HMS Howe (pennant number

Pennant number

In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...

 32) was the last of the five British King George V-class

King George V class battleship (1939)

The King George V-class battleships were the most modern British battleships used during World War II. Five ships of this class were built and commissioned: King George V , Prince of Wales , Duke of York , Howe , and Anson .The Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 limiting all of the number,...

 battleship

Battleship

A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...

s of the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 (RN). Laid down in 1937 and commissioning in 1942, Howe operated during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 as part of the British Home Fleet, the Mediterranean Force H

Force H

Force H was a British naval formation during the Second World War. It was formed in 1940 to replace French naval power in the western Mediterranean that had been removed by the French armistice with Nazi Germany....

, and the British Pacific Fleet

British Pacific Fleet

The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...

.

Following the end of the war, Howe spent four years as flagship of the Training Squadron at Portland

Isle of Portland

The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...

, before she was placed into reserve in 1950. The battleship was marked for disposal in 1957, sold for scrap in 1958, and completely broken up by 1961.

Design

HMS Howe, as one of the King George V class battleships, was subject to the design constraints of international Naval Treaties.These were the Washington Naval Treaty

Washington Naval Treaty

The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was an attempt to cap and limit, and "prevent 'further' costly escalation" of the naval arms race that had begun after World War I between various International powers, each of which had significant naval fleets. The treaty was...

 of 1922 and the two London Naval Treaties

London Naval Treaty

The London Naval Treaty was an agreement between the United Kingdom, the Empire of Japan, France, Italy and the United States, signed on April 22, 1930, which regulated submarine warfare and limited naval shipbuilding. Ratifications were exchanged in London on October 27, 1930, and the treaty went...

 of 1930 and 1935. These affected the timing of her construction, delaying it to 1937, as well as her displacement (ship)

Displacement (ship)

A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...

 and weaponry.

The Treaty displacement limit of 35,000 tons in effect restricted the weight of armour (and weaponry) that could be used. The approach was to establish an armoured citadel, proof against 16 inch gunfire, while superstructure, including the conning tower and turrets, protection was less than Howes contemporaries. Torpedo protection was a developed version of the Nelson class

Nelson class battleship

The Nelson class was a class of two battleships of the British Royal Navy, built shortly after, and under the terms of, the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922...

' system, using Side Protection System (SPS) to dissipate explosive force away from the hull. The sinking of the raised questions about SPS' effectiveness and further armour was worked into the Howe. Subsequent examination of the wreck of the Prince of Wales, however, showed that SPS had worked.

Although Treaty restrictions would have allowed a 16-inch main battery, 14-inch guns had been chosen, anticipating international acceptance of this as a maximum calibre. When this failed, the 14-inch guns were retained, so as not to delay completion at a time when international relations were deteriorating. Although Howe never saw major ship to ship action, experience with the class' quadruple mountings proved them to be unreliable. Secondary armament was the 5.25-inch dual purpose gun which was, however, slow firing and mounted in cramped gunhouses. On her assignment to the Mediterranean, her anti-aircraft defences were augmented by Oerlikon 20mm cannons.

Machinery was installed in four self-contained units, one to each propeller shaft, so that an unlucky hit would not completely disable her. Improvements in machinery design allowed greater power output.

Construction

Ordered on 28 April 1937, the warship was laid down at the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd.

Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company

The Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited was a British shipbuilding company in the Govan area on the Clyde in Glasgow. Fairfields, as it is often known, was a major warship builder, turning out many vessels for the Royal Navy and other navies through the First World War and the...

 shipyard in Govan

Govan

Govan is a district and former burgh now part of southwest City of Glasgow, Scotland. It is situated west of Glasgow city centre, on the south bank of the River Clyde, opposite the mouth of the River Kelvin and the district of Partick....

 on 1 June 1937. Originally to be named HMS Beatty, after Admiral David Beatty

David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty

Admiral of the Fleet David Richard Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty, GCB, OM, GCVO, DSO was an admiral in the Royal Navy...

, commander of the British battlecruiser squadron at the Battle of Jutland

Battle of Jutland

The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...

, the name was changed to HMS Howe, (after Admiral Richard Howe

Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe

Admiral of the Fleet Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe KG was a British naval officer, notable in particular for his service during the American War of Independence and French Revolutionary Wars. He was the brother of William Howe and George Howe.Howe joined the navy at the age of thirteen and served...

