Ah. We had our first Wehraboo. Was wondering when that would happen. And that, ladies and gentleman, is why I tend to prefer covering the High Seas Fleet.
Ah yes, the Wehraboo, a particularly nasty piece of vermin known for it's incoherent screaming about made up "facts" on the alleged superiority of anything German. A screaming that no amount of truth can ever silence or if you present information which cannot be disputed, they create a different fact or excuse. If you believe the Wheraboo no German ship was EVER sunk by enemy action, they all scuttled themselves. Seems sorta cowardly doesn't it, they don't go down fighting, they prepare the scuttling charges as soon as an enemy ship or plane comes into view. Note: I am not insulting the brave crews of German warships but the mindless and rabid Wehraboo who cannot face reality.
Honestly her design has grown on me with the pass of time, looked from above she looks like an armored castle, and oh boy, when those guns aim high in the same orientation, gorgeous 👌
I was a kid in the early 70s when I first became interested in WWII, thanks to "Sink the Bismarck," "The Battle of the River Plate," and "Tora! Tora! Tora!" Because images of warships were few and far between most of my exposure was limited to plastic models, most particularly 1/700 Waterline kits. The first kit I found was _IJN Tone._ After that a Japanese destroyer _(Fubuki),_ cruiser _(Tama),_ and carrier _(Akagi)._ Then I found the _HMS Rodney._ My friends all thought I was weird, but I had few preconceptions about what warships were "supposed" to look like. I still find the _Rodney_ to be a beautiful ship. 😊
Great video! My grandfather was a journeyman cabinet maker in the 1920’s who worked fitting out the Ward Room of Rodney at Cammell Lairds. It was the ‘20s depression and a few bits of mahogany ‘followed him home’ and were made into furniture for their tiny cottage. When I was child I had a Rodney dressing table! I so much wish I still had it! The drawer bottoms and cupboard backs were made from old tea chests with stencilled writing from the Indian plantations they came from. Rodney was the epitome of a faithful servant!
My grandad told the story of his arrival in Normandy as a 20 year old signaller at Sword beach in the early hours of D Day +2. Rodney was firing her main guns in support of the Eastern flank of the beachhead he said it was difficult to breathe when she let loose, he said it was equally terrifying and awe inspiring and Gave him some comfort that they were pounding the enemy.
in the Normandy bombardment my Grandad was calling it, and other ships fire in on the shore targets.. he was parachuted in . so he had a green beret and a red one!
My father served on the Rodney during W.W.2. The Chaplain told him that he’d begged the Captain to cease firing on Bismarck to end the suffering. She was a Devonport ship and he’d had to entrain from there to Thurso in Scotland before crossing the ferocious Pentlandite Firth to Scapa Flow, almost the length of the country. Throughout his blacked-out train had to stop because of Luftwaffe bombing. His favourite ship was Rodney’s sister ship Nelson where his watch stopped forever when a torpedo flooded his locker during a Malta convoy run. He also preferred British hammocks at sea to the American bunks aboard the South Dakota on which he served as a R.N. link with our Home Fleet at Scapa.
The Rodney and Nelson were unique looking and performed well. I built a model of Nelson when I was a kid, in the 60s. Those two ships look like they mean Business. I wish you had kept one. Also Warspite and, of course Vanguard.
@@daleeasternbrat816 We only finished paying back the U.S. our war debt in the early 2000’s. As soon as the war ended the U.S. reversed it’s aid to ourselves unless for cash. We were bankrupted by two World Wars and West Germany was treated to massive U.S. aid to resurrect it’s industrial capacity as a bulwark against communist Russia. By contrast everything here was worn out. No money for new ships so everything not needed was scrapped. Looking back even in the 1970’s we’re we’re still poor by contrast to West Germany and definitely our working class people. I built models of American warships such as South Carolina, Arizona, and an Essex Class carrier. Still have my ration cards for food and sweets from the early 1950’s long after rationing had ceased in West Germany. Ex W.W. 2 Wehrmacht and other ranks received much better pensions than our servicemen. Justice eh?.
Bismarck sunk the mighty Hood. Once the beast was cornered, the Royal Navy was was not going to stop dealing out some heavy vengeance. Rodney's guns are enormous 16 inch monsters. Bismarck was pounded at point blank range and then pounded again. And then pounded again. Take that you Nazi bastards.
As well as the steering, Rodney (and Nelson) both had a problem stemming from the shock of firing their main batteries, in that it broke a lot of the lightning below decks, so they had to have men standing by to replace light bulbs after every salvo. As my late friend Cecil (who served aboard Rodney) said to me "What nobody tells you is that every time they fire them guns, the lights go out !" Incidentally, Rodney was the first battleship sent to Naples after the Germans left, and aimed its guns at the city "in case anyone got any funny ideas". 😊
I imagine the shock damage (and Rodney's woes with rough waves) came from the fact the ships were lightly built (they were supposed to be 35,000 tons standard after all, but their builders were instructed to save weight to prevent them from being above the displacement limit, and apparently they did it too well as they came about 1200 tons under the limit).
In 378 shells fired at Bismarck, at 2,048lbs per shell, Rodney threw over 345 tons of projectiles at the enemy - just from the main battery. No wonder she rattled a bit!.
I'm a simple man: I see HMS Rodney, I click. Rodney and Nelson had the distinction of being the first (and IIRC only) Washington Treaty battleships built by GB. Unlike other nations, the treaty tonnage limitations were actually pretty well observed by GB in their design. They were also among the first major warships of any nation to have 'modern' superstructures, as opposed to their predecessors which had superstructures added as apparent afterthoughts to their masts. GB in WWII is the textbook example of going to war with what you have, rather than with what you want.
My Grandfather was a Chief petty officer, (engine area) i have all his records, he was on the Rodney from 1928-1946/7 but also many other Ships, as he was a Trainer, my Father born in 1933, had Rodney as his middle name, i do have photos, and stuff relating to HMS Rodney,
My dad served on Rodney from 1941. He and one of his mates were escorting a couple of Wrens on a tour of the ship and one of the Wrens pointed at one of the paravane stores and asked what it was. "That's where we keep the chickens" she was told. Her friend pointed at the store on the opposite side and said "I suppose that's where you keep the sheep".
My father was on the Rodney when they sunk the Bismarck and also on the light cruiser Jamaica when they chased the Scharnhorst up around the North Cape and sunk her. He was in Boston for about 3 months during the refit and said how well he was treated by the US Navy.
My uncle Philip was an engineering officer sometimes in the 30s. He went on to be a naval attache in Tokyo. When WW2 broke out he served as a linguist at Bletchley park.
My grandfather was a Lieutenant Commander on HMS Rodney in 1928. I'm not sure what his role would have been but I've been told that perhaps he would have overseen navigation, gunnery or some other department? He would later Command HMS Codrington (Destroyer) and HMS Speedwell (Minesweeper).
