admiral class battlecruiser admiral class battlecruisers class british royal_navy battlecruisers designed near end world war design began improved version queen elizabeth class battleships recast battlecruiser admiral commander grand_fleet pointed real need battleships number german battlecruisers laid superior bulk grand_fleet battlecruisers design revised counter class consisted howe names famous ships suspended material labour required complete needed higher priority escort vessels designs updated incorporate lessons admiralty eventually decided better begin clean slate design cancelled battlecruisers built arms limitations agreements hood sufficiently advanced construction completed immediately flagship served flagship round world cruise hood transferred mediterranean_fleet spent years spanish civil war returning united_kingdom beginning world war home_fleet hood spent early war patrolling german commerce raiders escorting convoys flagship force based gibraltar bombarded french ships attack hood battleship prince wales ordered intercept german battleship heavy cruiser attempted break north_atlantic subsequent battle aft magazines hood exploded sinking minutes opening fire design description admiralty considering generation warship follow queen elizabeth class battleships director naval construction sir given instructions prepare designs new battleship design armament armour engine power standard build hull draw little water considered safe latest protection improvements underwater attack design submitted admiralty november consideration able reduce draught comparison widening ship feet feet consequence restricting ships use dock portsmouth large anti torpedo fitted secondary armament inch guns new design mounted forecastle deck resulting high gave design greater ratio reserve displacement previous british dreadnought design stretched hull form gave estimated speed knots mph knots mph faster able reach service sea lord admiral sir responded december danger large ship start new arms race americans britain ill afford better deck protection necessary defeat shells long range engagements admiralty asked design reworked maximum beam feet deemed unsatisfactory compromised ship underwater protection pair revised designs requested speed reduced knots mph allow hull shortened better fit existing floating docks minimum possible draught protection second best protection possible exceeding queen elizabeth length shortened feet comparison feet length draught increased foot inches proposals necessary reduce number guns secondary armament reduce thickness armour admiralty pleased design asked revised version draught beam armour armament shortened speed addition new inch gun rejected favour existing inch gun designs passed admiral commander grand_fleet pointed need new battleships british superiority numbers germans substantial true battlecruisers germany known building new class battlecruisers estimated speed approaching knots mph reported armament inch guns ships superior existing british battlecruisers construction renown class courageous class large light cruisers equally fast armoured compete remarked experience persuaded intermediate speed battleships battlecruisers little use suggested design knots mph battleship thirty knot battlecruiser prepared new designs response admiral comments february battlecruiser capable thirty knots better armed inch guns design displaced long tons inches belt armour speed thirty knots large tube boilers traditional british capital ships explains design long tons larger previous battleship designs design essentially repeat design small tube boilers substituted considerably smaller older type saved long tons design foot draught savings substantial overcome engineer chief objections required frequent expensive repairs asked submit designs small tube boilers submitted february design design machinery power increased shaft horsepower boost maximum speed knots mph designs inch guns design selected admiral specified minimum number guns fewer caused problems accurate fire control alternatives provided dozen inch guns sixteen guns proposal selected april orders placed april ships hood howe order fourth ship placed june hood laid day loss british battlecruisers battle caused work ships suspended pending investigation possible design flaws admiral investigation blamed loss ships faulty handling procedures allowed fires turrets reach ships magazines recommended anti flash equipment installed magazines handling rooms improvement deck armour magazines prevent shells fragments reaching magazines sea lord opposed believing direct evidence magazines directly penetrated july submitted revised designs admiral class ships modification previous design slight increases deck turret barbette funnel armour inch protection inch ammunition number electrical generators increased changes increased displacement long tons draught inches second design drastically improved protection converted ships fast battleships vertical armour generally increased deck protection slightly design changes added long tons