HMS Hood facts for kids
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Hood, 17 March 1924
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | Hood |
| Namesake | Admiral Samuel Hood |
| Ordered | 7 April 1916 |
| Builder | John Brown & Company |
| Cost | £6,025,000 |
| Yard number | 460 |
| Laid down | 1 September 1916 |
| Launched | 22 August 1918 |
| Commissioned | 15 May 1920 |
| In service | 1920–1941 |
| Identification | Pennant number: 51 |
| Motto | Ventis Secundis (Latin: "With Favourable Winds") |
| Nickname(s) | The Mighty Hood |
| Fate | Sunk during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, 24 May 1941 |
| Badge | A Cornish chough bearing an anchor facing left over the date 1859 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Admiral-class battlecruiser |
| Displacement | 46,680 long tons (47,430 t) deep load |
| Length | 860 ft 7 in (262.3 m) |
| Beam | 104 ft 2 in (31.8 m) |
| Draught | 32 ft 0 in (9.8 m) |
| Propulsion | 4 shafts; 4 geared steam turbines |
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| Range | 1931: 5,332 nautical miles (9,870 km; 6,140 mi) at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Complement |
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| Sensors and processing systems |
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| Armament |
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| Armour |
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| Aircraft carried |
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HMS Hood (pennant number 51) was a huge warship called a battlecruiser. She was built for the Royal Navy during World War I. Even though she was still being built when the Battle of Jutland happened in 1916, that battle showed some big problems with her design. Her plans were changed a lot, but she was still the only ship of her type to be finished.
For 20 years after she was built, Hood was the largest warship in the world. People called her "The Mighty Hood" because she was so impressive. She was a symbol of Britain's naval power.
Before World War II started in 1939, Hood traveled all over the world. She took part in training exercises and showed off British power. This included a trip around the globe in 1923 and 1924. She was supposed to get a big upgrade in 1941 to fix her design issues. But the war started, so she had to go back into service without these important changes.
When war began, Hood patrolled the seas near Iceland and the Norwegian Sea. She was looking for German ships that were attacking trade routes. In May 1941, Hood and the battleship Prince of Wales were sent to stop the German battleship German battleship Bismarck and the cruiser Prinz Eugen. These German ships were heading to the Atlantic to attack convoys.
On May 24, 1941, during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, Hood was hit by several shells from Bismarck. She exploded and sank in just three minutes. Only three of her 1,418 crew members survived. Her loss was a big shock to British morale because many thought she was unsinkable.
The Royal Navy held two investigations to find out why Hood sank so quickly. Both investigations decided that a German shell had hit her ammunition storage area (magazine). This caused a huge explosion.
Contents
Design and Features of HMS Hood
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The Admiral-class battlecruisers, like Hood, were designed to compete with powerful German ships. After the Battle of Jutland, Hood's design was changed to add more armour. However, she was the only ship of her class to be finished. This was because building her was very expensive. Also, the materials and workers were needed to build merchant ships during World War I.
Hood was much bigger than earlier British battlecruisers. She was about 262 meters (860 feet) long. This made her 33 meters (110 feet) longer than older ships. She weighed about 46,680 tons when fully loaded. This was over 13,000 tons more than previous ships.
The extra armour added during building made her sit lower in the water. This meant that at high speed or in rough seas, water would often wash over her back deck. It even entered the living areas through air vents. Because of this, she was sometimes called "the largest submarine in the Navy." The constant dampness was a problem for the crew.
Hood's engines used 24 boilers and steam turbines. These powered four propellers. She was designed to go 31 knots (about 57 km/h). But during tests in 1920, she reached 32.07 knots (about 59 km/h). She could carry enough fuel to travel about 7,500 nautical miles (13,900 km) at a speed of 14 knots (26 km/h).
Weapons and Guns
Hood carried eight large 15-inch (381 mm) guns. These were placed in four turrets, with two guns in each. The turrets were named 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y' from front to back. These guns could fire a 870 kg (1,920 lb) shell over 27.5 kilometers (30,180 yards).
She also had twelve smaller 5.5-inch (140 mm) guns. These were used against smaller ships. They were placed high up on the ship, which helped them work better in rough seas. Some of these guns were later replaced with anti-aircraft (AA) guns. All the 5.5-inch guns were removed in 1940.