If you look at what the RN was dealing with ... They had several Capital Ships being damaged, including _Prince of Wales_ and _Nelson,_ which had to have their combat damage repaired. Then - in the first few years of the war - they lost _Royal Oak, Hood, Prince of Wales, Repulse and Barham._ So - with _Rodney_ mostly suffering only operational casualties, I can see why they just kept patching her up and sending her back out there. Compared to the ships being sunk and those with combat damage which required extensive repair time - they just couldn't afford the time to take her out of service. Here - it should be remembered that they had to deal with the French Navy at one time, then the Italian Navy had a number of Capital Ships and the Germans a few as well. Even if these ships weren't coming out very often to be engaged - the Allies still had to have escorts for their convoys that could deal with them if they did come out. There was at least one convoy the _Scharnhorst_ sisters were turned away from just by the presence of one RN Battleship. The RN Battleship was old and slow and could never have caught them - but - they did not want to close the range with it where it's guns could hit them. So - they left that convoy alone. You don't often hear about RN Capital Ships that were escorting convoys being engaged - but that - is because they were there - the enemy wasn't. With the French, Italians and the Germans maintaining "Fleets in Being" - the RN had to have several times as many ships to be able to put them through deployment cycles so that there were always some available in case the enemy came out. Then the Japanese came out and the RN started losing ships in the Pacific too. Here though - the Americans had a substantial navy in the Pacific so the RN, while there, wasn't needed as much and _mostly_ let the Americans deal with the Japanese. Thus - The Old Work Horse, _Rodney_ - did it's duty and - was there for as long as they needed it until they finally just wore it out. .
I appreciate your paragraph about RN capital ships doing escort duty and of the occasion when the Scharnhorst refused to engage due to an RN battleship being present. I have never seen this discussed before on any TV documentary. It shows the value of deterrence.
A few years ago I was looking after a chap who turned out to be a midshipman on The Rodney. He told me of some amazing adventures during his service on this ship. He was actually acting as a spotter when the Bismark was engaged and was calling the shots. He said it was difficult to tell if the shells were hitting the Bismark due to all of the smoke in the area. He also told me of the time when they were engaged by a Vichy French field gun from the shore during the time of Operation Torch. He was in charge of the the landing party to inspect the damage - needless to say they replied with their 16 inch guns and there was nothing but craters where the French guns had been. He also gave me a photo of a stuka that their new pom pom gun had hit and shot down. This guy was fun to go to the hobby shop with as well. Where we build plastic models of ships and planes from the past, he was actively involved with them - a real legend who has now sadly passed away!
It's such a shame that Rodney never got the attention she deserved in keeping her battle worthy. I would say that she contributed more than Nelson in spite of that. Thanks for another great video!
My father was CPO Gunnery on Rodney during the sinking of the Bismarck. As such he was probably one of only a handful of people who saw the battle. Most of the crew were locked down manning the various guns.
Regardless of what anyone says about Rodney, she obviously had very good gun crews and effective guns. It took her no time at all to find the effective range on Bismarck. It would have been interesting if she had got to trade blows with Tirpitz.
There is a story told of HMS Rodney during the follow-up to the Normandy landings. There was a single main gun operating, responding to a succession of identical orders - up ten, fire. Apparently, there was a German despatch rider heading inland who was being followed by a number of very big holes in the road...
Enjoyed the comment about Baaa Baaa Rodney. In the early 1980s I worked with a Matelot who had served on HMS Jamica on Arctic Convoy escort duty. One of the Stories that Lou shared was: Shore leave in Scarpa Flow , there was nothing to do. It was not uncommon for Matelots to be up before the local Magistrates on " Sheep Shagging" charges. " I thought it was a WREN wearing a sheepskin coat", was one line of defence. Another line of defence was " I was just helping it over the fence your honour" . Another story Lou had was the Battle of North Cape, Dec 1943 , when HMS Jamica was part of the battlegroup that sank the Scharnhorst. Amongest the battle group escorts was a Royal Navy Destroyer manned entirely by Norwegian Navy sailors. This particular destroyer was one tasked with picking up German Navy sailor survivors. When the Task force returned to Scarpa Flow afterwards, stories very quickly surfaced that the Norwegian manned Destroyer, as quickly as they were pulling german survivors from out of the water on one side of their ship.......... were just as quickly pushing them over the other side of the ship with their throats slit !! One reason for so few survivors from the Scharnhorst ! Lou remarked on the hatred the Norwegian sailors had for anything German.
My father was at Scapa during the “sheep” incident and told me how the crew of his ship (and all the others nearby) did indeed BA at Rodney as they passed. Royal Navy humour at its finest.
Many years ago I have a conversation with one of the engineers that was involved in the construction of Rodney. He recalled that during the machining of the turret rings, the swarf coming off the cutting tool was white hot. Impressive given that the ring was turning at about 6 revolutions per minute.
My father was partly deafened in one ear by Rodney’s guns. He served on an ML which, being a wooden hulled ship had the task to lead the battleships through the magnetic mines to bombard the Normandy coast ready for the landings. When his ML was alongside, Rodney fired her guns. It smashed the bridge roof and hatches of the ML and caused his partial deafness.
Did he have to wait until state pension age to receive a miserly "partial disability pension" from the UK govt for his permanent partial deafness? As my own father did after narrowly surviving the impact of a "Fritz X" onboard HMS Warspite at Salerno in 1943? Who in their right mind would fight for ANY government nowadays?
@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684I fought in Iraq and am partially deaf in my left ear and have constant tinnitus. If it was for my Grandfather's generation and then the Vietnam era I don't think I would have the medical that I have today. I'm one of the few US Veterans that doesn't have many bad things to say about our VA. I would however advise any young person not to enlist. The Army and the country is no longer the ones I joined.
@@mikebrase5161 You're absolutely right saying our country and Govts are no longer what they were.... nowadays youngsters are blatantly fighting solely for the shareholders of Raytheon, McDonnell Douglas & Qinetiq more than they are for the US or UK. (Though if you read Gen Smedley Butler's "war is a racket", you'll see it has been that way for quite some time). I'm glad to hear you were well treated by the US VA as well you should. Here in Britain we had no such organisation and for centuries, those rank & file who had "stood their turn" at the time of the nation's greatest need, were quickly discarded after discharge, if lucky with a few bits of ribbon and metal. Respects for your own service to your country.
My friend who I was looking after from the Rodney was also nearly totally deaf from the guns. I was forever trying to get new batteries for his hearing aids and conversations were often difficult at times when the batteries went flat. Loss of hearing was probably a common work hazard on the Rodney. Yes, I do also recall that compensation for his service and his deafness from the UK government was very miserly. He also served for a short while in the Australian and New Zealand navies where the pension systems were a bit more generous.
An excellent youtube In later marine observations, the Bismark had holes right through her. They could see right through So the German claim of scuttling was the usual German rubbish Will watch any of your other posts Thanks
Grandad served on HMS Rodney - proudest thing he did in his life. Loved the ship and his time on it. He tried seeking out the ships bell when it was scrapped but by all accounts it went to Liverpool town hall. He ran away from home, lied about his age and volunteered for the Royal Marines but was injured and was due to be discharged when an officer said he would help him stay but only in the RN. Ended up on Rodney, to some degree it was the love of his life, escaping going down the pit, he saw things he never would have. Bit of a left leaning individual he enjoyed his trip to Russia as part of the artic convoys, but felt guilty about bombarding Alderney. At one point I may not have been born as he and Rodney were shelling a spot in Normandy during the campaign, one shell narrowly missed some Canadians and RE unit - my other grandad was in the RE unit....
