Hood

0.6.9.1.1

Hood

Battleship | U.K. | Tier VII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase pricepromo

Hit Points67 700

Aircraft

Main Battery

381 mm/42 Mk II4 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire2 shots/min.

Reload Time30 sec.

Rotation Speed5 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time36 sec.

Firing Range18.57 km.

Maximum Dispersion242 m.

HE Shell381 mm HE Mk VIIIb

Maximum HE Shell Damage5300

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell34 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity731.5 m./s.

HE Shell Weight879 kg.

AP Shell381 mm AP Mk XIIIa

Maximum AP Shell Damage11 400

Initial AP Shell Velocity731.5 m./s.

AP Shell Weight879 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX7 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range5 km.

Rate of Fire20 shots/min.

Reload Time3 sec.

HE Shell102 mm HE 35 lb

Maximum HE Shell Damage1500

Initial HE Shell Velocity811 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shel6 %

AA Defense

UP AA Rocket Mark I5 х 20 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second50

. . . Firing Range1.5 km.

40 mm Vickers 2-pdr. Mk VIII3 х 8 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second59.4

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

12.7 mm Mk III4 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second8.4

. . . Firing Range1.2 km.

102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX7 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second65.8

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed32 knot

Turning Circle Radius910 m.

Rudder Shift Time13.4 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range16.2 km.

Air Detectability Range13.86 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

0.6.9.1.1

Hood

Battleship | U.K. | Tier VII

Tech Tree Position

General

Purchase pricepromo

Hit Points67 700

Aircraft

Main Battery

381 mm/42 Mk II4 х 2 pcs.

Rate of Fire2 shots/min.

Reload Time30 sec.

Rotation Speed5 deg./sec.

180 Degree Turn Time36 sec.

Firing Range18.57 km.

Maximum Dispersion242 m.

HE Shell381 mm HE Mk VIIIb

Maximum HE Shell Damage5300

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shell34 %

Initial HE Shell Velocity731.5 m./s.

HE Shell Weight879 kg.

AP Shell381 mm AP Mk XIIIa

Maximum AP Shell Damage11 400

Initial AP Shell Velocity731.5 m./s.

AP Shell Weight879 kg.

Secondary Armament #1

102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX7 х 2 pcs.

Firing Range5 km.

Rate of Fire20 shots/min.

Reload Time3 sec.

HE Shell102 mm HE 35 lb

Maximum HE Shell Damage1500

Initial HE Shell Velocity811 m./s.

Chance of Fire on Target Caused by HE Shel6 %

AA Defense

UP AA Rocket Mark I5 х 20 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second50

. . . Firing Range1.5 km.

40 mm Vickers 2-pdr. Mk VIII3 х 8 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second59.4

. . . Firing Range2.49 km.

12.7 mm Mk III4 х 4 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second8.4

. . . Firing Range1.2 km.

102 mm/45 QF Mk XIX7 х 2 pcs.

. . . Average Damage per Second65.8

. . . Firing Range5.01 km.

Maneuverability

Maximum Speed32 knot

Turning Circle Radius910 m.

Rudder Shift Time13.4 sec.

Concealment

Surface Detectability Range16.2 km.

Air Detectability Range13.86 km.

Battle Levels

12345678910

VII

promo

Hood — British promo premium Tier VII battleship.

Un crucero de batalla rápido de la clase Admiral. Diseñado a partir de la experiencia obtenida durante y tras la primera guerra mundial. Inició su construcción a finales de 1916 y se prolongó hasta 1920. Fue el barco de guerra más grande y poderoso de la Royal Navy hasta su fatal desenlace a manos del acorazado alemán Bismarck durante la Batalla del Estrecho de Dinamarca. A comparación de los acorazados del periodo anterior, su blindaje horizontal era débil. Al inicio de la segunda guerra mundial sus baterías secundarias obsoletas fueron desmontadas y sustituidas por un sistema de artillería antiaérea.