; the sixth warship

HMS Howe

Several ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Howe, after Admiral Richard Howe:* HMS Howe was the ex-Indian merchantman Kaikusroo; renamed to Dromedary in 1806 and sold in Bermuda in 1864 after many years service as a prison hulk....

 to carry the name) on 21 February 1940, and she was launched under this name on 9 April 1940.

Howe was commissioned into the RN on 29 August 1942. The battleship had been adopted by the community of Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

 following a Warship Week

Warship Week

Warship Weeks were British National savings campaigns during the Second World War, with the adoption of a Royal Navy warship by a civil community. A level of savings would be set to raise enough money to provide the cost of building a particular naval ship...

 savings campaign in December 1941. Construction time was lengthened by the need to make modifications following the loss

Sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse

The sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse was a Second World War naval engagement that took place north of Singapore, off the east coast of Malaya, near Kuantan, Pahang where the British Royal Navy battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse were sunk by land-based bombers and...

 of sister ship on 10 December 1941.

Home Fleet

Howe commenced sea trials in August 1942, but was made available for operations with the Home Fleet from November onwards. Her main duties were to provide cover for Arctic convoys and to intercept any major German warships attempting to enter the Atlantic. On 31 December, following the Battle of the Barents Sea

Battle of the Barents Sea

The Battle of the Barents Sea took place on 31 December 1942 between German surface raiders and British ships escorting convoy JW 51B to Kola Inlet in the USSR. The action took place in the Barents Sea north of North Cape, Norway...

, Howe was part of a multi-ship force that sailed to protect Convoy RA 51 and intercept, if possible, the German pocket battleship Lützow.

In late February, Howe joined the escort screen of Convoy JW 53 to the Soviet Union, and the return Convoy RA 53.

In May 1943, Howe was visited by Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom

The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...

 Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...

, then a few days later by King George VI

George VI of the United Kingdom

George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...

.

Mediterranean

At the start of May, Howe was marked for deployment to the Mediterranean to support Allied landings. After taking on several 20 mm Oerlikon cannons, she departed from Rosyth

Rosyth

Rosyth is a town located on the Firth of Forth, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 12,790....

 for Gibraltar

Gibraltar

Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...

 on 21 May, and arrived five days later. Howe was assigned to Force H

Force H

Force H was a British naval formation during the Second World War. It was formed in 1940 to replace French naval power in the western Mediterranean that had been removed by the French armistice with Nazi Germany....

, and operated in support of the landings at Sicily and Italy

Operation Slapstick

Operation Slapstick was the code name for a British landing from the sea at the Italian port of Taranto during the Second World War. The operation, one of three landings during the Allied invasion of Italy, was undertaken by the British 1st Airborne Division in September 1943.Planned at short...

.

After Force H was transferred to Algiers

Algiers

' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...

 in early June, Howe was again visited by King George.

During the landings on Sicily in July, Howe was positioned between Sicily and Sardinia

Sardinia

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...

 to guard against any interference by the Italian fleet, and on 12 July joined to take part in diversionary bombardments of Trapani

Trapani

Trapani is a city and comune on the west coast of Sicily in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Egadi Islands.-History:...

 and the nearby islands of Favignana

Favignana

Favignana is a comune including three islands of the Aegadian Islands, southern Italy...

 and Levanzo

Levanzo

Levanzo is the smallest of the three main Aegadian Islands in the Mediterranean Sea west of Sicily, Italy. It forms a part of the municipality of Favignana in the Province of Trapani....

.

After Husky (the allied landings on Sicily), Howe returned to Algiers for maintenance. Whilst there, on 4 August an ammunition ship, SS Fort Le Montee caught fire and exploded, seriously damaging a nearby destroyer, HMS Arrow

HMS Arrow (H42)

HMS Arrow was an A class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She served during the Second World War before being damaged while fighting a fire on an ammunition ship and written off in 1943.-Construction and commissioning:...

, and causing a substantial number of casualties. A party from Howe was sent to help in the dreadful task of gathering bodies and body parts.

On 8 September, after the Italian surrender, Howe and King George V escorted a naval forceThe cruisers HMS Aurora

HMS Aurora (12)

HMS Aurora was an Arethusa-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Portsmouth Dockyard , with the keel being laid down on the 27 July 1935. She was launched on the 20 August 1936, and commissioned 12 November 1937....

