REPULSE (8th January, 1916), RENOWN (4th March, 1916).

• Normal displacement, 26,500 tons (about 32,000-32,700 full load).
• Complement, Renown 999 ; Repulse 1016.
• Length (p.p.), 750 feet. o.a. 794 feet Repulse; o.a. 794 feet 1.5 in. Renown; Beam: Repulse 90 feet* Renown 90 feet 2 in.* Draught: Repulse 26.25 feet (mean), 30.5 feet (max.); Renown 26.66 feet (mean), 30 feet (max.) * Outside bulges.
• Guns: 6 - 15 inch, 42 cal. Dir. Con.; 17 - 4 inch, 50 cal. Dir. Con.; 2 - 3 inch (anti-aircraft); 4 - 3 pdr.; 5 M. G.; (1 landing).
• Torpedo tubes (21 inch): 2 submerged * See Torpedo Notes.
• Armour - Vertical: (K.C.): 6" (amidships), Lower belt ; 4" (within bow), Lower belt ; 3" (stern), Lower belt ; 4" Fore b'lkhead, Lower belt ; 3" After b'lkh'd, Lower belt ; 1.5" Upper belt; 7" - 4" Barbettes ; 11" - 7" Gunhouses ; 1.5" Funnel uptakes ; 2" C.T. base (3" tube within) ; 10" C.T. ; 6" Sighting hood over C.T. ; 3" Torpedo C.T.
• Armour - Decks (H.T.) : 1.5 - .5 Fo'xle ; 7/16" - 1.5" Upper ; 3" - .75" Main (2" slopes) ; 2.5" Bow (lower) ; 3.5" - 3" Stern (lower);
• Armour - Crowns: -" Barbettes; 3" C.T. and hood ; 1.5" Torpedo C.T.
• Special protection: Modified bulges about 20 ft. deep, filled with oil.
• Machinery: Brown-Curtis (direct drive) turbines. 4 Screws. Boilers: 42 Babcock & Wilcox. Designed H.P. not exactly specified, but expected to be 110,000 to 120,000 S.H.P. for 30 kts. In service, S.H.P. 112 000 = about 31.5 kts.
• Fuel (oil only) : 1000 tons normal; Repulse 4243 tons maximum ; Renown 4289 tons maximum.

Gunnery Notes: 15-inch have range only limited by maximum visibility. Director tower under control tower on foremast. 4-inch triples have 2 director towers, and all guns can be worked from either tower or half the 4-inch from one tower. If towers are destroyed, 4-inch can work independently. 4-inch triples are clumsy and not liked. They are not mounted in one sleeve ; have separate breech mechanism : gun crew of 23 to each triple. First salvo fired by forward 15-inch of Renown did considerable damage forward, and she had to be docked for repairs.

Torpedo Notes: Submerged tubes a failure. Renown, on 1919 re-fit, reported to have had submerged tubes removed and replaced by 8 above water tubes in 4 twin mountings on main deck.

Armour Notes: Armouring adapted from Invincible and Indefatigable classes. Belt about, 9.5 ft. deep. Special Protection: Projected that bulges be deepened. Renown may have had bulges enlarged on her 1919 re-fit, and her beam may be larger now.

Engineering Notes: Turbines similar to Tiger. For full description, v. "Engineering," April 11th, 1919. Boilers: 250 lbs. per sq. in. Heating surface: 157,206 sq. ft. Consumption at full speed : about 1400 tons oil fuel per day.

Aircraft Notes: Two aeroplanes carried on flying-off platforms on crowns of " B " and " Y " turrets.

*To Battle Cruiser design.

General Notes: Provided for by 1914-15 Navy Estimates; first designed as slightly modified Royal Sovereigns, contracted for on that basis, and begun 1914, but building was not pushed on actively after the outbreak of War. After the Falklands Battle it was decided that these two ships should be re-designed as Battle Cruisers. Outline design was prepared in ten days, and builders received sufficient details by January 21st, 1915, to begin building, but full designs were not finished and approved till April, 1915 Intended that they should be completely built in fifteen months, but this time was somewhat exceeded. Both ships have turned out remarkably well and reflect great credit on their designers and builders. Internally, they are most spacious, but they are lightly built, and their guns " shake them up " considerably. Remarkable speeds have been claimed for these ships. When attempting to intercept enemy warships in November, 1917, Renown is said to have touched 41 kts. Be this as it may, they have certainly done 33-34 kts. in service. Reported to have cost about three to four millions each.

Ahead: 4 - 15 in., 8 - 4 in. ;    Broadside: 6 - 15 in., 13 - 4 in., 1 - 21 in tube ;    Astern: 2 - 15 in., 12 - 4 in.

Source: As extracted from Jane's Fighting Ships © for 1919 - Page 62-3

© Jane's Information Group

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