The King George V-class battleships were the most modern British fast battleships used during World War II. Five ships of this class were commissioned between July 1940 and January 1941: HMS King George V, HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Duke of York, HMS Howe, and HMS Anson. They were replaced in the 1960s by the larger Lion-class. Today, all five ships are open to the public as floating museums in various locations around the United Kingdom.
Specifications[]
- Type: Battleship
- Service Period: 1940-1960s
- Characteristics:
- Length: 745 feet 1 inch (227.1 meters)
- Beam: 103 feet 2.5 inches (31.46 meters)
- Draft: 33 feet 7.5 inches (10.25 meters)
- Displacement: 36,330 tons (Standard); 41,945 tons (Full Load)
- Crew: 1,473
- Propulsion: 8 x Admiralty superheated high pressure boilers, 4 x Parsons geared turbines, 4 x shafts, 151,200 shp (113,400 kW)
- Range: 15,000 nautical miles (27,780 kilometers) at 15 knots (27.78 km/h)
- Speed: 31.5 knots (58.34 km/h)
- Sensor Suite:
- Type 273 RDF (deleted in 1944)
- Type 281 RDF (replaced by Type 281B)
- Type 282 RDF (replaced by Type 252 and 2 x Type 262 RDFs)
- Type 284 RDF (replaced by 2 x Type 274)
- Type 285 RDF (replaced by Type 275)
- Type 277 RDF
- Type 293 RDF
- RH2 VHF/DF
- Type 651 Jammer
- HA/LA Mk.V directors (replaced by HA/LA Mk.VI)
- TRADIS
- Armament:
- 9 x BL 15"/45-caliber Mk.II naval guns (3x3)
- 16 x QF 4.5"/45-caliber Mk.III dual purpose guns (12x2)
- 48 x QF 40mm/64-caliber Mk.VIII AA guns (6x8)
- 36 x Oerlikon 20mm anti-aircraft guns
- Armour:
- Belt: 5.4–14.7 inches (137.2–373.4 mm)
- Deck: 5.88-inches (149 mm)
- Turrets: 12.75-inches (324 mm)
- Barbettes: 12.75-inches (324 mm)
- Bulkheads: 12-inches (304.8 mm)
- Conning Tower: 4-inches (101.6 mm)
Unit Run[]
- HMS King George V (41) - commissioned July 1st, 1940
- HMS Prince of Wales (53) - commissioned July 1st, 1940 - originally named HMS King Edward VIII
- HMS Duke of York (17) - commissioned November 5th, 1940 - originally named HMS Anson
- HMS Anson (79) - commissioned January 20th, 1941 - originally named HMS Jellicoe
- HMS Howe (32) - commissioned December 1st, 1940 - originally named HMS Beatty