There is a photo on internet of, Rodney, Revenge and Nelson berthed next to each other being scrapped at Wards, Inverkeithing. It is a sad sight to see these magnificent ships being broken up.
The old breaker's yard is still there in Inverkeithing, but only the structure. Nothing left that signifies it's the place where HMS Nelson and Rodney met their end.
Thank you for such a detailed, dispassionate, yet affectionate and pleasing account of this strangely beautiful ship and her place in British wartime naval history.
My father was in the USN and stationed at the Boston Naval Yard and was assigned to repair Rodney. My memory is sketchy from the years but what I remember him saying is one of the main guns sunk one or two decks from damage because the number of shells fired and that it was firing flat. The other thing he said was it was the messiest ship he ever saw, but commented the British were fighting a war so it was understandable.
The nickname was 'Queen Anne's Mansion', which was a bulky tower block of flats (apartments) in Westminster, London. The bridge structures on the Nelson class were far larger and more blocky than any that preceded them.
I met a HMS Rodney veteran of the attack on Bismark and he said the biggest mistake the Navy made was putting him and his mate in charge of the tombola.
The Nelsons each, in fact, displaced just under 34,000 tons 'STANDARD' (the applicable measure set at Washington with an upper limit of 35,000 tons). At full load, the Nelsons actually displaced around 40,000 tons each
@@jp-um2fr There are 'umpteen' references that give such data and which set is applicable depends primarily on the relevant dates cited, as like most large naval vessels, these battleships' displacement tended to increase over their service lives as successive modifications were made.
An excerpt from the Rodney's wartime record as found in Admiralty records: "At 1200 hours RODNEY, SOMALI, TARTAR and MASHONA detached and proceeded on a generally south western course in accordance with the assumption that BISMARCK was heading for France. After detaching RODNEY worked up to speeds that she had not achieved for many years. Which considering RODNEY had not received any significant mechanical repairs/refurbishment for three years, all recent repairs had been carried out solely to keep her in service. Her boilers were defective and leaking steam and her turbines and prop shafts were worn. RODNEY ploughed on through heavy seas and gradually her three escorting destroyers fell behind."
i am a shareholder / part owner of a diesel locomotive that British Rail Owned was named after the battleship Rodney . Also As a family we owned a ships boat ( Launch ) what was allocated to KGV even during the Bismarck battle way back in the boats life .
Ah yes. 50021/D421.. We spotters thought that they were rather elegant locomotives when they appeared on the West Coast Main Line in the late sixties, but we never really liked them because we blamed them (yes, I know wrongly, but we were only kids) for the loss of our beloved Stanier, Ivatt, and Riddles products. After all, you could never take home a piece of coal from a 50, like you could from a Black 5 or a Big 8!
Amongst all the guff written about the action against Bismarck it's often forgotten that Bismarck's much vaunted and fully serviceable main armament and fire control failed to land a single significant hit on either RODNEY or KING GEORGE V. Not with a bang but a whimper.
@@dovetonsturdee7033 My argument isn't purely based on merit or some kind of ranking. Absolutely Warspite had the most distinguished career of all RN ships. But she also had a hell of alot more money thrown at her. Rodney was sadly neglected in that respect. It could be argued that Rodney probably gave the best bang for buck of any WWII RN ship. Anyhow, my statement was purely based on my liking the Rodney and that she played a pretty major role on her own account.
I like how you talk about these ships. Admittedly not the only and certainly not the first to talk about ships this way. (I.E as a person) But its still nice. Poor Rodney, she's just crying for her refit. Its a shame really. Now this next part is something else. You've already done videos and lexington and saratoga however... I recently got my hands on a couple books talking about them in great detail with who knows how many images. From design (to some degree), construction and service. You've also talked about how they have a long list of firsts. I want to add that, I believe they are looked at the wrong way. Most people (understandably) look at their wartime service and think, "meh they're ok" But i believe that their golden times were actually in the pre war years. When you consider the global state of things. These ships could be described as inspiring if that. People loved them, or at least their public image was overall quite positive. They served the people in very interesting and then unique ways. They were establishing the foundation of what would be carrier operations. They hold special titles and broke records. Saratoga caught a shark in 1930 for example. I would like to see a video going into more detail about that. Its very interesting and as mentioned earlier, inspiring.
My sisters Father-in-law served on the Rodney. He's gone now but was as deaf as a post which was normal for old sailors who served on those big battleships.
I once surveyed a house for a mortgage lender in the late 1990’s, the owner was a man in his late 80’s - still mentally sharp but as deaf as stone. He explained that he had been an anti aircraft gunner on the Russian (arctic) convoys in WW2 & had been completely deaf since then. He showed me his scrapbook with photos from after an aircraft attack by the Luftwaffe, the deck was covered completely in a mixture of 4(?) inch & 40 mm Bofors shell casings with 20mm & .303” cases filling up any minor gaps. No hearing protection, crewing & firing an anti aircraft weapon for extended periods day after day, no wonder he was deaf! In times when they weren’t under aerial attack they were swinging sledge hammers to break the ice off the decks & superstructure to prevent the ship from capsizing if it rolled too far in the constant storms up there. Brave man, he deserved far more recognition than he (& all his comrades at the time) ever received.
Yeah, anybody working on artillery sized equipment is going to suffer hearing loss, especially the cavalier way (fair enough if your country is fighting for its life) the MOD treats such piffling matters. I was in the RA (Territorials) from 1979 to 2000 and initially I had to buy my own ear defenders, I bought them from a cracking gunshop at the bottom of Grey St in Newcastle - Bagnell and Kirkwood. Yes Sir, how can I help? Ear defenders please? Yes sir - what type of shooting are we looking at? err 5.5 inch? Didn't bat an eyelid and fished outa pair of foldable olive green ear protectors. Good shop that.
My Dad was a chief petty officer on the rodney during the sinking of the Bismarck. He was in the armored tower at the time of the battle. Was amazed at the size and beauty of the bismarck.
You out did your self on this one absolutely grade A stuff i am very impressed at your hard work i don't know you find enough time plus everything else in your life i find it gift god gave you onçe again thank you for sharing it with us your unbelievable kind by doing so l am very busy my selfand i love naval history but don't have enough time to research my self so i want to thank you words can't say enough
One question that always comes across my mind is why Nelson and Rodney we’re not taking in for major, upgrading and rework. Once the escalator clause was triggered with a Japanese trashing, the London naval treaty.
The RN began a programme of modernisation of the battlefleet in the mid 1930s. The 'R' class were to be replaced by the KGVs, so the programme began with the Queen Elizabeths and Renown. As only two were to be withdrawn at the same time, only Warspite, Renown, Valiant & Queen Elizabeth had been completed by 1940. Had there been no war, the next would have been Malaya, Barham, Repulse, and Hood. The Nelsons were newer, and more capable, ships.
