Editing Nelson-class battleship (section)

{{Short description|Class of battleships of the British Royal Navy}}
{{Distinguish|Lord Nelson-class battleship}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = The Royal Navy in the Interwar Period Q70606.jpg
| Ship caption = Aerial view of ''Nelson'' before 1939
}}
{{Infobox ship class overview
| Name = ''Nelson'' class
| Builders = 
*[[Armstrong Whitworth]]
*[[Cammell Laird]]
| Operators = {{navy|United Kingdom}}
| Class before = *{{sclass2|N3|battleship|4}} (planned)
*{{sclass|Revenge|battleship|4}} (actual)
| Class after = {{sclass|King George V|battleship (1939)|4}}
| Cost = [[pound sterling|£]]7,504,055–7,617,799
| Built range = 1922–1927
| In service range = 1927–1947
| Total ships completed = 2
| Total ships scrapped = 2
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = (''Nelson'' as built)
| Ship type = [[Battleship]]
| Ship displacement = *{{convert|33300|LT|t|lk=on}} ([[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard]]) 
*{{convert|37780|LT|t}} ([[full load]])
| Ship length = {{convert|709|ft|10|in|m|1|abbr=on}} [[Length overall|o/a]]
| Ship beam = {{convert|106|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|30|ft|4|in|m|1|abbr=on}} (mean standard)
| Ship power = *8 × [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s
*{{cvt|45000|shp|kW|lk=on}}
| Ship propulsion = 2 shafts; 2 geared [[steam turbine]]s
| Ship speed = {{convert|23|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range = *{{convert|7000|nmi|lk=in|abbr=on}} at {{convert|16|kn}}
| Ship complement = *1,314 ([[private ship]]) 
*1,361 ([[flagship]])
| Ship armament = * 3 × triple [[BL 16 inch Mk I naval gun|BL {{cvt|16|in|mm|0}} Mk 1 guns]]
* 6 × twin [[BL 6 inch Mk XXII naval gun|BL 6-in (152&nbsp;mm) Mk XXII guns]]
* 6 × single [[QF 4.7 inch Mk VIII naval gun|QF 4.7&nbsp;in (120 mm) Mk VIII]] AA guns
* 8 × single [[QF 2 pounder naval gun|QF 2-pdr (40 mm)]] AA guns
* 2 × [[British 24.5 inch torpedo|{{cvt|24.5|in|mm|0}} torpedo tubes]]
| Ship armour = *[[Belt armor|Waterline belt]]: {{cvt|13|-|14|in|mm|0}}
*[[Deck (ship)|Deck]]: {{cvt|3.75|-|6.25|in|mm|0}}
*[[Barbette]]s: {{cvt|12|-|15|in|mm|0}}
*[[Gun turret]]s: {{cvt|9|-|16|in|mm|0}}
*[[Conning tower]]: {{cvt|6|-|14|in|mm|0}}
*[[Bulkhead (partition)|Bulkhead]]s: {{cvt|4|-|12|in|mm|0}}
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

The '''''Nelson'' class''' was a [[ship class|class]] of two [[battleship]]s ({{HMS|Nelson|28|2}} and {{HMS|Rodney|29|2}}) of the British [[Royal Navy]], built shortly after, and under the terms of, the [[Washington Naval Treaty]] of 1922. They were the only British battleships built between the {{sclass|Revenge|battleship|4}}, ordered in 1913, and the {{sclass|King George V|battleship (1939)|4}}, ordered in 1936.

The ships were named after famous British [[admiral]]s: [[George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney]], victor of the [[Battle of Cape St. Vincent (1780)|Battle of Cape St. Vincent]] and the [[Battle of the Saintes]], and [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson]], who won the Battles of the [[Battle of the Nile|Nile]] and [[Battle of Trafalgar|Trafalgar]].

To comply with the limitations of the Washington Treaty, these ships were of an unusual design with many novel features. They are often referred to as the first [[treaty battleship]]s. The ''Nelson''s were unique in British battleship construction, being the only ships to carry a main armament of nine {{convert|16|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns. The most unusual feature however, and one that is immediately noticeable, is that these were all carried forward of the bridge.

Commissioned in 1927–29, the ''Nelson''s served extensively in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Indian oceans during [[World War II]]. {{HMS|Rodney|29|2}} was made famous by her role in the sinking of the {{ship|German battleship|Bismarck||2|up=y}} in May 1941. At the climax of the battle ''Rodney'', in conjunction with ''King George V'', closed on ''Bismarck'' to bombard her at short range. ''Rodney''{{'}}s main guns were credited with an estimated 100 to 130 hits, contributing greatly to ''Bismarck''{{'}}s final destruction.

''Nelson'' and ''Rodney'' participated in the bombardment of targets in northern France during and after [[D-Day]]. In particular, during the [[Battle for Caen|Caen campaign]] ''Nelson'' was credited with destroying a group of five [[Tiger I|Tiger tanks]] which ventured into a red zone [within {{convert|40|km|abbr=on}} of the coast] deemed by the German command to be in range of [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] battleships.{{citation needed|date=June 2021}}

Both ships of the class survived the war, but were scrapped in 1948–1949 along with all other British battleships except the four remaining ''King George V''–class battleships and {{HMS|Vanguard|23|2}}.