An item reported the largest ship of the Royal British Navy the 35.000 tons battle cruiser HMS Rodney (1) left the docks of Liverpool, England towards Portsmouth, England. Nine tugs towed her to the mouth of the Mersey. On that moment numbered her crew 800 men, to be increased with another 400 men as she was commissioned. Build within 20 months and building costs more as 7 million pound sterling.
Note
1. Of the Nelson-class with as sister ship the HMS Nelson, preceded by the never realized N3-class and the realized Revenge-class and succeeded by the King George V-class. Building ordered in 1922, laid down at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, England on 28 December 1922, launched on 17 December 1925, sponsored y Princess Mary, completed in August 1927, commissioned on 10 November 1927, involved in the battle with the German battleship Bismarck 26-27 May 1941. decommissioned in 1946, stricken in 1947 and started at Inverkeithing, Scotland her breaking up on 26 March 1948. Building costs 7.617.799 pond sterling. Originally intended to be larger but as result of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 was her designed displacement limited to just 35.000 tons. Displacement 34.270 (standard)-38.030 (full load) tons and as dimensions 216,5 (over al) x 32,3 x 9,448 metres or 710.2 x 106 x 31 feet. The 2 Brown-Curtis geared turbine sets and 8 Admiralty 3-drum oil fuelled boilers supplied 45.000 shp allowing a speed of just 23 knots and with a speed of 10 knots a range of 14.500 nautical miles. Her crew numbered 1.314-1.361 (while serving as flagship). The armour consisted of a 33-35,6cm/13-14” thick belt, a 11,1-16,2cm/4.375-6.375” thick deck, 10,2-30,5cm/4-12” thick bulkheads with the gun turrets, barbettes and conning tower protected by respectively 22,9-40,6cm/9-16”, 30,5-38,1cm/12-15” and 25,4-35,6cm/10-14”. The armament consisted of 3x3-40,6cm/16” Mk I guns all turrets situated forward of the superstructure, 6x2-15,24cm/6” Mk XXII guns, 6x2-12cm/4.7” quick firing Mk VIII anti aircraft guns and 2x1-62,2cm/24.5” torpedo tubes.
