View source for HMS Hood

{{short description|Admiral-class battlecruiser}}
{{About|the Admiral-class battlecruiser|other ships of the same name|List of ships called HMS Hood{{!}}List of ships called HMS ''Hood''}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2023}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = HMS Hood (51) - March 17, 1924.jpg
| Ship caption = ''Hood'', 17 March 1924
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = 
| Ship country = United Kingdom
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
| Ship name = ''Hood''
| Ship ordered = 7 April 1916
| Ship builder = [[John Brown & Company]]
| Ship yard number = 460
| Ship laid down = 1 September 1916
| Ship launched = 22 August 1918
| Ship commissioned = 15 May 1920
| Ship namesake = Admiral [[Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood|Samuel Hood]]
| Ship in service = 1920–1941
| Ship identification = [[Pennant number]]: 51
| Ship fate = Sunk by the ''[[German battleship Bismarck|Bismarck]]'' during [[Battle of the Denmark Strait|an engagement]] on 24 May 1941
| Ship motto = {{lang|la|Ventis Secundis}} ([[Latin]]: "With Favourable Winds"){{sfn|Taylor|2008|page=15}}
| Ship nickname = ''The Mighty Hood''
| Ship original cost = [[pound sterling|£]]6,025,000
| Ship badge = A [[Cornish chough]] bearing an anchor facing left over the date 1859<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hmshood.com/admin/faq.htm#faq15|title=FAQ|publisher=HMS Hood Association|access-date=21 September 2010|archive-date=6 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006124028/http://www.hmshood.com/admin/faq.htm#faq15|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Ship class = {{sclass2|Admiral|battlecruiser}}
| Ship displacement = {{convert|46680|LT|t|lk=on}} ([[deep load]])
| Ship length = {{convert|860|ft|7|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{convert|104|ft|2|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
| Ship draught = {{convert|32|ft|m|1|abbr=on}}
| Ship power = * 24 [[Yarrow boiler]]s
* {{convert|144000|shp|lk=on|abbr=on}}
| Ship propulsion = 4 shafts; 4 geared [[steam turbine]]s
| Ship speed = {{convert|32|kn|lk=in}}
| Ship range = {{convert|5332|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|20|kn}} (1931)
| Ship complement = 1,433 (1919)
| Ship sensors = 
| Ship armament = *''As built'':
* 4 × twin [[BL 15 inch Mk I naval gun|{{cvt|15|in|0}} guns]]
* 12 × single [[BL 5.5 inch Mark I naval gun|{{cvt|5.5|in}} guns]]
* 4 × single [[QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun|{{cvt|4|in|0}}]] [[AA gun]]s
* 6 × [[British 21 inch torpedo|{{cvt|21|in|0}} torpedo]] tubes
* ''1941, as sunk'':
* 4 × twin 15 in guns
* 7 × twin [[QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun|4 in]] AA guns
* 3 × octuple [[QF 2-pounder naval gun|2 pdr (40&nbsp;mm)]] AA guns
* 4 × quadruple [[Vickers .50 machine gun|{{convert|0.5|in|abbr=on|1}} MGs]]
* 5 × 20-barrel "[[Unrotated Projectile]]" mounts
* 4 × 21 in [[torpedo tube]]s
| Ship armour = *[[Belt armor|Belt]]: {{convert|6|-|12|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Deck (ship)|Decks]]: {{convert|0.75|-|3|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Barbette]]s: {{convert|5|-|12|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
* [[Gun turret|Turrets]]: {{convert|11|-|15|in|mm|0|abbr=on}}
| Ship notes = 
}}
|}

'''HMS ''Hood''''' ([[pennant number]] 51) was a [[battlecruiser]] of the [[Royal Navy]] (RN). ''Hood'' was the first of the planned four {{sclass2|Admiral|battlecruiser|2}}s to be built during the [[World War I|First World War]]. Already under construction when the [[Battle of Jutland]] occurred in mid-1916, that battle revealed serious flaws in her design, and despite drastic revisions she was completed four years later. For this reason, she was the only ship of her class to be completed, as the [[British Admiralty|Admiralty]] decided it would be better to start with a clean design on succeeding battlecruisers, leading to the never-built [[G3 battlecruiser|G-3 class]]. Despite the appearance of newer and more modern ships, ''Hood'' remained the largest warship in the world for 20 years after her commissioning, and her prestige was reflected in her nickname, "The Mighty Hood".

''Hood'' was involved in many [[wikt:show the flag|showing-the-flag]] exercises between her [[Ship commissioning|commissioning]] in 1920 and the [[United Kingdom declaration of war on Germany (1939)|outbreak of war in 1939]], including training exercises in the [[Mediterranean Sea]] and a circumnavigation of the globe with the [[Cruise of the Special Service Squadron|Special Service Squadron]] in 1923 and 1924. She was attached to the [[Mediterranean Fleet]] following the outbreak of the [[Second Italo-Ethiopian War]] in 1935. When the [[Spanish Civil War]] broke out the following year, ''Hood'' was officially assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet until she had to return to Britain in 1939 for an overhaul. By this time, advances in naval gunnery had reduced ''Hood''{{'}}s usefulness. She was scheduled to undergo a major rebuild in 1941 to correct these issues, but the outbreak of the [[Military history of the United Kingdom during World War II|Second World War]] in September 1939 kept the ship in service without the upgrades.

When war with [[Nazi Germany|Germany]] was declared, ''Hood'' was operating in the area around [[Iceland]], and she spent the next several months hunting for German [[commerce raider]]s and [[blockade runner]]s between Iceland and the [[Norwegian Sea]]. After a brief overhaul of her propulsion system, she sailed as the [[flagship]] of [[Force H]], and participated in the [[Attack on Mers-el-Kébir|destruction of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kebir]]. Transferred to the [[Home Fleet]] shortly afterwards, ''Hood'' was dispatched to [[Scapa Flow]], and operated in the area as a convoy escort and later as a defence against a [[Battle of Britain|potential German invasion]] fleet.

In May 1941, ''Hood'' and the [[battleship]] {{HMS|Prince of Wales|53|2}} were ordered to intercept the {{ship|German battleship|Bismarck}} and the [[heavy cruiser]] {{ship|German cruiser|Prinz Eugen||2}}, which were en route to the Atlantic, where they were to attack convoys. On 24 May 1941, early in the [[Battle of the Denmark Strait]], ''Hood'' was struck by several German shells, exploded, and sank with the loss of all but 3 of her crew of 1,418. Due to her publicly perceived invincibility, the loss affected British morale.{{Citation needed|reason=Reference needed for British morale affected|date=April 2024}}

The RN conducted two inquiries into the reasons for the ship's quick demise. The first, held soon after the ship's loss, concluded that ''Hood''{{'}}s aft [[magazine (artillery)#Naval magazines|magazine]] had exploded after one of ''Bismarck''{{'}}s shells penetrated the ship's armour. A second inquiry was held after complaints that the first board had failed to consider alternative explanations, such as an explosion of the ship's [[torpedo]]es. It was more thorough than the first board but concurred with the first board's conclusion. Despite the official explanation, some historians continued to believe that the torpedoes caused the ship's loss, while others proposed an accidental explosion inside one of the ship's [[gun turret]]s that reached down into the magazine. Other historians have concentrated on the cause of the magazine explosion. The discovery of the ship's wreck in 2001 confirmed the conclusion of both boards, although the exact reason the magazines detonated is likely to remain unknown, since that portion of the ship was obliterated in the explosion.

