Meta tags:
Headings (most frequently used words):
hms, prince, of, wales, 53, contents, construction, description, operational, service, refits, references, external, links, armament, action, with, bismarck, atlantic, charter, meeting, mediterranean, duty, far, east, aftermath, the, wreck, replica, bell, for, successor, notes, citations, bibliography, web,
Text of the page (most frequently used words):
the (393), and (173), prince (109), wales (109), was (88), hms (67), uss (62), were (39), her (36), dec (33), with (30), ship (30), 1941 (29), that (27), from (26), ships (26), for (26), had (25), #bismarck (24), aircraft (23), she (23), hood (22), edit (22), repulse (20), reef (20), naval (20), inch (20), may (19), george (19), this (18), world (18), war (18), king (18), class (18), marine (18), 000 (18), guns (18), british (17), diving (17), japanese (17), island (17), garzke (17), battleships (16), december (16), retrieved (16), battleship (16), wreck (15), national (15), hmas (15), royal (15), park (15), after (15), isbn (15), fire (15), port (14), navy (14), two (14), first (14), underwater (13), sites (13), damage (13), force (13), maru (12), but (12), one (12), attack (12), main (12), german (12), sunk (11), john (11), bay (11), battle (11), history (11), added (11), type (11), feet (11), shell (11), range (11), tons (11), long (10), october (10), sea (10), dive (10), uscgc (10), loss (10), sinking (10), cammell (10), laird (10), being (10), not (10), been (10), could (10), degrees (10), under (9), blue (9), hole (9), new (9), hmcs (9), august (9), torpedo (9), churchill (9), march (9), bell (9), during (9), made (9), only (9), down (9), 104 (9), wikipedia (8), september (8), description (8), protected (8), wrecks (8), water (8), cave (8), city (8), admiral (8), second (8), other (8), archived (8), report (8), london (8), chesneau (8), original (8), pdf (8), their (8), which (8), radar (8), later (8), air (8), when (8), side (8), turret (8), action (8), atlantic (8), shipwrecks (7), south (7), singapore (7), 1939 (7), shaft (7), captain (7), area (7), islands (7), crew (7), admiralty (7), july (7), com (7), service (7), while (7), both (7), they (7), there (7), yards (7), gun (7), knots (7), treaty (7), search (6), all (6), 2011 (6), military (6), list (6), january (6), june (6), armour (6), institute (6), press (6), construction (6), 2023 (6), replica (6), carrier (6), shp (6), power (6), still (6), over (6), aft (6), 56000 (6), 47833 (6), out (6), flooding (6), anti (6), scored (6), hits (6), six (6), three (6), causing (6), deck (6), 100 (6), eight (6), opened (6), destroyers (6), starboard (6), turn (6), prinz (6), eugen (6), armament (6), toggle (5), contact (5), page (5), links (5), united (5), built (5), maritime (5), spring (5), sistema (5), charter (5), point (5), cruiser (5), cape (5), rock (5), november (5), maryland (5), york (5), stern (5), hull (5), 2012 (5), denlay (5), expedition (5), kevin (5), architects (5), pacificwrecks (5), several (5), part (5), its (5), also (5), however (5), propeller (5), then (5), heavy (5), before (5), attacked (5), hit (5), leach (5), 500 (5), below (5), arrived (5), would (5), days (5), battlecruiser (5), article (5), ordered (5), fuel (5), turrets (5), twin (5), table (4), contents (4), view (4), about (4), commons (4), wikidata (4), wayback (4), short (4), kingdom (4), recreational (4), cove (4), quarry (4), deep (4), training (4), great (4), william (4), robert (4), rms (4), president (4), sms (4), home (4), general (4), sanctuary (4), scapa (4), flow (4), museum (4), jetty (4), hnlms (4), boat (4), operation (4), 2009 (4), reports (4), bucknill (4), survey (4), news (4), analysis (4), vol (4), 978 (4), close (4), annapolis (4), 1945 (4), rohwer (4), raven (4), roberts (4), death (4), have (4), britain (4), 2020 (4), historic (4), 2024 (4), chinese (4), imarest (4), denmark (4), strait (4), steam (4), designed (4), pom (4), rosyth (4), commissioned (4), used (4), birkenhead (4), presented (4), reported (4), kuantan (4), time (4), room (4), upside (4), capital (4), than (4), role (4), early (4), further (4), torpedoes (4), exploded (4), struck (4), caused (4), through (4), off (4), intercept (4), became (4), mediterranean (4), roosevelt (4), aboard (4), conference (4), forward (4), laid (4), operational (4), boiler (4), full (4), four (4), salvo (4), bow (4), between (4), oil (4), less (4), per (4), 600 (4), mph (4), hide (4), move (4), sidebar (4), site (3), wikimedia (3), use (3), link (3), dates (3), articles (3), english (3), good (3), china (3), incidents (3), org (3), portal (3), related (3), centre (3), abyss (3), lake (3), devil (3), punta (3), regions (3), wisconsin (3), hmnzs (3), sas (3), express (3), lady (3), state (3), san (3), coast (3), town (3), gibraltar (3), martin (3), reserve (3), 1940 (3), machine (3), media (3), revised (3), adm (3), committee (3), protection (3), remains (3), act (3), 1986 (3), 2001 (3), dulin (3), 2021 (3), job (3), 2007 (3), third (3), bibliography (3), konstam (3), vulnerable (3), did (3), campbell (3), design (3), chuan (3), hong (3), looting (3), 2014 (3), 2022 (3), metal (3), society (3), engineers (3), forensics (3), 103 (3), sustained (3), 227 (3), 110 (3), references (3), pdr (3), location (3), refits (3), successor (3), based (3), most (3), officer (3), waters (3), subsequently (3), among (3), number (3), meeting (3), into (3), along (3), length (3), sir (3), open (3), attempted (3), casualties (3), dropped (3), radars (3), aftermath (3), bomb (3), bombs (3), near (3), few (3), phillips (3), destroyer (3), again (3), degree (3), took (3), began (3), despite (3), malaya (3), sighted (3), convoys (3), provided (3), fleet (3), day (3), docked (3), cruisers (3), convoy (3), italian (3), malta (3), 133 (3), repairs (3), board (3), newfoundland (3), augusta (3), his (3), bilge (3), until (3), killed (3), 300 (3), suffolk (3), belt (3), salvoes (3), minute (3), boilers (3), due (3), ten (3), because (3), 200 (3), course (3), beam (3), speed (3), mounted (3), quadruple (3), carried (3), viii (3), 356 (3), shipyard (3), tests (3), 1937 (3), these (3), tools (3), subsection (3), languages (2), privacy (2), policy (2), terms (2), using (2), last (2), categories (2), category (2), cs1 (2), url (2), coordinates (2), pages (2), malaysia (2), river (2), https (2), index (2), title (2), wall (2), scuba (2), low (2), pier (2), vortex (2), ponds (2), dutch (2), springs (2), utah (2), freshwater (2), throat (2), sur (2), western (2), red (2), warrior (2), thomas (2), grove (2), samuel (2), adelaide (2), rondo (2), rochester (2), queen (2), niagara (2), usat (2), maori (2), mayflower (2), hermes (2), haven (2), ward (2), david (2), atlanta (2), shipwreck (2), rocks (2), thunder (2), mountain (2), porteau (2), provincial (2), pearl (2), heritage (2), edmonds (2), calve (2), rapid (2), artificial (2), light (2), french (2), poor (2), bohol (2), osprey (2), neptune (2), barrier (2), cozumel (2), bunaken (2), apo (2), aliwal (2), shoal (2), 1942 (2), absaroka (2), thracian (2), sealion (2), thresher (2), awazisan (2), date (2), connecticut (2), empire (2), patrol (2), 127 (2), penguin (2), west (2), vanguard (2), nelson (2), photos (2), halberd (2), has (2), external (2), staff (2), 2nd (2), 234 (2), 509 (2), 2008 (2), designation (2), current (2), lower (2), indentation (2), web (2), tarrant (2), 1991 (2), arms (2), 59114 (2), alan (2), 87021 (2), technical (2), battlecruisers (2), 1946 (2), rasor (2), 160 (2), publishing (2), www (2), 2004 (2), 1980 (2), dull (2), roger (2), conway (2), fighting (2), 1922 (2), weapons (2), electra (2), brown (2), 1995 (2), surface (2), warships (2), polaris (2), presents (2), newest (2), grady (2), usni (2), suspected (2), raiding (2), detained (2), including (2), salvage (2), concerned (2), daily (2), telegraph (2), scrap (2), rina (2), institution (2), sname (2), association (2), 180 (2), 177 (2), 228 (2), 284 (2), citations (2), 230 (2), rpm (2), notes (2), removed (2), barrelled (2), 271 (2), poms (2), projectors (2), 285 (2), 282 (2), career (2), bring (2), portsmouth (2), dockyard (2), able (2), modern (2), done (2), liverpool (2), damaged (2), passing (2), same (2), back (2), region (2), conducted (2), findings (2), considerable (2), paper (2), drawn (2), renamed (2), subsequent (2), outer (2), high (2), taking (2), entire (2), way (2), engine (2), just (2), divers (2), display (2), lies (2), 223 (2), seen (2), solely (2), harbinger (2), diminishing (2), play (2), warfare (2), factors (2), depriving (2), another (2), led (2), many (2), electrical (2), left (2), crews (2), trained (2), fourth (2), developed (2), sank (2), hitting (2), catapult (2), penetrated (2), where (2), rivets (2), abandon (2), brief (2), complement (2), 612 (2), avoided (2), system (2), control (2), soon (2), bombers (2), plating (2), nells (2), seven (2), minutes (2), transports (2), evening (2), raf (2), signal (2), received (2), submarine (2), troop (2), effect (2), approaching (2), though (2), escort (2), next (2), flagship (2), indomitable (2), far (2), east (2), group (2), vice (2), twelve (2), without (2), arriving (2), rodney (2), duty (2), prime (2), minister (2), across (2), five (2), played (2), escorted (2), placentia (2), meet (2), continued (2), potomac (2), winston (2), dry (2), found (2), above (2), keel (2), pumped (2), ballistic (2), cap (2), astern (2), salvos (2), jammed (2), visibility (2), iceland (2), wounded (2), 700 (2), miles (2), norfolk (2), fired (2), past (2), compass (2), platform (2), amidships (2), compartments (2), shells (2), battery (2), straddled (2), men (2), fell (2), forced (2), decision (2), breakdowns (2), occurred (2), seconds (2), earlier (2), enemy (2), rangefinders (2), changed (2), ranges (2), completed (2), fully (2), change (2), too (2), slightly (2), deliver (2), company (2), plan (2), technicians (2), supermarine (2), walrus (2), mark (2), elevated (2), depressed (2), 270 (2), each (2), normal (2), rounds (2), geared (2), shafts (2), top (2), displacement (2), turbines (2), load (2), draught (2), 745 (2), overall (2), 786 (2), permanent (2), delivery (2), completion (2), compartment (2), systems (2), outfitted (2), final (2), launched (2), late (2), edward (2), japan (2), italy (2), limited (2), washington (2), actions (2), 324 (2), octuple (2), name (2), appearance (2), upload (2), file (2), changes (2), read (2), bahasa (2), log (2), create (2), account (2), donate (2), menu (2), add, topic, mobile, cookie, statement, statistics, developers, code, conduct, legal, safety, contacts, disclaimers, text, available, additional, apply, you, agree, registered, trademark, non, profit, organization, foundation, inc, creative, attribution, sharealike, license, rendered, parsoid, edited, 2026, utc, hidden, volume, value, unfit, webarchive, template, gadget, wikiminiatlas, dmy, 2025, written, different, rule, mersey, php, hms_prince_of_wales_, oldid, 1373331631, outline, archaeology, tourism, impact, black, topics, swanage, stoney, slickstones, cromhall, seacrest, nemo, activity, hotel, terme, millepini, eccleston, deepspot, dubai, capernwray, wazee, wast, silfra, rum, jungle, ponce, leon, logue, brook, dam, little, homestead, caldera, ewens, dorothea, dinorwic, mexico, zacatón, wondergat, wakulla, uamh, claonaite, sac, actun, bel, nohoch, nah, chich, huautla, dos, ojos, ricks, pollatoomary, pluragrotta, piccaninnie, nereo, molnár, jános, kilsby, sinkhole, jordbrugrotta, hranice, fossil, engelbrecht, den, cocklebiddy, australia, chinhoyi, caves, dzibilchaltun, cenote, boesmansgat, guam, blauhöhle, zingara, zealandia, zenobia, yukon, yongala, 257, yancey, wilkes, barre, moreland, wexford, wellington, waubuno, washingtonian, walter, russ, waikato, vienna, vernon, vermilion, varvassi, 1605, mosel, faroud, 1195, 352, tui, treasure, transvaal, torrey, canyon, tokai, tobruk, toa, thunderbolt, wilson, friant, thistlegorm, thesis, tarpon, tamaroa, tahoe, sweepstakes, swan, superior, lawrence, stepas, darius, stella, stanwood, stanegarth, sport, spiegel, australian, spar, sidon, selah, chamberlain, scylla, scrimmage, scuffle, schurz, baldwin, saskatchewan, saratoga, sanko, harvest, ely, mather, salem, sakawa, saguenay, sagamore, safari, russia, rozi, rouse, simmons, rotorua, rosinco, rosehill, wallace, pringle, riva, palacio, rhone, regina, rainbow, rankin, radaas, resor, victoria, coolidge, preußen, napier, kembla, pool, fisher, swift, pioneer, piłsudski, pilotfish, pietermaritzburg, pewabic, perth, persier, pedernales, papoose, panay, p31, p29, ozone, oslofjord, oriskany, onoko, oceana, northerner, norman, nipigon, tug, nagato, myron, muliphen, drake, montagu, monrovia, monarch, moldavia, mohegan, mohawk, miztec, mizpah, milwaukee, miowera, minnedosa, mindanao, midland, metamora, mesquite, mercedes, mendi, meigs, mauna, loa, marguerite, margaret, olwill, maloja, malakoff, maine, mikhail, lermontov, marquette, markgraf, madeira, mackenzie, lumberman, lst, 