HMS Incomparable
Encyclopedia
HMS Incomparable was the name given by Admiral "Jackie" Fisher to a proposal for a very large battlecruiser
which was suggested in 1915. It never entered the design stage nor came close to being built.
Fisher had long been an advocate of improving technology to maintain Britain
's naval superiority. At the beginning of the 20th century he had masterminded the introduction of the dreadnought
type of battleship and its faster cousin, the battlecruiser
. At the start of World War I
, Fisher returned to the office of First Sea Lord
. Here he oversaw the development of vessels which took the battlecruiser concept to extremes.
Favouring an assault on the Baltic
coast of Germany, three "large light cruisers" were built. These ships would have to have a relatively shallow draft but, while mounting large guns, would have carried less armour than ships of the battle line. The last of these, HMS Furious
, was intended to carry two 18-inch guns, far larger and more powerful than the 15-inch weapons that were standard on the Queen Elizabeth and Revenge class battleships, and the two Renown class battlecruisers; at the same time her deck and belt armour was at best only 3 inches thick, not really capable of standing up to the guns of even a light cruiser
.
Incomparable was suggested up as the logical conclusion of this trend. By the standards of her time, she would have been a mammoth vessel. Her intended displacement of 48,000 tons dwarfed the newly built Revenge class battleship
s (28,000 tons). No British battleship or battlecruiser would be built of that displacement until HMS Vanguard
, which was completed after World War II
.
This large hull was intended to accommodate monstrous engines and armament and sufficient fuel to give a prodigious range. The 20-inch guns which were planned for Incomparable are bigger than the largest guns ever installed on a warship (the 18.1-inch guns of Yamato
): 20-inch guns were only ever used on paper. The 18 inch gun tested on Furious was used on monitors during the war. Just as remarkable as the firepower intended was the speed of the ship: if Incomparable had been capable of the 35 knots intended, she would have been faster than almost any battleship or battlecruiser built historically, and indeed faster than many cruiser
s or destroyer
s.
She was expected to have a life span of no more than 10 years; Fisher expected her design to be quickly surpassed.
The tactical value of Incomparable is dubious. Her construction would have been a very large expense, and her armour relatively weak. The Royal Navy
's experience at the Battle of Jutland
in 1916, where three of Fisher's battlecruisers were destroyed, resulted in a decisive turn away from the 'large light cruiser' concept and towards the 'fast battleship'. The subsequent design of battlecruiser, the "Admiral" class
, ended up incorporating much heavier armour but retained the proven 15-inch guns. The following class intended (but also never built), based on the 'G3' design
, was a battlecruiser only in relation to the paired N3 battleship. It is therefore untrue to say that Incomparable, or a ship like her, would have been built had Britain not signed the Washington Naval Treaty
.
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
which was suggested in 1915. It never entered the design stage nor came close to being built.
Fisher had long been an advocate of improving technology to maintain Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
's naval superiority. At the beginning of the 20th century he had masterminded the introduction of the dreadnought
Dreadnought
The dreadnought was the predominant type of 20th-century battleship. The first of the kind, the Royal Navy's had such an impact when launched in 1906 that similar battleships built after her were referred to as "dreadnoughts", and earlier battleships became known as pre-dreadnoughts...
type of battleship and its faster cousin, the battlecruiser
Battlecruiser
Battlecruisers were large capital ships built in the first half of the 20th century. They were developed in the first decade of the century as the successor to the armoured cruiser, but their evolution was more closely linked to that of the dreadnought battleship...
. At the start of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Fisher returned to the office of First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
. Here he oversaw the development of vessels which took the battlecruiser concept to extremes.
Favouring an assault on the Baltic
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
coast of Germany, three "large light cruisers" were built. These ships would have to have a relatively shallow draft but, while mounting large guns, would have carried less armour than ships of the battle line. The last of these, HMS Furious
HMS Furious (47)
HMS Furious was a modified cruiser built for the Royal Navy during the First World War. Designed to support the Baltic Project championed by the First Sea Lord of the Admiralty, Lord John Fisher, they were very lightly armoured and armed with only a few heavy guns. Furious was modified while...
, was intended to carry two 18-inch guns, far larger and more powerful than the 15-inch weapons that were standard on the Queen Elizabeth and Revenge class battleships, and the two Renown class battlecruisers; at the same time her deck and belt armour was at best only 3 inches thick, not really capable of standing up to the guns of even a light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
.
Incomparable was suggested up as the logical conclusion of this trend. By the standards of her time, she would have been a mammoth vessel. Her intended displacement of 48,000 tons dwarfed the newly built Revenge class battleship
Revenge class battleship
The Revenge class battleships were five battleships of the Royal Navy, ordered as World War I loomed on the horizon, and launched in 1914–1916...
s (28,000 tons). No British battleship or battlecruiser would be built of that displacement until HMS Vanguard
HMS Vanguard (23)
HMS Vanguard was a British fast battleship built during World War II and commissioned after the end of the war. She was the only ship of her class and was the biggest, fastest and last of the Royal Navy's dreadnoughts, and the final battleship to be launched in the world...
, which was completed after 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...
.
This large hull was intended to accommodate monstrous engines and armament and sufficient fuel to give a prodigious range. The 20-inch guns which were planned for Incomparable are bigger than the largest guns ever installed on a warship (the 18.1-inch guns of Yamato
Japanese battleship Yamato
, named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing...
): 20-inch guns were only ever used on paper. The 18 inch gun tested on Furious was used on monitors during the war. Just as remarkable as the firepower intended was the speed of the ship: if Incomparable had been capable of the 35 knots intended, she would have been faster than almost any battleship or battlecruiser built historically, and indeed faster than many cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s or destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
s.
She was expected to have a life span of no more than 10 years; Fisher expected her design to be quickly surpassed.
The tactical value of Incomparable is dubious. Her construction would have been a very large expense, and her armour relatively weak. 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...
's experience 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...
in 1916, where three of Fisher's battlecruisers were destroyed, resulted in a decisive turn away from the 'large light cruiser' concept and towards the 'fast battleship'. The subsequent design of battlecruiser, the "Admiral" class
Admiral class battlecruiser
The Admiral-class battlecruisers were a class of four British Royal Navy battlecruisers designed near the end of World War I. Their design began as a improved version of the s, but it was recast as a battlecruiser after Admiral John Jellicoe, commander of the Grand Fleet, pointed out that there was...
, ended up incorporating much heavier armour but retained the proven 15-inch guns. The following class intended (but also never built), based on the 'G3' design
G3 battlecruiser
The G3 battlecruisers were a class of battlecruisers planned by the Royal Navy after the end of World War I in response to naval expansion programs by the United States and Japan. The four ships of this class would have been larger, faster and more heavily-armed than any existing battleship...
, was a battlecruiser only in relation to the paired N3 battleship. It is therefore untrue to say that Incomparable, or a ship like her, would have been built had Britain not signed 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...
.
External links
- http://www.bobhenneman.info/incomparablehistory.htm