Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:03:36-1:04:19

Why Repulse missed a Renown-style reconstruction

Repulse was expected to receive a reconstruction broadly like Renown's, but the approach of war made a long dockyard absence unacceptable.

BattlecruisersHMS RenownHMS RepulseNaval RefitsRoyal Navy
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Question

Was HMS Repulse due for a major reconstruction before the Second World War?

Short answer

Yes, probably along Renown's lines, but the impending war made a lengthy refit too costly in immediate availability.

Notes

The planned work dated from around 1939 and would have followed the successful Renown reconstruction. The Royal Navy then faced the practical cost of removing a capital ship from availability while war approached. A vessel in deep refit still counts on paper but cannot join the fleet. Repulse therefore entered the war without the extensive modernization that had been contemplated.