Laughton died while the First World War placed exceptional demands on the Grand Fleet. Even so, HMS Conqueror, a relatively new Orion-class super-dreadnought armed with 13.5-inch guns, was made available for his burial at sea. The ship's known refit timing suggests that Conqueror was specially dispatched for the ceremony instead of being used because she happened to be passing. Diverting an operational battleship and carrying out the required ceremony consumed time at the height of wartime demand. The honor recorded the Navy's high estimate of a civilian scholar whose teaching and source work had shaped generations of officers.
Notable Point · 23:24-24:58
HMS Conqueror marks Laughton's value to the wartime Navy
The Royal Navy's use of an Orion-class super-dreadnought for Laughton's 1915 burial at sea reveals how highly the service valued its naval historian and educator.