Hood first went on sale on 18 May 2017 on the NA servers, and on 19 May 2017 on the EU servers.

Modules

	Rate of Fire (shots/min)	180 Degree 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 ()
381 mm/42 Mk.I en una montura Mk.II	2	36	242	5300	34	11 400		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 ()
Hood	67 700	13	381	4	7	4/7/5/3				0	0

	Firing Range Increase (%)	Maximum Firing Range (km)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Mk VII mod. 1	0	18,6		0	0

	Maximum Speed (knot)		Research price (exp)	Purchase price ()
Propulsión: 144 000 CV	32		0	0

Compatible Upgrades

Slot 1	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM030_MainWeapon_Mod_I_bb1e79efbcc73dfa03a6dd5ae173566ee691b77e3a6587389d6f7ea07eb03588.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 del armamento principal|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_del.C2.A0armamento_principal]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM031_SecondaryWeapon_Mod_I_5369d8b071df59a515906433ea1fff10a55841495258bcd04d3365467e61e4af.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 del armamento auxiliar|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_del.C2.A0armamento_auxiliar]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM032_PowderMagazine_Mod_I_9607d8ec91ddcca4a95443845b888fbd9de4cd81df5a30a199d400657a552017.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 de la santabárbara|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_de_la.C2.A0santab.C3.A1rbara]]
Slot 2	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM006_MainGun_Mod_II_bffc35efc4e090487fd6110a10a2be1f5d51b7918303f724194817e698055412.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 2 de la batería principal|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A02_de_la.C2.A0bater.C3.ADa_principal]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM012_SecondaryGun_Mod_II_c87da07dc4aebb94da59f3df3f8c2934279decb9677334a1a7e4b1f1c9f9ad04.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 de la batería secundaria|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_de_la.C2.A0bater.C3.ADa_secundaria]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM018_AirDefense_Mod_III_d3f357c6dc4e5e627a86e17a16432cb38da32bb1b7999b4a7852371491511770.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 de los cañones AA|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_de_los.C2.A0ca.C3.B1ones_AA]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM033_Guidance_Mod_I_10c7521afe2d577c42618dd04cf6834f2be78cf6b64503844cf87793a5816484.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 de los sistemas de tiro|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_de_los.C2.A0sistemas_de_tiro]]
Slot 4	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM020_DamageControl_Mod_I_bbc708467bc8f1e6264ac88fb8999ea40660e4b0b94b59ab7b3f1a8b60539ed8.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 del sistema de control de daños|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_del.C2.A0sistema_de_control_de_da.C3.B1os]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM069_Movement_Mod_I_ca8429dcc45fdad36cdd474a13e5a289d6f7cf27ae32c9f30d42b72b9db493af.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Protección de la sala de máquinas|link=Ship:Upgrades#Protecci.C3.B3n_de_la_sala_de_m.C3.A1quinas]]
Slot 5	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM023_DamageControl_Mod_II_3c6aea0c5bccc94f1d8f1fa52662232afa007d784638ce6e981c8ad3457c63fa.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 2 del sistema de control de daños|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A02_del.C2.A0sistema_de_control_de_da.C3.B1os]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM024_Engine_Mod_II_4b4f4c217cf5cf580f47ccbbf76ecede110c5143055c55ab45a82d19e87423fb.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 de la propulsión|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_de_la.C2.A0propulsi.C3.B3n]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM025_SteeringGear_Mod_II_523c86ce4c7d228e73ee3d2cb406f4d78a205aa2453fec45b0925dec519bf7c5.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 del aparato de gobierno|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_del.C2.A0aparato_de_gobierno]]	[[File:wows icon_modernization_PCM087_AirSupport_Mod_I_d26ea96903bf2c47669142777cfa61b0285e652ce26304ed9502bc8de35d0ded.png", "local": "{\"default\": \"gui|44px|Modificación 1 del ataque aéreo|link=Ship:Upgrades#Modificaci.C3.B3n.C2.A01_del_ataque_a.C3.A9reo]]

Player Opinion

Performance

Hood is a Tier VII British battleship that features high speed, accurate guns, and a unique consumable.