507, doty, louis, sheid, louisiana, liberty, lamson, lakeland, laforey, thetis, elgin, kyle, spangler, kyarra, kronprinz, kizugawa, kittiwake, keystone, kashi, kamloops, jura, mitchell, osborn, cowle, seaverns, james, eagan, layne, isaac, scott, ironsides, indra, igara, hobart, hispania, hilma, hooker, hesper, herzogin, cecilie, hermann, künne, hephaestus, henry, chisholm, gunilda, gregory, poole, green, grecian, grace, channon, gothenburg, goorangai, hope, glen, strathallan, glenlyon, gilliam, ghurka, georg, thiele, cox, dewey, marsh, usns, hoyt, vandenberg, sats, botha, gallinipper, fumizuki, fujikawa, barney, frank, connor, francis, hinton, francisco, morazan, fleetwing, fifi, falmouth, etruria, espagne, erie, hackley, empress, ireland, emperor, emmons, ellengowan, hmt, elk, edgar, clark, eber, eastfield, eagle, dwight, moody, dunraven, duane, hanna, dresden, tucker, daniel, lyons, dania, cuyahoga, curb, cumberland, cuba, crusader, coronation, cornelia, windiate, cormoran, coogee, constandis, comet, comanche, clifton, clan, ranald, launceston, everett, bangor, chester, congdon, rocs, chen, hai, christina, nilsson, chaudière, cedarville, cayuga, carthaginian, carnatic, carlisle, carl, bradley, keith, tibbetts, henlopen, breton, canberra, byron, bungsberg, bud, bar, hmhs, britannic, brisbane, brian, davis, breda, hmsas, bloemfontein, booya, boadicea, blenny, binnendijk, bibb, bianca, benwood, ben, doran, bayonet, bärenfels, australasia, arthur, radford, arratoon, apcar, arkansas, arctic, aratama, aquila, appomattox, apogon, antilles, antilla, andrea, doria, anderson, america, amaryllis, munassir, algoma, algol, albert, field, akka, ajax, agat, amtrac, aeolus, aeolian, sky, adolphus, busch, sampson, accokeek, abessinia, aaron, 115, barge, alley, diego, whitefish, preserve, isles, scilly, wardang, skerries, tulamben, tulagi, robben, atoll, michigan, preserves, trail, saipan, loch, isle, royale, coron, chuuk, lagoon, bullhead, historical, archeological, district, fungus, snorkelling, molinere, sculpture, kristu, tal, baħħara, circle, heroes, christ, cancún, artworks, osborne, channel, fort, shark, noarlunga, hughes, merkanti, edithburgh, reefs, wolf, stingray, grand, cayman, abbs, sund, valley, portsea, pope, eye, octopus, magic, manacles, kennack, sands, inland, gozo, hilsea, gamul, kebir, fowey, frederiksted, fanadir, eyemouth, elphinstone, darwin, arch, daedalus, cod, azure, window, whittle, weh, wakatobi, regency, utila, tubbataha, tsitsikamma, tiga, taganga, crispin, sound, mull, socorro, sipadan, similan, shadwan, shaʽb, abu, nuħas, pedro, nolasco, andrés, rottnest, ras, muhammad, cana, puerto, galera, knights, petit, saint, vincent, pescador, panglao, palancar, molokini, molasses, mengalum, marsa, alam, malapascua, mantanani, lighthouse, tao, kadmat, pennekamp, coral, sodwana, isimangaliso, hol, chan, haql, guadalupe, biosphere, southern, gili, għar, qawqla, gaya, false, ikhwa, dhilba, guuranda, innes, cliff, villa, peninsula, ċirkewwa, capurganá, cahuita, bowie, seamount, biscayne, belize, pigs, arrecifes, anilao, amed, bali, akumal, ruth, alexander, pompano, jackal, oigawa, vestal, tennessee, pennsylvania, gamble, unknown, vizcaya, triumph, nereus, h31, brp, banahaw, volo, dch, banahao, canlaon, arayat, unyo, dragon, salvia, sagiri, xvi, shuntien, montebello, hayataka, 567, 451, xvii, cicala, audacity, kandahar, emidio, 574, stanley, 434, 131, shinonome, corregidor, 557, barracuda, galatea, alberto, giussano, alberico, barbiano, tamar, moth, shirley, kisaragi, hayate, takao, bittern, banka, ravnaas, peterel, nisqually, capillo, windflower, virginia, 208, shaw, sauternes, oklahoma, oglala, nevada, downes, cynthia, olson, cassin, california, arizona, perseus, virsaitis, dreadnought, followed, planned, actual, lion, preceded, howe, anson, duke, maritimequest, newsreel, footage, filmed, 2006, summary, 116, 4521, etc, gunnery, aspects, pursuit, concerning, announcement, 0950, update, compiled, 85409, 026, stephen, eric, 1988, shepperton, ian, allan, 7110, 1596, battles, 2005, 119, chronology, jürgen, 1976, 817, development, 1911, eugene, 1998, westport, greenwood, 313, 28872, burma, india, campaign, 1931, historiography, annotated, 1979, 7139, 1042, middlebrook, oxford, 84603, 389, classes, angus, 1963, macmillan, 396061, oclc, hough, richard, horodyski, joseph, hein, 2013, 955, 989, abstract, online, http, smh, jmh, jmhvols, 773, html, journal, hack, karl, blackburn, routledge, 415, 30803, fall, impregnable, fortress, jane, 7106, 0078, soviet, paul, 219, imperial, shipcraft, chatham, 86176, 211, books, 8317, 0303, 1985, 459, cain, timothy, 1959, frederick, muller, major, vessels, 55750, breyer, siegfried, 1973, garden, doubleday, 385, 07247, 