==Design and description==
{{Main|Admiral-class battlecruiser}}
[[File:HMS Hood (1921) profile drawing.png|thumb|left|Profile drawing of ''Hood'' as she was in 1921, in Atlantic Fleet dark grey]]

The Admiral-class battlecruisers were designed in response to the German {{sclass|Mackensen|battlecruiser|2}}<nowiki/>s, which were reported to be more heavily armed and armoured than the latest British battlecruisers of the {{sclass|Renown|battlecruiser|5}} and the {{sclass|Courageous|battlecruiser|4}}es. The design was revised after the Battle of Jutland to incorporate heavier armour and all four ships were [[laid down]]. Only ''Hood'' was completed, because the ships were very expensive and required labour and material that could be put to better use building merchant ships needed to replace those lost to the [[Atlantic U-boat campaign of World War I|German U-boat campaign]].<ref>Roberts 1997, pp. 60–61</ref>

The Admirals were significantly larger than their predecessors of the ''Renown'' class. As completed, ''Hood'' had an [[length overall|overall length]] of {{convert|860|ft|7|in|1}}, a maximum [[beam (nautical)|beam]] of {{convert|104|ft|2|in|1}}, and a [[draft (ship)|draught]] of {{convert|32|ft|m|1}} at [[deep load]]. This was {{convert|66|ft|m|1}} longer and {{convert|14|ft|m|1}} wider than the older ships. She [[displacement (ship)|displaced]] {{convert|42670|LT|t|lk=on}} at load and {{convert|46680|LT|t}} at deep load, over {{convert|13000|LT|t|-1}} more than the older ships. The ship had a [[metacentric height]] of {{convert|4.2|ft|1}} at deep load, which minimised her [[ship motions#roll|roll]] and made her a steady gun platform.<ref name=rr67>Raven and Roberts, p. 67</ref>

The additional armour added during construction increased her draught by about {{convert|4|ft}} at deep load, which reduced her [[freeboard (nautical)|freeboard]] and made her very wet. At full speed, or in heavy seas, water would flow over the ship's [[quarterdeck]] and often entered the [[messdeck]]s and living quarters through ventilation shafts.<ref>Taylor, pp. 92, 94</ref> This characteristic earned her the nickname of "the largest submarine in the Navy".<ref>Taylor, p. 92</ref> The persistent dampness, coupled with the ship's poor ventilation, was blamed for the high incidence of [[tuberculosis]] aboard.<ref>Taylor, p. 123</ref> The ship's complement varied widely over her career; in 1919, she was authorised 1,433 men as a squadron flagship; in 1934, she had 81 officers and 1,244 [[naval rating|ratings]] aboard.<ref>Taylor, p. 231</ref>

The Admirals were powered by four [[John Brown & Company|Brown]]-Curtis geared [[steam turbine]]s, each driving one [[propeller shaft]] using steam provided by 24 [[Yarrow boiler]]s. The battlecruiser's turbines were designed to produce {{convert|144000|shp|lk=on}}, which would propel the ship at {{convert|31|kn|lk=in}}, but during [[sea trial]]s in 1920, ''Hood''{{'}}s turbines provided {{cvt|151280|shp}}, which allowed her to reach {{convert|32.07|kn}}.<ref>Roberts 1997, pp. 76, 79, 80</ref> She carried enough [[fuel oil]] to give her an estimated range of {{convert|7500|nmi|lk=in}} at {{convert|14|kn}}.<ref name="rr67"/>

===Armament===
The [[main battery]] of the Admiral-class ships consisted of eight [[British ordnance terms#BL|BL]] [[BL 15 inch Mk I naval gun|{{convert|15|in|adj=on|0}} Mk I guns]] in hydraulically powered twin [[gun turret]]s. The turrets were designated 'A', 'B', 'X', and 'Y' from bow to stern,<ref>Roberts 1997, p. 89</ref> and 120 shells were carried for each gun.<ref name="rr67"/> The ship's [[secondary armament]] consisted of twelve [[BL 5.5 inch Mark I naval gun|BL {{convert|5.5|in|adj=on}} Mk I]] guns, each with 200 rounds.<ref name="rr67"/> They were shipped on [[gun shield|shielded]] single-[[pivot gun|pivot mounts]] fitted along the upper deck and the forward shelter deck. This high position allowed them to be worked during heavy weather, as they were less affected by waves and spray compared with the [[casemate]] mounts of earlier British [[capital ship]]s.<ref name="b97"/> Two of these guns on the shelter deck were temporarily replaced by [[QF 4 inch Mk V naval gun|QF {{convert|4|in|adj=on|0}} Mk V]] [[anti-aircraft gun|anti-aircraft (AA) guns]] between 1938 and 1939. All the 5.5-inch guns were removed during another refit in 1940.<ref name="secondaryguns" />
[[File:HMS Hood Aft guns 1926 USNHC 57184.jpg|thumb|left|A close-up of ''Hood''{{'}}s aft 15-inch guns in 1926, rotated to the extreme arc of their travel, covering the port bow quarter; firing in this position could cause blast damage to the deck and superstructure]]

The ship's original anti-aircraft armament consisted of four QF 4-inch Mk V guns on single mounts. These were joined in early 1939 by four twin mounts for the [[QF 4 inch Mk XVI naval gun|QF 4-inch Mark XVI]] [[dual-purpose gun]]. The single guns were removed in mid-1939 and a further three twin Mark XIX mounts were added in early 1940.<ref>Raven and Roberts, pp. 193, 195</ref> In 1931, a pair of octuple mountings for the {{convert|40|mm|adj=on|1}} [[QF 2 pounder naval gun|QF 2-pounder Mk VIII gun]] "pom-pom" were added on the shelter deck, abreast of the [[funnel (ship)|funnels]], and a third mount was added in 1937. Two quadruple mountings for the [[Vickers .50 machine gun|Vickers {{convert|0.5|in|1|adj=on}} Mk III]] machine gun were added in 1933 with two more mountings added in 1937. To these were added five [[unrotated projectile]] (UP) launchers in 1940, each launcher carrying 20 {{convert|7|in|adj=on|spell=in|0}} rockets.<ref name=rr95>Raven and Roberts, p. 195</ref> When they detonated, the rockets shot out lengths of cable that were kept aloft by [[parachute]]s; the cable was intended to snag aircraft and draw up the small aerial mine that would destroy the aircraft.<ref>Campbell, p. 100</ref>

The Admirals were fitted with six fixed {{convert|21|in|mm|adj=on|0}} [[torpedo tube]]s, three on each [[Broadside (naval)|broadside]]. Two of these were submerged forward of 'A' turret's [[magazine (artillery)|magazine]] and the other four were above water, [[wikt:abaft|abaft]] the rear funnel.<ref name="rr67"/> About 28 torpedoes were carried.<ref>Roberts 2001, pp. 17–18</ref>

