Q&A ยท 1:15-3:02

How Renown accommodated an admiral's staff

Renown's value as a flagship came from adaptable internal space, extra offices, and accommodation for an admiral's staff rather than one oversized command room.

Question

Was extra room built into Renown specifically so she could serve as a flagship?

Short answer

She was suited for flagship work through adaptable space, offices, and staff accommodation, although the advantage was as much organization as raw volume.

Notes

Flagship suitability depended on how the available space was organized, not simply on one oversized command room. Fisher cleared and reorganized areas aboard Renown, then provided offices and accommodation for staff officers. The Royal Navy sometimes fitted a particular ship in a battleship class for command work from the outset, though this was not universal practice. As battleships grew scarcer and more important on overseas stations, more of them had to serve as flagships whether or not their layouts had been optimized for a staff.