1905, 1970, multiple, ww2, seidel, jamie, caught, handed, distressed, illegal, wwii, julian, ryall, tokyo, joel, gunter, celebrated, stripped, bare, 206, hmshood, documentation, resource, 190, 351, asmussen, escapes, 179, 229, 253, 238, 191, 304, 249, 107, 2010, international, veiled, threat, reconsidered, gough, barry, plant, specifications, building, phase, actually, produced, overload, 125, exceeded, single, work, refitted, occasions, equipment, following, are, details, undertaken, 2019, make, surveyed, process, utley, offshore, helens, foundry, pattern, 1908, compared, bronze, bells, nickel, silver, authenticity, engraving, shawcross, shipwrights, constructed, hardwood, base, coo, tony, graham, finished, commanding, darren, houston, week, visit, titanic, elizabeth, r09, extensively, explosives, dealers, tradition, perform, remembrance, illegally, scavenged, vessel, asian, working, authorities, paperwork, violations, background, steel, memorial, dedicated, exterior, sparked, interest, around, detailed, nature, exact, strike, holes, consequently, contained, initial, supplementary, analysed, resultant, entitled, engineering, science, technology, members, updated, expanded, diver, penetrate, tunnel, definition, camera, bulkhead, tragic, white, ensign, attached, line, buoy, tied, periodically, renewed, designated, place, prior, 60th, anniversary, manually, raised, 2002, permission, blessing, survivors, restored, chief, since, moved, hear, story, galleries, merseyside, lord, ministry, defence, schematic, shown, upright, image, sometimes, reversed, albeit, land, rather, thereafter, often, pointed, contributing, scanning, inoperable, humid, tropic, climate, potent, warning, devices, critical, factor, demise, electric, pumps, failures, parts, total, darkness, difficulties, repair, parties, counter, subject, inquiry, chaired, true, causes, established, examined, director, claimed, inflicted, preventing, successful, conclusion, more, adequately, justice, dynamos, carrying, wave, finally, makeshift, aid, cinema, flat, very, misses, indenting, popping, plates, split, seams, intensifying, order, given, capsized, floated, moments, 327, fatalities, kilogram, bettys, abandoning, against, once, any, abaft, wrecking, destroying, bulkheads, uncontrollable, put, lacking, effective, morning, hangar, roof, exploding, comprising, seventeen, armed, divided, formations, contrary, meanwhile, aimed, well, nell, object, sortie, afternoon, spotted, detected, aerial, reconnaissance, clear, fighter, support, forthcoming, midnight, forces, landing, diverted, investigate, discover, landings, diversion, kota, bharu, although, batteries, ordering, squadron, commence, hostilities, confident, protective
Text of the page (random words):
ve to sidebar hide actions read edit view history general what links here related changes upload file permanent link page information cite this page get shortened url switch to legacy parser print export download as pdf printable version in other projects wikimedia commons wikidata item appearance move to sidebar hide coordinates 3 33 36 n 104 28 42 e 3 56000 n 104 47833 e 3 56000 104 47833 from wikipedia the free encyclopedia king george v class battleship of the royal navy for other ships with the same name see hms prince of wales 3 33 36 n 104 28 42 e 3 56000 n 104 47833 e 3 56000 104 47833 prince of wales arrives at singapore 4 december 1941 six days before being sunk history united kingdom name prince of wales namesake the title of prince of wales ordered 29 july 1936 builder cammell laird birkenhead laid down 1 january 1937 launched 3 may 1939 completed 31 march 1941 commissioned 19 january 1941 identification pennant number 53 motto ich dien german i serve nickname s pow fate sunk by japanese air attack 10 december 1941 badge general characteristics class type king george v class battleship displacement 43 786 long tons 44 489 t deep length 745 ft 1 in 227 1 m overall beam 103 ft 2 in 31 4 m draught 34 ft 4 in 10 5 m installed power 8 admiralty 3 drum boilers 110 000 shp 82 000 kw propulsion 4 shafts 4 sets geared turbines speed 28 3 knots 52 4 km h 32 6 mph range 15 600 nmi 28 900 km 18 000 mi at 10 knots 19 km h 12 mph complement 1 521 1941 1 612 december 1941 1 sensors processing systems type 279 radar added type 284 radar added radars added in may 1941 4 type 282 and type 285 radars added radar added between june july 1941 type 271 radar added