inch gun new turret fired heavier shell marginally lower velocity mounted triple turrets additionally carry twin inch guns secondary armament plus number anti aircraft protection clear original design pushed feasible abandoned favour simpler modification plans lion class subsequently christened design proposal scaled heavily underwater protection speed reduced size citadel minimum possible dramatically increasing retaining design armour firepower design series considered alternative ways saving weight reduced armament belt thickness quickly deemed unsatisfactory design primary focus seven proposed versions produced march february preference mid economic pressures britain paramount new proposal armour arrangement similar modernized christened design submitted design committee headed admiral design earlier preferred variant battleship design refined october design work informally suspended new iii inch turret work finally cancelled late brought final end battleship design construction royal_navy hybrid aircraft carrier january rear admiral sea lord controller navy asked work hybrid aircraft carrier based lion class hull months later sketch design presented consideration liked participants design retained main gun turrets flight deck deemed short useful revised version forward turrets retained requested ready july design displacement ranged long tons standard load long tons deep load design dimensions included waterline length feet beam feet draught feet inches flight deck feet long width feet machinery unchanged long tons additional oil increased endurance nautical miles knots hybrid armament consisted inch guns triple turrets sixteen inch guns pounder mounts fighters torpedo bombers carried director naval gunnery particularly assessment design functions requirements carriers surface gun platforms entirely incompatible designs evidently result unresolved contest conscious acceptance aircraft desire fleet results psychological necessary result proper analysis question balanced fleet surprisingly design rejected construction lion class ships planned naval programmes pair ordered february respectively lion laid newcastle shipyard july preceded june contracts awarded august uncertain actually ordered ship laid start world war september construction continued october suspended admiralty year release labour material escorts needed protect merchant convoys construction inch guns turrets continue question raised november decision suspend construction reaffirmed ships ordered cancelled lion keel scrapped end war inch guns turrets completed
Lion-class battleship