original design increased draught feet cost half knot speed design equal queen knots mph faster improved torpedo protection long tons larger older ships submitted designs asked consider variations triple inch turrets submitted july admiralty chose fast battleship design hood laid september later month hood armour scheme slightly revised light analysis results jutland deck armour increased order ensure minimum thickness inches armour penetrated shells striking angles descent horizontal alterations construction increased thickness turret faces roofs changes plus numerous increased displacement long tons draught inches reduced speed knots mph changes continued thickness magazine crowns increased inch armour funnel forecastle deck omitted compensation main deck armour abreast magazines increased inches inch guns ammunition deleted consequence month plans approved increase thickness main deck forward magazines inches inches rear magazines water torpedo tubes protection omitted wall torpedo control tower reduced thickness inches offset armour weight additional deck armour fitted torpedo tubes protection retained earlier construction hood sisters suspended labour material required better employed construction repair merchant ships escorts needed open britain lines communication face boat blockade design work continued hood far advanced incorporate changes ultimately extensive ships constitute class end suspended ships design modified increase thickness turret roofs inches unspecified alterations armoured bulkheads cost total long tons displacement changes redesigned bridge structure moving funnels closer exchange position inch magazines change caused hull form filled somewhat accommodate handling room turret cost slight loss speed ammunition storage hood closest completion construction continued case germans managed complete new battlecruisers admiral continually pressed hood construction sisters restarted war cabinet refused approve measure sacrificed programme end end war suspended ships cancelled fully incorporate lessons war general characteristics admiral class ships significantly larger predecessors renown class overall length feet beam feet draught feet inches deep load feet longer feet wider smaller ships displaced long tons load long tons deep load long tons older ships metacentric height feet deep load complete double propulsion ships single reduction geared steam turbine sets drove propeller shaft arranged engine rooms forward engine room held turbines wing shafts middle compartment housed turbines port inner shaft aft engine room contained turbines starboard inner shaft cruising turbine built wing turbine turbines powered yarrow small tube boilers equally divided boiler rooms designed produce total shaft horsepower working pressure psi kpa achieved shp hood trials slightly exceeded designed speed knots mph designed normally carry long tons fuel oil maximum capacity long tons capacity hood steam speed knots mph estimated nautical miles diesel turbo driven armament admiral class ships mounted inch guns twin powered turrets designated rear guns depressed elevated loaded angle loading high angles tended slow gun return battery ships carried shells gun fired pound projectiles muzzle velocity provided maximum range armour piercing shells secondary armament consisted sixteen inch guns mounted pivot mounts forecastle deck protected gun shields provided rounds gun guns mounts maximum elevation fired pound projectiles muzzle velocity maximum range elevation rate fire rounds minute admiral class ships designed inch guns maximum depression maximum elevation fired pound high explosive shell muzzle velocity rate rounds minute guns maximum ceiling effective range inch submerged loading torpedo tubes fitted forward turret water loading mark tubes intended mounted abreast rear funnel upper deck carried hood loaded traversed hydraulic power submerged tubes fired compressed air water tubes charges thirty accommodated magazines hold forward turret hood carried torpedoes pounds tnt speed settings governed range yards knots mph yards knots mph yards knots mph fire control main guns admiral class ships controlled fire control directors primary director mounted conning tower armoured hood fore foremast turret control main gun turrets turret control rear guns data foot rangefinder armoured hood input located platform deck converted range data use guns target data recorded plotting table assist gunnery officer predicting movement target fore equipped foot rangefinder turret provided thirty foot rangefinder armoured housing turret roof computer local fire control secondary armament primarily controlled inch directors mounted bridge supplemented additional control positions fore provided foot positions equipped local control spotting data normally sent inch lower deck like procedure inch guns firing data calculated type fire control analog computers anti aircraft guns controlled simple metre rangefinder mounted aft superstructure torpedoes initially similar system especially foot rangefinder aft torpedo control tower