armament 2 quadruple 1 twin 14 in 356 mm guns 8 twin 5 25 in 133 mm dp guns 4 octuple 2 pdr 40 mm 1 6 in aa guns 3 20 barrel aa rockets later replaced with 1 octuple and 1 quadruple 2 pdrs 1 40 mm bofors armour belt 5 4 14 7 in 140 370 mm deck 5 6 in 127 152 mm main gun turrets 12 75 in 324 mm barbettes 12 75 in 324 mm aircraft carried 4 supermarine walrus seaplanes aviation facilities 1 catapult hms prince of wales was a king george v class battleship of the royal navy that was built at the cammell laird shipyard in birkenhead despite being sunk less than a year after she was commissioned prince of wales had an extensive battle history first seeing action in august 1940 while still being outfitted in her drydock when she was attacked and damaged by german aircraft in her brief career she was involved in several key actions of the second world war including the may 1941 battle of the denmark strait where she scored three hits on the german battleship bismarck forcing bismarck to abandon her raiding mission and head to port for repairs prince of wales later escorted one of the malta convoys in the mediterranean during which she was attacked by italian aircraft in her final action she attempted to intercept japanese troop convoys off the coast of malaya as part of force z when she was sunk by japanese aircraft on 10 december 1941 three days after the attack on pearl harbor she was sunk alongside her consort the battlecruiser hms repulse in an attack by 85 mitsubishi g3m and g4m bombers of the japanese navy air service prince of wales and repulse became the first capital ships to be sunk solely by air power on the open sea a harbinger of the diminishing role this class of ships was subsequently to play in naval warfare the wreck of prince of wales lies upside down in 223 feet 68 m of water near kuantan in the south china sea construction edit in the aftermath of the first world war the washington naval treaty was drawn up in 1922 in an effort to stop an arms race developing between britain japan france italy and the united states this treaty limited the number of ships each nation was allowed to build and capped the tonnage of all capital ships at 35 000 tons 2 these restrictions were extended in 1930 through the treaty of london however by the mid 1930s japan and italy had withdrawn from both of these treaties and the british became concerned about a lack of modern battleships within their navy as a result the admiralty ordered the construction of a new battleship class the king george v class due to the provisions of both the washington naval treaty and the treaty of london both of which were still in effect when the king george v s were being designed the main armament of the class was limited to the 14 inch 356 mm guns prescribed under these instruments they were the only battleships built at that time to adhere to the treaty and even though it soon became apparent to the british that the other signatories to the treaty were ignoring its requirements it was too late to change the design of the class before they were laid down in 1937 3 prince of wales was originally to be named king edward viii but upon the abdication of edward viii the ship was renamed at cammell laird s shipyard in birkenhead on 1 january 1937 before being laid down she was launched on 3 may 1939 she was still fitting out when war was declared in september causing her construction schedule and that of her sister king george v to be accelerated nevertheless the late delivery of gun mountings caused delays in her outfitting 4 in early august 1940 while she was still being outfitted and was in a semi complete state prince of wales was attacked by german aircraft one bomb fell between the ship and a wet basin wall narrowly missing a 100 ton dockside crane and exploded underwater below the bilge keel about six feet from the ship s port side in the vicinity of the aft group of 5 25 inch guns the shell plating buckled over a distance of 20 to 30 feet 6 1 to 9 1 m rivets were sprung and there was considerable flooding in the port outboard compartments in the area of damage causing a ten degree list to port the flooding was severe because final compartment air tests had not yet been made and the ship did not have her pumping system in operation 4 the water was pumped out through the joint efforts of a local fire company and the shipyard and prince of wales was later dry docked for permanent repairs