Evening star., 1941-05-25
Hood Was Largest
Warship in World;
Ruled Sea Il Years
Career Was Marked by
One Collision and
Rumors of Mutiny

N@utSIS W fNthtIuy
By the Associated Press.
To the cheers of a proud nation,
the British battle cruiser Hood, an
admiral's pennant flying smartly
from her highest staff and her
mighty guns glistening in the SUM-
light, slid out to sea from Glasgow,
Scotland, March S, 1920 as a SYM
Dol of Great Britain's mastery of
the seas.
For 81 years this 42,100-ton giant
the largest warship af1oat-toured
the sea lanes of the world. She
visited the far-f1ung ports of the
British Empire on missions that
made for empire solidarity and she
visited the ports of many other
nations as an emissary of good will
and a reminder of Britain's might.
Now, after an eventful, colorful
career and at time when Britain
had dire need for her might and
power, the ship is on the bottom of
the turbulent North Atlantic. a
broken, battered hulk-the victim
of the newer but less weighty 35,-
000-ton German battleship Bis
marck.
An admirals pennant still waved
from the gigantic sea queens high
est staff when she sank-the pen
nant of Vice Admiral L. E. Holland,
who, with the Hoods commander,
Capt. R. Kerr. and perhaps all of
the 1,341-man crew, presumably
went down with her.
Was Laid Down in 1916.
The Hood, along with the Anson,
Howe and Rodney, was laid down in
1916. as the first of a class of
42,l00-ton ships. The AnSon, Howe
and Rodney were discontinued after
the World War armistice in 1918,
but construction of the Hood con-
tinued with the British determined
to place at least one superdread-
naught on the seas.
BY 1918 her hull was completed
and she was launched, but con-
struction continued for two more
years and special changes were made
to comply with the lessons learned in
the famous battle of Jutland. Her
armor was increased and when she
finally put to sea as the flagship of
the fleet, in succession to the H. M
S. Queen Elizabeth, her armor was
generally thought a safe bulwark
against any kind of attack
For 562 feet along the sides of this
660-foot battle cruiser there was
solid steel a foot thick and over nine
feet deep. There was an inner bar
rier of 9-inch armor plate and spe-
cial armor bulges to protect her
lower regions from submarine attack
Her turrets and superstructure were
heavily guarded and special protec-
ton was given her magazines and
engine rooms.
From the day she first took to
water until 1885, Capt. F. T. B.
Tower was her commanding officer
and for many years she flew the
pennant of Rear Admiral S. R.
Bailey.
Visited San Francisco.
In 1922 this s3O,000,oO0 warship
visited South America and in 1924
she proudly sailed through the
Golden Gate and dropped anchor at
San Francisco.
Her visit to San Francisco in ad-
dition to giving Americans their
first look at the largest fighting ship
In the world, was marked by Ma
tlon-wide interest in the question
OF whether the reception would be
wet or dry"
prohibition was the law in those
DAYS and the Hood, in the tradition
OF the British Navy, carried her full
supply of rum. All reports of the
colorful reception. however, indi-
Gated that it was in fact dry"
On July 7, 1924, the great ship,
a tour of the British En-
plre, passed through the Panama
Canal-a tight squeeze for which
the British government paid
record toll of S22,4OO.
After two-year reconditioning
period, during which aircraft and
aircraft catapults were added to her
striking power, the Hood was re-
commissioned in 1881 and resumed
her regular patrols, mainly in the
Mediterranean and South Atlantic
areas.
Rumors of Mutiny.
At one time during 1888 there
were rumors of mutiny aboard the
vessel, but those rumors were spiked
quickly by the Admiralty, which ex-
planned that the ''mutiny" amounted
only to a burlesque-like sham battle
staged by the Hoods sailors.
On January %. 1885, came one of |
the most eventful moments in the |
Hoods career before the present
war.
The British fleet was maneuvering
OH the coast of Spain under the |
command of Rear Admiral Bailey. |
During the maneuvers the Hood |
and the battleship Renown collided. |
Neither was seriously damaged |
both later were dry-docked |
for repairs, but the repercussions
OAAi VIZ 4IlS4IICllO was VI WOTlQ-WlOP |
For the first time since the World |
War a high ranking British Navy
officer was court-martialed In ira
ditional style, Admiral Bailey went |
before the naval court and submit
ted his sword
The evidence was heard, and after
the court had deliberated Admiral |
Bailey returned to the courtroom
to find his sword on the table, its
hilt pointed toward him-a sign that
the court had acquitted him of hav-
Ing hazarded two great ships.
Capt. Tower, who later became a
rear admiral, also was found inno-
cent, but Capt. H. R. Sawbridge of
the Renown was found guilty and
nf hi