Hood began as a response to a perceived British shortage of battlecruisers while Germany expanded its force. The selected design displaced 36,300 tons and aimed at 32 knots with 140,000 shaft horsepower. It carried eight 15-inch guns, sixteen 5.5-inch guns, and two submerged 21-inch torpedo tubes. Protection was roughly comparable with Tiger, including an eight-inch belt and nine-inch barbettes. Small-tube boilers reduced machinery space and weight, following their use in Courageous, Glorious, and Furious; Renown and Repulse retained large-tube boilers. Hood's sisters Howe, Rodney, and Anson had not reached launching stage when changed international conditions led to their cancellation.
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Hood's original armament, protection, and machinery
Hood's initial design combined high speed and small-tube boilers with protection comparable to Tiger, before the changes prompted by Jutland.