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HMS Vanguard (1944)

HMS Vanguard, the last and most powerful British battleship ever built, which was laid down during the Second World War but was not completed and commissioned until 1946. Vanguard was a vessel of 42,500 tons estimated standard displacement with a main armament consisting of 8 15" guns. There were four twin 15 inch gun turrets (two forward and two aft), and eight twin 5.25 inch gun turrets amidships.

Her estimated cost was approximately £9 million, excluding the cost of the mountings and guns for the main armament which were already available. The total cost of HMS "Vanguard," including the value of the gun mountings already available, expenditure necessary for their modernisation and adaptation, and the cost of all guns and armament stores, was estimated to be approximately £11,000,000. Annual maintenance expenditure, covering pay, allowances and pension liability of the crew, maintenance stores and ship repairs is estimated at £650,000. This did not include fuel consumption, which naturally depended largely on the nature of the ship's employment, but it was expected to be in the vicinity of 17,000 tons a year.

Since the war it had been the practice not to divulge the name of any major ship from the time of launching until she had taken part in a fleet action. At the request of the Prime Minister, on 04 December 1944 the First Lord Of the Admiralty undertook to enquire whether in this case there would be any objection to making public the name of the battleship.

The naval new construction program for 1945 was reduced to the absolute minimum at the end of the war, and now consists only of two escort vessels, one submarine, two surveying ships, six small floating docks and some miscellaneous small craft. By early 1946 there were only one battleship under construction, the "Vanguard," which was practically finished. It was decided early in the war not to proceed with the "Lion" and "Temeraire," of the 1938 programme, or the "Conqueror" and "Thunderer," of the 1939 programme, as none of these ships could be completed before the end of 1944, and all British shipbuilding resources were required for more immediate needs. It was not intended to proceed with any of these four ships. Future decisions upon capital ships would depend on many factors.

The "Queen Elizabeth," which was built in 1914, had, of course, been reconditioned since then, but the "Vanguard" was a 1946 ship. The "Queen Elizabeth" was built during the time of a previous Government, and they were apparently content that sailors should have this type of accommodation It may be that they are changing their minds now, but the fact remains that this was the accommodation they provided. There is no doubt that in these old vessels there was great overcrowding and very bad conditions.

The "Vanguard" had a totally different system of messing in comparison with any other British ship. Instead of the men having to live, eat, sleep and go about their daily business in one room, they have one room in which to eat, and one room for a living room. That is a considerable difference. Another point, which may be relatively small, is that these rooms are painted in different colours. It is something to know that there will not be the eternal grey and depressing atmosphere over everything. There is considerably more space for the men in comparison with similar ships.

But in the admiral's bathroom on the "Vanguard", there was scarcely enough room to swing an admiral. There was, in fact, very little room. The Navy decided that there should be an alteration in the proportion of space occupied in all new ships by officers and ratings. In some of the older ships, the percentage of living space occupied by officers was out of all proportion. An officer — and, indeed, a petty officer — should have more commodious quarters than an ordinary seaman. While there should be a distinction, in the past the distinction was far too great. In the "Vanguard" it was now less, and in all new ships it was planned to make still further alterations with the view to reaching a more reasonable proportion than before between officers and ratings.

Instructions were issued in May, 1944, that HMS "Implacable" was to be provided with a form of centralised cafeteria messing. This was, however, an improvisation to meet messing requirements; the arrangements were made at very short notice and not under ideal conditions since no major alterations were possible. The first full satisfactory experiment in a British-built ship was made in HMS "Vanguard." Approval for this experiment was given in August, 1944. Instructions were first issued in April of that year that all ships undergoing a major refit were to be equipped with galleys up to American standard.

In HMS "Vanguard" the whole quarter bill was arranged on the technical needs of fighting the ship. Substantive ratings really dragged along in the rear. That is how it was done in the past. In HMS "Vanguard" there were 76 chief petty officers, 57 first class rates, 79 leading seamen and 169 second class rates.

The history of Vanguards career was not exactly an exciting story. By 1947 only one battleship was in commission, the "Vanguard". The cost of altering the "Vanguard" to meet the needs of the nation in taking the Royal Family out to South Africa was in the region of £170,000. There were few experiences more thrilling, and certainly none more calculated to inspire one with regard for the Royal Navy, than to stand on the bridge of a large warship as she steams slowly into a great naval harbour, especially when, after a voyage of two or three days and of many hundreds of miles, she drops anchor, not just one minute before or one minute after she is due to arrive, hut absolutely dead on time. That is a very remarkable experience.

The 1957 Defence White Paper stated that "Britain's defence policy must be radically revised. This has become necessary on economic, international and military grounds... While there can be no doubt about the value of sea power in localised emergencies, the role of naval forces in total war is uncertain. It may well bs that the initial nuclear bombardment and counter-bombardment by aircraft or rockets would be so crippling as to bring the war to an end within a few weeks or even days, in which case naval operations would not play any significant part. On the other hand, there is the possibility that the nuclear battle of the opening phase might noi prove immediately decisive. ... Apart from the aircraft carriers, the number of large ships will be restricted to the minimum. The number of cruisers in the active fleet will be reduced and replaced by ships of the Tiger Class and guided weapon vessels. The four older battleships now in reserve will be scrapped. The future of H.M.S. Vanguard will be discussed with NATO.... "