Editing Nelson-class battleship

{{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}}.

==Background and design==
The [[Battle of Jutland]] had shown the value of [[fire power|firepower]] and [[armour|protection]] over speed and manoeuvrability.<ref>{{cite book |title=British Battleships 1939–45 (2): Nelson and King George V Classes |first=Angus |last=Konstam |publisher=Osprey Publishing |series=New Vanguard No. 160 |date=2009 |isbn=9781846033896 }}.</ref>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}}

The next generation of British warships incorporated this lesson. After [[World War I]], the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] drew up plans for massive, heavily armoured [[battlecruiser]]s and battleships, far larger and stronger than all previous vessels. The {{sclass2|G3|battlecruiser|2}}s would carry {{convert|16|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns, and the proposed {{sclass2|N3|battleship|2}}s would carry nine {{convert|18|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns, and would be the most powerful vessels afloat. The Royal Navy was planning to hold its superiority in the burgeoning arms race, despite the large warships planned in Japan and the United States.<ref name="PrestonB">Preston 1981</ref>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}}

Development was abruptly curtailed by the [[Washington Naval Treaty]] of 1922, which brought the arms race to a halt. The four battlecruisers that had been ordered were cancelled. Some of the material acquired would later be used in ''Nelson'' and ''Rodney''. The Treaty limited all nations' battleships to maximum limits of 35,000&nbsp;tons and 16-inch guns. The British had successfully ensured that the definition of maximum displacement – the [[standard displacement]] – excluded both fuel and boiler feed water. They had argued that having to protect the widespread [[British Empire]] meant their ships had to carry more of both and they should not be penalised compared to nations, such as Japan, France and Italy, that operated normally much closer to their home bases. As a result, water-filled [[Anti-torpedo bulge|internal anti-torpedo bulges]] could be incorporated, which did not contribute to the "dry" (standard) weights and therefore did not exceed the treaty displacement limits.<ref name="PrestonB"/>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}}

The limits of the treaty inevitably led to compromises in the design of two new ships, and the resulting ''Nelson'' class sacrificed installed power (and hence speed) in order that the ships be well-armed and defended. They were often referred to as the [[Mason Locke Weems#Cherry-tree anecdote|"Cherry Tree"]] class, because they had been "cut down by Washington".<ref name="PrestonB"/> The need to limit displacement resulted in a radical new warship design, drawn from the "G3" and "N3" designs of [[Sir Eustace Tennyson-d'Eyncourt, 1st Baronet|Eustace Tennyson-d'Eyncourt]], [[Director of Naval Construction]] from 1912 to 1924. To reduce the weight of armour, the main gun turrets were all mounted forward to shorten the armoured citadel. The "G3" and "N3" had two turrets forward of the bridge with the third between the bridge and the funnels/aft superstructure. However, in the ''Nelson''s, this was taken further and all three were in front of the bridge; "B" mount superfiring over "A", with "X" turret on the forecastle deck behind "B", and therefore unable to fire directly forward or aft. "X" turret is sometimes referred to as "C" turret and one alternative design, designated "O3", had it superfiring over both "A" and "B" turrets.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}} The secondary guns were placed in totally enclosed director-controlled twin turrets at the upper deck level and were grouped aft – another innovative element taken from the G3 and N3 design.<ref name="PrestonB"/><ref name="referenceD">Brown 1999, p.</ref>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}}

The machinery was of necessity limited in weight, size and installed power, and there were only two shafts with quite large screws. All previous British battleships after {{HMS|Dreadnought|1906|6}} of 1906 had four screws as did all British battleship classes after ''Nelson''. In order that fuel gasses be kept clear of the superstructure, the boiler rooms were moved behind the engine rooms, exhausting into a single funnel. This orientation also reduced the overall length of the armoured citadel. As a countermeasure to the limited power, the hull was of a very efficient hydrodynamic form, to attain the best possible speed.<ref name="referenceD"/>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}}

