HMS Renown (1916)

Renown in May 1920
History
United Kingdom
Name	Renown
Ordered	30 December 1914
Builder	Fairfield, Govan, Glasgow, Scotland
Cost	£3,117,204
Laid down	25 January 1915
Launched	4 March 1916
Commissioned	20 September 1916
Stricken	1948
Identification	Pennant number: 72
Motto	Antiquae Famae Custos "Guardians of Ancient Renown"
Nickname(s)	Refit[1]
Fate	Sold for scrap, 19 March 1948
General characteristics (as built)
Class and type	Renown-class battlecruiser
Displacement	27,200 long tons (27,600 t) (normal) 32,220 long tons (32,740 t) (deep load)
Length	750 ft 2 in (228.7 m) (p.p.) 794 ft 1.5 in (242.0 m) (o.a.)
Beam	90 ft 1.75 in (27.5 m)
Draught	27 ft (8.2 m)
Installed power	42 × water-tube boilers 112,000 shp (84,000 kW)
Propulsion	4 × shafts, 2 × geared steam turbine sets
Speed	32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Range	4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Crew	953 1223 (1919)
Armament	3 × twin 15 in (381 mm) guns 5 × triple, 2 × single 4 in (102 mm) guns 2 × single 3 in (76 mm) AA guns 2 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour	Belt: 3–6 in (76–152 mm) Decks: 1–2.5 in (25–64 mm) Barbettes: 4–7 in (102–178 mm) Gun turrets: 7–9 in (178–229 mm) Conning tower: 10 in (254 mm) Bulkheads: 3–4 in (76–102 mm)
General characteristics (1939)
Displacement	36,080 long tons (36,660 t) (deep load)
Length	794 ft (242.0 m)
Beam	90 ft (27.4 m)
Draught	31 ft 9 in (9.7 m)
Installed power	8 × boilers 120,000 shaft horsepower (89,000 kW)
Propulsion	4 × shafts; 4 × geared steam turbines
Speed	31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph)
Range	6,580 mi (10,590 km) at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Complement	1,200
Armament	3 × twin 15 in (381 mm) guns 10 × twin 4.5 in (114 mm) DP guns 3 × octuple 2-pdr (40 mm) AA guns
Armour	Belt: 3–9 in (76–229 mm) Decks: 1–5 in (25–127 mm) Barbettes: 4–7 in (102–178 mm) Gun turrets: 7–9 in (178–229 mm) Conning tower: 10 in (254 mm) Bulkheads: 3–4 in (76–102 mm)
Aircraft carried	4 × floatplanes
Aviation facilities	1 × aircraft catapult

HMS Renown was the lead ship of her class of battlecruisers of the Royal Navy built during the First World War. She was originally laid down as an improved version of the Revenge-class battleships. Her construction was suspended on the outbreak of war on the grounds she would not be ready in time. Admiral Lord Fisher, upon becoming First Sea Lord, gained approval to restart her construction as a battlecruiser that could be built and enter service quickly. The Director of Naval Construction (DNC), Eustace Tennyson-D'Eyncourt, quickly produced a new design to meet Fisher's requirements and the builders agreed to deliver the ships in 15 months. They did not quite meet that ambitious goal but the ship was delivered a few months after the Battle of Jutland in 1916. Renown, and her sister HMS Repulse, were the world's fastest capital ships upon completion.

Renown did not see action during the war and was reconstructed twice between the wars; the 1920s reconstruction increased her armour protection and made other more minor improvements; the 1930s reconstruction was much more thorough. The ship frequently conveyed royalty on their foreign tours and served as flagship of the Battlecruiser Squadron when Hood was refitting.

During the Second World War, Renown was involved in the search for the Admiral Graf Spee in 1939, participated in the Norwegian Campaign of April–June 1940 and the search for the Bismarck in 1941. She spent much of 1940 and 1941 assigned to Force H at Gibraltar, escorting convoys and she participated in the inconclusive Battle of Cape Spartivento. Renown was briefly assigned to the Home Fleet and provided cover to several Arctic convoys in early 1942. The ship was transferred back to Force H for Operation Torch and spent much of 1943 refitting or transporting Winston Churchill and his staff to and from various conferences with various Allied leaders. In early 1944, Renown was transferred to the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean where she supported numerous attacks on Japanese-occupied facilities in Indonesia and various island groups in the Indian Ocean. The ship returned to the Home Fleet in early 1945 and was refitted before being placed in reserve after the end of the war. Renown was sold for scrap in 1948.