Second World War HMS Renown (1916)

hms renown in august, 1945

renown recommissioned on 28 august 1939 part of home fleet. sister, spent september patrolling in north sea, transferred force k in south atlantic in october search pocket battleship admiral graf spee. ship joined force h @ cape of hope in november prevent admiral graf spee breaking south atlantic. unsuccessful in this, sank blockade runner ss watussi on 2 december. remained in south atlantic after admiral graf spee scuttled on 13 december , did not return home fleet until march 1940. ship became flagship of battlecruiser squadron when hood paid off refit month. renown supported british forces during norwegian campaign , engaged german battleships scharnhorst , gneisenau on 9 april. renown spotted germans ships , fired first, hit first 2 28-centimetre (11 in) shells damaged her. few minutes later hit gneisenau 1 15-inch , 2 4.5-inch shells knocked out ship s main fire-control director , damaged rangefinder on turret. german ships faster renown in heavy weather , able disengage after 90 minutes. renown expended 230 rounds main armament , 1065 rounds secondary armament during engagement. ship under repair 20 april 18 may , provided cover during evacuation norway in june. renown transferred force h @ gibraltar in august , relieved hood flagship.

in november 1940 force h covered small aircraft carrier hms argus flew off hurricane fighters bound malta position south of sardinia. later month force h participated in inconclusive battle of cape spartivento. renown bombarded genoa on 9 february 1941 little effect. force h escorted convoys both inside , outside mediterranean in march–may 1941 before being summoned atlantic search german battleship bismarck. ship intercepted german supply ship gonzenheim, had been intended resupply bismarck, on 4 june. renown , force h escorted convoy malta in july , ship returned home repairs starboard bulge next month. while exact dates not known, ship received variety of radars in 1941, possibly during refit. these included type 284 radar surface gunnery control, type 285 anti-aircraft gunnery radar, type 281 air warning radar , type 271 surface search radar. 2 quadruple pom-pom mounts fitted on top of b turret. renown transferred home fleet in november when repairs complete , became deputy fleet flagship when duke of york detached take winston churchill arcadia conference in washington, d.c. on 9 december. provided cover inbound , outbound convoys soviet union in march 1942. renown relieved flagship duke of york on 3 april, became flagship of force w formed escort carriers carrying fighters flown-off malta in april–may. renown rejoined home fleet once missions completed, transferred force h in october 1942 participate in operation torch. covered invasion , follow-up convoys against interference french or italian fleets.

hms renown operating valiant (right distance) , french battleship richelieu (left distance) in indian ocean, 12 may 1944

renown returned britain refit february june 1943; catapult , aircraft removed while hangar converted laundry , cinema. furthermore, received total of 72 oerlikon 20 mm light aa guns in 23 twin mounts , 26 single mounts fitted between july 1942 , august 1943. in january 1944 quadruple pom-pom mounting placed on roof of b turret , 20mm guns there re-sited elsewhere. additional light aa directors type 282 radars fitted during time. ship brought winston churchill , staff quebec conference in september , conveyed them cairo conference in november. rejoined home fleet in december, in time transferred eastern fleet few weeks later. renown arrived in colombo @ end of january 1944 became flagship of 1st battle squadron. in april participated in operation cockpit, air strike against port , oil facilities on sabang, off island of sumatra. ship bombarded japanese-occupied facilities on car nicobar in nicobar islands , port blair in andaman islands on 30 april – 1 may. renown supported air strike against surabaya, java (operation transom) on 17 may follow-on attack against port blair on 21 june. after air strike on 25 july on sabang ship bombarded city. bombarded facilities in nicobar islands 17–19 october. on 22 november renown replaced flagship hms queen elizabeth , ship began refit @ durban december february 1945. recalled in march lest remaining german heavy ships make final sortie , reached rosyth on 15 april. given brief refit when concern proved illusory , placed in reserve in may 1945. renown partially disarmed in july when 6 of 4.5-inch turrets removed of light guns. ship hosted meeting between king george vi , president truman on 3 august when latter en route home aboard heavy cruiser uss augusta. decision dispose of ship announced on 21 january 1948 , towed faslane scrapping on 3 august. last of admiral jackie fisher s battlecruisers see scrapyard, outlasting furious days.

president harry s. truman , king george vi on quarterdeck of hms renown president had lunch king. president truman preparing leave england on uss augusta after attending potsdam conference in germany. augusta can seen in background. (national archives , records administration)