==Description==
The ''Nelson''s had a [[length between perpendiculars]] of {{convert|660|ft|m|1}} and an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|709|ft|10|in|m|1}} (''Nelson'') or {{convert|710|ft|3|in|m|1}} (''Rodney''), a [[Beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|106|ft|m|1}}, and a [[Draft (hull)|draught]] of {{convert|30|ft|4|in|m|1}} at mean [[Displacement (ship)#Standard displacement|standard load]]. They [[Displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|33300|-|33730|LT|t}} at standard load and {{convert|37430|-|37780|LT|t}} at [[deep load]]. Their crew numbered 1,361 officers and [[naval rating|ratings]] when serving as flagships and 1,314 as [[private ship]]s. At deep load, they had a [[metacentric height]] of {{convert|10.2|ft|m|1}},<ref>Burt, pp. 348–349</ref> which gave them a quick [[Ship motions|roll]] between 11.2 and 13.6 seconds.<ref>Raven & Roberts, pp. 126–127</ref> In calm weather, the ''Nelson''-class ships were very manoeuvrable, but the large surface area of the superstructure gave them a large amount of [[weather helm]] and they could be a handful in confined spaces with a strong wind as was demonstrated when {{HMS|Nelson|28|2}} ran aground off [[Southsea]] beach in 1934.<ref>Burt, pp. 350, 357–359</ref>

The ships were powered by two sets of [[John Brown & Company|Brown-Curtis]] geared [[steam turbine]]s, each driving one shaft, using steam from eight [[Admiralty 3-drum boiler]]s fitted with [[superheater]]s that operated at a pressure of {{convert|250|psi|kPa atm|0|abbr=on|lk=on}}. The turbines were rated at {{convert|45000|shp|lk=on}} and intended to give the ship a maximum speed of {{convert|23|kn|lk=in}}. The [[sister ship]]s exceeded their designed speed during their [[sea trial]]s in 1927, reaching speeds of {{convert|23.6|-|23.8|kn}} from {{convert|45614|-|46031|shp|abbr=on}}. They carried {{convert|3770|-|3805|LT|t}} of [[fuel oil]] to give them a designed range of {{convert|7000|nmi|lk=in}} at a cruising speed of {{convert|16|kn}}.<ref>Raven & Roberts, pp. 114, 124–125</ref>

===Armour===
Armour weight was also reduced by using an internal, inclined armour belt sloped outward at 18 degrees from the vertical. The armour belt was {{convert|14|in|mm|abbr=on}} thick over the main magazines and control positions to {{convert|13|in|mm|abbr=on}} over the machinery and 6-inch gun magazines. The slope increased the relative thickness of the belt to a plunging projectile. Water-filled compartments, surrounded by air-filled ones, formed internal torpedo bulges which were fitted between the armour and the external hull of the ship, which was not armoured. The outer hull plating was meant to initiate detonation of shells which would then explode outside the armour. This innovation dispensed with external torpedo bulges which would otherwise have reduced the speed of the ships due to drag. Underwater protection for the ''Nelson''s was provided by a [[double bottom]] 5 feet (1.5 m) deep and a layered defence of an empty outer [[watertight compartment]] and an inner water-filled compartment. The torpedo defence system had a total depth of 12 feet (3.7 m) and was backed by a [[torpedo bulkhead]] 1.5 inches thick. The system was similar in design and effectiveness to that of ''[[HMS Hood|Hood]]'', and was rated to withstand an explosion of 750 lbs (340 kg) [[TNT]].<ref>{{Cite book|last=Raven|first=Alan|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2765218|title=British battleships of World War Two : the development and technical history of the Royal Navy's battleships and battlecruisers from 1911 to 1946|date=1976|publisher=Naval Institute Press|others=John, January 16- Roberts|isbn=0-87021-817-4|location=Annapolis|oclc=2765218}}</ref> The armour scheme was of the "[[All or nothing (armour)|all or nothing]]" principle; areas were either well protected, from the front of "A" barbette rearwards to the after 6-inch turrets, or were not protected at all, disposing of the multiple intermediate thickness of armour seen in older designs. For the first time a British battleship had a single, {{convert|6.25|in|mm|abbr=on}} thick armoured deck to protect against plunging shells and aircraft-launched bombs, with {{convert|3.75|in|mm|abbr=on}} armour over the machinery spaces and {{convert|4.25|in|mm|abbr=on}} armour on the lower deck over the stern, both on top of the 0.5 in (12.7&nbsp;mm) deck plating. The main turrets had {{convert|16|in|mm|abbr=on}} armour on the faces, {{convert|11|in|mm|abbr=on}} on the sides, {{convert|7.25|in|mm|abbr=on}} on the roof and {{convert|9|in|mm|abbr=on}} on the rear with {{convert|15|in|mm|abbr=on}} around the barbettes. The secondary turrets, however, had only {{convert|1|in|mm|abbr=on}} NC all round over 0.5 in (12.7&nbsp;mm) structural steel plates.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="referenceD"/>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}}

