HMS Valiant
| Type | Battleship |
|---|---|
| Class | Queen Elizabeth |
| Wars | First World War, Second World War |
| Main guns | 4 × twin 15 in (381 mm) guns |
Refits
| 1937–1939 | Rebuilt: new engines and boilers, a tower bridge, thicker deck armour, twenty 4.5-inch dual-purpose guns, and more elevation for her 15-inch guns. |
Fought at Jutland. Rebuilt between the wars; at Mers-el-Kébir, and her radar found the Italian cruisers at Matapan. Sunk at her moorings in Alexandria by Italian human torpedoes in December 1941, raised, and back in action for Sicily and Salerno.
Armament and specifications
Armament
- 4 × twin 15 in (381 mm) guns
- 14 × single 6 in (152 mm) guns
- 2 × single 3 in (76 mm) AA guns
- 4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
Armour
- Waterline belt: 13 in (330 mm)
- Deck: 1–3 in (25–76 mm)
- Barbettes: 7–10 in (178–254 mm)
- Gun turrets: 11–13 in (279–330 mm)
- Conning tower: 13 in (330 mm)
| Builder | Fairfields, Govan |
|---|---|
| Laid down | 31 January 1913 |
| Launched | 4 November 1914 |
| Commissioned | 19 February 1916 |
| Displacement | 32,590 long tons (33,113 t) 33,260 long tons (33,794 t) (Deep load) |
| Length | 639 ft 9 in (195 m) |
| Speed | 24 knots (44 km/h; 28 mph) |
| Complement | 919 (1915) 1,218 (1919) |
As built, from the ship's Wikipedia article. Figures there may cover later refits too.
Career
Launched
4 November 1914
31 May – 1 June 1916 · First World War
3 July 1940 · Second World War
27–29 March 1941 · Second World War
Her radar found the Italian cruisers
20 May – 1 June 1941 · Second World War
22 May
25 November 1941 · Second World War
Next astern; tried to ram U-331 when she broke surface
19 December 1941 · Second World War
Settled on the bottom
Fate
Sold for scrap, 19 March 1948