Nelson

13.9

Nelson

Battleship | U.K. | Tier VII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points59,400

Main Battery

406 mm/45 Mk.I on a Mk.I mount3 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire2 shots/min.

Reload Time30 sec.

Rotation Speed4 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time45 sec.

Firing Range18.21 km.

Maximum Dispersion242 m.

HE Shell406 mm HE Mk II

Maximum HE Shell Damage6,900

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell46 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity788 m./s.

HE Shell Weight929 kg.

AP Shell406 mm AP Mk IB

Maximum AP Shell Damage12,000

Initial AP Shell Velocity788 m./s.

AP Shell Weight929 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

152 mm/50 BL Mk.XXII on a Mk.XVIII mount6 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range5.6 km.

Rate of Fire5 shots/min.

Reload Time12 sec.

HE Shell152 mm HE Mk V

Maximum HE Shell Damage2,150

Initial HE Shell Velocity884 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell9 %

Secondary Armament #2

120 mm/40 QF Mk.VIII on an HA Mk.XII mount6 х 1 pcs.

Firing Range5.6 km.

Rate of Fire12 shots/min.

Reload Time5 sec.

HE Shell120 mm HE Mk VA

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,700

Initial HE Shell Velocity749 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

AA Defense

120 mm/40 QF Mk.VIII on an HA Mk.XII mount6 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second36

. . . Firing Range4.5 km.

20 mm Oerlikon Mk.I on a Mk.IIA mount39 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second140.4

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

40 mm/39 Vickers QF Mk.VIII on a Mk.VI mount6 х 8 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second118.8

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed24 knot

Turning Circle Radius750 m.

Rudder Shift Time14.9 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range14.84 km.

Air Detectability Range9.89 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

13.9

Nelson

Battleship | U.K. | Tier VII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase priceSpecial

Hit Points59,400

Main Battery

406 mm/45 Mk.I on a Mk.I mount3 х 3 pcs.

Rate of Fire2 shots/min.

Reload Time30 sec.

Rotation Speed4 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time45 sec.

Firing Range18.21 km.

Maximum Dispersion242 m.

HE Shell406 mm HE Mk II

Maximum HE Shell Damage6,900

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell46 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity788 m./s.

HE Shell Weight929 kg.

AP Shell406 mm AP Mk IB

Maximum AP Shell Damage12,000

Initial AP Shell Velocity788 m./s.

AP Shell Weight929 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

152 mm/50 BL Mk.XXII on a Mk.XVIII mount6 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range5.6 km.

Rate of Fire5 shots/min.

Reload Time12 sec.

HE Shell152 mm HE Mk V

Maximum HE Shell Damage2,150

Initial HE Shell Velocity884 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell9 %

Secondary Armament #2

120 mm/40 QF Mk.VIII on an HA Mk.XII mount6 х 1 pcs.

Firing Range5.6 km.

Rate of Fire12 shots/min.

Reload Time5 sec.

HE Shell120 mm HE Mk VA

Maximum HE Shell Damage1,700

Initial HE Shell Velocity749 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell8 %

AA Defense

120 mm/40 QF Mk.VIII on an HA Mk.XII mount6 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second36

. . . Firing Range4.5 km.

20 mm Oerlikon Mk.I on a Mk.IIA mount39 х 1 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second140.4

. . . Firing Range2.01 km.

40 mm/39 Vickers QF Mk.VIII on a Mk.VI mount6 х 8 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second118.8

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed24 knot

Turning Circle Radius750 m.

Rudder Shift Time14.9 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range14.84 km.

Air Detectability Range9.89 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

VII

Special

Nelson — British special premium Tier VII battleship.

This battleship featured an innovative arrangement designed under the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. The ship was armed with 406mm main guns that were concentrated in three turrets in the ship's bow. She was the first battleship in the Royal Navy to be armored according to the "all or nothing" concept.

Could be unlocked from 14 August 2017 and purchased from the tech tree for 375,000 Free XP plus one Credit, no longer available as of Update 0.10.5.