===Superstructure===
The large superstructure, which was octagonal in plan, was known to its crew as the "Octopoidal"<ref name="ReferenceC">''HMS Rodney'', Iain Ballantyne, Pen & Sword Books, {{ISBN|978 1 84415 406 7}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}} and was sometimes referred to as "[[Queen Anne's Mansions]]"<ref name="ReferenceA">Burt, p.</ref> due to its similarity to a 14-storey brick residential development opposite [[St James's Park tube station]] in London. The superstructure provided spacious, weatherproof working spaces for the navigating officers and any flag officers embarked. Except for the emergency conning tower at its base, and the trunking for the main gun directors mounted on top, the superstructure was lightly armoured against splinters only, to save weight. Additional weight-saving design measures included the use of light materials such as aluminium for fittings, and [[fir]] instead of [[teak]] for deck planking, although subsequently, teak decks were fitted in the late 1920s, following concerns that the ships could not fire a full broadside without causing structural damage to the decks.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}}

The ''Nelson'' class was a revolutionary but compromised design, and unsurprisingly there were shortcomings. The location of the superstructure towards the stern caused manoeuvrability problems in high winds, especially when steaming at low speeds, where the superstructure acted somewhat like a [[mizzen]] [[sail]] permanently set, causing the ships to "weathervane" but according to Captain [[Hugh Binney]], who commanded ''Nelson'' in the late twenties, "if this is kept in mind, no real difficulties should be encountered in any circumstances".<ref name="ReferenceA"/>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}} This was potentially a problem in crowded harbours, and made the ships somewhat difficult to dock and embark although this issue never led to a major incident. Binney also stated "In the early stages of the ship's first commission, there was a general misconception that the ''Nelson'' class were unhandy and difficult to manoeuvre. Both my predecessor and myself, however, very soon discovered that this opinion was entirely fallacious! In calm weather, the ship's manoeuvring capabilities are in no way inferior, and in many ways superior to those of ''Queen Elizabeth'' or ''Revenge''."<ref name="ReferenceA"/> They could also be awkward to manoeuvre when moving astern. This was attributed to the ships having a single, central rudder which was out of the propeller race of the twin screws. At sea, however, they were reported to handle well, with a comparatively small tactical diameter (turning circle) particularly when turning into the wind, according to Lt. Commander (later Rear Admiral) [[Galfry Gatacre]] RAN, who served in 1941–1942 as the navigator for both ''Nelson'' and subsequently ''Rodney''. He reported no difficulty in navigating either ship through the boom gates at [[Scapa Flow]].  ''Nelson'' and ''Rodney'' were the only battleships never to have bumped the [[Net laying ship|boom gate vessel]] as they passed through Hoxa Sound.<ref name="ReferenceB">''Reports of Proceedings 1921–1964'', G.G.O. Gatacre, {{ISBN|0 949756 02 4}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}}

===Armament===
[[File:HMS Nelson during gunnery trials.jpg|thumb|left|''Nelson'' fires a salvo during gunnery trials in 1942]]
These ships were fitted with the [[HACS]] AA fire control system and the [[Admiralty Fire Control Table]] Mk I for surface fire control of the main armament.