I wonder if a major rebuild of the Nelson class was ever contemplated. An extra hundred foot of hull could house an engineering upgrade and an after turret.
My Father was leading seaman on HMS Rodney for the duration of WWll I have his medals paperwork and his Bosun’s whistle plus plenty of pictures, he told me some stories of the Rodneys encounter with the Bismarck. He did tell me that they torpedoed the Bismarck and that it’s the only battleship to torpedo another Battleship
Great video fact filled and some photographs I hadn't seen before. The only error is the misuse of the word unique. If HMS Rodney is one of the Nelson class it can't be unique. Tiny complaint in a very good video.
The Nelrods get a lot of stick mainly because of their 'light' shells for their 16-inch rounds, but when put to the test, Rodney's 'light' shells landed probably the most devastating hit on an enemy warship that didn't result in it exploding. She disabled A and B turrets and probably killed the bridge crew as well as possibly damaged or disabled the main fire control with that huge hit forwards that was a real haymaker.
I think that in general, interest and appreciation for the Brit BB's, flat tops and cruisers is rising quite noticeably online and amongst enthusiasts now.
Bismarck's crew was very young and there are reports that training was minimal, in particular anti-aircraft training. This seems to support that Bismarck couldn't score a hit on Rodney, despite its superior targeting system and gun range. Rodney would have been very vulnerable to plunging fire, with its lack of superstructure over the deck to absorb the damage, and probably that's why the captain was eager to close the distance to Bismarck. Rodney, because of its peculiar design, was less vulnerable close-up than at a distance.
My friend from the Rodney told me the reason the British won the fight was because there were much better officers in the Royal Navy. He was telling me the first salvo fired at the Rodney from Bismark fell short then the second one fell long. The Germans then had their range, which the Captain of the Rodney realised - he manoeuvred the ship to alter the range and the next salvo fell where the ship would have been prior to the manoeuvre, thus preventing getting hit and damaged. Very clever tactics.
Exactly! Compared to the ships built before and after them, the "Nelsons" were a very progressive shape, and a design layout copied by the French navy. And what do modern ships look like? Rodney and Nelson!
I like Nelson and Rodney, particularly Rodney. they share the distinction of being possibly the silliest looking genuinely good ships of the 20th century.
I love your comment boring except for the flashy combat with Bismarck. Let’s just remember this is the goddamn Bismarck and Rodney beat her!!! WTF!!! Just saying my guns are bigger than yours, and I have torpedoes😂
23kts the RN laughter at looking at a "published speed"........and tell the Germans that in the Bismarck chase where they clocked out a battleship "with worn out machinery" doing 25+kts.
I got these internet DIY battleship plans from Australia. After the friggin project just squashed my steel tables into my yard and I am making a hole for the rudder a dreadful thought occurred... I am now calling all my neighbors to upright this thing now. How the hell am I gonna turn this thing upright and get it out of my back yard??? Neighbors called code enforcement too. its illegal to build Battleships in your back yard here.
What if tge Torpedo attack had not been successful on Bismarck, when he stearing was damaged ? How would the battle turned out ? Would there have been a battle?
Ah. We had our first Wehraboo. Was wondering when that would happen.
And that, ladies and gentleman, is why I tend to prefer covering the High Seas Fleet.
*You have alerted the horde*
Yep! I'm surprised that this is your first encounter with that group of rather fanatical and unsavory individuals.
Ah yes, the Wehraboo, a particularly nasty piece of vermin known for it's incoherent screaming about made up "facts" on the alleged superiority of anything German.
A screaming that no amount of truth can ever silence or if you present information which cannot be disputed, they create a different fact or excuse.
If you believe the Wheraboo no German ship was EVER sunk by enemy action, they all scuttled themselves.
Seems sorta cowardly doesn't it, they don't go down fighting, they prepare the scuttling charges as soon as an enemy ship or plane comes into view.
Note: I am not insulting the brave crews of German warships but the mindless and rabid Wehraboo who cannot face reality.
I want to express my appreciation for another fine video!
Aww what did they say? I can't find it. Wanted to see some barking lunatics
Honestly her design has grown on me with the pass of time, looked from above she looks like an armored castle, and oh boy, when those guns aim high in the same orientation, gorgeous 👌
I was a kid in the early 70s when I first became interested in WWII, thanks to "Sink the Bismarck," "The Battle of the River Plate," and "Tora! Tora! Tora!"
Because images of warships were few and far between most of my exposure was limited to plastic models, most particularly 1/700 Waterline kits.
The first kit I found was _IJN Tone._ After that a Japanese destroyer _(Fubuki),_ cruiser _(Tama),_ and carrier _(Akagi)._ Then I found the _HMS Rodney._
My friends all thought I was weird, but I had few preconceptions about what warships were "supposed" to look like.
I still find the _Rodney_ to be a beautiful ship. 😊
Great video! My grandfather was a journeyman cabinet maker in the 1920’s who worked fitting out the Ward Room of Rodney at Cammell Lairds. It was the ‘20s depression and a few bits of mahogany ‘followed him home’ and were made into furniture for their tiny cottage. When I was child I had a Rodney dressing table! I so much wish I still had it! The drawer bottoms and cupboard backs were made from old tea chests with stencilled writing from the Indian plantations they came from. Rodney was the epitome of a faithful servant!
My grandad told the story of his arrival in Normandy as a 20 year old signaller at Sword beach in the early hours of D Day +2. Rodney was firing her main guns in support of the Eastern flank of the beachhead he said it was difficult to breathe when she let loose, he said it was equally terrifying and awe inspiring and Gave him some comfort that they were pounding the enemy.
in the Normandy bombardment my Grandad was calling it, and other ships fire in on the shore targets.. he was parachuted in . so he had a green beret and a red one!
With that long low forward half, I think of this as the Jaguar E-type of battleships.
For some reason they remind me of an Imperial Star Destroyer from Star Wars..
True, but reminds me more of the latest US aircraft carriers...
What a battleship Rodney was
My father served on the Rodney during W.W.2. The Chaplain told him that he’d begged the Captain to cease firing on Bismarck to end the suffering. She was a Devonport ship and he’d had to entrain from there to Thurso in Scotland before crossing the ferocious Pentlandite Firth to Scapa Flow, almost the length of the country. Throughout his blacked-out train had to stop because of Luftwaffe bombing. His favourite ship was Rodney’s sister ship Nelson where his watch stopped forever when a torpedo flooded his locker during a Malta convoy run. He also preferred British hammocks at sea to the American bunks aboard the South Dakota on which he served as a R.N. link with our Home Fleet at Scapa.
The Rodney and Nelson were unique looking and performed well. I built a model of Nelson when I was a kid, in the 60s.
Those two ships look like they mean Business. I wish you had kept one. Also Warspite and, of course Vanguard.
@@daleeasternbrat816 We only finished paying back the U.S. our war debt in the early 2000’s.
As soon as the war ended the U.S. reversed it’s aid to ourselves unless for cash.
We were bankrupted by two World Wars and West Germany was treated to massive U.S. aid to resurrect it’s industrial capacity as a bulwark against communist Russia. By contrast everything here was worn out. No money for new ships so everything not needed was scrapped.