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180° Turn Time (sec)	Maximum Dispersion (m)	Maximum HE Shell Damage (HP)	Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell (%)	Maximum AP Shell Damage (HP)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
406 mm/45 Mk.I on a Mk.I mount	2	45	242	6,900	46	12,000		0	0

	Hit Points (HP)	Armor (mm)	Armor (mm)	Main Turrets (pcs.)	Secondary Gun Turrets (pcs.)	AA Mounts (pcs.)	Torpedo Tubes (pcs.)	Hangar Capacity (pcs.)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Nelson	59,400	9	406	3	6/6	39/6/6				0	0

	IDS_SHIP_PARAM_SUO_INCREASE_DIST (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk VII mod. 1		0		0	0

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsion: 46,000 hp	24		0	0

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1
Slot 2
Slot 3
Slot 4

Player Opinion

Performance

Warning: The data presented in the AA Defense sidebar section may be incorrect.
Refer to the in-game Port screens for more useful data.

HMS Nelson is a Tier VII premium British battleship. She was the second premium ship available that was purchased using Free XP instead of (the first being Missouri). She is no longer available for purchase.

Nelson features a main battery of 16-inch guns in a 3x3 configuration with all three turrets forward of the superstructure. Unlike Izumo, and like Lenin, Nelson’s turrets all face forward, allowing her to shift fire to either side very easily when bow on. Nelson features decent — if low — penetration values on her armor-piercing rounds. This makes them highly effective against enemy cruisers due to their short fuse arming time, but renders them largely ineffective against more armored battleships at range. However, Nelson also has some of the best high explosive shells available to any battleship, with very high penetration and fire chance values. She is able to utilize her HE rounds to easily burn enemy ships, as well as stripping off AA mounts and damaging other modules.

Nelson also has a unique Repair Party consumable that is similar to those found on Lion, Conqueror and Tier VIII+ British cruisers, enabling her to heal as much as 40% of her total health pool in one use. As such, she is extremely durable with regards to fire and flooding damage. However, Nelson has a rather high citadel, meaning that she will occasionally take citadel damage even while angled towards the enemy (especially through her 25mm bow armor), and is a very easy target when broadside at medium or close range. Her torpedo protection system is also quite weak, and with her slow speed and high detection, she lacks the ability to control engagements the way faster ships can. Nelson’s secondaries are not all that great, and her AA is best described as "adequate" and fit only for self defense due to its weak long-range aura.

Overall, Nelson is a strong battleship, with excellent firepower for her tier and a high resilience to fire damage balanced by her high citadel, slow speed, and weak torpedo protection.

Pros:

• Three forward turrets that all turn frontally, allowing for more flexibility in engagements.
• Fairly decent dispersion aids in punishing broadside cruisers and battleships.
• Very good HE shells with high fire chance (46%).
• Capable of overmatching 25mm plating with AP shells at tier 7.
• Rear secondaries are good enough to deal with the occasional destroyer that sneaks up behind the Nelson.
• Has access to the special Specialized Repair Teams  consumable that can heal massive amounts of health in a short span of time.

Cons:

• Citadel extends well above the waterline, making it easy for other battleships and heavy cruisers to penetrate it.
• Slow top speed.
• Horrendously poor deceleration.
• Underwhelming anti-aircraft suite makes Nelson an easy target for enemy aircraft carriers.
• AP shells lack the punch to penetrate some battleship's armor at long range.
  

Research

As a premium ship, Nelson doesn't have any modules to research.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

The recommended upgrades for Nelson are as follows:

• Slot 1: Main Armaments Modification 1 *
• Slot 2: Damage Control System Modification 1 
• Slot 3: Aiming Systems Modification 1 *
• Slot 4: Damage Control System Modification 2 *

Upgrade Slot 1 provides two useful options. For players who wish, for whatever reason, to increase the durability of the AA and secondary batteries, Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1 should be mounted. However, Main Armaments Modification 1 is usually the better choice.

Upgrade Slot 3 provides options for specialization. For increased gunnery accuracy, Aiming Systems Modification 1 should be equipped. For players who wish to increase Nelson's Abysmal long-range AA abilities, AA Guns Modification 2 or should be mounted. Since Nelson's secondary battery is nothing special, Secondary Battery Modification 2 is not recommended.

Upgrade Slot 4 provides two useful options. For increased survivability, Damage Control System Modification 2 is the better choice. Players who enjoy fighting at close ranges or enjoy increased maneuverability may find Steering Gears Modification 2 to be more useful.

Commander Skills

Nelson’s suggested Commander Skills are mostly to be expected, and are highly typical for those found on most Battleships. As she doesn't have particularly excellent qualities, such as the secondary armaments found on Scharnhorst and Gneisenau or the anti aircraft abilities of Hood, it is recommended to invest in survivability skills instead.

