Q&A · 28:34-33:11

HMS Renown and the ethics of naval preservation

A fanciful artifact question draws a useful boundary between preserving a lost warship and recovering objects from the graves of ships and crews lost in combat.

Question

If the panel could own an illegal but not immoral artifact from either world war, what would they choose?

Short answer

HMS Renown or a Tribal-class destroyer is preferred, while wrecks such as Hood are excluded because recovering them would disturb a war grave.

Notes

HMS Renown is the principal naval choice, with a Tribal-class destroyer as another possibility. Renown's 15-inch guns also support a joke about advanced negotiations with Parliament. Hood and other sunken vessels are excluded because recovering them for preservation would disturb war graves. A Japanese bow chrysanthemum and the recovered eagle from Graf Spee are other suggestions for museum display. The panel recalls plans to melt down Graf Spee's eagle but cannot confirm whether that had happened.