Looking back even in the 1970’s we’re we’re still poor by contrast to West Germany and definitely our working class people.
I built models of American warships such as South Carolina, Arizona, and an Essex Class carrier. Still have my ration cards for food and sweets from the early 1950’s long after rationing had ceased in West Germany. Ex W.W. 2 Wehrmacht and other ranks received much better pensions than our servicemen. Justice eh?.
Amazing inside info
Bismarck sunk the mighty Hood. Once the beast was cornered, the Royal Navy was was not going to stop dealing out some heavy vengeance. Rodney's guns are enormous 16 inch monsters. Bismarck was pounded at point blank range and then pounded again. And then pounded again. Take that you Nazi bastards.
Thanks from missiouri❤
As well as the steering, Rodney (and Nelson) both had a problem stemming from the shock of firing their main batteries, in that it broke a lot of the lightning below decks, so they had to have men standing by to replace light bulbs after every salvo.
As my late friend Cecil (who served aboard Rodney) said to me "What nobody tells you is that every time they fire them guns, the lights go out !"
Incidentally, Rodney was the first battleship sent to Naples after the Germans left, and aimed its guns at the city "in case anyone got any funny ideas". 😊
I imagine the shock damage (and Rodney's woes with rough waves) came from the fact the ships were lightly built (they were supposed to be 35,000 tons standard after all, but their builders were instructed to save weight to prevent them from being above the displacement limit, and apparently they did it too well as they came about 1200 tons under the limit).
@@doabarrellroll69 I suspect it also had something to do with nine 16 inch guns being fired in salvo. I mean, that's *a lot* of recoil to deal with !
Is it me , or does the narrator keep saying Romney instead of rodney
In 378 shells fired at Bismarck, at 2,048lbs per shell, Rodney threw over 345 tons of projectiles at the enemy - just from the main battery.
No wonder she rattled a bit!.
@@petetimbrell3527
Oh aye. Pity the sailors with false teeth.
I'm a simple man: I see HMS Rodney, I click. Rodney and Nelson had the distinction of being the first (and IIRC only) Washington Treaty battleships built by GB. Unlike other nations, the treaty tonnage limitations were actually pretty well observed by GB in their design. They were also among the first major warships of any nation to have 'modern' superstructures, as opposed to their predecessors which had superstructures added as apparent afterthoughts to their masts. GB in WWII is the textbook example of going to war with what you have, rather than with what you want.
No. The KGVs were also built in according with the Treaty restrictions still applying.
Us brits have always been sticklers for rules even when we know they're total codswallop. See partygate for a modern equivalent
@@Chezzers. Thank God we are out of it. It's OK for me to fart on a Sunday now.
Rodney and Warspite ..... must click.
My favourite battleship. The Nelsons had a brutal look about them.
Yes. That all the main armament pointed forwards adds a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’.
Brutal but beautiful at the same time.
My Grandfather was a Chief petty officer, (engine area) i have all his records, he was on the Rodney from 1928-1946/7 but also many other Ships, as he was a Trainer, my Father born in 1933, had Rodney as his middle name, i do have photos, and stuff relating to HMS Rodney,
My dad served on Rodney from 1941. He and one of his mates were escorting a couple of Wrens on a tour of the ship and one of the Wrens pointed at one of the paravane stores and asked what it was. "That's where we keep the chickens" she was told. Her friend pointed at the store on the opposite side and said "I suppose that's where you keep the sheep".
My father was on the Rodney when they sunk the Bismarck and also on the light cruiser Jamaica when they chased the Scharnhorst up around the North Cape and sunk her. He was in Boston for about 3 months during the refit and said how well he was treated by the US Navy.
in
Do you know dates of the events you mentioned?
Or did the crew of te Bismarck sink the ship ?? according to survivers ??
My uncle Philip was an engineering officer sometimes in the 30s. He went on to be a naval attache in Tokyo. When WW2 broke out he served as a linguist at Bletchley park.
@@Denis.Collins Yes, _very_ easy when you're a keyboard worrior.
The only class of RN BB/BCs that did not lose one of their class in WWII.
My grandfather was a Lieutenant Commander on HMS Rodney in 1928. I'm not sure what his role would have been but I've been told that perhaps he would have overseen navigation, gunnery or some other department? He would later Command HMS Codrington (Destroyer) and HMS Speedwell (Minesweeper).
Respects to his memory and service.
If you look at what the RN was dealing with ...
They had several Capital Ships being damaged, including _Prince of Wales_ and _Nelson,_ which had to have their combat damage repaired.
Then - in the first few years of the war - they lost _Royal Oak, Hood, Prince of Wales, Repulse and Barham._
So - with _Rodney_ mostly suffering only operational casualties, I can see why they just kept patching her up and sending her back out there. Compared to the ships being sunk and those with combat damage which required extensive repair time - they just couldn't afford the time to take her out of service.
Here - it should be remembered that they had to deal with the French Navy at one time, then the Italian Navy had a number of Capital Ships and the Germans a few as well. Even if these ships weren't coming out very often to be engaged - the Allies still had to have escorts for their convoys that could deal with them if they did come out. There was at least one convoy the _Scharnhorst_ sisters were turned away from just by the presence of one RN Battleship. The RN Battleship was old and slow and could never have caught them - but - they did not want to close the range with it where it's guns could hit them. So - they left that convoy alone.
You don't often hear about RN Capital Ships that were escorting convoys being engaged - but that - is because they were there - the enemy wasn't.
With the French, Italians and the Germans maintaining "Fleets in Being" - the RN had to have several times as many ships to be able to put them through deployment cycles so that there were always some available in case the enemy came out.
Then the Japanese came out and the RN started losing ships in the Pacific too. Here though - the Americans had a substantial navy in the Pacific so the RN, while there, wasn't needed as much and _mostly_ let the Americans deal with the Japanese.
Thus - The Old Work Horse, _Rodney_ - did it's duty and - was there for as long as they needed it until they finally just wore it out.
.
I appreciate your paragraph about RN capital ships doing escort duty and of the occasion when the Scharnhorst refused to engage due to an RN battleship being present. I have never seen this discussed before on any TV documentary. It shows the value of deterrence.
I think it was HMS Ramillies that scared the Scharnhorst off.
@@craigy_baby Operation Berlin.
A few years ago I was looking after a chap who turned out to be a midshipman on The Rodney. He told me of some amazing adventures during his service on this ship. He was actually acting as a spotter when the Bismark was engaged and was calling the shots. He said it was difficult to tell if the shells were hitting the Bismark due to all of the smoke in the area. He also told me of the time when they were engaged by a Vichy French field gun from the shore during the time of Operation Torch. He was in charge of the the landing party to inspect the damage - needless to say they replied with their 16 inch guns and there was nothing but craters where the French guns had been. He also gave me a photo of a stuka that their new pom pom gun had hit and shot down.
This guy was fun to go to the hobby shop with as well. Where we build plastic models of ships and planes from the past, he was actively involved with them - a real legend who has now sadly passed away!
Respects to his memory and service, and thank you for relating his tales.
