THE LAST BRITISH BATTLESHIP HMS VANGUARD 1946 - 1960

摘要

The ninth HMS VANGUARD, bearing one of the most illustrious names in the Royal Navy with honours from the Armada to Jutland, was the last and largest of Britain's battleships and was commissioned in 1946. Her design evolved from of the King George V class and incorporated much of the fully developed design for the two battleships, LION and TEMERAIRE, which were laid down in 1939 but never completed. She was built during the Second World War and utilised existing spare twin 15-inch gun mountings. Her construction was part of the Royal Navy's response to its own heavy capital ship losses and the increasing number of fast Axis battleships entering service in the early 1940s. VANGUARD was immediately recognisable by her transom stern and high flared bow which endowed her with a superb sea keeping ability. Although elderly, her 15-inch guns were proven ship killers while her the layout and thickness of her armour meant that she was probably the best protected battleship ever built. Unfortunately, her entry into service after the end of hostilities and her requirement for a huge crew meant that she was always something of a white elephant in the post-war Royal Navy. Probably her most significant role was that of a Royal Yacht during the royal family's tour of South Africa in 1947. I saw VANGUARD laid up in Portsmouth harbour during the late 1950s and went aboard her during Navy Days in August 1959. I was "lucky" enough to see her run aground near Old Sally port on 4th August 1960 when she was being towed from Portsmouth for demolition.