For anti-aircraft defense, Hood had 4-inch (102 mm) AA guns. Later, more powerful 4-inch twin AA guns were added. She also had 40 mm "pom-pom" guns and .50-inch machine guns to shoot down planes. In 1940, she got special rocket launchers that created cables with parachutes to snag aircraft.
Hood also had six 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes. These were used to fire torpedoes at enemy ships. Some were underwater, and some were above water. Each torpedo had a powerful explosive warhead.
Fire Control Systems
Hood had special systems to help her guns aim accurately. She had two main directors with rangefinders. One was on top of the armoured control tower. The other was high up on the front mast. Each gun turret also had its own rangefinder.
Over the years, Hood's fire control systems were updated. Anti-aircraft directors were added to help aim the AA guns. In 1941, just before she sank, she received two types of radar. One was for detecting aircraft (Type 279). The other was for aiming her guns (Type 284). These radars helped her find targets even in bad weather or at night.
Ship Protection
Hood's armour was designed to protect her from enemy shells. Her main armour belt was 305 mm (12 inches) thick in the middle. It was angled outwards to make it harder for shells to get through. However, this design made her more vulnerable to shells falling from a high angle.
After the Battle of Jutland, more armour was added to Hood's design. This made her heavier. Her deck armour was spread over three decks. The idea was for a shell to explode on the top deck, with the energy absorbed by the lower decks. But new time-delay shells could go through the weaker top layers and explode deep inside the ship. This made her deck protection less effective.
Hood also had a special "torpedo bulge" on her sides. This was a 2.3-meter (7.5-foot) deep area designed to absorb the force of torpedo explosions. It had empty and filled compartments to help spread the blast.
Aircraft on Board
At first, Hood had platforms on top of her 'B' and 'X' gun turrets. Small planes could take off from these. Later, a special catapult was added at the back of the ship to launch a seaplane. However, this catapult was hard to use in rough seas. So, it was removed in 1932.
Battlecruiser or Fast Battleship?
The Royal Navy always called Hood a battlecruiser. But some experts today think she was more like a "fast battleship." This is because she had strong weapons and good protection, like a battleship, but also high speed, like a battlecruiser.
In the 1920s, American naval commanders were very impressed by Hood. They called her a "fast battleship" and wanted their own similar ships. Even though Hood had some weaknesses in her armour, she was still considered a very powerful ship. She served as a battlecruiser for most of her career. By 1941, newer battleships had better armour. But Hood was still one of the few ships fast enough to chase down a powerful enemy like the German battleship Bismarck.
Building HMS Hood
Construction of Hood started on September 1, 1916, in Scotland. After three British battlecruisers were lost at the Battle of Jutland, 5,000 tons of extra armour were added to Hood's design. This made her very heavy.
She was launched on August 22, 1918. A special ceremony was held by the widow of Rear Admiral Sir Horace Hood. He was a relative of the ship's namesake and had died at the Battle of Jutland. Hood was finished on May 15, 1920, and cost about £6 million to build.
With her two tall funnels and sleek shape, Hood was seen as one of the most beautiful warships ever. She was also the largest warship in the world for 20 years. Her huge size and powerful guns earned her the nickname "Mighty Hood." She became a symbol of the strength of the British Empire.
Service Between Wars
After being built, Hood became the flagship of the Battlecruiser Squadron in the Atlantic Fleet. She visited many places, including the Mediterranean Sea. In 1923, Hood went on a world cruise with other ships. They traveled through the Panama Canal. The goal was to show British naval power around the world. They returned home 10 months later in September 1924.
During this cruise, in Australia, Hood escorted another battlecruiser, HMAS Australia, out to sea. The Australia was then sunk on purpose to follow a naval agreement. For the rest of the 1920s, Hood continued her pattern of winter training visits to the Mediterranean.
Hood had a major refit (repair and upgrade) from 1929 to 1931. After this, her crew took part in the Invergordon Mutiny. This was a peaceful protest by sailors about pay cuts.
In 1935, Hood was accidentally hit by another battlecruiser, Renown. The damage to Hood was minor. Both ship captains were investigated, but only Renown's captain was initially found at fault.