sights provided data table torpedo adjacent inch lower deck table removed hood refit calculations torpedo control position bridge armour waterline belt admiral class ships inches thick angled partly belt inside structure allow torpedo hits vent atmosphere angle increased armor relative thickness horizontal close range fire albeit cost reducing relative height increased chance going sloped belt armor comparable inches found latest british dreadnoughts ran feet forward edge barbette middle barbette forward belt inches reducing inches ending inch bulkhead short bow aft section belt reduced inches reach stern terminated inch bulkhead belt height feet inches feet designed waterline seven inch middle belt feet high inch upper belt feet high middle belt stretched barbettes ending inch transverse bulkheads end upper belt ran barbette end machinery spaces ended inch transverse bulkhead hood decks armoured varying inches greatest magazines steering gear immediately adjacent barbettes main deck inches thick protect magazines turret faces inches thick sides ranged inches thickness roof inches thick barbettes maximum inches armour reduced thickness stages decks outer faces barbettes considerably thicker decks barbettes conning tower armour inches thick largest fitted british capital ship weighed long tons primary fire control director atop conning tower protected armoured hood face hood inches thick sides inches thick roof protected inches armour communications tube inch sides ran conning tower lower conning position main deck torpedo bulkheads inches inch inches thick anti torpedo admiral class battlecruisers fitted british capital ship fully incorporate lessons learned series experiments begun world war consisted outer air space inner space inch protective bulkhead space filled sealed steel crushing tubes intended distribute force explosion wide area possible absorb force possible tests conducted hood completed showed filling space water equally effective considerably cheaper ships service shortly commissioning hood flagship command rear admiral sir cruise scandinavian waters year visited mediterranean flag train mediterranean_fleet sailing cruise brazil west_indies company november hood accompanied battlecruiser number class cruisers 1st set world cruise west east panama canal returned home months later september visited lisbon january participate celebrations continuing mediterranean exercises hood continue pattern winter training visit mediterranean rest decade hood given major refit march resumed role flagship later year crew participated pay cuts sailors ended peacefully hood returned home port caribbean cruise early year resumed previous practice winter cruise mediterranean route gibraltar cruises collided battlecruiser renown january lightly damaged hood participated king george following august transferred mediterranean_fleet shortly afterward stationed gibraltar outbreak second italo war spanish civil war april escorted british harbour despite presence nationalist cruiser attempted blockade port returned portsmouth january overhaul lasted august world war june assigned war broke later year employed principally patrolling vicinity iceland protect convoys intercept german raiders attempting break atlantic september hit aircraft bomb minor damage early hood machinery dire shape limited best speed knots mph refitted april june hood aircraft carrier ordered gibraltar join force june hood flagship took destruction july days french surrender british admiralty issued ultimatum ensure fall german italian hands terms rejected royal_navy opened fire french ships results hood fire known exactly damaged french battleship hit inch shells forced beach hood engagement shell splinters wounded men sister ship managed escape harbour hood light cruisers gave chase gave hours hood torpedoes french sloop stripped turbine reaching knots mph hood relieved flagship force renown august returning scapa_flow short refit resumed previous role patrolling german commerce raiders convoy escort lasted january began refit lasted march completion ordered sea attempt intercept german battleships unsuccessful ordered patrol breakout attempt german ships brest hood ordered april admiralty received false report sailed germany patrolled north_atlantic putting scapa_flow battle denmark evening hood newly completed battleship prince wales sailed scapa_flow join heavy cruisers norfolk suffolk patrolling greenland iceland news heavy cruiser sortied north_atlantic reached suffolk spotted german ships north iceland early evening hood prince wales altered course increased speed intercept british squadron spotted germans germans aware presence british opened fire hood engaging lead ship german formation germans returned fire ships concentrating hood probably ship score shell hit hood boat deck funnels started large fire ready use ammunition anti aircraft guns rockets mounts right hood turning port rear turrets hit boat deck shell fifth exact location sequence events unknown aft inch magazines exploded broke sank loss crew
Admiral-class battlecruiser