===Fire control===
The ship's main battery was controlled by two [[Fire-control system#Naval fire control|fire-control directors]]. One was mounted above the [[conning tower]], protected by an armoured hood, and was fitted with a {{convert|30|ft|1|adj=on}} [[Rangefinding telemeter|rangefinder]]. The other was fitted in the [[Top (sailing ship)|spotting top]] above the tripod [[foremast]] and equipped with a {{convert|15|ft|1|adj=on}} rangefinder. Each turret was also fitted with a {{convert|30|ft|m|adj=on}} rangefinder. The secondary armament was primarily controlled by directors mounted on each side of the [[bridge (nautical)|bridge]]. They were supplemented by two additional control positions in the fore-top, which were provided with {{convert|9|ft|m|adj=on|1}} rangefinders, fitted in 1924–1925.<ref name=b97>Burt, p. 303</ref> The antiaircraft guns were controlled by a simple high-angle {{convert|2|m|ftin|adj=on}} rangefinder mounted on the aft control position,<ref>Raven and Roberts, p. 68</ref> fitted in 1926–1927. Three torpedo-control towers were fitted, each with a {{convert|15|ft|m|adj=on}} rangefinder. One was on each side of the amidships control tower and the third was on the [[centreline (nautical)|centreline]] abaft the aft control position.<ref name=b97/>
[[File:HMS Hood h60450.jpg|thumb|left|An aerial view of ''Hood'' in 1924: The two forward gun turrets are visible with their prominent rangefinders projecting from the rear of the turret. Behind the turret is the conning tower surmounted by the main fire-control director with its own rangefinder. The secondary director is mounted on the roof of the spotting top on the tripod foremast.]]

During the 1929–1931 refit, a [[HACS|high-angle control system]] (HACS) Mark I director was added on the rear searchlight platform and two positions for 2-pounder "pom-pom" antiaircraft directors were added at the rear of the spotting top, although only one director was initially fitted.<ref>Raven and Roberts, p. 189</ref> The 5.5-inch control positions and their rangefinders on the spotting top were removed during the 1932 refit. In 1934, the "pom-pom" directors were moved to the former locations of the 5.5-inch control positions on the spotting top and the {{convert|9|ft|m|adj=on}} rangefinders for the 5.5-inch control positions were reinstalled on the signal platform. Two years later, the "pom-pom" directors were moved to the rear corners of the bridge to get them out of the funnel gases. Another "pom-pom" director was added on the rear superstructure, abaft the HACS director in 1938. Two HACS Mark III directors were added to the aft end of the signal platform the following year, and the Mark I director aft was replaced by a Mark III.<ref>Raven and Roberts, pp. 189–195</ref>

During ''Hood''{{'}}s last refit in 1941, a [[Type 279 radar|Type 279]] [[early-warning radar]] for aircraft and surface vessels and a [[List of World War II British naval radar#Type 284|Type 284]] gunnery radar were installed,<ref>Burt, p. 318</ref> although the Type 279 radar lacked its receiving aerial and was inoperable according to Roberts.<ref name=r1/> An Admiralty document indicates however that, following the 1941 refit at Rosyth, ''Hood''{{'}}s Type 279 radar was indeed functional.<ref>{{cite web |title=ADM 220/76: Reports of Performance in H.M.S. Hood, H.M.S. Illustrious, H.M.S. King George V and Smaller Vessels of RDF279 |url=http://www.hmshood.org.uk/reference/official/adm220/adm220-76.htm |website=www.hmshood.org.uk |publisher=H.M.S. Hood Association |access-date=31 May 2021 |archive-date=5 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200805161506/http://www.hmshood.org.uk/reference/official/adm220/adm220-76.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> The early-warning radar was of a modified type, known as Type 279M, the difference between this and Type 279 being the number of aerials. While Type 279 used two aerials, a transmitter and a receiver, the Type 279M used only a single transceiver aerial. ''Hood'' reported an accuracy of 3 degrees with her 279M set.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gunnery & Aerial Warning Radars |url=http://www.hmshood.org.uk/ship/radar.htm |website=www.hmshood.org.uk |publisher=H.M.S. Hood Association |access-date=31 May 2021}}</ref>

===Protection===
The armour scheme of the Admirals was originally based on that of the battlecruiser {{HMS|Tiger|1913|2}} with an {{convert|8|in|adj=on|0}} [[Belt armor|waterline belt]]. Unlike ''Tiger'', the armour was angled outwards 12° from the waterline to increase its relative thickness in relation to flat-trajectory shells. This change increased the ship's vulnerability to [[plunging fire|plunging]] (high-trajectory) shells, as it exposed more of the vulnerable deck armour. Some {{convert|5000|LT|t}} of armour were added to the design in late 1916, based on British experiences at the [[Battle of Jutland]], at the cost of deeper draught and slightly decreased speed. To save construction time, this was accomplished by thickening the existing armour, rather than redesigning the entire ship.<ref>Burt, pp. 304–305</ref> ''Hood''{{'}}s protection accounted for 33% of her displacement, a high proportion by British standards, but less than was usual in contemporary German designs (for example, 36% for the battlecruiser {{SMS|Hindenburg}}).<ref>Friedman, pp. 168–169, 171–172</ref>

The armoured belt consisted of face-hardened [[Krupp cemented armour]] (KC), arranged in three [[strake]]s. The main waterline belt was {{convert|12|in|mm|0}} thick between 'A' and 'Y' [[barbette]]s and thinned to {{convert|5|to|6|in|mm|0}} towards the ship's ends, but did not reach either the bow or the stern. The middle armour belt had a maximum thickness of 7 inches over the same length as the thickest part of the waterline armour and thinned to five inches abreast 'A' barbette. The upper belt was 5 inches thick amidships and extended forward to 'A' barbette, with a short 4-inch extension aft.<ref>Roberts 1997, p. 113</ref>

The gun turrets and barbettes were protected by {{convert|11|to|15|in|mm|0}} of KC armour, except for the turret roofs, which were 5 inches thick. The decks were made of [[high-tensile steel]]. The [[forecastle]] deck ranged from {{convert|1.75|to|2|in|mm|abbr=off}} in thickness, while the upper deck was {{convert|2|in|mm}} thick over the magazines and {{convert|0.75|in|mm}} elsewhere. The main deck was {{convert|3|in|mm}} thick over the magazines and {{convert|1|in|mm}} elsewhere, except for the 2-inch-thick slope that met the bottom of the main belt. The lower deck was 3&nbsp;inches thick over the propeller shafts, 2&nbsp;inches thick over the magazines and 1&nbsp;inch elsewhere.<ref name=b99>Burt, p. 307</ref>

Live-firing trials with the new 15-inch APC (armour-piercing, capped) shell against a mock-up of ''Hood'' showed that this shell could penetrate the ship's vitals via the 7-inch middle belt and the 2-inch slope of the main deck as a result 3-inch plating on the main deck over the slopes was added alongside the magazine spaces at a very late stage of construction and the four aftermost 5.5-inch guns and their ammunition hoists were removed in partial compensation.. A proposal was made to increase the armour over the forward magazines to 5&nbsp;inches and 6&nbsp;inches over the rear magazines in July 1919 in response to these trials. To compensate for the additional weight, the 4 midships above water torpedo tubes and the armour for the rear torpedo warheads were removed, and the armour for the aft torpedo-control tower was reduced in thickness from 6 to {{convert|1.5|in}}. However, the additional armour was never fitted pending further trials.<ref>Raven and Roberts, pp. 68–69</ref> As completed, ''Hood'' remained susceptible to plunging shells and bombs.<ref name=b99/> The torpedo-warhead armour was reinstated during the ship's 1929–1931 refit.<ref name=r1>Roberts 2001, p. 21</ref>

