HMS Anson (79)

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Career (UK)
Class and type:	King George V class battleship
Name:	HMS Anson
Builder:	Swan Hunter, Wallsend
Laid down:	20 July 1937
Launched:	24 February 1940
Commissioned:	22 June 1942
Decommissioned:	November 1951
Struck:	18 May 1957
Fate:	Scrapped 1957 at Shipbreaking Industries, Ltd., Faslane, Scotland
General characteristics
Displacement:	36,727 tons standard, 42,076 tons full
Length:	745 ft 1 in (227.1 m) Overall 740 ft 0 in (225.6 m) Waterline
Beam:	103 ft 2 in (31.4 m)
Draught:	34 ft 4 in (10.5 m)
Propulsion:	8 Admiralty 3-drum small-tube boilers 4 sets Parsons geared turbines 4 3-bladed propellers, 14 ft 6 in (4.42 m) diameter 110,300 hp to four shafts (trials)
Speed:	29.25 knots (54 km/h)
Range:	6,000 nautical miles (11,000 km) at 14 knots (26 km/h)
Complement:	1,553-1,558 peacetime 1,900 war
Armament:	(1945): 10 × BL 14 inch /45 (356 mm) Mark VII in 1 twin mounting Mark II and 2 quad mounts Mk. III 16 × QF 5.25 inch /50 (133 mm) Mk. I in 8 twin mounts Mk. I 64 × QF 2 pdr (40 mm) Mk.VIII in 8 octuple mounts Mk. VI 24 × QF 2 pdr (40 mm) Mk. VIII in 6 quad mounts Mk. VII 8 × 40 mm Bofors A/A in 2 quad mounts Mk. I (2 × 4) 16 × 20 mm Oerlikon A/A in 8 twin mounts Mk. V 39 × 20 mm Oerlikon A/A in single mounts Mk. IIIA
Armour:	Main belt: 14.7 in (374 mm) lower belt: 5.4 in (137 mm) deck: up to 5.38 in (136 mm) main turrets: 12.75 in (324 mm) barbettes: 12.75 in (324 mm)
Aircraft carried:	Two Supermarine Walrus seaplanes, one double-ended catapult (removed early 1944)
Motto:	'Nil desperandum' - (One mustn't give up hope)
Notes:	Pennant number 79

HMS Anson was a King George V-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named after Admiral George Anson.

Built at the Swan Hunter shipyard in Wallsend and launched in 1940, the ship was originally to be named Jellicoe, after the Grand Fleet commander at the Battle of Jutland, but she was renamed Anson in February 1940.

Anson saw service in the Second World War, but was the only ship of her class not to fire her guns at an enemy ship. She was scrapped along with the other three survivors of her class in 1957. In 1945 Anson was the flag ship for the 1st battle squadron of the British Pacific Fleet. In 1946 Anson sailed from Sydney to Hobart to collect the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and return them to Sydney.

[edit] External links

• Maritimequest HMS Anson Photo Gallery

v • d • e King George V class battleship King George V · Prince of Wales · Duke of York · Anson · Howe Preceded by:Nelson class · Followed by:Lion class (planned) List of battleships of the Royal Navy