Their main armament of nine {{convert|16|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns were mounted in triple turrets, the only RN battleships constructed in this manner. The ''[[Lion-class battleship|Lion]]''-class battleships, which were laid down in 1939 but cancelled in 1942, would have also carried nine {{convert|16|in|mm|0|adj=on}} guns in triple turrets. The ''Nelson's'' innovation was an all-forward main armament orientation, in order to maximize the thickness of armor available for a given weight by [[All or nothing (armor)|making the citadel as short as possible]], and this was subsequently copied by the French in the [[Dunkerque-class battleship|''Dunkerque''-class]] and [[Richelieu-class battleship|''Richelieu''-class]] of battleships.<ref name="ReferenceF">''French Battleships 1922–1956'', John Jordan & Robert Dumas, Seaforth Publishing, {{ISBN|978 1 84832 034 5}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}} 

The [[BL 16-inch Mk I naval gun]]s themselves deviated from standard British designs. Where previous RN weapons fired heavy shells at a moderate velocity, the ''Nelson''{{'}}s weapons followed the German practice of a lighter shell at a higher velocity. This change in Director of Naval Ordnance policy was due to British testing of surrendered German equipment after World War I, although much later, subsequent testing proved contradictory. Two different rifling rates were tried, and for some time there was a mixture of barrel types in different turrets, even sometimes within the same turret. The guns suffered considerable barrel wear and had a fairly large dispersion pattern, due mainly to the different riflings that each barrel had as they were refurbished over their lifespan. To compensate for barrel wear, muzzle velocities were reduced and a heavier (longer) shell was tried to offset this; but the cost of producing new shells, modifying shell handling and storage equipment came at a time when RN funding had been heavily reduced. The need to reduce displacement led to the use of triple mount turrets, which had early problems with the ammunition handling and loading machinery. The heavier weight of the triple in comparison to a twin turret meant increased stresses on the roller bearings when training the turrets. This was solved by the incorporation of spring-loaded vertical as well as conventional horizontal roller bearings. The triple mount turret proved itself when, in October 1929, a turret crew with two years' experience loaded and fired 33 consecutive rounds without mishap.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The incorporation of many safety features, achieved with lighter materials, meant that the complex and relatively fragile equipment had to be serviced regularly over the ships' lifetime. Consequently the BL 16-inch Mk I were not generally considered by the RN to be as successful as the previous [[BL 15 inch /42 naval gun|BL 15&nbsp;inch Mark I]]; the [[BL 14-inch Mk VII naval gun|BL 14-inch Mark VII]], fitted to the subsequent [[King George V-class battleship (1939)|''King George V'']]-class battleships, returned to a heavier (relatively) shell and lower velocity, but its performance was compromised by an over-complex quadruple-gun mounting that proved to have reliability defects in combat. 

Firing trials revealed that the blast of 'A' and 'B' turrets on forward bearings caused damage to many weather-deck fittings and conditions on the mess-decks became very uncomfortable. There was a longstanding rumour that the ships could not fire a full broadside without risk of structural damage.[3]{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}  This was disproved during the action against the German battleship ''Bismarck'', where ''Rodney'' fired upwards of 40 broadsides (380 shells) without major structural damage except to deck planking and upper deck fittings,[11]{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}  although damage to sickbay fittings, partition bulkheads, toilet bowls and plumbing in the forecastle was extensive. Virtually every light bulb in the forward section was shattered also.[9]{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} When 'X' turret was fired 30 degrees abaft the beam and elevation of 40 degrees, considerable damage occurred to the two vertically stacked rows of bridge windows.<ref>Raven & Roberts, p. 118</ref> As a result, the guns of "X" turret were usually prohibited from firing abaft of the beam at high elevations during peacetime practice firing. Fitting [[tempered glass]] in the bridge windows was tried, but gun blast still shattered some of them and filled the bridge with flying debris. The design of the Captain's bridge was altered on ''Nelson'' circa 1930–33 to reduce the window area and enclose the upper portion of the previous two rows of glass. A great deal of effort was expended in correcting this problem, and fitting of protective ledges below the new smaller windows proved successful. A new enclosed Admiral's bridge with its requisite reduced windows was built on top of the Captain's bridge and the forward signalling lamps were moved up one level and towards the aft of the bridge. The Admiral's bridge on ''Rodney'' remained stepped back somewhat from the forward edge of the tower, but the Captain's bridge had the same reduced area of glass that ''Nelson'' now had, with larger ledges.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Blast was also a problem elsewhere; D.K. Brown tells of a test firing that was suspended when DNC observer H.S. Pengelly, who was beneath the foredeck, reported a bright red flash after firing all guns in "A" turret. This was later discovered to be caused by concussion of the observers' eyeballs.<ref name="referenceD"/>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}}