For protection against torpedoes, she was given a {{convert|7.5|ft|1|adj=on}}<ref name=b99/> deep [[torpedo bulge]] that ran the length of the ship between the fore and aft barbettes. It was divided into an empty outer compartment and an inner compartment filled with five rows of water-tight "crushing tubes" intended to absorb and distribute the force of an explosion. The bulge was backed by a 1.5-inch-thick [[torpedo bulkhead]].<ref>Roberts 1997, p. 111</ref>

===Aircraft===
[[File:British Battlecruiser HMS Hood circa 1932.jpg|thumb|''Hood'' after she was fitted with an aircraft catapult; a Fairey III is visible on her stern, 1932]]
''Hood'' was initially fitted with [[Flight deck#Early|flying-off platforms]] mounted on top of 'B' and 'X' turrets, from which [[Fairey Flycatcher]]s could launch.<ref>Taylor, p. 78</ref> During her 1929–1931 refit, the platform was removed from 'X' turret and a rotating, folding [[aircraft catapult|catapult]] was installed on her quarterdeck, along with a [[crane (machine)|crane]] to recover a [[seaplane]]. She embarked a [[Fairey III]]F from No. 444 Flight of the [[Royal Air Force]] (RAF). During the 1932 [[West Indies]] cruise, the catapult proved to be difficult to operate in anything but a calm sea, as it was frequently awash in bad weather. The catapult and crane were removed in 1932, along with the flying-off platform on 'B' turret.<ref>Raven and Roberts, pp. 189–191</ref>

===Battlecruiser or fast battleship===
Although the Royal Navy always designated ''Hood'' as a battlecruiser, some modern writers such as [[Antony Preston (naval historian)|Antony Preston]] have classified her as a [[fast battleship]], since ''Hood'' appeared to have improvements over the fast {{sclass|Queen Elizabeth|battleship|2}}s. On paper, ''Hood'' retained the same armament and level of protection, while being significantly faster.<ref name="hmshood.com"/><ref>Preston 2002, p. 96</ref>

[[File:Battlecruiser HMS Hood - IWM Q 75272.jpg|thumb|left|''Hood'' on her speed trials, 1920s]]
Around 1918, American commanders, including Vice Admiral [[William Sims]], commander of US naval forces in Europe, and Admiral [[Henry T. Mayo]], commander of the [[United States Fleet Forces Command|Atlantic Fleet]], became extremely impressed by ''Hood'', which they described as a "fast battleship", and they advocated that the US Navy develop a fast battleship of its own.<ref>Hone, p. 23</ref> However, the US continued with their established design direction, the slower, but well-protected, {{sclass|South Dakota|battleship (1920)|0}} battleship and the fast and lightly armoured {{sclass|Lexington|battlecruiser|2}}, both of which were later cancelled in accordance with the terms of the [[Washington Naval Treaty]] of 1922.<ref>Raven and Roberts, p. 76</ref>

Influences from ''Hood'' showed on subsequent ''Lexington'' designs, with the reduction of the main armour belt, the change to [[sloped armour]], and the addition of four above-water torpedo tubes to the four underwater tubes of the original design.<ref>Morison and Polmar, pp. 71–72</ref> To add to the confusion, Royal Navy documents of the period often describe any battleship with a maximum speed over {{convert|24|kn}} as a battlecruiser, regardless of the amount of protective armour. For instance, the never-built [[G3 battlecruiser]] was classified as such, although it would have been more of a fast battleship than ''Hood''.<ref>Raven and Roberts, p. 90</ref>

The scale of ''Hood''{{'}}s protection, though adequate for the Jutland era, was at best marginal against the new generation of {{convert|16|in|mm|0|adj=on}} gunned capital ships that emerged soon after her completion in 1920, typified by the American {{sclass|Colorado|battleship|0}} and the Japanese {{sclass|Nagato|battleship|2}}<nowiki/>s. The Royal Navy were fully aware that the ship's protection flaws still remained, even in her revised design, so ''Hood'' was intended for the duties of a battlecruiser, and she served in the battlecruiser squadrons through most of her career. Late in her career, ''Hood'' was outclassed by the armour and protective arrangement of Second World War-era fast battleships, but few of the RN's available "big gun" vessels could match ''Bismarck''{{'}}s speed.<ref name="hmshood.com"/>

==Construction==
[[File:John Brown advertisement Brasseys 1923.jpg|thumb|upright|A John Brown & Company advertisement in [[The Naval Annual|Brassey's Naval Annual]] featuring ''Hood'', 1923]]
Construction of ''Hood'' began at the John Brown shipyard in [[Clydebank]], Scotland, as [[yard number]] 460 on 1 September 1916.<ref>Johnston and Buxton, p. 24</ref> Following the loss of three British battlecruisers at the Battle of Jutland, 5,000&nbsp;tons of extra armour and bracing were added to ''Hood''{{'}}s design.<ref>Burt, p. 304</ref> Most seriously, the deck protection was flawed—spread over three decks, it was designed to detonate an incoming shell on impact with the top deck, with much of the energy being absorbed as the exploding shell had to penetrate the armour of the next two decks. The development of effective time-delay shells at the end of the [[World War I|First World War]] made this scheme much less effective, as the intact shell would penetrate layers of weak armour and explode deep inside the ship.<ref>Brown, pp. 170–171</ref> In addition, she was grossly overweight compared to her original design, making her a wet ship with a highly stressed structure.<ref name="hmshood.com">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hmshood.com/history/construct/design.htm|title=Designing HMS ''Hood''|date=30 November 2008|publisher=HMS Hood Association|access-date=5 July 2010|archive-date=19 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100219060327/http://www.hmshood.com/history/construct/design.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

She was [[Ceremonial ship launching|launched]] on 22 August 1918 by the widow of [[Rear admiral (Royal Navy)|Rear-Admiral]] [[Horace Hood|Sir Horace Hood]], a great-great-grandson of [[Samuel Hood, 1st Viscount Hood|Admiral Samuel Hood]], after whom the ship was named. Sir Horace Hood had been killed while commanding the [[3rd Battlecruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)|3rd Battlecruiser Squadron]] and flying his flag on {{HMS|Invincible|1907|2}}—one of the three battlecruisers which blew up at the Battle of Jutland. To make room in the shipyard for merchant construction, ''Hood'' sailed for [[Rosyth]] to complete her [[fitting-out]] on 9 January 1920.<ref>Taylor, pp. 15, 19</ref> After her sea trials, she was commissioned on 15 May 1920, under [[Captain (Royal Navy)|Captain]] Wilfred Tompkinson. She had cost [[pound sterling|£]]6,025,000 to build.<ref>Parkes, p. 644</ref>

With her conspicuous twin funnels and lean profile, ''Hood'' was widely regarded as one of the finest-looking warships ever built. She was also the largest warship afloat when she was commissioned, and retained that distinction for the next 20 years.<ref>Burt, pp. 302, 313</ref> Her size and powerful armament earned her the nickname of "Mighty Hood" and she came to symbolise the might of the British Empire itself.<ref>Taylor, p. 20</ref>

