HMS Nelson

HMS Nelson is a battleship built for the Royal Navy in the 1920s. It was the first ship of its class designed to meet the limits set by the Washington Naval Treaty. The battleship entered service in 1927 and spent much of its early years as a fleet flagship. During the Second World War it escorted convoys to Malta and supported landings in North Africa and Italy. Later it provided gunfire support during the Normandy landings before being damaged by a mine. The ship carried nine 16-inch guns in three forward turrets and twelve 6-inch guns in twin turrets aft. Its armour belt was up to 14 inches thick and the main turrets had 16-inch faces. The battleship displaced over 33,000 tonnes and had a crew of more than 1,300 officers and ratings. It reached a speed of 23 knots on trials and could cruise for 7,000 nautical miles at 16 knots. Visitors find a large warship with three massive gun turrets grouped at the bow. The armoured belt and thick turret faces remain visible along the hull. The bridge structure shows the positions of the main and secondary directors used to control the guns. The ship’s size and layout illustrate the engineering of the 1920s, when designers balanced firepower and treaty limits.