In the final phase of the action against ''Bismarck'', ''Rodney'' fired a pair of 24.5-inch torpedoes from her port-side tube and claimed one hit.<ref>''Reports of Proceedings 1921–1964'', G.G.O. Gatacre, Nautical Press & Publications, Sydney, 1982, {{ISBN|0 949756 02 4}}, pg.140</ref><ref>''On His Majesty's Service, 1940-41'', Joseph H. Wellings, http://www.ibiblio.org/anrs/docs/D/D7/1002wellings_onhismajestysservice.pdf</ref><ref>Ballantyne, p. 142</ref><ref>''Killing the Bismarck'', Iain Ballantyne, Pen & Sword Books, Yorkshire, {{ISBN|978 1 84415 983 3}}, pp. 258–260.</ref> According to [[Ludovic Kennedy]], "if true, [this is] the only instance in history of one battleship torpedoing another".<ref>''Pursuit: The Sinking of the Bismarck'', Ludovic Kennedy, William Collins, {{ISBN|0 00 211739 8}}</ref>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}}  Earlier in this same action the starboard side tube had its sluice door jammed as the result of a near miss from one of ''Bismarck''{{'}}s early salvos. On 27 September 1941, ''Nelson''{{'}}s port torpedo station almost proved to be a liability when an Italian air-launched 18-inch torpedo holed the compartment behind the torpedo body room, allowing 3,750 tons of water to enter the ship. Following this, ''Nelson''{{'}}s torpedo tubes may have been removed<ref>{{cite book | page=14 | year= 1980 | title = Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946 | publisher = Mayflower Books Inc. | location = New York City | isbn =0-8317-0303-2| edition= First American }}</ref> although another source suggests the torpedo tubes were retained in both ships into 1945.<ref>Burt, p. 377</ref>

==Summary==
[[File:HMS Nelson (1931) profile drawing.png|thumb|right|3-view profile drawing of HMS ''Nelson'' as she was in 1931, with [[Fairey Flycatcher]] aircraft carried amidships]]

Because of their unusual silhouettes, HMS ''Nelson'' and ''Rodney'' were nicknamed ''Nelsol'' and ''Rodnol'' by Royal Navy sailors as their single-funnelled profiles reminded Navy men of a series of [[Replenishment oiler|fleet oilers]] that had been built during the First World War bearing names starting with "Ol", the [[Ol-class tanker (1918)|Ol class]].<ref>Preston 1981 p 123</ref>

Despite the derisive criticism directed at this class of battleship by some of the media and some sailors upon their debut, naval historian [[Antony Preston]] considered that "they were soundly conceived ships reflecting all the hard-won experience of World War One" and that "they proved to be very well-protected and well-designed ships".<ref name="PrestonB"/>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}}

==Ships in class==
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Construction data
|-
!scope="col"|Name
!scope="col"|Namesake
!scope="col"|Builder
!scope="col"|Ordered
!scope="col"|[[Laid down]]
!scope="col"|[[Ceremonial ship launching|Launched]]
!scope="col"|[[Ship commissioning|Commissioned]]
!Fate
|-
!scope="row" |{{HMS|Nelson|28|2}}
|[[Vice-admiral (Royal Navy)|Vice-admiral]] [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Horatio Nelson]]
|[[Armstrong Whitworth]], [[Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne|Walker]]
|rowspan=2|11 December 1922
|rowspan=2|28 December 1922
|3 September 1925
|15 August 1927
|Sold for [[ship breaking|scrap]], 5 January 1949
|-
!scope="row" |{{HMS|Rodney|29|2}}
|[[Admiral (Royal Navy)|Admiral]] [[George Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney|George Rodney]]
|[[Cammell Laird]], [[Birkenhead]]
|17 December 1925
|7 December 1927
|Sold for scrap, 19 March 1948
|}

==Construction and career==
[[File:HMS Nelson & HMS Rodney.jpg|thumb|''Nelson'' and ''Rodney'']]

