HMS Warspite was laid down in Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth in 1915 & launched into the River Tamar in 1916. Under Capt. Edward Phillpotts, she was one of five Queen Elizabeth-class battleships, designed to counter fast German battleships. She measured 639 ft (195 m), with a crew of about 995 to 1200.
Warspite’s initial armament: eight 15-inch guns, 14 single 6-inch guns, two 3-inch anti-aircraft guns, and four 21-inch torpedo tubes. Known as one of the most powerful super-dreadnoughts, she entered WWI, proving her might at the Battle of Jutland.
At Jutland, Warspite struck the German battlecruiser Von der Tann before taking a stray shell that damaged her steering. Hit 150 times, with 14 crew killed, she escaped German U-boats en route to Rosyth. She later helped escort the surrendered High Seas Fleet in 1918.
In peacetime (1919–1939), Warspite joined the 2nd Battle Squadron of the Atlantic Fleet, reinforcing British naval dominance. After a collision with a Romanian passenger ship, she underwent minor repairs. However, a major reconstruction took place between 1934 and 1937,
WWII brought Warspite to the Battles of Narvik, destroying several German ships. In 1940, she fought at the Battle of Calabria, making history with the longest-range gunnery hit on the Italian battleship Giulio Cesare—26 km away!
During the Battle of Cape Matapan in 1941, Warspite played a key role, assisting in the sinking of Italian cruisers Fiume and Zara. As a floating anti-aircraft battery in Crete, she survived a direct bomb hit, killing 38 crew and causing severe damage.
Repaired in the U.S., Warspite returned to join the Allied invasions of Sicily and Italy in 1943. She covered the landings at Salerno and defended against German air attacks, sustaining another hit from an early type of guided missile that left her severely damaged. She then underwent repairs in Malta, Gibraltar, and Rosyth.
By 1944, Warspite’s final wartime mission was supporting D-Day. She supported the British landings at Sword Beach, and bombarded German positions at Utah and Gold, then went back for repairs after striking a mine. She later shelled German positions in Brest & Walcheren.
After WWII, Warspite’s role was over. Despite proposals to preserve her, she was scrapped in 1947. After a stormy last voyage and grounding, she was dismantled where she lay in Prussia Cove. The end for the “Grand Old Lady” of the Royal Navy.
Olivier Goossens
Heart of Oak 
Leave a comment