1920's to 1930s in photographs

  At over 40,000 tons (the current Ark Royal is 20,000 tons) HMS HOOD was a massive ship. In the 1920 and for most of the 1930's she was the biggest warship afloat and the pride of the British Navy. For twenty years, she hardly ever fired a shot in anger and spent all her days showing the world the might and power of the Royal Navy. She was admired by millions, feared by thousands, and loved by hundreds of people/sailors.

  At her demise in May 1941, people around the world, including our enemies, were shocked at the lucky few shots which blew her to pieces. Her assailant, the Bismarck, was young and Hood was old, manifest in the technology and protection built into Bismarck which was lacking in Hood, even though she had been modified several times between her build in 1918 and the start of WW2 in 1939. Even when giving credit to the Bismarck for using her excellent modern systems with great skill, it has to be recognised that a more modern ship with better deck-armour would not have succumbed to these hits in the way Hood did. The loss of life was terrible; too many for the heart and head to understand and to cope with, leaving just three survivors out of a crew of over 1400 men.

HMS Hood in roughers.			HMS Hood - Divers over.		HMS Hood - Royal Marines and their 'X' Turret.		A Whaler's Crew.
A Whaler.			HMS Hood - away sea boats crew.		A Cutter.		HMS Hood - part of her ship's company.
HMS Hood Warrant Officers.			HMS Hood - Sod's Opera.		HMS Hood - the weather has got up.		HMS Hood - 15-inch shells a plenty.
A lighter alongside full of shells.			HMS Hood - Starboard Battery.		HMS Hood - bringing in the paravane.		HMS Hood - firing at a battle pracice target.
HMS Hood - Ginger the ship's cat.			HMS Hood - Hands to bathe Starboard side.		HMS Hood - making smoke at speed.		HMS Hood - passing The Hard.
HMS Hood - a Pom Pom mounting comes aboard.			HMS Hood - smoke screen.		HMS Hood - saying goodbye to the Skipper.		HMS Hood - taking off a 5.5 inch gun.
HMS Hood - the weather is getting up.			HMS Hood - with a drop of real roughers.		HMS Hood - goodbye to that gun.		HMS Hood - loading 15-inch shells.