One of the most famous...
Illustration
One of the most famous British ships of the twentieth century was HMS Renown. Completed in 1916 the Renown saw service during both world wars. This vessel and her sister ship, Repulse, were ships which sacrificed armor for speed. Consequently, they were both rather vulnerable, particularly to air attack. A timely refit in 1940 provided the Renown with armor adequate to the task for carrier escort duty and she survived, while Japanese aircraft off the coast of Malaya sank Repulse in December 1941. Other revisions at various times included removal of her aircraft, the addition of more antiaircraft weapons, and increases in light armament. Eventually, the ship was simply too outdated to warrant further refit, and it became expedient to retire the vessel and replace her with the newer classes of warships. By late 1944 her weapons were pirated for carrier armament, and the ship was reduced to scrap for new construction. The British Admiralty felt that the old ship was beyond useful service and had to be replaced by a new version.
-- Frye
-- Frye