By the end of the war, ''Rodney'' had seen hard use without any significant refit or repair and was worn out, especially her machinery.<ref name="ReferenceC"/>{{Page needed|date=March 2023}} ''Nelson'' had been refitted in the United States at the end of 1944 and was in sufficiently good condition to serve in the postwar fleet including a short period as flagship of the Home Fleet at the end of 1945. ''Rodney'' was scrapped in 1948 at Inverkeithing, not long after the {{sclass|Revenge|battleship|1}}s and {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|battleship|1}}s, and ''Nelson'' in 1949 following its use as a target for bombing trials. "According to Winston Churchill's memoirs, a major modernisation was discussed to enable '' Nelson'' to serve for several years in the postwar fleet, but no other details have survived. In any case ''Nelson'' was too slow for the modern fleet which had no front-line role for battleships any more".<ref>''Conway's Battleships'', Ian Sturnton, Conway Maritime Press, London, 2008, {{ISBN|978 1 844860 685}}, p. 135.</ref>
{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite book|last=Brown|first=David K.|title=The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906–1922|publisher= Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1999 |isbn=1-55750-315-X|author-link=David K. Brown}}
* {{cite book |last=Brown|first=David K.|title=''Nelson'' to ''Vanguard'': Warship Design and Development 1923–1945 |year=2000|location=London|publisher=Chatham Publishing|isbn=1-55750-492-X|author-link=David K. Brown}}
* {{cite book
  |last=Burt
  |first=R. A.
  |title=British Battleships, 1919–1939
  |year=2012
  |edition=2nd
  |publisher=Naval Institute Press
  |location=Annapolis, Maryland
  |isbn=978-1-59114-052-8
  }}
* {{cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Naval Weapons of World War II|year=1985|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-459-4}}
* {{cite book|title=Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|editor1-last=Chesneau |editor1-first=Roger |publisher=Mayflower Books|location=New York|year=1980|isbn=0-8317-0303-2 |chapter=Great Britain |last1=Campbell |first1=N.J.M.|pages=2–85}}
* {{cite book| last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=The British Battleship 1906–1946|year=2015 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing|location=Barnsley, UK|isbn=978-1-84832-225-7|author-link=Norman Friedman}}
* Rear Admiral G.G.O. Gatacre, ''Reports of Proceedings 1921–1964'' (Nautical Press & Publications, Manly, NSW, Australia, 1982) {{ISBN|0 949756 02 4}}
* {{cite book|editor1-last=Jordan|editor1-first=John|publisher=Osprey|location=Oxford, UK|year=2020|title=Warship 2020|isbn=978-1-4728-4071-4|last1=Jordan|first1=John|chapter=Warship Notes: The 6in Turrets of ''Nelson'' and ''Rodney''|pages=184–188}}
* {{cite book|last=Lenton|first=H. T.|author-link=Henry Trevor Lenton|title=British & Empire Warships of the Second World War|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1998|isbn=1-55750-048-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Parkes |first1=Oscar |title=British Battleships, ''Warrior'' 1860 to ''Vanguard'' 1950: A History of Design, Construction, and Armament |date=1990 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-55750-075-4 |edition=New & rev.|orig-year=1966|author-link=Oscar Parkes}}
* {{cite book |last=Preston |first=Antony |title=Battleships |year=1981 |author-link=Antony Preston |location=London |publisher=Bison Books |isbn=0861242599 }}
* {{cite book|last=Raven|first=Alan|author2=Roberts, John |title=British Battleships of World War Two: The Development and Technical History of the Royal Navy's Battleship and Battlecruisers from 1911 to 1946|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1976|isbn=0-87021-817-4|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book |last1=Stern |first1=Robert C. |title=The Battleship Holiday: The Naval Treaties and Capital Ship Design |date=2017 |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |location=Barnsley, UK |isbn=978-1-84832-344-5}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Nelson class battleship}}
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=xd8DAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22Popular+Mechanics%22+Jan+1935+floating&pg=PA524 "Sallying Ship Helps Float Pride of British Navy"]. ''[[Popular Mechanics]]'', October 1934. p. 524.
* Tony DiGiulian, [http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_16-45_mk1.htm British 16"/45 (40.6cm) Mark I]

{{Nelson class battleship}}
{{WWII British ships}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson Class Battleship}}
[[Category:Battleship classes]]
[[Category:Nelson-class battleships| ]]
[[Category:World War II battleships of the United Kingdom| ]]