Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:36:48-1:37:03

Could Cockatoo Island dock a King George V battleship?

Cockatoo Island could receive a King George V-class battleship because its largest dock could already handle the longer HMS Hood.

Cockatoo IslandDry DocksFleet MaintenanceKing George V Class Battleships (1939)
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Question

Could Cockatoo Island's dockyard handle a King George V-class battleship?

Short answer

Yes; its largest dock could handle HMS Hood, though historically there was only one dock of that size.

Notes

A viewer asks whether an enlarged Cockatoo Island could handle a King George V-class battleship. A dock capable of taking HMS Hood could also take the shorter battleship. The historical facility had only one dock of that scale, however. The counterfactual therefore requires additional large-dock capacity rather than a wholly new understanding of the harbor's physical limits.