==Interwar service==
[[File:HMS Hood h60452.jpg|thumb|''Hood'' in the Panama Canal Zone during her world cruise with the Special Service Squadron, July 1924]]
Shortly after commissioning on 15 May 1920, ''Hood'' became the flagship of the [[Battlecruiser Squadron]] of the Atlantic Fleet, under the command of Rear-Admiral [[Roger Keyes, 1st Baron Keyes|Sir Roger Keyes]]. After a cruise to Scandinavian waters that year, Captain Geoffrey Mackworth assumed command. ''Hood'' visited the [[Mediterranean]] in 1921 and 1922 to show the flag and to train with the Mediterranean fleet, before sailing on a cruise to Brazil and the West Indies in company with the battlecruiser squadron.<ref>Taylor, pp. 234–235</ref>

Captain [[John Knowles Im Thurn|John Im Thurn]] was in command when ''Hood'', accompanied by the battlecruiser {{HMS|Repulse|1916|2}} and {{sclass|Danae|cruiser|2}}s of the [[1st Light Cruiser Squadron (United Kingdom)|1st Light Cruiser Squadron]], set out [[Cruise of the Special Service Squadron|on a world cruise]] from west to east via the [[Panama Canal]] in November 1923. The objective of the cruise was to remind the [[dominion]]s of their dependence on British sea power and encourage them to support it with money, ships, and facilities. They returned home 10 months later in September 1924, having visited [[Union of South Africa|South Africa]], Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Newfoundland, and other colonies and dependencies, and the United States.<ref>Taylor, pp. 70, 236</ref>

[[File:Hms hood Colorized-80a01d86-3474-11eb-9ba7-06afe61ae382.png|thumb|left|''Hood'' (foreground) and ''Repulse'' (background) at anchor in Southern Australia during their world tour, 1924]]

While in Australia in April 1924, the squadron escorted the battlecruiser {{HMAS|Australia|1911|6}} out to sea, where she was [[scuttled]] in compliance with the Washington Naval Treaty.<ref>Bastock, p. 38</ref> The battlecruiser squadron visited [[Lisbon]] in January 1925 to participate in the [[Vasco da Gama]] celebrations before continuing on to the Mediterranean for exercises. ''Hood'' continued this pattern of a winter training visit to the Mediterranean for the rest of the decade. Captain Harold Reinold relieved Captain im Thurn on 30 April 1925 and was relieved in turn by Captain [[Wilfred French]] on 21 May 1927.<ref>Taylor, pp. 236–238</ref>

''Hood'' was given a major refit from 1 May 1929 to 10 March 1931, and afterwards resumed her role as flagship of the battlecruiser squadron under the command of Captain [[Julian Patterson]]. Later that year, her crew participated in the [[Invergordon Mutiny]] over pay cuts for the sailors. It ended peacefully and ''Hood'' returned to her home port afterwards. The battlecruiser squadron made a Caribbean cruise in early 1932, and ''Hood'' was given another brief refit between 31 March and 10 May at [[Portsmouth]]. Captain Thomas Binney assumed command on 15 August 1932 and the ship resumed her previous practice of a winter cruise in the Mediterranean the next year. Captain Thomas Tower replaced Captain Binney on 30 August 1933. Her secondary and antiaircraft fire-control directors were rearranged during another quick refit between 1 August and 5 September 1934.<ref>Taylor, pp. 237–238</ref>

While en route to [[Gibraltar]] for a Mediterranean cruise, ''Hood'' was rammed in the port side quarterdeck by the battlecruiser {{HMS|Renown|1916|2}} on 23 January 1935. The damage to ''Hood'' was limited to her left outer propeller and an {{convert|18|in|mm|adj=on}} dent, although some hull plates were knocked loose from the impact. Temporary repairs were made at Gibraltar before the ship sailed to Portsmouth for permanent repairs between February and May 1935. The captains of both ships were [[court-martial]]led, as was the squadron commander, Rear-Admiral Sidney Bailey. Tower and Bailey were acquitted, but ''Renown''{{'}}s Captain Sawbridge was relieved of command. The Admiralty dissented from the verdict, reinstated Sawbridge, and criticised Bailey for ambiguous signals during the manoeuvre.<ref>Taylor, pp. 165–166, 167</ref>

[[File:Graf Spee at Spithead.jpg|thumb|The German "''Panzerschiff''" (armored ship) [[German cruiser Admiral Graf Spee|''Admiral Graf Spee'']] (foreground) with HMS ''Hood'' (left) and the battleship [[HMS Resolution (09)|HMS ''Resolution'']] (centre) during King George VI's Coronation Fleet Review at Spithead, May 1937]]

The ship participated in [[King George V]]'s Silver Jubilee [[Fleet Review]] at [[Spithead]] the following August. She was attached to the Mediterranean fleet shortly afterwards and stationed at Gibraltar at the outbreak of the [[Second Italo-Abyssinian War]] in October. Captain [[Arthur Pridham]] assumed command on 1 February 1936 and ''Hood'' returned to Portsmouth for a brief refit between 26 June and 10 October 1936. She formally transferred to the Mediterranean fleet on 20 October, shortly after the beginning of the [[Spanish Civil War]].<ref>Burt, pp. 316–317</ref> On 23 April 1937, the ship escorted three British merchantmen into [[Bilbao]] harbour despite the presence of the [[Spanish State|Nationalist]] cruiser {{ship|Spanish cruiser|Almirante Cervera||2}} that attempted to blockade the port.<ref>Taylor, pp. 172–173, 238–240</ref> ''Hood'' was refitted at Malta in November and December 1937, and had her submerged torpedo tubes removed.<ref>Raven and Roberts, p. 191</ref> Captain Pridham was relieved by Captain Harold Walker on 20 May 1938 and he, in turn, was relieved when the ship returned to Portsmouth in January 1939 for an overhaul that lasted until 12 August.<ref>Taylor, p. 240</ref>

''Hood'' was due to be modernised in 1941 to bring her up to a standard similar to that of other modernised First World War-era capital ships. She would have received new, lighter turbines and boilers, a secondary armament of eight twin [[QF 5.25-inch naval gun|{{convert|5.25|in|adj=on}} gun turrets]], and six octuple 2-pounder "pom-poms". Her 5-inch upper-armour strake would have been removed and her deck armour reinforced. A catapult would have been fitted across the deck and the remaining torpedo tubes removed. In addition, the conning tower would have been removed and her bridge rebuilt.<ref>Raven and Roberts, pp. 195–197</ref> The ship's near-constant active service, resulting from her status as the Royal Navy's most battle-worthy fast capital ship, meant that her material condition gradually deteriorated, and by the mid-1930s, she was in need of a lengthy overhaul. The outbreak of the Second World War made removing her from service near impossible, and as a consequence, she never received the scheduled modernisation afforded to other capital ships such as ''Renown'' and several of the ''Queen Elizabeth''-class battleships.<ref>Raven and Roberts, p. 197</ref> The ship's [[Surface condenser|condensers]] were in such bad condition by this time that much of the output from the fresh-water [[Evaporator (marine)|evaporators]] was required to replenish the [[boiler feedwater]] and could not be used by the crew to wash and bathe or even to heat the mess decks during cold weather, as the steam pipes were too leaky. These problems also reduced her steam output so that she was unable to attain her designed speed.<ref>Taylor, p. 39</ref>

