HMS Hood Mk 1 15″/42 Gun Turret B.

Royal Navy Admiral Class Battlecruiser built and engined in Clydebank by Messrs John Brown & Co Ltd. Laid down in September 1916 and launched in August 1918, HOOD was the largest warship afloat when commissioned on May 15th 1920, retaining that distinction for the next twenty years.

HOOD was armed with eight 15in 42-calibre Mk I guns in four twin turrets in superfiring position, designated A, B, X, and Y from bow to stern. Turret B was located on the fo’c’s’le deck, The turrets were hydraulically powered and could elevate to 30° and depress to -5°. The rate of fire for each turret was 2 rounds per minute, for a total of 8 rounds per minute for the entire ship.

The gun turrets on HOOD were some of the most powerful and advanced in the world at the time of their construction. They were a major factor in the ship’s reputation as one of the most formidable warships in the world. However, they were also a major weakness. The turrets were relatively slow to traverse, and vulnerable to plunging fire from enemy battleships. This vulnerability was ultimately exploited by the German battleship BISMARCK, which sank HOOD in the Battle of the Denmark Strait on May 24th 1941.

1 bow turret c.1941. Choice of 2 markings. L: 520mm. Base included.