Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:03:26-2:04:10

Why HMS New Zealand was considered a lucky ship

The question uses HMS New Zealand's wartime survival record to joke that 13.5-inch guns would make an already fortunate ship even harder to stop.

HMS New ZealandRoyal New Zealand NavyWorld War I
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Question

Would a 13.5-inch HMS New Zealand be even more formidable given her wartime reputation for luck?

Short answer

The joke adds heavier guns to the ship's established reputation for surviving danger.

Notes

The counterfactual joke gives 13.5-inch guns to a ship already famous for extraordinary luck. HMS New Zealand is imagined emerging from heavy fire with scarcely a scratch. The humour extends to a proposal that other Royal Navy ships should receive blessings from communities around the world. It draws on New Zealand's reputation rather than claiming that heavier guns would improve her protection.