==Second World War==
Captain [[Irvine Glennie]] assumed command in May 1939 and ''Hood'' was assigned to the Home Fleet's Battlecruiser Squadron while still refitting. When war broke out later that year, she was employed principally to patrol in the vicinity of [[Iceland]] and the [[Faroe Islands]] to protect convoys and intercept German [[merchant raider]]s and [[blockade runner]]s attempting to break out into the Atlantic. On 25 September 1939, the Home Fleet sortied into the central [[North Sea]] to cover the return of the damaged submarine {{HMS|Spearfish|69S|2}}. The fleet was spotted by the Germans and attacked by aircraft from the [[Kampfgeschwader 26|KG 26]] and [[Kampfgeschwader 30|KG 30]] bomber wings. ''Hood'' was hit by a {{convert|250|kg|lb|abbr=on}} bomb from a [[Junkers Ju 88]] [[bomber]] that damaged her port torpedo bulge and her condensers. By early 1940, ''Hood''{{'}}s machinery was in dire shape and limited her best speed to {{convert|26.5|kn}}; she was refitted between 4 April and 12 June.<ref>Taylor, pp. 192, 240–241</ref>

===Operation Catapult===
[[File:Cuirassé Bretagne 03-07-1940.jpg|thumb|French battleship [[French battleship Bretagne|''Bretagne'']] on fire while being shelled by ''Hood'' and the battleships [[HMS Valiant (1914)|''Valiant'']] and [[HMS Resolution (09)|''Resolution'']], 3 July 1940]]
''Hood'' and the aircraft carrier {{HMS|Ark Royal|91|2}} were ordered to Gibraltar to join [[Force H]] on 18 June where ''Hood'' became the flagship. Force H took part in the [[Attack on Mers-el-Kébir|destruction of the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir]] in July 1940. Just eight days after the French surrender, the British Admiralty issued an ultimatum that the French fleet at [[Oran]] intern its ships in a British or neutral port to ensure they would not fall into [[Axis powers|Axis]] hands. The terms were rejected, and the Royal Navy opened fire on the French ships berthed there. The results of ''Hood''{{'}}s fire are not known exactly, but she damaged the {{ship|French battleship|Dunkerque}}, which was hit by four fifteen-inch shells and was forced to beach herself. ''Hood'' was [[wikt:straddle|straddled]] during the engagement by ''Dunkerque''; shell splinters wounded two men. ''Dunkerque''{{'}}s [[sister ship]], {{ship|French battleship|Strasbourg||2}}, managed to escape from the harbour. ''Hood'' and several light cruisers gave chase, but gave up after two hours; ''Hood'' had dodged a salvo of torpedoes from a French [[sloop-of-war|sloop]] and had damaged a turbine reaching {{convert|28|kn}}.<ref>Taylor, pp. 202–203</ref>

===Return to home waters===
''Hood'' was relieved as flagship of Force H by ''Renown'' on 10 August, after returning to Scapa Flow. On 13 September she was sent to Rosyth along with the battleships {{HMS|Nelson|28|2}} and {{HMS|Rodney|29|2}} and other ships, to be in a better position to intercept a German invasion fleet. When the threat of an invasion diminished, the ship resumed her previous roles in convoy escort and patrolling against German commerce raiders. ''Hood'', ''Renown'' and ''Repulse'' were deployed to the [[Bay of Biscay]] on 5 November to prevent the heavy cruiser {{ship|German cruiser|Admiral Scheer||2}} from using French ports after she had attacked [[Convoy HX 84]], but the German ship continued into the South Atlantic.<ref>Rohwer, pp. 40, 48</ref>

In January 1941, the ship began a refit that lasted until March; even after the refit she was still in poor condition, but the threat from the German capital ships was such that she could not be taken into dock for a major overhaul until more of the {{sclass|King George V|battleship (1939)|0}} battleships came into service. Captain [[Ralph Kerr]] assumed command during the refit, and ''Hood'' was ordered to sea in an attempt to intercept the German battleships {{ship|German battleship|Gneisenau||2}} and {{ship|German battleship|Scharnhorst||2}} upon the refit's completion in mid-March. Unsuccessful, she was ordered to patrol the Bay of Biscay against any breakout attempt by the German ships from [[Brest, France]]. ''Hood'' was ordered to the [[Norwegian Sea]] on 19 April when the Admiralty received a false report that the {{ship|German battleship|Bismarck}} had sailed from Germany. Afterwards, she patrolled the North Atlantic before putting into Scapa Flow on 6 May.<ref>Taylor, pp. 241–242</ref>

===Battle of the Denmark Strait===
{{Main|Battle of the Denmark Strait}}
[[File:HOOD023.jpg|thumb|upright|The last photograph of ''Hood'', seen from ''Prince of Wales'']]
When ''Bismarck'' sailed for the Atlantic in May 1941, ''Hood'', flying the flag of [[Vice admiral (Royal Navy)|Vice-Admiral]] [[Lancelot Holland]], together with the newly commissioned battleship {{HMS|Prince of Wales|53|2}}, was sent out in pursuit along with several other groups of British capital ships to intercept the German ships before they could break into the Atlantic and attack Allied convoys. The German ships were spotted by two British heavy cruisers ({{HMS|Norfolk|78|2}} and {{HMS|Suffolk|55|2}}) on 23 May, and Holland's ships intercepted ''Bismarck'' and her consort, the heavy cruiser {{ship|German cruiser|Prinz Eugen||2}}, in the [[Denmark Strait]] between [[Greenland]] and Iceland on 24 May.<ref>Stephen, pp. 74–76</ref>

The British squadron spotted the Germans at 05:37 (ship's clocks were set four hours ahead of local time—the engagement commenced shortly after dawn),<ref>Kennedy, pp. 78, 108</ref> but the Germans were already aware of their presence, ''Prinz Eugen''{{'}}s [[hydrophone]]s having previously detected the sounds of high-speed propellers to their southeast. The British opened fire at 05:52 with ''Hood'' engaging ''Prinz Eugen'', the lead ship in the German formation, and the Germans returned fire at 05:55, both ships concentrating on ''Hood''. ''Prinz Eugen'' was probably the first ship to score when a shell hit ''Hood''{{'}}s boat deck, between her funnels, and started a large fire among the ready-use ammunition for the anti-aircraft guns and rockets of the UP mounts.<ref>Taylor, pp. 218–221</ref>
[[File:Sinking of HMS Hood (cropped).jpg|thumb|Painting by J.C. Schmitz-Westerholt, depicting ''Hood'' sinking stern first; ''Prince of Wales'' is in the foreground]]
Just before 06:00, while ''Hood'' was turning 20° to port to unmask her rear turrets, she was hit again on the boat deck by one or more shells from ''Bismarck''{{'}}s fifth salvo, fired from a range of approximately {{convert|16650|m|yd}} (or 10.3 mi.).<ref name=j4>Jurens, et al., p. 4</ref> A shell from this salvo appears to have hit the spotting top, as the boat deck was showered with body parts and debris.<ref>Taylor, p. 221</ref> A huge jet of flame burst out of ''Hood'' from the vicinity of the mainmast,<ref group=Note>According to the testimony of Captain Leach, "...&nbsp;between one and two seconds after I formed that impression [of a hit on ''Hood''] an explosion took place in the ''Hood'' " (Jurens, p. 131)</ref> followed by a devastating magazine explosion that destroyed the aft part of the ship. This explosion broke the back of ''Hood'', and the last sight of the ship, which sank in only three minutes, was her bow, nearly vertical in the water.<ref name=j4/> A note on a survivor's sketch in the possession of the British [[Naval Historical Branch]] gives {{coord|63|20|N|31|50|W}} as the position of the sinking.{{Citation needed|date=January 2024|reason=Quite the claim to be unreferenced}} An apparently precise location of the wreck is given in the documentary "How the Bismarck Sank HMS Hood" as {{coord|63|24.247|N|32|03.870|W}}.<ref>See this documentary on Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_jDaUSSPhc here]. The coordinates can be read from a computer screen at 23'.58"</ref> ''Hood'' sank stern first with 1,418 men aboard. 