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Attack			Defense
1	Gun Feeder -40% time to switch shell type. ★★	Demolition Expert +1% chance of main and secondary HE shells causing a fire +15% to the fragmentation damage area of HE ordnance when firing at submarines.	Consumables Specialist −7.5% cooldown time of all Consumables except:  Damage Control Party ,  Repair Party .	Emergency Repair Specialist -3% cooldown time of Damage Control Party  and Repair Party . ★★	Incoming Fire Alert Receive a warning about a salvo fired at your ship from more than 4.5 km.	Preventive Maintenance −30% chance of main armament, engines, steering becoming incapacitated +15% to HP of secondary and AA guns.
2	Grease the Gears +20% main turret traverse speed. ★★	Inertial Fuse for HE Shells +25% armor penetration of HE shells. Base fire chance reduced by half.	Brisk So long as the ship remains undetected: +10% ship speed.	Vigilance +25% detection range of enemy torpedoes +7% damage reduction of Torpedo Protection System. .	Priority Target The detection indicator will show the number of enemies targeting you with main battery. ★★	AAA & ASW Expert +15% continuous AAA and flak damage . +10% damage inflicted by depth charges. While AAA is active: −40% ship consumables reload time..
3	Super-Heavy AP Shells +7.5% AP shell damage −10% fire and flood damage received +25% fire and flood duration.	Long-Range Secondary Battery Shells +20% secondary battery firing range.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% reload time of all armaments per 1% HP lost +0.2% AA continuous damage per 1% HP lost. ★★	Basics of Survivability -15% repair, fire, and flooding duration.	Improved Repair Party Readiness −0.8% reload time of Repair Party each time your ship receives potential damage equal to 100% of the ship's base HP. After receiving 2M HP potential damage: +1 charge of Repair Party ..	Focus Fire Training In an active priority AA sector: •  +1.5% (to 5%) immediate damage. •  +25% continuous damage. •  +1 flak burst per salvo. −10% aircraft preparation time. −15% reload time of Airstrike armament..
4	Furious 1st fire / flood   −10% Main battery reload time 2nd etc. (up to 5), each   −5% Main battery reload time ★★	Manual Secondary Battery Aiming −10% secondary battery reload time. −10% secondary battery dispersion. When firing at a manually selected target: dispersion gradually improves from -25% to -50%.	Close Quarters Combat -10% reload time of main battery if an enemy ship is spotted within secondary range.	Emergency Repair Expert Damage Control Party  and Repair Party : +1 charge (each). +10% action time . ★★	Concealment Expert -10% detectability range of the ship. ★★	Fire Prevention Expert -10% risk of fire. Three fires maximum.
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful      ★★ - Frequently Useful      ★ - Occasionally Useful     No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Nelson equips the following consumables:

• Slot 1: Damage Control Party 
• Slot 2: Specialized Repair Teams 

Camouflage

As a premium ship, Nelson comes with Default permanent camouflage and a set of permanent combat bonuses.

Signals

As a battleship, Nelson can mount eight signal flags simultaneously. Captains should mount India Delta flags () to increase the amount of hit points the repair party consumable can recover. November Foxtrot flags () are recommended to reduce the cooldown timers on the ship’s consumables. Captains should also mount Sierra Mike flags () to help mitigate the ship’s slow top speed.

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
Juliet Charlie -100% to the risk of magazine detonation.	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration. ★	India Yankee -20% to fire duration. ★	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy. ★	Victor Lima +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +4% chance of torpedoes causing flooding.	India X-Ray +1% chance for HE bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm causing a fire. +0.5% chance for bombs and smaller shells causing a fire. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating.
Juliet Whiskey Unaone +15% chance of causing flooding. +5% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating.	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time. ★	November Echo Setteseven +5% continuous AA damage at all ranges. +5% damage from flak bursts. ★	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★★★	November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when Repair Party  is used. ★★★
X-Ray Papa Unaone +10% action time of a Smoke Generator .	Sierra Bravo +10% action time of Hydroacoustic Search  -10% reload time of Defensive AA Fire .

Note: Use of the Juliet Charlie signal makes detonation impossible.

Gallery

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  Nelson secondaries spring into action as the battleship is surprised by an enemy Leningrad.

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  Flag of Nelson.