, Penelope

HMS Penelope (97)

HMS Penelope was an Arethusa-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Harland & Wolff , with the keel being laid down on 30 May 1934...

, Dido

HMS Dido (37)

HMS Dido was the name ship of her class of light cruisers for the Royal Navy. She was built by Cammell Laird Shipyard , with the keel being laid down on 26 October 1937. She was launched on 18 July 1939 and commissioned on 30 September 1940.-Mediterranean:On 18 August 1942 Captain H. W. U...

, Sirius

HMS Sirius (82)

HMS Sirius was a Dido-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Portsmouth Dockyard , with the keel being laid down on 6 April 1938. She was launched on 18 September 1940, and commissioned 6 May 1942.-History:...

 and USS Boise

USS Boise (CL-47)

USS Boise was a United States Navy Brooklyn-class light cruiser. The cruiser was named for Boise, the capital city of the state of Idaho....

 and minelayer HMS Abdiel

HMS Abdiel (M39)

HMS Abdiel was an that served with the Royal Navy during World War II. She served with the Mediterranean Fleet , Eastern Fleet , Home Fleet , and the Mediterranean Fleet . Abdiel was sunk by mines in Taranto harbour in 1943...

. to land the British 1st Airborne Division

British 1st Airborne Division

The 1st Airborne Division was a division of the British airborne forces during the Second World War. The division was formed in 1941, after British Prime Minister Winston Churchill demanded an airborne force...

 at the important port of Taranto on 9 September and, while en route, an Italian squadron was encountered sailing to Malta

Malta

Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

 to surrender.The five Italian ships were the battleships Andrea Doria and Caio Duilio

Italian battleship Caio Duilio

Caio Duilio was an Italian that served in the Regia Marina during World War I and World War II. She was named after the Roman fleet commander Gaius Duilius. Caio Duilio was laid down on 24 February 1912 and after a year and two months of construction, she was launched on 24 April 1913...

, the light cruisers Luigi Cadorna

Italian cruiser Luigi Cadorna

Luigi Cadorna was an Italian light cruiser, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was launched on 30 September 1931. This ship was named after Italian Field Marshal Luigi Cadorna who was commander in Chief of the Italian Army during World War I.During her early service she did...

 and Pompeo Magno and the destroyer Nicoloso da Recco

Navigatori class destroyer

The Navigatori class were a group of Italian destroyers built in 1928-29. These ships were named after Italian explorers. They fought in World War II. Just one unit, the Nicoloso Da Recco, survived the conflict.-Design:...

On 14 September, Howe and King George V escorted surrendered Italian warshipsThese included the battleships Italia

Italian battleship Littorio

|-External links:...

 and Vittorio Veneto

Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto

Vittorio Veneto was the lead ship of her class of battleships that served in the Regia Marina during World War II. She was named after the Italian victory at Vittorio Veneto, during World War I.-Construction:...

, four cruisers, and four destroyers. to Alexandria

Alexandria

Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...

 from Malta. On 1 October, Howe arrived at Algiers, and departed for Scapa Flow to resume duties with the Home Fleet.

Far East

Howe was refitted for service in the Far East

Far East

The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...

 at Plymouth Dockyard between October 1943 and June 1944, then joined the British Eastern Fleet

British Eastern Fleet

The British Eastern Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy which existed from 1941 to 1971...

 at Trincomalee

Trincomalee

Trincomalee is a port city in Eastern Province, Sri Lanka and lies on the east coast of the island, about 113 miles south of Jaffna. It has a population of approximately 100,000 . The city is built on a peninsula, which divides the inner and outer harbours. Overlooking the Kottiyar Bay,...

 on 3 August. She provided protection for Fleet Air Arm

Fleet Air Arm

The Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...

 (FAA) air attacks on targets at Padang

Padang, Indonesia

Padang is the capital and largest city of West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located on the western coast of Sumatra at . It has an area of and a population of over 833,000 people at the 2010 Census.-History:...

 (Operation Banquet) and Sigli

Sigli

Sigli is a town in Aceh province of Indonesia and it is the seat of Pidie Regency.Sigli is locate 112 kilometers from Banda Aceh.SportPersatuan Sepakbola Aceh Pidie is the football club from Sigli....