It's such a shame that Rodney never got the attention she deserved in keeping her battle worthy. I would say that she contributed more than Nelson in spite of that. Thanks for another great video!
My father was CPO Gunnery on Rodney during the sinking of the Bismarck. As such he was probably one of only a handful of people who saw the battle. Most of the crew were locked down manning the various guns.
My favorite RN WW2 battleship. She somehow looked much faster than she actually was.
Very similar profile to an E-Type Jag with that "long bonnet" look.
she is my favourite royal navy ship too! even more so than warspite.
378 sixteen inch shells and 706 six inch shells fired, Rodney’s captain & crew had an exhausting day.
Rodney could actually make 25 knots and did frequently during the pursuit of Bismarck. That was with clapped out boilers and a fouled bottom.
Pity she couldn't have been preserved as an important piece of history.
Excellent video - thanks!
Regardless of what anyone says about Rodney, she obviously had very good gun crews and effective guns. It took her no time at all to find the effective range on Bismarck.
It would have been interesting if she had got to trade blows with Tirpitz.
There is a story told of HMS Rodney during the follow-up to the Normandy landings. There was a single main gun operating, responding to a succession of identical orders - up ten, fire. Apparently, there was a German despatch rider heading inland who was being followed by a number of very big holes in the road...
They hit a Tiger - deliberately. Lucky ? Of course. Maybe not for those dug in under it though.
Enjoyed the comment about Baaa Baaa Rodney. In the early 1980s I worked with a Matelot who had served on HMS Jamica on Arctic Convoy escort duty. One of the Stories that Lou shared was: Shore leave in Scarpa Flow , there was nothing to do. It was not uncommon for Matelots to be up before the local Magistrates on " Sheep Shagging" charges. " I thought it was a WREN wearing a sheepskin coat", was one line of defence. Another line of defence was " I was just helping it over the fence your honour" . Another story Lou had was the Battle of North Cape, Dec 1943 , when HMS Jamica was part of the battlegroup that sank the Scharnhorst.
Amongest the battle group escorts was a Royal Navy Destroyer manned entirely by Norwegian Navy sailors. This particular destroyer was one tasked with picking up German Navy sailor survivors. When the Task force returned to Scarpa Flow afterwards, stories very quickly surfaced that the Norwegian manned Destroyer, as quickly as they were pulling german survivors from out of the water on one side of their ship.......... were just as quickly pushing them over the other side of the ship with their throats slit !! One reason for so few survivors from the Scharnhorst ! Lou remarked on the hatred the Norwegian sailors had for anything German.
My father was at Scapa during the “sheep” incident and told me how the crew of his ship (and all the others nearby) did indeed BA at Rodney as they passed.
Royal Navy humour at its finest.
It's all that kept the Royal Navy the best the world will ever see.
Rodney or Nelson should’ve been saved as a museum ship! Their unique design was just too cool
Many years ago I have a conversation with one of the engineers that was involved in the construction of Rodney. He recalled that during the machining of the turret rings, the swarf coming off the cutting tool was white hot. Impressive given that the ring was turning at about 6 revolutions per minute.
The large ring would mean the circumference would have a high annual acceleration, so at 6 rpm the periphery would be moving quite quickly.
My father was partly deafened in one ear by Rodney’s guns. He served on an ML which, being a wooden hulled ship had the task to lead the battleships through the magnetic mines to bombard the Normandy coast ready for the landings. When his ML was alongside, Rodney fired her guns. It smashed the bridge roof and hatches of the ML and caused his partial deafness.
Did he have to wait until state pension age to receive a miserly "partial disability pension" from the UK govt for his permanent partial deafness? As my own father did after narrowly surviving the impact of a "Fritz X" onboard HMS Warspite at Salerno in 1943?
Who in their right mind would fight for ANY government nowadays?
@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684I fought in Iraq and am partially deaf in my left ear and have constant tinnitus. If it was for my Grandfather's generation and then the Vietnam era I don't think I would have the medical that I have today. I'm one of the few US Veterans that doesn't have many bad things to say about our VA. I would however advise any young person not to enlist. The Army and the country is no longer the ones I joined.
@@mikebrase5161 You're absolutely right saying our country and Govts are no longer what they were.... nowadays youngsters are blatantly fighting solely for the shareholders of Raytheon, McDonnell Douglas & Qinetiq more than they are for the US or UK. (Though if you read Gen Smedley Butler's "war is a racket", you'll see it has been that way for quite some time).
I'm glad to hear you were well treated by the US VA as well you should. Here in Britain we had no such organisation and for centuries, those rank & file who had "stood their turn" at the time of the nation's greatest need, were quickly discarded after discharge, if lucky with a few bits of ribbon and metal.
Respects for your own service to your country.
My friend who I was looking after from the Rodney was also nearly totally deaf from the guns. I was forever trying to get new batteries for his hearing aids and conversations were often difficult at times when the batteries went flat. Loss of hearing was probably a common work hazard on the Rodney. Yes, I do also recall that compensation for his service and his deafness from the UK government was very miserly. He also served for a short while in the Australian and New Zealand navies where the pension systems were a bit more generous.
No, no compensation that I knew of.
An excellent youtube
In later marine observations, the Bismark had holes right through her. They could see right through
So the German claim of scuttling was the usual German rubbish
Will watch any of your other posts
Thanks
When storms and her own guns do more damage to Rodney than air attacks and a battle with Bismarck, that surely counts as a form of luck.
Grandad served on HMS Rodney - proudest thing he did in his life. Loved the ship and his time on it. He tried seeking out the ships bell when it was scrapped but by all accounts it went to Liverpool town hall. He ran away from home, lied about his age and volunteered for the Royal Marines but was injured and was due to be discharged when an officer said he would help him stay but only in the RN. Ended up on Rodney, to some degree it was the love of his life, escaping going down the pit, he saw things he never would have. Bit of a left leaning individual he enjoyed his trip to Russia as part of the artic convoys, but felt guilty about bombarding Alderney. At one point I may not have been born as he and Rodney were shelling a spot in Normandy during the campaign, one shell narrowly missed some Canadians and RE unit - my other grandad was in the RE unit....
I recall reading somewhere (but not where) that Nelson and Rodney were also called "The Pair of Boots"
“Nelsol” and “Rodnol” - because they looked like angry oil tankers.
I heard that as well.
Yep I've read that also.
There is a photo on internet of, Rodney, Revenge and Nelson berthed next to each other being scrapped at Wards, Inverkeithing. It is a sad sight to see these magnificent ships being broken up.
The old breaker's yard is still there in Inverkeithing, but only the structure. Nothing left that signifies it's the place where HMS Nelson and Rodney met their end.
@@AnonNomad I past it at the beginning of the year. My father's last ship was scrapped there in the early 70s, HMS Aisne.
Yes indeed - and we should have kept one of them (Rodney, of course, with her historic roles).
In hindsight, it’s a big loss, but we had a country to rebuild
@@Themanwiththeplan1899 you must be pretty old if you helped to rebuild the country.
I got a couple of actual pictures of the Rodney being scraped
Two that never seen before
the Nelson and Rodney were also known as the "Cherry Tree" class - cut down by Washington (Naval Treaty)
He did mention this.