Armament-wise, Hood has the same 15-inch/42 caliber guns as Warspite has, with slightly faster turret traverse and higher range. Unfortunately for Hood, these particular guns — while potent at Tier VI — start to feel a bit underwhelming at Tier VII as other ships gain larger and/or faster-firing main battery armaments. The weak penetration values of her armor piercing rounds means captains must be careful with their aim or Hood’s shells will easily bounce off of the belt armor of opposing battleships. Her armor scheme is notably lacking compared to her contemporaries at Tier VII as well, but her speed allows her to dictate the terms of an engagement against most any other battleship she is likely to face.

As a battlecruiser, Hood is significantly faster than many of the better-armored battleships at her tier and has a decent rudder shift speed, granting her the ability to dart around the battlefield with relative ease. Unique among battleships, Hood also has access to the Defensive AA Fire consumable. Unlike the version available to cruisers and destroyers, however, the version available to Hood only affects her rocket launchers: her innermost AA bubble. The upside is that it multiplies their AA damage per second by 2500% (rather than the standard 300%). This means that the low range area of the rockets’ AA field becomes an instant death zone for enemy planes, but is not useful to defend teammates. Enemy torpedo bombers may also drop outside of the effective range of the rockets as well.

Hood is a solid Tier VII battleship for captains who prefer to flex their ship's speed and maneuverability to set the terms of an engagement rather than slug it out at close range.

LittleWhiteMouse's Premium Ship Preview: HMS Hood from the NA Forums

Pros:

• Un giro de torreta rápido en su nivel (idéntico al del acorazado Gneisenau).
• Una velocidad máxima sobresaliente.
• La mayor cantidad de puntos de vida entre los acorazados del nivel.
• Un sistema antiaéreo eficiente a corta distancia.
• Un sistema de artillería principal con alta cadencia y preciso a rango medio y largo.
• Sistema de artillería secundaria eficiente.

Cons:

• Blindaje débil
• Eficacia de los ángulos de penetración (AP) reducida a partir de media y larga distancia.
• El alcance corto de la artillería antiaérea no permite dar asistencia a otros barcos cercanos.
• Su casco largo y su maniobrabilidad promedio lo deja expuesto a recibir muy daño.

Research

As a premium ship, Hood doesn't have any upgrades to research.

Optimal Configuration

Upgrades

As a Tier VII battleship with four upgrade slots, the following upgrades are recommended on Hood:

Slot 1

• Auxiliary Armaments Modification 1, in order to improve the AA rockets' survivability. The rocket batteries are vital to Hood's AA defense against air strikes and the main batteries already have very good survivability.

Slot 2

• Aiming Systems Modification 1 for captains focused on the main batteries and increasing their accuracy, or
• AA Guns Modification 2 for captains wishing to boost the range of Hood’s anti-aircraft bubbles (the big winner in this case would be her rocket batteries).

Slot 4

• Damage Control System Modification 1 is the top pick of the bunch, in order to reduce fire and flooding chance on the ship (as Hood has poor torpedo protection for her tier).

Slot 5

• Steering Gears Modification 2 will further improve her good rudder shift time, or
• Damage Control System Modification 2 will make Hood more resistant to fire and flooding damage.