Hood later joined the Mediterranean Fleet. She was stationed at Gibraltar when the Second Italo-Abyssinian War began in 1935. In 1937, she helped protect British merchant ships entering Bilbao harbour during the Spanish Civil War.
Hood was supposed to get a big modernization in 1941. This would have given her new engines, better guns, and stronger deck armour. But because of the constant threat from German warships, she could not be taken out of service for this long overhaul. Her condition slowly got worse. By the mid-1930s, she really needed a major repair. But World War II started, so she never got the planned upgrades.
World War II Service
When World War II began in 1939, Hood was patrolling near Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Her job was to protect convoys and stop German ships from getting into the Atlantic. In September 1939, Hood was hit by a bomb from a German bomber. It caused some damage to her side and engines. By early 1940, her engines were in bad shape, limiting her top speed. She had a refit from April to June 1940.
Operation Catapult
In June 1940, Hood became the flagship of Force H in Gibraltar. Force H took part in the attack on the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir in July 1940. This happened after France surrendered to Germany. The British wanted to make sure the French ships did not fall into German hands.
The British gave the French fleet an ultimatum. When the French refused, the Royal Navy opened fire. Hood helped damage the French battleship Dunkerque. Hood herself was hit by shell fragments, injuring two men. Another French ship, Strasbourg, escaped. Hood chased her but had to give up because of engine problems.
Return to Home Waters
After returning to Britain, Hood was sent to Rosyth. She was there to help stop a possible German invasion fleet. When the invasion threat passed, she went back to escorting convoys and hunting German ships. Twice, Hood was sent to find German warships, but she did not find them.
In January 1941, Hood had another refit. She was still not in perfect condition, but the threat from German battleships was too high to take her out of service for a full overhaul. In March, she tried to intercept German battleships Gneisenau and Scharnhorst, but failed. She then patrolled the North Atlantic.
Battle of the Denmark Strait
In May 1941, the German battleship Bismarck sailed into the Atlantic. Hood, along with the new battleship Prince of Wales, was sent to stop her. Hood was commanded by Captain Ralph Kerr. The British ships found Bismarck and her partner, the cruiser Prinz Eugen, in the Denmark Strait on May 24.
The British ships saw the Germans at 5:37 AM. The Germans already knew they were there. The British opened fire at 5:52 AM, with Hood aiming at Prinz Eugen. The Germans fired back at 5:55 AM, both focusing on Hood. Prinz Eugen likely hit Hood first. A shell hit Hood's boat deck, starting a large fire among the anti-aircraft ammunition.
Just before 6:00 AM, Hood was turning to aim her rear guns. She was hit again on the boat deck by one or more shells from Bismarck. A huge flame burst from Hood near her mainmast. This was followed by a massive explosion of her ammunition magazines. This explosion broke Hood in half. The ship sank in only three minutes. Her bow was seen standing almost straight up in the water before she disappeared.
Hood sank with 1,418 men on board. Only three survived: Ordinary Signalman Ted Briggs, Able Seaman Robert Tilburn, and Midshipman William John Dundas. They were rescued about two hours later by the destroyer Electra.
After the Sinking
After Hood sank, Prince of Wales had to stop fighting. She had been hit by German shells and had gun problems. But she had hit Bismarck three times. One hit damaged Bismarck's fuel supply, forcing her to head for France for repairs. Bismarck was later found and sunk by the British on May 27.
The Royal Navy quickly investigated Hood's loss. The first investigation concluded that a 15-inch shell from Bismarck had hit Hoods rear ammunition magazine. This caused the explosion. Some people complained that the first investigation didn't look at other ideas, like an explosion of Hoods own torpedoes. So, a second, more thorough investigation was held. It interviewed 176 eyewitnesses. This second investigation agreed with the first one. It said that Hood sank because a 15-inch shell hit her 4-inch or 15-inch ammunition magazines, causing them to explode.
Memorials to the men who died on Hood are found in many places across the UK.
What Caused the Sinking?
The exact reason Hood sank is still debated by historians. Here are the main ideas:
- A shell hit an ammunition magazine:' This is the official conclusion. A shell from Bismarck likely went through Hoods armour and exploded in an ammunition storage area (magazine) at the back of the ship. This would have caused a huge chain reaction.
