Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:39:10-1:39:36

Iron Duke’s limited value as a restored battleship

Even in better condition, Iron Duke’s 13.5-inch armament would confine her to secondary wartime duties such as convoy escort.

BattleshipsConvoy WarfareHMS Iron DukeNaval GunneryTraining Ships
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Question

How could a well-maintained HMS Iron Duke have served in the Second World War?

Short answer

Her 13.5-inch guns limited her usefulness, but she might escort convoys and deter German battlecruisers.

Notes

The scenario preserves HMS Iron Duke as a fully capable training ship instead of reducing her to a static gunnery platform. The answer still finds few useful Second World War roles for her. Her 13.5-inch guns would be inadequate for most modern capital-ship tasks, although they could threaten ships such as Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Convoy escort is therefore offered as the plausible employment for a slow, old battleship whose deterrent value exceeded her suitability for fleet action.