Commander Skills

Recommended Commander Skills
Cost (points)	Endurance		Attack		Support		Versatility
1	Priority Target Situational Awareness indicator will show the number of opponents currently aiming at you with main battery guns. ★	Preventative Maintenance -30% to the risk of incapacitation of modules. ★★★	Expert Loader -50% to reload time when shell type is switched. ★	Aircraft Servicing Expert +5% to HP of carrier-based aircraft. -10% to servicing time of carrier-based aircraft.	Direction Center for Catapult Aircraft +1 catapult aircraft. -20% to the speed of catapult aircraft.	Dogfighting Expert +10% to average damage per second of fighter for each tier of difference between them. +10% to fighters ammunition.	Incoming Fire Alert Indicator of long-range enemy artillery fire.	Evasive Maneuver -20% to detectability of strike aircraft when returning to the carrier. +75% to HP of strike aircraft when returning to the carrier. -30% to airspeed of strike aircraft when returning to the carrier.
2	High Alert -10% to reload time of Damage Control Party consumable. ★★★	Jack of All Trades -5% to reload time of all consumables. ★★	Expert Marksman +2.5 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber up to 139mm. +0.7 deg/sec to traverse speed of guns with a caliber above 139mm. ★★	Torpedo Acceleration +5 knots to torpedo speed. -20% to torpedo range.	Smoke Screen Expert +20% to the radius of the smoke screen.	Expert Rear Gunner +10% to average damage per second of self-defense armament for aircraft with rear gunners.	Adrenaline Rush -0.2% to reload times of all types of armament for each 1% of total health lost. ★★★	Last Stand The ship remains able to move and maneuver while the engine or steering gears are incapacitated.
3	Basics of Survivability -15% to time of repair, fire extinguishing, and recovery from flooding. ★★★	Survivability Expert +350 HP for each ship tier.	Torpedo Armament Expertise -10% to reload time of torpedo tubes. -20% to servicing time of torpedo bombers.	Emergency Takeoff Makes it possible to launch and recover aircraft while the ship is on fire. +100% to aircraft servicing time while aircraft carrier is on fire.	Basic Firing Training -10% to reload time of main battery guns with a caliber up to and including 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +20% to average damage per second of AA defense. ★★	Superintendent +1 additional charge to all consumables mounted on a ship. ★★★	Demolition Expert +2% to chance of fire on a target caused by a main caliber shell, secondary shell, or bomb.	Vigilance +25% to detection range of enemy torpedoes. ★★
4	Manual Fire Control for Secondary Armament -15% to the maximum dispersion of shells for the secondary armament of Tier I-VI ships. -60% to the maximum dispersion of shells for the secondary armament of Tier VII-X ships.	Fire Prevention -7% to the risk of fire. The maximum number of fires on a ship is reduced to three. ★★	Inertia Fuse for HE Shells +30% to the armor penetration capacity of HE shells. -3% to chance of fire on target caused by HE shells.	Air Supremacy +1 fighter per squadron. +1 bomber per squadron.	Advanced Firing Training +20% to firing range of main battery guns with a caliber up to 139mm and all secondary battery guns. +20% to AA defense firing range. ★★★	Manual Fire Control for AA Armament +100% to average damage per second of AA guns with a caliber exceeding 85mm against a designated target. ★	Radio Position Finding Shows the direction to the nearest enemy ship (that isn't an aircraft carrier). The enemy player is alerted that a bearing has been taken on their ship.	Concealment Expert -10% to the detection radius of destroyers. -12% to the detection radius of cruisers. -14% to the detection radius of battleships. -16% to the detection radius of aircraft carriers. ★★
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful       ★★ - Frequently Useful       ★ - Occasionally Useful      No stars - Not Useful

Consumables

Hood has access to the Damage Control Party, Repair Party, and Defensive Fire consumables. Priority for use of premium consumables should be Damage Control Party, Repair Party, and Defensive fire, in order.

Camouflage

As a premium ship, Hood comes included with Type 10 camouflage that lowers her detection radius, reduces the accuracy of incoming shells, and increases the amount of experience she earns.

