The designs for the ‘King George V’ class of battleships were constrained by many compromises, including economic constraints, but particularly by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. The result was, however, that five new capital ships were fitting out in the early years of World War II. The ‘Prince of Wales’ - with construction workers still aboard - was seriously damaged after intercepting the new German battleship, ‘Bismarck’. The ‘King George V’ played a major role in the sinking of the ‘Bismarck’ and the ‘Duke of York’ was primarily responsible for the destruction of the battlecruiser ‘Scharnhorst’ in 1943. The ‘Prince of Wales’ was later sunk by Japanese aircraft in the Pacific but the other four ships survived the War, to be scrapped in the late 1950s.
This model represents the ‘Duke of York’ in 1945 and is at the request of Yellow -13.
For a flyaround of the model, click View/Animation/Play.
#ship, #battleship, #armament, #war, #guns, #navy, #British
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