Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 58:38-59:57

The Royal Navy's most powerful commissioned battleship

Vanguard was the most powerful British battleship actually commissioned, while the Queen Elizabeth class made the strongest impact relative to its own era.

BattleshipsHMS VanguardLion Class BattleshipsNelson Class BattleshipsQueen Elizabeth Class Battleships
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Question

What was the most powerful Royal Navy battleship commissioned, and how does it compare with later Lion designs?

Short answer

Vanguard was the most powerful commissioned ship, Queen Elizabeth was most impressive for her time, and Lion would probably have been stronger if built.

Notes

Vanguard is judged the strongest British battleship actually commissioned because of her combination of 15-inch guns, armour, and speed. Relative to the competition when introduced, the Queen Elizabeth class receives the stronger endorsement. Nelson's speed also needs to be judged by 1920s standards, when it was considered ample for the job. The unbuilt Lion would probably have exceeded Vanguard, but it belongs to a comparison of designs rather than completed ships.