Inter-war service Renown-class battlecruiser

repulse moored @ vancouver during 1923-24 world cruise.

repulse began major refit @ portsmouth on 17 december 1918 intended drastically improve armour protection. existing 6-inch armour belt replaced 9-inch (229 mm) armour plates made surplus conversion of battleship almirante cochrane (originally ordered chile , purchased after war began) aircraft carrier eagle. old armour fitted between main , upper decks, above new armour belt. additional high-tensile plating added decks on magazines. ship s anti-torpedo bulge deepened , reworked along lines of installed on battleship ramillies. bulge covered hull submerged torpedo room y magazine , inner compartments of filled crushing tubes. bulges added 12 feet 8 inches (3.9 m) beam , 1 foot 4 inches (0.4 m) draught. refit added 4,500 long tons (4,600 t) displacement , raised metacentric height 6.4 feet (2.0 m) @ deep load. 3 30-foot rangefinders added 8 torpedo tubes in twin mounts on upper deck. both flying-off platforms removed.

when grand fleet disbanded in april 1919 renown assigned battlecruiser squadron of atlantic fleet. in june refitted in preparation tour of canada, newfoundland , united states edward, prince of wales, , both flying-off platforms removed. january march 1920 renown refitted more extensively royal yacht . aft 4-inch mounting , both 3-inch aa guns removed accommodation , promenade deck built. large deckhouse built on shelter deck between funnels. port side housed squash court while starboard side cinema. ship sailed in march australia , new zealand prince of wales , entourage aboard , made many stops en route. returned portsmouth in october , placed in reserve in november.

renown recommissioned in september 1921 tour of india , japan prince of wales , sailed portsmouth in october. ship arrived in portsmouth in june 1922 , placed in reserve following month. ship began reconstruction same month along lines of sister, although changes made based on experiences repulse. renown s main armour belt removed , new 9-inch belt installed, using remaining plates left on almirante cochrane new armour, installed 3 feet (0.9 m) higher on repulse offset increase in draught. strake of tapered armour fitted underneath main belt deflect shell dived beneath water s surface; 9-inches thick @ top , thinned 2 inches (51 mm) @ bottom. ship s deck armour heavily reinforced adjacent machinery spaces , magazines. 2 longitudinal bulkheads added between upper , main decks ran base of conning tower end of boiler rooms. bulges reworked , based on used in queen elizabeth-class battleships although crushing tubes used abreast magazines. rear triple 4-inch gun mount replaced. flying-off platform on b turret reinstated , high-angle control position (hacp) added fore-top. pair of 3-inch aa guns , 2 single four-inch gun mounts removed , replaced 4 qf four-inch mark v anti-aircraft guns. had maximum depression of -5° , maximum elevation of 80°. fired 31-pound (14 kg) high explosive shell @ muzzle velocity of 2,387 ft/s (728 m/s) @ rate of ten fifteen rounds per minute. guns had maximum ceiling of 31,000 ft (9,400 m), effective range of less. reconstruction added 3,500 long tons (3,600 t) ship s displacement , 3 inches draught.

renown @ fremantle during 1927 cruise australia

repulse recommissioned on 1 january 1921 , joined battlecruiser squadron. in november 1923, hood, accompanied repulse , number of danae-class cruisers of 1st light cruiser squadron, set out on world cruise west east via panama canal. returned home ten months later in september 1924. shortly after return ship s pair of 3-inch aa guns , 2 single four-inch gun mounts removed , replaced 4 qf four-inch mark v aa guns. battlecruiser squadron visited lisbon in february 1925 participate in vasco da gama celebrations before continuing on mediterranean exercises. squash court added on starboard side between funnels prince of wales tour of africa , south america lasted march october. upon return refitted november 1925 july 1926 , had hacp added fore-top.

renown finished reconstruction in september 1926 , assigned battlecruiser squadron until ship detached convey prince albert of york australia between january , july 1927. upon return rejoined atlantic fleet. renown became flagship of bcs when hood refitting between 1929 , 1931. hood reassumed role flagship after recommissioned , renown paid off refit of own. high-angle control system mark fitted director on roof of fore-top replaced high-angle rangefinder , conning tower platform enlarged accommodate pair of mk v octuple mountings qf 2-pounder mk viii gun mk v mounts depress −10° , elevate maximum of 80°. mark viii 2-pounder gun fired 40-millimetre (1.6 in) .91-pound (0.41 kg) shell @ muzzle velocity of 1,920 ft/s (590 m/s) distance of 3,800 yards (3,500 m). gun s rate of fire approximately 96–98 rounds per minute. 1 mount available, however, , it, along director, fitted on starboard side. renown had midships triple 4-inch mount removed make room aircraft catapult not fitted until 1933. port mark v 2-pounder mount fitted, albeit without director, same year. ship carried fairey iii floatplane reconnaissance purposes. flying-off platform removed.