Signals

Hood is able to mount 8 signal flags simultaneously. India Delta is recommended to improve the ship’s survivability by increasing the amount of health recovered when the repair party consumable is used. India Yankee and Juliet Yankee Bissotwo also improve survivability by decreasing the time to repair fires and flooding respectively. November Foxtrot is also highly recommended to reduce the cooldown time on the ship’s consumables. Economic flags such as Zulu, Zulu Hotel, and Equal Speed Charlie London can be used to increase the credit and experience gain per battle. Lastly, Sierra Mike can be mounted to increase Hood's already fast speed.

Recommended Signal Flags
Combat
November Echo Setteseven +10% average damage per second of all anti-aircraft mounts. +10% average damage per second of self-defense armament for aircraft with rear gunners. ★★	Mike Yankee Soxisix +5% to secondary battery maximum firing range. -5% to maximum dispersion of secondary battery shells. -5% to secondary battery loading time.	India X-Ray +1% chance of causing a fire for bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm. +0.5% chance of causing a fire for bombs and shells with a caliber below 160mm. +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.	Victor Lima +1% chance of causing a fire for bombs and shells with a caliber above 160mm. +0.5% chance of causing a fire for bombs and shells with a caliber below 160mm. +4% chance of flooding (against your ship).	Hotel Yankee -20% to damage received when ramming the enemy. +50% to damage dealt when ramming the enemy.
November Foxtrot -5% reload time on all consumables. ★★★	Sierra Mike +5% to the ship's maximum speed. ★★	India Delta +20% to the amount of HP recovered when the Repair Party consumable is used. ★★★	Juliet Yankee Bissotwo -20% to flooding duration. ★	India Yankee -20% to fire duration. ★★★	Juliet Charlie -100% to the risk of your ship's magazine detonating. ★
Economic
Zulu +20% credits earned for the battle. ★★	India Bravo Terrathree -10% to the cost of the ship's post-battle repair. ★★	Equal Speed Charlie London +50% XP earned for the battle. ★★	Zulu Hotel +50% Commander XP earned for the battle. ★★	Papa Papa +300% Free XP earned for the battle. ★
Special
Wyvern +50% credits earned for the battle.	Red Dragon +100% XP earned for the battle. +100% Commander XP earned for the battle.	Dragon Flag +333% Commander XP earned for the battle. ★★	Ouroboros +777% Free XP earned for the battle.	Hydra +50% XP earned for the battle. +150% Commander XP earned for the battle. +250% Free XP earned for the battle.
Key: ★★★ - Extremely Useful       ★★ - Frequently Useful       ★ - Occasionally Useful      No stars - Not Useful

Gallery

• 

  Hood as she appears in port.

• 

  Hood creates a fireworks show.

• 

  Hood firing her main battery to port off the stern quarter.

• 

  Hood underway.

• 

  Hood takes a hit while engaging enemy aircraft.

Historical Info

Construction

John Brown & Co.; Clydebank, Scotland

Laid down: 1 September 1916

Launched: 22 August 1918

Commissioned: 15 May 1920

---

Specifications

48,360 tons displacement, deep load

262.3m length

31.8m beam

9.8m draft

---

Machinery

24 Yarrow oil-fired boilers, 4 Brown-Curtis turbines

144,000 shaft horsepower

---

Performance

32 knots (1920); 29 knots (1941)

5,332 nautical miles at 20 knots

---

Armor

Main belt: 152-305mm

Decks: 38-76mm

Bulkheads: 102-127mm

Barbettes: 127-305mm

Turrets: 279-381mm

Conning tower: 229-279mm

---

Armament

Main

8 (4 x 2) 381mm/42 BL Mk I

Secondary

14 (7 x 2) 102mm QF Mk XVI

Anti-Aircraft

24 (3 x 8) 40mm QF 2pdr

16 (4 x 4) 12.7mm Vickers Mk III

Torpedoes

4 (2 x 2) 533mm fixed mounts

---

Complement

1,423 men (1941)

Design

The inception of what was to become HMS Hood began as a request to the Director of Naval Construction to design a class of ships that would succeed the Queen Elizabeth-class super dreadnoughts and would incorporate the latest design of underwater torpedo protection. After a few proposed designs, an intervention by Admiral of the Fleet John Jellicoe — First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy — argued a change of the design to that of a battlecruiser in order to provide a response to the new Mackensen-class battlecruisers being constructed by the Imperial German Navy at the time. After a second round of design proposals that prioritized speed over protection, design “No. 2” as it was known, became selected as the plan for the Admiral-class battlecruisers we know today.