this damage and the problem with the delivery of her main guns and turrets delayed her completion as the war progressed there was an urgent need for capital ships and so her completion was advanced by postponing compartment air tests ventilation tests and thorough testing of her bilge ballast and fuel oil systems 4 description edit main article king george v class battleship bridge view of prince of wales s forecastle while the ship is underway prince of wales displaced 36 727 long tons 37 300 t as built and 43 786 long tons 44 500 t fully loaded the ship had an overall length of 745 feet 227 1 m a beam of 103 feet 31 4 m and a draught of 29 feet 8 8 m her designed metacentric height was 6 feet 1 inch 1 85 m at normal load and 8 feet 1 inch 2 46 m at deep load 5 6 she was powered by parsons geared steam turbines driving four propeller shafts steam was provided by eight admiralty boilers which normally delivered 100 000 shaft horsepower 75 000 kw but could deliver 110 000 shp 82 000 kw with forced draft n 1 for a top speed of 28 knots 52 km h 32 mph 3 9 the ship carried 3 542 long tons 3 600 t of fuel oil 10 180 long tons 200 t of diesel oil 256 long tons 300 t of reserve feed water and 444 long tons 500 t of freshwater 10 during full power trials on 31 march 1941 prince of wales at 42 100 tons displacement achieved 28 knots with 111 600 shp at 228 rpm and a specific fuel consumption of 0 73 lb per shp 11 prince of wales had a range of 3 100 nautical miles 5 700 km 3 600 mi at 27 knots 50 km h 31 mph 12 armament edit a part of prince of wales s anti aircraft armament two of the eight barreled two pounder pom poms and two of the twin 5 25 inch gun turrets prince of wales mounted 10 bl 14 inch 356 mm mk vii guns mounted in one mark ii twin turret forward and two mark iii quadruple turrets one forward and one aft the guns could be elevated 40 degrees and depressed 3 degrees training arcs were turret a 286 degrees turret b 270 degrees turret y 270 degrees training and elevating was done by hydraulic drives with rates of two and eight degrees per second respectively a full gun broadside weighed 15 950 pounds 7 230 kg and a salvo could be fired every 40 seconds 13 the secondary armament consisted of 16 qf 5 25 inch 133 mm mk i guns mounted in eight twin mounts weighing 81 tons each 14 the maximum range of the mk i guns was 24 070 yards 22 009 6 m at a 45 degree elevation the anti aircraft ceiling was 49 000 feet 14 935 2 m the guns could be elevated to 70 degrees and depressed to 5 degrees 15 the normal rate of fire was ten to twelve rounds per minute but in practice the guns could only fire seven to eight rounds per minute 14 prince of wales also carried 32 qf 2 pdr 1 575 inch 40 0 mm mk viii pom pom anti aircraft guns and 80 up projectors short range rocket firing anti aircraft weapons used in the early days of the second world war by the royal navy 12 operational service edit action with bismarck edit main article battle of the denmark strait prince of wales shortly after she was commissioned lowering a supermarine walrus flying boat over her side on 22 may 1941 prince of wales the battlecruiser hood and six destroyers were ordered to take station south of iceland and intercept the german battleship bismarck if she attempted a breakout into the atlantic captain john leach was aware that main battery breakdowns were expected as vickers armstrongs technicians had already rectified several that had occurred during training exercises in scapa flow the technicians were retained aboard at the captain s request and played a significant role during the subsequent action 16 the next day bismarck in company with the heavy cruiser prinz eugen was reported heading south westward in the denmark strait at 20 00 vice admiral lancelot holland in his flagship hood ordered the force to steam at 27 knots 50 km h which it did most of the night his battle plan called for prince of wales and hood to concentrate on bismarck while the cruisers norfolk and suffolk would handle prinz eugen however the two cruisers were not informed of this plan because of strict radio silence at 02 00 on 24 may the destroyers were sent as a screen to search for the german ships to the north and at 02 47 hood and prince of wales increased speed to 28 knots 52 km h and changed course slightly to obtain a better target angle on the german ships the weather improved with 10 mile 16 km visibility and crews were