Historical Info

Design History

With the culmination of the First World War, the great powers of the time quickly realized that another naval arms race was commencing, and understanding the effect the first one had at dragging the world into a global war, politicians were not too keen on repeating that mistake. Ratified in 1922, the Washington Naval Treaty imposed limitations on sizes of navies, and restrictions upon the specifications of new battleships under design; two most important being tonnage no greater than 35,000 tonnes and caliber no greater than 16-inches. The Royal Navy needed new ships for it’s post-war era, so along with the recently commissioned HMS Hood, the Navy decided to build a pair of new battleships under treaty regulations: the Nelson-class battleships.

The story beings with a man named Sir Eustace Tennyson D’Eyncourt, the Director of Naval Construction for the Royal Navy. A veteran of the trade, Tennyson was originally given the task of planning for the G3-class and N3-class, but with their subsequent rejection, and his posting to the treaty battleship project, he sought to incorporate as much as he could from the aforementioned designs to save time. Tennyson envisioned the G3-class battlecruisers to be tougher then the rest; using the “all-or-nothing” armor scheme championed by the Americans to shield vital components like magazines and propulsion machinery. And many boilers there were – 20 in all – to propel this machine to 32 knots. Tennyson also considered an armament of nine 16-inch guns in three triple turrets: two forward and one amidships. Accordingly, the N3-class of battleships were similar to the G3-class but in which they trade speed for firepower, Tennyson imagine these vessels to mount 18-inch guns in three triple turrets.

With the restrictions of the treaty in mind, Tennyson chose to use the armament of the G3-class, but altering the layout so that all main battery would be forward of the superstructure; secondary battery would be to the rear to balance out. Finalization of the design would not happen till 1922 as designers opted to reduce armoring, remove boilers, and decrease length in the name of saving tonnage.

Armour was an important factor for the Nelson-class, as Tennyson learned the lessons of Jutland but conversely had a weight limitation too keep in mind. He opted to use the “all-or-nothing” scheme; 14-inches of belt would run from A turret in the front to secondary magazines in the rear. Top deck was properly armored as well, to mitigate plunging fire. Furthermore, torpedo bulges were an integral part of the design, and not just added on as an afterthought. Like Hood’s, they were multilayered to spread and absorb the shock of impact.

Aforementioned, designers chose to reduce the number of boilers on board to save weight. In the end, the Nelson-class had only 8 boilers powering their two turbines. Interestingly, the fire rooms – which housed the boilers – were placed behind the engine rooms. The propulsion machinery could only manage a meager 46,000 shaft horsepower, which could move the vessel no more than 23 knots.

The most significant aspect about the Nelson-class was its firepower. This class was the first to mount 16-inch guns in triple turrets. The other two major naval powers at the time – United States and Japan – were less keen on placing 16-inch guns in triple turrets as the would be too heavy and cumbersome. There was truth to this: the 16-inch guns used by the Nelson-class were far less reliable than the 15-inch guns used on other British dreadnoughts. Although, by 1939, many of the complications that arose from mounting large guns in triple were resolved. Furthermore, such an arrangement allowed one to maximize firepower in the smallest amount of space; ideal for the treaty era. In fact, despite being a 14-year old battleship by the start of the Second World War, there was no question to the potency of Nelson’s firepower; her broadside was fearsome.

HMS Nelson (Pennant number: 28) was laid down on 28 December 1922 by the Armstrong-Whitworth Company at Hebburn, near the River Tyne and Launched 3 September 1925.

Service History

Completed and commissioned on the 15th of August 1927, HMS Nelson joined the British Home Fleet as the most powerful battleship in the world; being the first ship completed to be armed with 9 16” guns in three triple turrets in a unique all-forward layout that made Nelson and her sister-ship HMS Rodney instantly recognizable. Serving as the flagship of the Home Fleet, Nelson saw little action during the pre-war period, with her crew participating in the Invergordon Mutiny following harsh cuts to her sailor’s pay in 1931. Modified little throughout the 1930’s, she was to be extensively modernized in the early 1940’s, but this never came to be following the breakout of the War in Europe in 1939.