1930s reconstructions

after repulse completed 1926 refit remained in commission, aside brief refit in july–september 1927, bcs of atlantic fleet until paid off in june 1932 prior beginning reconstruction in april 1933. of existing layers of high-tensile steel constituted ship s horizontal armour replaced non-cemented armour plates 2.5–3.5 inches (64–89 mm) in thickness , torpedo control tower removed aft superstructure. fixed catapult replaced midships 4-inch triple mount , hangar built on each side of rear funnel house 2 of ship s fairey iii aircraft. 1 additional aircraft carried on deck , on catapult itself. electric cranes mounted above each hangar handle aircraft. 4 4-inch aa guns moved, 1 pair abreast rear funnel @ level of hangar roof , other pair abreast fore funnel on forecastle deck. 4 prototype qf 4-inch mark xv dual-purpose guns added in twin-gun mark xviii mounts abreast mainmast. 2 octuple mark vi 2-pounder mounts fitted on extensions of conning-tower platform abreast fore funnel. above these pair of quadruple mark ii* mountings 0.5-inch vickers mark iii machine gun added. these mounts depress −10° , elevate maximum of 70°. machine guns fired 1.326-ounce (37.6 g) bullet @ muzzle velocity of 2,520 ft/s (770 m/s). gave gun maximum range of 5,000 yd (4,600 m), although effective range 800 yd (730 m) repulse received 2 hacs directors, 1 mark ii on fore-top , mark i* mounted on pedestal above rear superstructure. 2 submerged torpedo tubes removed , vacant spaces sub-divided , turned store-rooms.

renown began own more thorough reconstruction in september 1936, based on of battleship warspite. superstructure , funnels razed level of upper deck, masts taken out , ship s main , secondary armament removed. large splinter-proof tower superstructure built, topped director-control tower main armament , 2 hacs mark iv directors. armoured hood formerly mounted above conning tower reinstalled on rear superstructure. ship s engines , boilers replaced parsons geared turbine sets , 8 admiralty three-drum boilers. saved 2,800 long tons (2,800 t) of weight , allowed 2 forward boiler rooms converted 4.5-inch (110 mm) magazines , other uses. renown s deck protection upgraded adding non-cemented armour had not been added earlier , protecting new 4.5-inch magazines. in repulse hangars built abreast rear funnel , catapult fitted between rear funnel , aft superstructure.

the ship s 15-inch gun turrets modified mark (n) standard elevation increased 30°. twenty dual-purpose qf 4.5-inch mark iii guns in twin bd mark ii mountings replaced of 4-inch guns. 6 of gun turrets, 3 on each side, abreast forward funnel while remaining 4 mounted on abreast main mast. bd mark ii mounts had elevation limits of −5° +80°. mark iii gun fired 55-pound (25 kg) high explosive shell @ muzzle velocity of 2,350 ft/s (720 m/s). rate of fire 12 rounds per minute. had maximum effective ceiling of 41,000 ft (12,000 m). guns controlled 4 dual-purpose mark iv directors, 2 mounted on rear of bridge structure , remaining 2 on aft superstructure. fed tracking data hacs mark iv analog computer high-angle targets , admiralty fire control clock mark vii low-angle targets. each gun provided 400 round of ammunition. 3 octuple mark vi 2-pounder mounts fitted, 2 on platform between funnels , third @ rear of aft superstructure. each provided mark iii* director. 4 quadruple vickers .50-calibre mark iii mounts added, 2 each on forward , rear superstructures. submerged torpedo tubes removed , 8 above-water torpedo tubes added.

repulse departing singapore on 8 december 1941

repulse assigned mediterranean fleet when recommissioned in april 1936. transported 500 refugees palma, majorca marseilles, france in late 1936 after start of spanish civil war. ship present @ coronation fleet review @ spithead on 20 may 1937 george vi. repulse sent haifa in july 1938 maintain order during arab revolt. selected convey king , queen during may 1939 canadian tour , refitted between october 1938 , march 1939 role. twin 4-inch aa guns replaced 2 more mark v guns , 2 additional quadruple .50-calibre mounts added. king , queen traveled aboard liner rms empress of australia while repulse escorted them on first half of journey.