- A shell hit underwater: Some thought a shell might have traveled underwater, hit Hood below her armour, and then exploded in a magazine. However, this was thought to be unlikely.
- Her own torpedoes exploded:' Another idea was that the fire on Hoods deck or a direct hit could have caused her own torpedoes to explode. This would have ripped open the side of the ship.
- Fire reached a magazine:' It's possible that the fire on Hoods deck somehow reached an ammunition magazine. This could have happened if a shell opened a door or vent leading to the magazine.
- Ammunition stored outside magazines exploded: Some historians suggested that 4-inch anti-aircraft shells stored outside the armoured magazines could have exploded first.
- Her own guns exploded:' Eyewitnesses reported strange discharges from Hoods 15-inch guns. It's possible a shell exploded inside a gun, and the blast reached the magazines.
When Hood's wreck was found, it helped answer some questions. The wreck confirmed that the rear ammunition magazines did explode. However, the exact way the explosion started is still not fully known.
The Wreck of HMS Hood
In 2001, a team led by shipwreck hunter David Mearns found the wreck of Hood. This was the first time anyone had found her resting place. The team also filmed the wreck for a documentary.
Hood's wreck lies on the seabed in pieces. It is about 2,800 meters (9,200 feet) deep. The stern (back part) of the ship survived the explosion. The bow (front part) and other smaller pieces are also there. The heavily armoured control tower is found by itself. The middle section of the ship, which is the largest surviving part, lies upside down.
The wreck shows that the starboard (right) side of the middle section is missing. This suggests that the explosion traveled through the fuel tanks on that side. The fact that the bow section broke off near the front turret suggests a possible secondary explosion there.
The stern section of the wreck is angled up from the seabed. It shows the rudder turned 20 degrees to the left. This confirms that orders were given to turn the ship just before the explosion. This turn would have allowed her rear guns to fire at the German ships.
In 2002, the British government officially made the wreck site a war grave. This means it is a protected place.
Efforts to Get the Ship's Bell
In 2012, the British government allowed a team to try and get one of Hood's ship bells. The bell was lying in a small area of debris near the wreck. The plan was to bring the bell to Portsmouth. It would be part of a memorial to the crew who died.
The first attempt to get the bell in 2012 failed due to bad weather. But in 2015, the same team tried again. Hood's bell was finally brought up on August 7, 2015. After being cleaned and preserved, it was put on display in the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth in May 2016.
This bell was actually from an older battleship also named HMS Hood. Before it was put on the battlecruiser, it was engraved with words remembering Rear Admiral Sir Horace Hood. He was killed at the Battle of Jutland.
Surviving Items
Some items from Hood still exist today. A piece of wood from one of Hood's boats washed up in Norway after she sank. It is now in the National Maritime Museum in London. A metal container with papers was found in Norway in 1942. Its lid survived and is now with the Royal Navy.
5.5-inch Guns
Two of Hood's 5.5-inch guns were removed during a refit in 1935. They were sent to Ascension Island. There, they were set up as shore defense guns in 1941. They are still there today. These guns fired only once, in December 1941. They shot at a German submarine, but did not hit it.
Propeller Pieces
In 1935, Hood collided with Renown. During repairs, pieces of Hoods propeller were found stuck in Renowns hull. These pieces were kept by dockyard workers. Some of these pieces still exist today and are held by collectors or the Hood Association.
Images for kids
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Hood after she was fitted with an aircraft catapult; a Fairey III is visible on her stern, 1932
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Hood on her speed trials, 1920s
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A John Brown & Company advertisement in Brassey's Naval Annual featuring Hood, 1923
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Hood in the Panama Canal Zone during her world cruise with the Special Service Squadron, July 1924
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Hood (foreground) and Repulse (background) at anchor in Southern Australia during their world tour, 1924
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The German "Panzerschiff" (armored ship) Admiral Graf Spee (foreground) with HMS Hood (left) and the battleship HMS Resolution (centre) during King George VI's Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead, May 1937
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French battleship Bretagne on fire while being shelled by Hood and the battleships Valiant and Resolution, 3 July 1940
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Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, unveils Hood's bell at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth, on 24 May 2016.
See also
In Spanish: HMS Hood (51) para niños