Retaining her position as the flagship of the Home Fleet, Nelson’s first major action was sailing north-west to Icelandic waters following news that a German raiding force may be waiting in the area to attack trade routes once War truly broke out on the 1st of September 1939. The order to commence hostilities didn’t come to the Royal Navy until the 3rd, and Nelson’s limited top speed became apparent in her failures to find the supposed German raiding force in the North Sea. Nevertheless, she led the Home Fleet operating from Scapa Flow and Loch Ewe for the rest of 1939. On the 30th of October, Nelson in the company of Rodney and HMS Hood and their escorting destroyers were attacked by a line of 4 U-boats. U-56 fired three torpedoes at Nelson, all three hit, but miraculously two broke apart on hitting and the third failed to explode. Nelson was constantly deployed to intercept German raiders, but was never quite able to find them herself. The Royal Navy was under pressure, with German panzerschiffe Admiral Graf Spee wreaking havoc in the South Atlantic and panzerschiffe Deutschland operating in Icelandic waters. She continued searching for the German raiders until mid-January 1940, when she detached from the Home Fleet for repairs and refits.

Nelson had to be moved further north while being refitted, however, due to the Luftwaffe bombing and laying magnetic mines near Portsmouth where she was anchored, so she sailed north to Clyde in early June 1940, returning to the Home Fleet by the 9th. On the 29th of June, she was ordered to sail to Gibraltar, before this order was cancelled two days later and she returned to the Home Fleet in Scapa Flow, where she remained until early September that year. On 6 September, she escorted carrier HMS Furious on Operation DF off the cost of Norway, returning to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow on the 7th. She sailed from Scapa to Rosyth mid-September, where she remained until November. She returned to Scapa again on 5 November, the following day she sortied to the Icelandic Channel to hopefully intercept the German panzerschiffe Admiral Scheer on her way back to Germany, but Scheer managed to evade the sizeable British fleet sent to sink her. Nelson returned to Scapa by mid-November, returning to Rosyth by the 29th, before sailing to Scapa again where she remained until mid-January 1941.

Operating out of Scapa Flow, Nelson spent the first quarter of 1941 patrolling the waters between Iceland and Denmark, poised to intercept any attempted breakout by German ships. Come late March, she sailed south to join Convoy WS 7, headed for South Africa via Freetown in modern-day Sierra Leone. Nelson reached South Africa by mid-April, where she remained until the 13th of May where she set sail for St. Helena, with orders to search for the German commerce raider Atlantis. On the night of the 18th, Atlantis sited two darkened vessels approaching at speed, which were quickly identified as warships and Atlantis moved slowly out of their path. These ships were Nelson and accompanying carrier HMS Eagle, both vessels passed within 7,000 meters of her without either vessel spotting her. Nelson slowly made her way up the west African coast, reaching Gibraltar by the 26th. She was deployed here to prevent German battleship Bismarck, which had sunk Hood two days earlier, from breaking into the Mediterranean and joining up with the Italian navy. However, the next day Nelson was signaled that Bismarck had been sunk. Her orders changed several times for the next few hours, before she was finally ordered to escort a troop convoy that had set sail from Freetown bound for England. She detached from this convoy on the 4th of June, however, for an allied armed merchant vessel had spotted an unidentified vessel that attempted to outrun her. Nelson moved to intercept this ship, that turned out to be the German supply ship Gonzenheim. Gonzenheim attempted to outrun Nelson, until she halted when Nelson fired a 6” warning round across her bow. Gonzenheim began to slow and lower life boats, causing Nelson to fire two more warning rounds at Gonzenheim, and Gonzenheim was scuttled by her crew before Nelson’s accompanying cruiser HMS Neptune could reach her. Nelson returned to her convoy, reaching Londonderry by the 6th and then returning to Scapa to rejoin the Home Fleet.

Nelson set sail for the Mediterranean in July, escorting a convoy bound for besieged Malta, joining up with Force H stationed at Gibraltar by mid-July. Nelson exercised heavily in the western Mediterranean, covering convoys bound for Malta and North Africa, coming under attack from Italian torpedo boats and aircraft several times and evading several large sorties by the Italian Regia Marina. Nelson was hit by an aerial torpedo on 27 September, immediately dropping her speed to 18 knots, but she remained with the convoy. She later had to reduce speed to 15 knots to reduce flooding, and she dropped to the rear of her convoy. Nelson’s speed and steering continued to deteriorate, and by the 28th she broke off from the convoy with destroyer escorts for temporary repairs in Gibraltar, so she could survive the return trip to the UK for proper repairs. She remained at Gibraltar from early October to early November, returning to the UK on the 22nd and entering drydocks on the 24th. She remained in dry dock until mid-April 1942.