at action stations by 05 10 16 sailors aboard the prince of wales under four 14 inch guns at 05 37 an enemy contact report was made and course was changed to starboard to close range neither ship was in good fighting trim hood designed twenty five years earlier lacked adequate decking armour and would have to close the range quickly as she would become progressively less vulnerable to plunging shellfire at shorter ranges she had completed an overhaul in march and her crew had not been fully retrained prince of wales with thicker armour was less vulnerable to 15 inch shells at ranges greater than 17 000 feet 5 200 m but her crew had also not been trained to battle efficiency the british ships made their last course change at 05 49 but they had made their approach too fine the german ships were only 30 degrees on the starboard bow and their aft turrets could not fire prinz eugen with bismarck astern had prince of wales and hood slightly forward of the beam and both ships could deliver full broadsides 17 at 05 53 despite seas breaking over the bows prince of wales opened fire on bismarck at 26 500 yards 24 200 m 18 there was some confusion among the british as to which ship was bismarck and thirty seconds earlier hood had mistakenly opened fire on prinz eugen as the german ships had similar profiles hood s first salvo straddled the enemy ship but prinz eugen in less than three minutes scored 8 inch shell hits on hood the first shots by prince of wales two three gun salvoes at ten second intervals were 1 000 yards over 17 the turret rangefinders on prince of wales could not be used because of spray over the bow and fire was instead directed from the 15 foot 4 6 m rangefinders in the control tower 19 the sixth ninth and thirteenth salvos were straddles 18 and two hits were made on bismarck one shell holed her bow and caused bismarck to lose 1 000 tons of fuel oil mostly to salt water contamination the other fell short and entered bismarck below her side armour belt the shell exploded and flooded the auxiliary boiler machinery room and forced the shutdown of two boilers due to a slow leak in the boiler room immediately aft the loss of fuel and boiler power were decisive factors in bismarck s decision to return to port 20 in prince of wales a1 gun ceased fire after the first salvo due to a defect 18 sporadic breakdowns occurred until the decision to turn away was made and during the turn y turret jammed 18 both german ships initially concentrated their fire on hood and destroyed her with salvoes of 8 and 15 inch shells an 8 inch shell hit the boat deck and struck a ready service locker for ammunition and a fire blazed high above the first superstructure deck at 05 58 at a range of 16 500 yards 15 100 m the force commander ordered a turn of 20 degrees to port to open the range and bring the full battery of the british ships to bear on bismarck as the turn began bismarck straddled hood with her third and fourth four gun salvoes and at 06 01 the fifth salvo hit her causing a large explosion flames shot up near hood s masts then an orange coloured fireball and an enormous smoke cloud obliterated the ship on prince of wales it seemed that hood collapsed amidships and the bow and stern could be seen rising as she rapidly settled prince of wales made a sharp starboard turn to avoid hitting the debris and in doing so further closed the range between her and the german ships in the four minute action hood the largest battlecruiser in the world had been sunk 1 419 officers and men were killed only three men survived 19 painting by j c schmitz westerholt depicting prince of wales in the foreground manoeuvring past the sinking wreck of the hood prince of wales fired unopposed until she began a port turn at 05 57 when prinz eugen took her under fire after hood exploded at 06 01 the germans opened intense and accurate fire on prince of wales with 15 inch 8 inch and 5 9 inch guns a heavy hit was sustained below the waterline as prince of wales manoeuvred past the wreckage of hood at 06 02 a 15 inch shell struck the starboard side of the compass platform and killed the majority of the personnel there the navigating officer was wounded but captain leach was unhurt casualties were caused by the fragments from the shell s ballistic cap and the material it dislodged in its diagonal path through the compass platform 19 a 15 inch diving shell penetrated the ship s side below the...
|
