Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:00:05-3:01:30

Cordite was a family of evolving propellants

Cordite covers successive propellant formulations, so its history cannot be reduced to the retirement date of an early mark.

CorditeNaval GunneryNaval WeaponsRoyal Navy
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Question

What was the last Royal Navy battleship class to use cordite for its main battery?

Short answer

No final class or year is identified. Cordite includes MD, RDB, solventless SC, and later N and NQ triple-base formulations, rather than only its earliest marks.

Notes

Cordite developed through several formulations rather than remaining one unchanged propellant. MD belongs around the Boer War period, RDB to the First World War, and solventless SC to the early interwar period. SC also found uses in rockets. Later N and NQ formulations were triple-base propellants, whose continued use at the time of the video is suggested tentatively. No final Royal Navy battleship class or definite last year of cordite use is identified.