British battleship HMS Nelson 1922-1948

Original postcard Chocolate La Estrella

Revenge-classs

Nelson

King George V-class

Japanese Nagato

USS Colorado

Of the Nelson-class with as sister ship the HMS Rodney, preceded by the never realized N3-class and the realized Revenge-class and succeeded by the King George V-class. A simplified design of the N-3 battleships which was cancelled by the British Royal navy as a result of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. (1) She was to able to compete with the USS Colorado and the Japanese Nagato battleship classes. Laid down on 28 December at Armstrong-Whitworth, Newcastle launched on 3 September 1925, commissioned on 15 August 1927, 1941-1942 extensively repairs needed as a result of an Italian torpedo hit, decommissioned in February 1948, handed over to the British Iron&Steel Corporation on 5 January 1949 and on 15 March arrived she at , Inverkeithing to be broken up.

Displacement 33.800 (standard)-38.390 (full load) tons and as dimensions 216,4 (over all) x 32,3 x 9,2 (mean standard) metres or 709.10 x 106 x 30.4 feet. Machinery consisted of 2 geared steam turbines and 8 Admiralty 3-drum boilers supplying 45.000 shop via 2 shafts allowing a speed of 23 knots and with 16 knots speed a range of 7,000 nautical miles. Crew numbered between 1.314-1.361 (when serving as flagship) men. Armour consisted of a 33-35,6cm/13-14” thick waterline belt, a 10,8-15.9cm/4.25-6.25” thick deck, 10,2-30,5cm/4-12” thick bulkheads, while barbettes, gun turrets and coning tower were protected by respectively 30,5-38,1cm/12-15”, 22,9-40,6cm/9-16” and 15,2-35,6cm/6-14”.  

Note

1. Naval Treaty of Washington between the United States, British Empire, Japan, France and Italy signed on 6 February 1922 as a result of the Washington Naval Conference between November 1921-February 1922 which intended to limit the total capitals ship tonnage of these five major powers.