Following the completion of her repairs, she returned to the Home Fleet by 22 April, joining in on fleet exercises out of Scapa Flow. By June she was back on convoy escort duty, ferrying troops to Freetown with her sister Rodney. She re-entered the Mediterranean, and was chosen to be the flagship of the fleet for Operation Pedestal; a major convoy resupply of the Island of Malta. Nelson continued operating in the Mediterranean until she was recalled to Scapa, arriving on the 28th of August and remaining there until the 20th of September. Come October, she returned to the Mediterranean as part of the re-organized Force H to carry out Operation Torch, to liberate North Africa then under the control of Vichy France. Following the immense success of Operation Torch, Nelson, alongside Force H, spent the rest of the year patrolling between Gibraltar and Mers-el-Kébir.

Nelson and Force H remained in the western Mediterranean until May 1943, where Nelson detached from Force H and returned to England for a short refit. While at Scapa Flow, Nelson alongside Rodney, HMS Valiant and HMS Warspite carried out bombardment exercises in preparation for Operation Husky – the Allied invasion of Sicily. She returned to Gibraltar by 23 June, later sailing to Mers-el-Kébir and then Algiers by early July. On 6 July, Force H sailed from Algiers to take part in Operation Husky. She spent the first half of July patrolling off eastern Sicily, giving naval fire support in support of Allied landing forces as they seized Sicily. On the 20th Nelson returned to Malta, where she remained until the 30th of August when she sailed for the coast of Calabria to carry out Operation Hammer. In September she supported Operation Avalanche, bombarding Axis positions around Salerno as Allied forces invaded the Italian Mainland. Nelson remained in Italian waters until 26 October. The Italian navy had surrendered a month before, and Nelson’s guns were needed elsewhere. She returned to the UK by the 6th, entering dry dock for refits. She was undocked on 1 December, moving to Scapa Flow where she remained until 1944.

Come January 1944, Nelson was running out of enemies. The Italians had surrendered their capital ships when they signed the Armistice of Cassibile signed on Nelson’s own deck, Scharnhorst sank in December 1943, Gneisenau was permanently out of action, and Tirpitz was locked up in Norwegian fjords. Until June 1944, Nelson rotated between the ports of Scapa, Clyde, and Rosyth, as the Allies prepared for Operation Overlord: the Allied invasion of Normandy. Nelson moved to Milford Haven on 4 June, on standby for bombardment duties off the Normandy beachheads. Nelson sailed for northern France on the 11th, anchoring off Caen and beginning her bombardment. Nelson spent seven days off the beachhead, firing nearly 1,000 16-inch shells at German positions along the shores. By the 18th, she returned to Portsmouth for re-ammunition, having to dock shortly after hitting two acoustic mines for minor repairs. It was decided that Nelson would sail for the USA for some more extensive retrofitting; Nelson was nominated for service in the Indian Ocean and required extensive improvement of her crew facilities and ventilation systems. She departed Portsmouth on 23 June, arriving at Delaware Bay on 4 July. The next day, she arrived at the Philadelphia Navy Yard where she would remain for the rest of 1944.

Come 1945, her repairs were nearly completed and she sailed for Portsmouth by 18 January 1945, arriving in Portsmouth for the final stages of her refit by the 28th. She remained in drydocks at Portsmouth until mid-April, sailing for Spithead to receive ammunition and supplies, before setting sail for Malta, via Gibraltar. She reached Malta by 5 May, beginning extensive exercises for future endeavors against the Japanese. She set sail from Malta on 14 June, sailing across the western Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal, arriving in Sri Lanka on the 10th of July and joining the East Indies Fleet. She began assisting in mine sweeping duties of the area for Operation Livery, to clear the way for allied troops to land in Japanese-held Thailand and Malaya, the last offensive action of the Eastern Fleet before the Japanese surrendered. On the 15th of August, Nelson was anchored at Sri Lanka when she received news of the Japanese surrender, and that the war was over. Nelson’s duties weren’t quite over, however, as she continued mine sweeping to clear the way for merchant vessels and supply ships. On the 27th, Nelson set sail for Penang, and the following day the Japanese forces occupying Penang climbed on board Nelson and signed the surrender of the local Japanese Commanders. Nelson remained at Penang for a few more days, as the Japanese willingly cooperated with the Allied officers and provided information relative to the extensive minefields in the South-East Asia region. Nelson later sailed for Singapore, arriving on 12 September, where the Japanese Forces in South-East Asia officially surrendered on Nelson’s decks.