Only three men survived: [[Ordinary seaman (rating)|Ordinary]] [[Signalman (rank)|Signalman]] [[Ted Briggs]] (1923–2008), [[Able Seaman (rank)|Able Seaman]] Robert Tilburn (1921–1995), and [[Midshipman]] William John Dundas (1923–1965).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hmshood.com/admin/faq.htm#faq8 |title=HMS ''Hood'' Association: Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=HMS Hood Association |access-date=6 June 2013 |archive-date=6 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006124028/http://www.hmshood.com/admin/faq.htm#faq8 |url-status=live }}</ref> The three were rescued about two hours after the sinking by the [[destroyer]] {{HMS|Electra|H27|2}}, which spotted substantial debris but no bodies.<ref>Taylor, p. 224</ref>

===Aftermath of the sinking===
{{multiple image
| align = right
| image1 = 060529 Hood explosion sketch.jpg
| width1 = 140
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| caption1 =
| image2 = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1998-035-05, Schlachtschiff Bismarck, Seegefecht.jpg
| width2 = 200
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| footer = ''Hood'' during and after the explosion; black and white copy of a sketch prepared by [[John Leach (Naval Officer)|Captain JC Leach]] (commanding ''Prince of Wales'') for the first board of enquiry in 1941, and photo from the [[German Federal Archives|Bundesarchiv]]. The column of smoke or flame that erupted from the vicinity of the mainmast (immediately before a huge detonation obliterated the after part of the ship from view) is believed to have been the result of a cordite fire venting through the engine-room ventilators.
}}

''Prince of Wales'' was forced to disengage by a combination of damage from German hits and mechanical failures in her guns and turrets after ''Hood'' was sunk. Despite these problems, she had hit ''Bismarck'' three times. One of these hits contaminated a good portion of the ship's fuel supply and subsequently caused her to steer for safety in [[occupied France]] where she could be repaired. ''Bismarck'' was temporarily able to evade detection, [[Last battle of Bismarck|but was later spotted and sunk on 27 May]].<ref>Stephen, pp. 81–83, 97</ref>

The official Admiralty [[communiqué]] on the loss, broadcast on the day of the sinking, reported that: "during the&nbsp;... action, HMS ''Hood''&nbsp;... received an unlucky hit in a [[Magazine (artillery)#Naval magazines|magazine]] and blew up."<ref>Taylor, p. 226</ref> The first formal board of enquiry into the loss, presided over by Vice-Admiral [[Geoffrey Blake (Royal Navy officer)|Sir Geoffrey Blake]], reported on 2 June, less than a fortnight after the loss. It endorsed this opinion, stating that:
{{Blockquote|(c) (The) probable cause of the loss of HMS ''Hood'' was direct penetration of the protection by one or more 15-inch shells at a range of {{convert|16500|yd|m|disp=sqbr}}, resulting in the explosion of one or more of the aft magazines.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hmshood.org.uk/reference/official/adm116/adm116-4351_to59.htm|title=ADM 116/4351: Report on the Loss of HMS ''Hood''|date=16 March 2007|publisher=HMS Hood Association|access-date=29 April 2011|archive-date=28 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928182322/http://www.hmshood.org.uk/reference/official/adm116/adm116-4351_to59.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

The Vice Chief of Naval Staff, Acting Vice-Admiral [[Tom Phillips (Royal Navy officer)|Tom Phillips]] and others criticised the conduct of the inquiry, largely because no verbatim record of witnesses' testimony had been kept. Moreover, [[Stanley Vernon Goodall|Sir Stanley V. Goodall]], [[Director of Naval Construction]] came forward with an alternative theory, that the ''Hood'' had been destroyed by the explosion of her own torpedoes. As a result, a second Board was convened under Rear-Admiral [[Harold Walker (Royal Navy officer)|Harold Walker]] and reported in September 1941.<ref name=h6/> This investigation was, in the words of one author, "much more thorough than was the first, taking evidence from a total of 176 eyewitnesses to the disaster",<ref>Jurens, p. 139</ref> and examined both Goodall's theory and others (see below). The Board came to a conclusion almost identical to that of the first board, expressed as follows:

{{Blockquote|That the sinking of ''Hood'' was due to a hit from ''Bismarck''{{'}}s 15-inch shell in or adjacent to ''Hood''{{'}}s 4-inch or 15-inch magazines, causing them all to explode and wreck the after part of the ship. The probability is that the 4-inch magazines exploded first.<ref name=h6>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hmshood.org.uk/reference/official/adm116/adm116-4351_89to144.htm|title=ADM 116/4351: Report on the Loss of HMS ''Hood''|date=16 March 2007|publisher=HMS Hood Association|access-date=6 July 2010|archive-date=18 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518055623/http://www.hmshood.org.uk/reference/official/adm116/adm116-4351_89to144.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

Both boards of enquiry exonerated Vice-Admiral Holland from any blame regarding the loss of ''Hood''.<ref>Chesneau, p. 173</ref>

Memorials to those who died are spread widely around the UK, and some of the crew are commemorated in different locations. One casualty, George David Spinner,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/s/SpinnerGD.htm|title=HMS ''Hood'' Crew Information|publisher=HMS Hood Association|access-date=21 September 2010|archive-date=26 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101126021947/http://hmshood.com/crew/memorial/s/SpinnerGD.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> is remembered on the Portsmouth Naval memorial,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.memorials.inportsmouth.co.uk/southsea/naval.htm|title=Memorials in Southsea&nbsp;– Portsmouth Naval Memorial|publisher=InPortsmouth|access-date=21 September 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515050708/http://www.memorials.inportsmouth.co.uk/southsea/naval.htm|archive-date=15 May 2011}}</ref> the ''Hood'' Chapel at the Church of St John the Baptist, in [[Boldre]], Hampshire, and also on the gravestone of his brother, who died while serving in the Royal Air Force in 1942, in the [[Hamilton Road Cemetery, Deal|Hamilton Road Cemetery]], Deal, Kent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hamilton_Road_Cemetery_Grave_of_H_Spinner_and_George_Spinner.jpg|title=Tombstone of H. and George Spinner|date=17 September 2009 |access-date=3 July 2010|archive-date=10 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110175646/http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hamilton_Road_Cemetery_Grave_of_H_Spinner_and_George_Spinner.jpg|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Modern theories on the sinking==
The exact cause of the loss of ''Hood'' remains a subject of debate. The principal theories include the following causes:
* A direct hit from a shell penetrated to a magazine aft. Such a shell could only have come from ''Bismarck'', since ''Prinz Eugen'' was no longer firing at ''Hood'' at the time of the explosion. As noted above, this version of events was almost taken for granted at the time of the sinking. Doubt first arose as a result of eyewitness testimony that the explosion that destroyed ''Hood'' originated near the mainmast, well forward of the aft magazines (for example, the sketch shown prepared for the second board of enquiry by [[John Leach (Royal Navy officer)|Captain Leach]] of ''Prince of Wales'').