HMS Hood was planned at 860 feet in length: a long ship by design, as there was an emphasis on hull elongation in order to reduce the draft of the ship. The goal was to improve underwater integrity and to increase her freeboard, with the intent of making her a more stable artillery platform. Additionally, she incorporated the new design of anti-torpedo blisters approved by the Admiralty. A two-layer system — an outer layer filled with air, and inner layer filled with crushing tubes — was utilized in order to both absorb and spread out the shock of explosions. For additional torpedo protection, these blisters were positioned over the fuel oil tanks, which were designed watertight and separate from the rest of the ship. As initially designed, Hood was to have eight (8) inches of sloped main belt armor and one-and-a-half (1.5) to two (2) inches of horizontal protection to match the survivability of the Queen Elizabeth class. The outcome of the Battle of Jutland necessitated a redesign of Hood’s armor protection. Her belts and barbettes were increased to twelve (12) inches, and her primary decks were increased to three (3) inches of thickness.

While these choices seemed correct in order to improve her survivability, history would prove that the measures taken were not adequate. As with her predecessors, Hood still possessed deplorable protection against plunging fire; in fact, Hood did not possess an armored main deck, only multiple decks of reinforced thickness. This was adequate for shells that used a direct fuse, but not for delayed-fuse shells that came into service by the Second World War. Another inherent fault of British battlecruiser designs: the magazines were placed on top of the shell rooms, which made them a hazard if damaged. In the end, Hood became another victim of her pedigree.

True to her nature, Hood was a fast ship, rated for 32 knots at top speed. To achieve such speeds, the designers took advantage of her immense size and mounted no less than 24 Admiralty boilers that fed four multi-geared turbines. She was an innovator, being the first ship in the Royal Navy to use small-tube boilers that gave her more power for less weight. In fact, she generated 30% more power than the Renown class. At over 140,000 shaft horsepower, she was the most powerful ship in the world upon her completion, but such performance paid a price: at top speed she was horrendously fuel-inefficient, burning 70 tons of fuel per hour.

Hood’s main battery was comprised of the staple of Royal Navy capital ships of the era: eight (8) 15-inch Mark I rifles in four twin-gun Mark II turrets, arranged in super-firing pairs fore and aft. The Mark II turrets were an improved mount; they could elevate the barrels up to +30° in order to increase range. The 15-inch Mark I rifles themselves were a direct enlargement of the earlier 13.5-inch Mark V guns. The change in armament reflected a change in priority: the 15-inch guns traded shell velocity for shell weight, under the belief that penetration would not be compromised due to increased hitting power.

HMS Hood, the lead – and only – ship of the Admiralty-class battlecruisers was laid down 1 September 1916 at John Brown & Co. Shipyards in Clydebank, Scotland. She was launched 22 August 1918, and commissioned into the Royal Navy on 15 May 1920. What was revealed was a beautiful amalgamation of old and new: she still retained a tripod mast and hand-operated secondary guns, but also incorporated novelties like a fully enclosed bridge, and fire-control from elevated directors. She also brought back the clipper-bow, something not seen on Royal Navy ships since the 1860s.

