Recognition Guide Warships of the Second World War
Royal Navy — Battlecruiser 1916

HMS Renown (1916)

Renown-class battlecruiser

HMS Renown (1916)
Green, Allan C., 1878-1954, photographer. — https://find.slv.vic.gov.au/permalink/61SLV_INST/156d4cp/alma9916489503607636 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons Plate — 1916 Renown H.M.S. Description: negative : glass ; 12.1 x 16.6 cm. (half plate) Notes: Cataloguer devised title. Photographs and further information for some images in Green Collection Shipping Photographs in Picture Collection. Source / Donor: Gift of Mr. Allan C. Green circa 1940.

Service

  1. Royal Navy as Renown20 September 1916 — 19482,193 days of the war
Renown-class battlecruiser Particulars
Name
HMS Renown
Pennant / hull number
1916
Builder
Fairfield, Govan, Glasgow, Scotland
Ordered
30 December 1914
Laid down
25 January 1915
Launched
4 March 1916
Commissioned
20 September 1916
Struck
1948
Fate
Sold for scrap, 19 March 1948 (1948)
Status
Scrapped

Specifications — As built

Displacement, standard
27,200 long tons (27,636 t)
Displacement, full load
32,220 long tons (32,737 t)
Length
228.6 m (750 ft)
Beam
27.43 m (90 ft)
Draught
8.23 m (27 ft)
Speed
32 knots (59.3 km/h, 36.8 mph)
Range
4,000 nmi (7,408 km)
Main gun
381 mm (15 in)

HMS Renown was a Renown-class battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy. She carried the pennant number 1916. Her keel was laid at Fairfield, Govan, Glasgow, Scotland on 25 January 1915. Launched on 4 March 1916, she entered service on 20 September 1916.

Two ships of the class were built. The class followed the HMS Tiger (1913) and was succeeded by the Courageous-class battlecruiser.

She displaced 27,200 long tons standard and 32,220 long tons at full load. She measured 228.6 m (750 ft) long with a beam of 27.4 m (90 ft). Her designed speed was 32 knots, and she carried a complement of 1,200.

Her main battery was six 381 mm (15 in) guns in three twin mountings. Her machinery developed 112,000 shp.

She was in commission for 2,193 days of the Second World War. She was struck from the register in 1948.

She was broken up for scrap on 19 March 1948.

Written from the harvested record. Every figure above is sourced; the wording is this site's own.

Armament and machinery

This vessel is recorded in 2 configurations. Wartime refits changed armament and complement substantially, so each is kept separately rather than averaged into one set of figures. The figures above are as built.

As built
Propulsion
  • 4 × shafts, 2 × geared steam turbine sets
Power
  • 42 × water-tube boilers
  • 112000 shp
Armament
  • 3 × twin 15 in (381 mm) guns
  • 5 × triple, 2 × single 4 in (102 mm) guns
  • 2 × single 3 in (76 mm) AA guns
  • 2 × 21 inch torpedo tubes
Armour
  • Belt: 3 - 6 in
  • Decks: 1 - 2.5 in
  • Barbettes: 4 - 7 in
  • Gun turrets: 7 - 9 in
  • Conning tower: 10 in
  • Bulkheads: 3 - 4 in
1939
Displacement, full load
36,080 long tons (36,659 t)
Length
242.01 m (794 ft)
Beam
27.43 m (90 ft)
Draught
9.45 m (31 ft)
Speed
31 knots (57.4 km/h, 35.7 mph)
Range
5,718 nmi (10,590 km)
Complement
1,200
Main gun
381 mm (15 in)
Propulsion
  • 4 × shafts; 4 × geared steam turbines
Power
  • 8 × boilers
  • 120000 shp
Armament
  • 3 × twin 15 in (381 mm) guns
  • 10 × twin 4.5 in (114 mm) DP guns
  • 3 × octuple 2-pdr (40 mm) AA guns
Armour
  • Belt: 3 - 9 in
  • Decks: 1 - 5 in
  • Barbettes: 4 - 7 in
  • Gun turrets: 7 - 9 in
  • Conning tower: 10 in
  • Bulkheads: 3 - 4 in
Aircraft
  • 4 × floatplanes

Sister ships

Sources

  • Facts harvested from HMS Renown (1916) on Wikipedia. Figures only — no wording is taken from it.
  • Photograph: Green, Allan C., 1878-1954, photographer. — https://find.slv.vic.gov.au/permalink/61SLV_INST/156d4cp/alma9916489503607636 — Public domain — Wikimedia Commons