 (Operation Light) and for a United States Army Air Force (USAAF) air raid on north-west Sumatra (Operation Boomerang).
On 22 November, she joined the British Pacific Fleet

British Pacific Fleet

The British Pacific Fleet was a British Commonwealth naval force which saw action against Japan during World War II. The fleet was composed of British Commonwealth naval vessels. The BPF formally came into being on 22 November 1944...

 (BPF) on its foundation and, on 2 December, became flagship for Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser

Bruce Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape

Admiral of the Fleet Bruce Austin Fraser, 1st Baron Fraser of North Cape GCB, KBE was a senior British admiral during World War II.-Early naval career:Fraser joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet on 15 January 1904...

. Howe and other BPF units left Trincomalee on 4 December, and arrived at Sydney

Sydney

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

 on 18 January 1945. After visiting Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

, New Zealand from 2–10 February, Howe left Sydney with the BPF on 28 February and sailed for the Fleet's Forward Base at Manus

Manus Island

Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...

 in the Admiralty Islands

Admiralty Islands

The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...

. Active service deployment was delayed until 15 March, awaiting formal approval by U.S. Naval Commander-in-Chief Admiral Ernest King

Ernest King

Fleet Admiral Ernest Joseph King was Commander in Chief, United States Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations during World War II. As COMINCH, he directed the United States Navy's operations, planning, and administration and was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was the U.S...

. (King's earlier opposition to the British deployment had been over-ruled by President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...

. In Winston Churchill's words, Roosevelt "intervened to say that the British Fleet was no sooner offered than accepted. In this, though the fact was not mentioned, he overruled Admiral King's opinion".)

The BPF, designated Task Force 57, became part of the predominately U.S. allied naval force supporting the invasion of Okinawa, its specific task being the bombardment of the Sakishima Islands

Sakishima Islands

The are an island chain located at the southernmost end of the Japanese Archipelago. They are part of the Nansei Islands and include the Miyako Islands and the Yaeyama Islands...

 to restrict the passage of Japanese reinforcements (Operation Iceberg I). Howe was on station from 26 March until 25 May, apart from a two-week visit to Leyte

Leyte

Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...

 for repair and replenishment, providing protection for the aircraft carriers whose aircraft were performing raids on Japanese airfields. Howe and other ships were briefly detached on 4 May to bombard Hiara, Miyako-jima

Miyako-jima

Miyakojima is the largest and the most populous island among the Miyako Islands of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It lies approximately 400 kilometres east of Taipei, Taiwan...

 and on one occasion, Howe received a glancing blow from a kamikaze

Kamikaze

The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....

 suicide plane which bounced into the sea before exploding.

On 25 May, the BPF departed for Sydney; Howe was withdrawn from the BPF on their arrival on 5 June. Howe continued to Durban

Durban

Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...

 for a refit, as no suitable facilities were available in Australia, arriving on 27 June. The refit concluded on 10 September, after the end of World War II. Howe was instructed to visit Cape Town

Cape Town

Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...

 before she returned to Britain.

Post war

After the war, the changing character of naval warfare and the expense of battleships led to their demise as active units. Howe became flagship of the Training Squadron at Portland

Isle of Portland

The Isle of Portland is a limestone tied island, long by wide, in the English Channel. Portland is south of the resort of Weymouth, forming the southernmost point of the county of Dorset, England. A tombolo over which runs the A354 road connects it to Chesil Beach and the mainland. Portland and...

 in 1946, and remained in this role until she was reduced to reserve status in 1950. Howe and became headquarters of the Devonport Division, Reserve Fleet

Reserve fleet

A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....

. She was listed for disposal in 1957, together with the other three ships of her class.

Fate

Howe arrived at T. W. Ward's Inverkeithing

Inverkeithing

Inverkeithing is a town and a royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, located on the Firth of Forth. According to population estimates , the town has a population of 5,265. The port town was given burgh status by King David I of Scotland in the 12th century and is situated about 9 miles north from...

 yard for breaking up

Ship breaking

Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...

on 4 June 1958, assisted by the Rosyth dockyard tug Energy. Howe had grounded south of the entrance channel on 2 June and had to wait until the following day before being towed off by the tugs Welshman and Englishman. Another day's delay was incurred by fog. Demolition began on 6 June, and was completed in September 1961. Total sales of scrap and reusable material were £719,810, and the costs incurred in demolishing her were £238,456.

External links

• Maritimequest HMS Howe Photo Gallery