Sir John Moore links reused guns, disposal, and an army namesake

Sir John Moore was built by Scotts at Greenock, commissioned in July 1915, and briefly served as a tender to the gunnery school after World War I. She entered reserve in early 1920, was sold in 1921, and was towed to Bremen for demolition. Her 12-inch guns had come from HMS Hannibal, illustrating the reuse of existing heavy weapons in emergency monitors. The ship carried the name of the general associated with training reforms and the Battle of Corunna, where his army repulsed Marshal Soult's French force before his death. The class repeatedly used the names of army commanders who died in battle, a pattern interpreted as a joke at the Army's expense. Sir John Moore's story connects emergency reuse of old naval guns with the Royal Navy's deliberate naming theme.