Thank you for such a detailed, dispassionate, yet affectionate and pleasing account of this strangely beautiful ship and her place in British wartime naval history.
My father was in the USN and stationed at the Boston Naval Yard and was assigned to repair Rodney. My memory is sketchy from the years but what I remember him saying is one of the main guns sunk one or two decks from damage because the number of shells fired and that it was firing flat. The other thing he said was it was the messiest ship he ever saw, but commented the British were fighting a war so it was understandable.
What do you mean messiest ship?
Well the Americans had the advantage of sitting back and watching the first nearly two and a half years of the war mate.
To be honest most WW2 era ships looked kind of haphazard below the decks. Imagine the smell in hot climates like the Pacific war.
Not that ANY American battleships EVER fought another battleship. If I'm wrong, sorry, but please post the data sauce.
Yes that's true So was Australia were I'm from. And many other countries around the world
Fabulous effort. Thank you. Huge interest in this history.
The nickname was 'Queen Anne's Mansion', which was a bulky tower block of flats (apartments) in Westminster, London. The bridge structures on the Nelson class were far larger and more blocky than any that preceded them.
I met a HMS Rodney veteran of the attack on Bismark
and he said the biggest mistake the Navy made
was putting him and his mate in charge of the tombola.
The Nelsons each, in fact, displaced just under 34,000 tons 'STANDARD' (the applicable measure set at Washington with an upper limit of 35,000 tons). At full load, the Nelsons actually displaced around 40,000 tons each
Please note the references this data comes from.
@@jp-um2fr There are 'umpteen' references that give such data and which set is applicable depends primarily on the relevant dates cited, as like most large naval vessels, these battleships' displacement tended to increase over their service lives as successive modifications were made.
My father served on Rodney from 42 till he demobbed in 46, he did everything from Atlantic convoys to Baltic convoys including D day.
Sincere "hat off" to his service and memory.
The most beautyfull UK Batleships ever. ❤️❤️❤️😁👍.
Including the Bismark Have a model of the Bismark and had one of the Hood as a teenager Beautifull ships
My great grandfather was on the Rodney and he's not around anymore to tell me his story, so thank you 🙇
An excerpt from the Rodney's wartime record as found in Admiralty records:
"At 1200 hours RODNEY, SOMALI, TARTAR and MASHONA detached and proceeded on a generally south western course in accordance with the assumption that BISMARCK was heading for France.
After detaching RODNEY worked up to speeds that she had not achieved for many years. Which considering RODNEY had not received any significant mechanical repairs/refurbishment for three years, all recent repairs had been carried out solely to keep her in service. Her boilers were defective and leaking steam and her turbines and prop shafts were worn. RODNEY ploughed on through heavy seas and gradually her three escorting destroyers fell behind."
i am a shareholder / part owner of a diesel locomotive that British Rail Owned was named after the battleship Rodney .
Also
As a family we owned a ships boat ( Launch ) what was allocated to KGV even during the Bismarck battle way back in the boats life .
Ah yes. 50021/D421.. We spotters thought that they were rather elegant locomotives when they appeared on the West Coast Main Line in the late sixties, but we never really liked them because we blamed them (yes, I know wrongly, but we were only kids) for the loss of our beloved Stanier, Ivatt, and Riddles products.
After all, you could never take home a piece of coal from a 50, like you could from a Black 5 or a Big 8!
Tough little ship. Against all problems she still lined up to fulfill her tasks.
Little?
“Little”
Careful…
LITTLE ? , you okay buddy ?
Amongst all the guff written about the action against Bismarck it's often forgotten that Bismarck's much vaunted and fully serviceable main armament and fire control failed to land a single significant hit on either RODNEY or KING GEORGE V. Not with a bang but a whimper.
Not serviceable for long. All main battery turrets were knocked out by the end of the first half hour.
The Rodney is the one ship I wish GB had retained as a museum ship. Great career and service by all who sailed on her.
No. HMS Warspite had more merit.
@@dovetonsturdee7033 My argument isn't purely based on merit or some kind of ranking. Absolutely Warspite had the most distinguished career of all RN ships.
But she also had a hell of alot more money thrown at her. Rodney was sadly neglected in that respect.
It could be argued that Rodney probably gave the best bang for buck of any WWII RN ship.
Anyhow, my statement was purely based on my liking the Rodney and that she played a pretty major role on her own account.
@@MrT67 Fair enough, but HMS Rodney never generated the amount of affection within the fleet that The Old Lady did.
A beast of a BB for sure with unique battle lines!
I like how you talk about these ships. Admittedly not the only and certainly not the first to talk about ships this way. (I.E as a person)
But its still nice.
Poor Rodney, she's just crying for her refit. Its a shame really.
Now this next part is something else.
You've already done videos and lexington and saratoga however...
I recently got my hands on a couple books talking about them in great detail with who knows how many images. From design (to some degree), construction and service.
You've also talked about how they have a long list of firsts.
I want to add that, I believe they are looked at the wrong way.
Most people (understandably) look at their wartime service and think, "meh they're ok"
But i believe that their golden times were actually in the pre war years.
When you consider the global state of things. These ships could be described as inspiring if that.
People loved them, or at least their public image was overall quite positive.
They served the people in very interesting and then unique ways. They were establishing the foundation of what would be carrier operations.
They hold special titles and broke records.
Saratoga caught a shark in 1930 for example.
I would like to see a video going into more detail about that. Its very interesting and as mentioned earlier, inspiring.
I think they are rather handsome ships, they remind me of Star Destroyers from Star Wars (:
well, it Was the Empire....
@@andyf4292 (: (:
Queen Anne’s Mansions, it’s a British joke that the superstructure looked like the block of flats of the same name built in Westminster in 1905
My sisters Father-in-law served on the Rodney. He's gone now but was as deaf as a post which was normal for old sailors who served on those big battleships.
I once surveyed a house for a mortgage lender in the late 1990’s, the owner was a man in his late 80’s - still mentally sharp but as deaf as stone. He explained that he had been an anti aircraft gunner on the Russian (arctic) convoys in WW2 & had been completely deaf since then. He showed me his scrapbook with photos from after an aircraft attack by the Luftwaffe, the deck was covered completely in a mixture of 4(?) inch & 40 mm Bofors shell casings with 20mm & .303” cases filling up any minor gaps. No hearing protection, crewing & firing an anti aircraft weapon for extended periods day after day, no wonder he was deaf!
In times when they weren’t under aerial attack they were swinging sledge hammers to break the ice off the decks & superstructure to prevent the ship from capsizing if it rolled too far in the constant storms up there.
Brave man, he deserved far more recognition than he (& all his comrades at the time) ever received.
Yeah, anybody working on artillery sized equipment is going to suffer hearing loss, especially the cavalier way (fair enough if your country is fighting for its life) the MOD treats such piffling matters.
I was in the RA (Territorials) from 1979 to 2000 and initially I had to buy my own ear defenders, I bought them from a cracking gunshop at the bottom of Grey St in Newcastle - Bagnell and Kirkwood.