Service

Shortly after commissioning, HMS Hood became the flagship of the Battlecruiser Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet. Much of Hood’s service during the 1920’s was goodwill visits, regular patrols and circumnavigations. Hood became the poster ship of the Royal Navy, dubbed “The Mighty Hood”, sailing around the world as the embodiment of British pride and power. She participated in a circumnavigation from east to west via the Panama Canal alongside the battlecruiser HMS Repulse and several Danae-class cruisers starting in November 1923, returning home 10 months later after having visited South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and several smaller colonies en route. While in Australia in 1924, she escorted the battlecruiser HMAS Australia out to where she was to be scuttled in compliance with the Washington Naval Treaty. After visiting Lisbon, Portugal, in 1925 to participate in Vasco da Gama celebrations, Hood spent the rest of the decade largely performing winter training and exercises in the Mediterranean.

Hood’s first major refit occurred from 1929 to 1931, resuming her role as flagship of the Battlecruiser Squadron afterwards. Her squadron made a Caribbean cruise in 1932, followed by a brief refit, and then another brief refit in 1934. The first major damage Hood sustained was from an accidental ramming from the battlecruiser HMS Renown in early 1935, resulting in the destruction of her left outer propeller and an 18-inch dent. Following repairs, she was the center of attention at King George V’s Silver Jubilee Fleet Review in August 1935. She was attached to the Mediterranean fleet shortly afterwards, stationed in Gibraltar at the outbreak of the Second Italo-Abyssinian War, later being formally transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet after the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. Hood’s last refit was in 1937, but while her constant service made her the most battle-worthy fast capital ship in the Royal Navy, her material condition had degraded, and by the mid to late 1930’s she was in bad need of a lengthy overhaul. Her next big modernization was planned for 1941 to bring her up to date with the other modernized World War I-era capital ships, but the outbreak of World War II in 1939 made it impossible to remove her from service.

Shortly before the outbreak of World War II, Hood was assigned to the Home Fleet’s Battlecruiser Squadron, and after the war broke out later that year, she vigorously patrolled the seas around Iceland and the Faroe Islands to protect convoys and intercept German merchant raiders and blockade runners. Hood’s first major combat sortie was her participation in Operation Catapult in 1940: the destruction of the Vichy French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir. Joining Force H as the flagship alongside the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, the results of Hood’s fire upon the French warships is not entirely known, but it is confirmed that she damaged the French battleship Dunkerque enough to force her to beach herself. Hood was later relieved by Renown as the flagship of Force H, after returning to Scapa Flow. Hood was later positioned at Rosyth alongside the battleships HMS Nelson and HMS Rodney, to be in the prime position to intercept a German invasion fleet. Hood sortied from Rosyth twice in 1940, once in late October to intercept the German panzerschiffe Admiral Scheer, and on Christmas Eve to locate the heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper, but she failed to find either ship.

In January 1941, Hood received what was to be her last refit. Even after this refit she was still in poor condition, but the Royal Navy couldn’t afford to keep in the drydocks for too long until more of the new King George V-class battleships came into service. Hood was ordered to intercept the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau upon completion of her refit, but again was unsuccessful in finding the pair. She patrolled the Bay of Biscay to prevent a breakout from the German ships anchored in Brest, before moving to the Norwegian Sea in April following false reports that the German battleship Bismarck had sailed from Germany. Hood had returned to Scapa Flow by early May, again poised to receive the order to sail again.

On 24 May 1941, that order came. The day before, the heavy cruisers HMS Norfolk and HMS Suffolk sighted the German warships Bismarck and Prinz Eugen in the Denmark Strait between Greenland and Iceland. Hood — together with the newly-commissioned battleship HMS Prince of Wales — steamed to intercept the pair of German warships before they could break through to the open Atlantic. Hood and Prince of Wales sighted Bismarck and Prinz Eugen at 05:37, but the Germans were already aware of their presence. Hood’s fight during the conflict that came to be known at the Battle of the Denmark Strait lasted less than an hour. The British ships opened fire on the German duo, with the Germans returning fire shortly afterwards, both ships focusing on Hood. Prinz Eugen likely scored the first hit on Hood, striking amidships and starting a large fire from the ready-use ammunition and rockets for her AA guns and UP mountings. At 06:00, Hood turned to bring her full broadside to bear on the Germans, before being struck by Bismarck’s fifth salvo from a range of approximately 16,650 meters. Shortly after, a enormous jet of flame erupted from the vicinity of the mainmast, before Hood catastrophically exploded with a loss of 1,415 men; there were a mere 3 survivors. Prince of Wales, now outnumbered and struggling to fight from a mix of mechanical failures and sustained damage, was forced to withdraw, while Bismarck — not undamaged herself — attempted to retreat to German-occupied France. In the duel against infamous Bismarck and her escort Prinz Eugen, the pride and joy of the Royal Navy was lost with nearly all hands, including her captain, Ralph Kerr, and Vice-Admiral Lancelot Holland.