Following the surrender at Singapore, Nelson slowly made her way back to England, visiting Sri Lanka, Suez, Malta and Gibraltar before finally reaching Portsmouth by 17 November 1945. Deployed as flagship of the Training Battleship Squadron in the Home Fleet 1946, she carried out training duties including the Home Fleet 1946 Spring Cruise, before being relieved by carrier HMS Victorious on 22 September 1947. Having served the Royal Navy for two decades, Nelson was nevertheless an outdated vessel and lacked the speed to operate with a modern navy. Nelson was paid off and reduced to reserve status, later being placed on the disposal list. Following bombing target trials on her hulk, she was sold for scrap and disappeared from the world before the end of 1949, her name later carried on to the name of the barracks and support services site based in Portsmouth.

Historical Inaccuracies

• Nelson in game is missing 2 single 20mm Oerlikons compared to her historical condition.
• Due to balancing reasons, the Nelson's citadel in-game currently encompasses the entire volume protected by the armor belt and main armor deck, while nearly every other battleship citadel consists of only the machinery spaces, magazines, and handling rooms.
• Nelson is depicted in her 1941 configuration; her 1945 refit when she received four quadruple 40mm Bofors and 24 single 20mm Oerlikons is not represented.
• Late war Admiralty Standard paint scheme is missing.

Historical Gallery

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  HMS Nelson firing her 16-inch (406 mm) guns during a practice shoot. The photo was taken just after firing and the effects of the compression wave are visible.

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  Profile drawing of HMS Nelson.

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  Sailors of the South African Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve sitting on one of the 16-inch gun barrels of HMS Nelson during World War II.

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  Model of Nelson, in the Discovery Museum in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

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  HMS Nelson in the Mediterranean Sea, 1943.

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  Aerial view of HMS Nelson off the port stern quarter. Her camouflage suggests the photo was taken in 1943 or 1944.

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  A late war photo of HMS Nelson.

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  A view of HMS Nelson off the starboard stern quarter, date unknown.

Video

References

• North America
• HMS Nelson (28) - Wikipedia
• Nelson-class battleship - Wikipedia

Ship Change Log

See here for links to Update notes.

• Available for testing by supertesters in the game starting from Update 0.6.7.

Testing Changes

• August 15, 2017:
  • Preliminary characteristics.

• Update 0.6.9.1:
  • Added to the tech tree for 375,000 Free Experience.
• Update 0.6.11:
  • Fixed a bug that caused the main guns to pass through elements of the ship when in restricted firing angles.
• Update 0.6.12:
  • Detectability when firing main guns in smoke changed to 14.76 km.
  • Fixed minor visual flaws in geometry and textures.
  • Added two single Oerlikon cannons with a slight increase in the close air defense aura.
• Update 0.6.13:
  • Minor fixes to ship geometry and textures.
• Update 0.6.14:
  • Fixed the overlapping of the main guns with the wave cutter on the ship's bow. This change does not affect game balance in any way.
  • Minor fixes to the textures and geometry of the ship.
• Update 0.6.15:
  • A bonus was added to the "Type 10" permanent camouflage - a -10% discount to the cost of post-battle service.
• Update 0.7.11:
  • Armor-piercing shells of the 152-mm secondary battery guns were replaced with high-explosive shells.
• Update 0.9.2:
  • Updated hull geometry.
• Update 0.10.0:
  • The firing range of the secondary battery was increased to 5.6 km.
• Update 0.10.5:
  • Nelson was removed from the tech tree.
• Update 0.11.1:
  • Minor corrections to the geometry and textures of the ship.
• Update 0.11.2:
  • Returned in limited availability as part of a Lighthouse Auction event, with 900 ships available across all servers. The minimum winning bid was 11,000 doubloons. Lots were delivered to winners on April 11, 2022.
• Update 0.11.4:
  • Minor fixes to geometry and textures of the ship.
• Update 0.11.5:
  • The ship's icon in the port was fixed.
• Update 13.7:
  • Fixed various graphical issues with the Azur Lane permanent camouflage for the ship.
• Update 13.9:
  • The Polar Ice Caps permanent camouflage was added.

Ships of U.K.

Battleships