Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 14:35-14:59

Would HMS Vanguard have changed the Cod Wars?

Vanguard's armored hull would have been far harder for Icelandic patrol vessels to damage in ramming confrontations.

Cod WarsHMS VanguardMaritime SecurityRoyal Navy
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Question

What kind of ship would the Royal Navy have needed against Icelandic fishery-protection vessels during the Cod Wars?

Short answer

HMS Vanguard would have been exceptionally resistant to ramming and capable of pushing the patrol vessels back.

Notes

The Cod Wars exposed how little armor postwar Royal Navy ships carried when confrontations became physical contests of hull strength. HMS Vanguard supplies a counterfactual answer: Icelandic patrol vessels could have struck the battleship repeatedly without achieving the same effect. Vanguard could also have used her size to push them back. The example connects armor to constabulary coercion and collision resistance rather than only to shellfire.