The blow to British morale caused by the loss of Hood was significant: the most well-known ship of the Royal Navy had been destroyed in mere minutes with virtually no survivors. Enraged by her loss, Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered the British Admiralty to find and destroy Bismarck at all costs. “I don’t care how you do it,” he said, “[but] you must sink the Bismarck.” Three days later, the Royal Navy fulfilled Churchill's wishes; too late, unfortunately, to save ill-fated HMS Hood.

Historical Inaccuracies

• The UP AA Rockets were unreliable and ineffective in operation; planes were able to avoid the wires or winds could blow the projectiles back onto the ship which fired them. There are no records of UPs shooting down any aircraft.

Historical Gallery

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  HMS Hood’s keel being laid down, September 1916.

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  Hood being launched into the waters of Clydebank, 22 August 1918.

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  Hood undergoing speed trials, spring 1920.

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  Close-up of A and B turrets.

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  Profile drawing of Hood as she appeared in 1921, in Atlantic Fleet dark grey.

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  Hood, photo taken between 1920-1923.

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  Hood in Sydney Harbor shortly after arriving with the other ships of the Special Service Squadron, 9 April 1924.

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  Hood in Australia, 1924.

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  Aerial view of Hood in 1924. The two forward gun turrets are visible with their prominent rangefinders projecting from the rear of the turret. Behind the turret is the conning tower surmounted by the main fire-control director with its own rangefinder. The secondary director is mounted on top of the spotting top on the tripod foremast.

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  Hood during her circumnavigation tour, 1924.

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  Hood in Hawaii, 1924. Note the full coverage of decks by awnings.

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  Hood in the Panama Canal Zone, 1924.

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  Hood in US waters, 1924.

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  Close-up of Hood's aft 15-inch Mark I guns in 1926.

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  Hood in 1930 or 1931. Note the seaplane on the aft-mounted catapult.

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  Stern view of Hood, 1930 or 1931.

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  Broadside view of Hood, 1930 or 1931.

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  Future enemies at peace. Hood (background), Resolution (center), and the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee (foreground), anchored at Portsmouth for King George VI's Coronation, May 1937.

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  Last picture of Hood’s entire crew, 1940.

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  Last photograph of Hood as seen from Prince of Wales, 24 May 1941.

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  The explosion aboard Hood as photographed from Prinz Eugen. Hood is right-center, horizon. Prince of Wales is left-center, horizon.

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  Immediately after the explosion aboard Hood, again photographed from Prinz Eugen. The large cloud of smoke right-center horizon is from Hood, the dense cloud left-center horizon is from Prince of Wales.

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  Privately owned propeller fragment from the wreckage of HMS Hood.

References

• Taylor, B., Schmid, T. (2005). Battlecruiser HMS Hood: an illustrated biography. London, UK: Chatham Publishing
• Konstam, A., Bryan, T. (2003). British Battlecruisers: 1939-45. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing, Ltd.
• Chesneau, R., Gardiner, R. (1980) Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships: 1922-1946. Conway Maritime Press.
• https://www.hmshood.com/history/timeline4.htm
• https://www.militaryfactory.com/ships/detail.asp?ship_id=HMS-Hood-51
  

Ships of U.K.

Battleships