Yes Sir, how can I help?
Ear defenders please?
Yes sir - what type of shooting are we looking at?
err 5.5 inch?
Didn't bat an eyelid and fished outa pair of foldable olive green ear protectors. Good shop that.
Thanks for this video on a fascinating ship. It seems that the North Atlantic really took its toll on HMS Rodney.
Some nice camo shots in this one. Thanks
My Dad was a chief petty officer on the rodney during the sinking of the Bismarck. He was in the armored tower at the time of the battle. Was amazed at the size and beauty of the bismarck.
You out did your self on this one absolutely grade A stuff i am very impressed at your hard work i don't know you find enough time plus everything else in your life i find it gift god gave you onçe again thank you for sharing it with us your unbelievable kind by doing so l am very busy my selfand i love naval history but don't have enough time to research my self so i want to thank you words can't say enough
Scheer vs 16inch guns would have turned her into scrap metal
Sheep were never safe when Rodney was in port.
13:51 "Grandpa, what did you do during the war?"
It may be very efficient but that is one Ugly as hell ship
One question that always comes across my mind is why Nelson and Rodney we’re not taking in for major, upgrading and rework. Once the escalator clause was triggered with a Japanese trashing, the London naval treaty.
Because they were the newest ships the RN had. Rebuilding the WW1 era ships was more important. Had war occurred, the RN needed these ships available
Time
The RN began a programme of modernisation of the battlefleet in the mid 1930s. The 'R' class were to be replaced by the KGVs, so the programme began with the Queen Elizabeths and Renown. As only two were to be withdrawn at the same time, only Warspite, Renown, Valiant & Queen Elizabeth had been completed by 1940. Had there been no war, the next would have been Malaya, Barham, Repulse, and Hood. The Nelsons were newer, and more capable, ships.
Really good looking ship and that block citidel when all other ship pretty much look the same
I wonder if a major rebuild of the Nelson class was ever contemplated. An extra hundred foot of hull could house an engineering upgrade and an after turret.
My Father was leading seaman on HMS Rodney for the duration of WWll I have his medals paperwork and his Bosun’s whistle plus plenty of pictures, he told me some stories of the Rodneys encounter with the Bismarck. He did tell me that they torpedoed the Bismarck and that it’s the only battleship to torpedo another Battleship
Yknow it’s a good day when skynea posts
Great video fact filled and some photographs I hadn't seen before. The only error is the misuse of the word unique. If HMS Rodney is one of the Nelson class it can't be unique. Tiny complaint in a very good video.
The Nelrods get a lot of stick mainly because of their 'light' shells for their 16-inch rounds, but when put to the test, Rodney's 'light' shells landed probably the most devastating hit on an enemy warship that didn't result in it exploding. She disabled A and B turrets and probably killed the bridge crew as well as possibly damaged or disabled the main fire control with that huge hit forwards that was a real haymaker.
Keep the great videos coming friend from Scotland 😊
"1934 - HMS Nelson declares war on the seabed, HMS Rodney takes over as flagship until Nelson is repaired."
How does a sailor find a lost sheep??? Very satisfying.
I think that in general, interest and appreciation for the Brit BB's, flat tops and cruisers is rising quite noticeably online and amongst enthusiasts now.
I lived near the shipyard where 'Rodney' was built.
Interesting history of a warship.
Her sister ship should really have been called HMS DelBoy.
Bismarck's crew was very young and there are reports that training was minimal, in particular anti-aircraft training. This seems to support that Bismarck couldn't score a hit on Rodney, despite its superior targeting system and gun range. Rodney would have been very vulnerable to plunging fire, with its lack of superstructure over the deck to absorb the damage, and probably that's why the captain was eager to close the distance to Bismarck. Rodney, because of its peculiar design, was less vulnerable close-up than at a distance.
Rodney was more heavily armoured than Bismarck in ALL respects.
My friend from the Rodney told me the reason the British won the fight was because there were much better officers in the Royal Navy. He was telling me the first salvo fired at the Rodney from Bismark fell short then the second one fell long. The Germans then had their range, which the Captain of the Rodney realised - he manoeuvred the ship to alter the range and the next salvo fell where the ship would have been prior to the manoeuvre, thus preventing getting hit and damaged. Very clever tactics.
@@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684 Rodney was almost half the weight of Bismarck, LOL.
@@NorceCodine That's why she was a MUCH more efficient design. Heavier weight of firepower too !!!
@@NorceCodine
Either quit listening to nazi fanboy bar talk, or learn how to do math, because that statement was ridiculous nonsense.
Still looks like something pretty modern.
Exactly! Compared to the ships built before and after them, the "Nelsons" were a very progressive shape, and a design layout copied by the French navy. And what do modern ships look like? Rodney and Nelson!
@@rodneymcgovern5984modern oil tankers look like those , not the modern warships.
Rudder problems . . . Bismarck, we hardly knew ye.
amazing Channel love to Build model ships while listening and watching at the same time :)
My favorite british ship
THAT INCIDENT WITH THE SHEEP.--ARE YOU SURE THAT'S ILLEGAL ???
I like Nelson and Rodney, particularly Rodney. they share the distinction of being possibly the silliest looking genuinely good ships of the 20th century.
That's a great description mate 😁 I personally think that it was deliberate. None of the enemy took her seriously until the 16" guns started up.
ABC returned to Rodney from sailing carrying his trousers on his arm. Famous moments indeed.
7:54 - Was that the time that Nelson ran onto the Hamilton Bank outside Portsmouth?
Nelson on Hamilton, again...
My father in law served on Rodney as a petty officer
Rodney just didn’t get the proper respect….as Mr Dangerfield could testify…😂!
I love your comment boring except for the flashy combat with Bismarck. Let’s just remember this is the goddamn Bismarck and Rodney beat her!!! WTF!!! Just saying my guns are bigger than yours, and I have torpedoes😂
23kts the RN laughter at looking at a "published speed"........and tell the Germans that in the Bismarck chase where they clocked out a battleship "with worn out machinery" doing 25+kts.
An old lady trying to do her best..and she did while she barely recieved some upgrades..
A wonderful video, thankyou.
Sometimes being honest isn't the best policy, as with treaty ships.
Were they ever able to confirm the torpedo hit from Rodney on the wreck of the Bismarck
When Cameron the film director went down he only covered around 8% of the hull. He says not, but there's 92% left to check.
@@adamcarreras-neal4697 - also, much of the hull must be buried in mud.
@@28pbtkh23
It Is, past what would have been the waterline.
I got these internet DIY battleship plans from Australia. After the friggin project just squashed my steel tables into my yard and I am making a hole for the rudder a dreadful thought occurred... I am now calling all my neighbors to upright this thing now. How the hell am I gonna turn this thing upright and get it out of my back yard??? Neighbors called code enforcement too. its illegal to build Battleships in your back yard here.
The Stoker must have been Welsh.
Her style puts me in mind of a Jaguar XKE.
What if tge Torpedo attack had not been successful on Bismarck, when he stearing was damaged ?
How would the battle turned out ?
Would there have been a battle?
steering was damaged by a Swordfish hit. Not Rodney.