At the second board, expert witnesses suggested that what was observed was the venting, through the engine-room ventilators, of a violent—but not instantaneous—explosion or [[deflagration]] in the 4-inch shell magazines. The same deflagration would have collapsed the bulkhead separating the 4-inch and 15-inch magazines, resulting very quickly in a catastrophic explosion similar to those previously witnessed at Jutland. This theory was ultimately adopted by the board.<ref>Jurens 1987, p. 139</ref>
* A shell, falling short and travelling underwater, struck below the armoured belt and penetrated a magazine. During the same action, ''Prince of Wales'' received a hit of this type from a 15-inch shell, which travelled underwater for about {{convert|80|ft|m}}, struck about {{convert|28|ft|m}} below the waterline, penetrated several light bulkheads and fetched up, without exploding, against the torpedo bulkhead. The second board considered this theory improbable, arguing that the fuse, had it worked at all, would have detonated the shell before it reached the ship. According to Jurens's calculations, one of ''Bismarck''{{'}}s shells that fell approximately {{convert|20|ft}} short of ''Hood'' could have penetrated the side of the ship beneath the armour belt and would have detonated in the vicinity of the ship's magazines if the fuse worked.<ref>Jurens 1987, pp. 147–151</ref>
* The ship was destroyed by the explosion of her own torpedoes. According to Goodall's theory, the ship's torpedoes could have been detonated either by the fire raging on the boat deck or, more probably, by a direct hit from ''Bismarck''. This would have blown out the side of the ship, destroying the girder strength of the hull; the force of water entering the hole, at a speed of nearly {{convert|30|kn|km/h}}, would then shear the stern section from the rest of the hull.<ref>Jurens 1987, p. 152</ref>
* The fire on the boat deck penetrated to a magazine. Evidence given to the second board indicated that the doors for the 4-inch ammunition supply trunks were closed throughout the action. It remains possible that a door or trunk could have been opened up by an enemy shell, admitting flames to the magazine. Alternative routes for admission of flame could have been the ventilation or venting arrangements of the magazines or, as Ted Briggs suggested, through the floor of a 15-inch gunhouse.<ref>Jurens 1987, pp. 152–153</ref>
* The explosion was initiated by 4-inch ammunition stored outside the magazines. Writing in 1979, the naval historian [[Antony Preston (naval historian)|Antony Preston]] claimed that the aft magazines of ''Hood'' were "surrounded by additional 4-inch (102 mm) anti-aircraft shells outside the armoured barbettes. Such unprotected stowage could have been detonated either by the boat-deck fire or by a shell from ''Bismarck''."<ref>Preston 1979, p. 109</ref>
* The ship was blown up by her own guns. At the second board, eyewitnesses reported unusual types of discharge from the 15-inch guns of ''Hood'', suggesting that a shell could have detonated within the gun, causing an explosion within the gunhouse. It is possible that, under the stress of combat, the safety measures, introduced after the disasters at Jutland to prevent such an explosion reaching the magazines, could have failed.<ref>Jurens 1987, p. 154</ref>

An extensive review of these theories (excepting that of Preston) is given in Jurens's 1987 article. Its main conclusion is that the loss was almost certainly precipitated by the explosion of a 4-inch magazine, but that there are several ways this could have been initiated, although he rules out the boat deck fire or the detonation of her torpedoes as probable causes. In Jurens's opinion, the popular image of plunging shells penetrating ''Hood''{{'}}s deck armour is inaccurate, as by his estimation the angle of fall of ''Bismarck''{{'}}s 15-inch shells at the moment of the loss would not have exceeded about 14°, an angle so unfavourable to penetration of horizontal armour that it is actually off the scale of contemporaneous German penetration charts. Moreover, computer-generated profiles of ''Hood'' show that a shell falling at this angle could not have reached an aft magazine without first passing through some part of the belt armour. On the other hand, the 12-inch belt could have been penetrated if ''Hood'' had progressed sufficiently far into her final turn.<ref>Jurens 1987, pp. 122–161</ref>

Inspection of the wreck has confirmed that the aft magazines did indeed explode. The stern of the ''Hood'' was located, with the rudder still in place, and it was found that this was set to port at the time of the explosion. Furthermore, a section of the bow immediately forward of 'A' turret is missing, which has led historian and former [[Britannia Royal Naval College|Dartmouth]] lecturer [[Eric J. Grove]] and expedition leader [[David Mearns]] to believe that "either just before or just after leaving the surface, the bow suffered massive internal damage from an internal explosion",<ref name=exp>{{cite web |url=http://www.hmshood.com/hoodtoday/2001expedition/index.htm |title=The July 2001 Channel 4 Expedition to Locate and Film the Wrecks of ''Hood'' and ''Bismarck'' |publisher=HMS Hood Association |access-date=21 September 2010 |archive-date=26 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100826014540/http://www.hmshood.com/hoodtoday/2001expedition/index.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> possibly a partial detonation of the forward 15-inch magazines.

It has been suggested that the fatal fire spread from the aft end of the ship through the starboard fuel tanks, since the starboard side of ''Hood'' "appears to be missing most, if not all, of its torpedo bulge plating".<ref name=exp/>

The evidence of the wreck refutes Goodall's theory of a torpedo explosion, while the eyewitness evidence of venting from the 4-inch magazine prior to the main explosion conflicts with the theory that the ''Hood'' was blown up by her own guns. The other theories listed above remain valid possibilities.<ref>Jurens et al., p. 16</ref>

In their study of the battleship ''Bismarck''{{'}}s operational history released in 2019, including its engagement with ''Hood'', Jurens, William Garzke, and Robert O. Dulin Jr. concluded that ''Hood'''s destruction was most likely caused by a 380-mm shell from ''Bismarck'' that penetrated the deck armour and exploded in the aft 4-inch magazine, igniting its [[cordite]] propellant, which in turn ignited the cordite in the adjacent aft 15-inch magazine. Rapid expansion of the resulting combustion gases from the conflagration then caused structural failure, passing out through the sides of the ship as well as forward and upwards via the engine room vents, expelling the aft main battery turrets and causing the stern to be detached from the rest of the hull at the aft armoured bulkhead.<ref>Garzke et al., p. 268</ref>

==Wreck==
In 2001, British broadcaster [[Channel 4]] commissioned shipwreck hunter David Mearns and his company, Blue Water Recoveries, to locate the wreck of ''Hood'', and if possible, produce underwater footage of both the battlecruiser and her attacker, ''Bismarck''. This was to be used for a major event documentary to be aired on the 60th anniversary of the ships' battle.<ref name=Mearns75>Mearns, p. 75</ref> This was the first time anyone had attempted to locate ''Hood''{{'}}s resting place.<ref name=Mearns76>Mearns, p. 76</ref> Mearns had spent the previous six years privately researching the fate of ''Hood'' with the goal of finding the battlecruiser, and had acquired the support of the Royal Navy, the HMS ''Hood'' Association and other veterans groups, and the last living survivor, Ted Briggs.<ref name=Mearns75/>

The search team and equipment had to be organised within four months, to take advantage of a narrow window of calm conditions in the North Atlantic. Organisation of the search was complicated by the presence on board of a documentary team and their film equipment, along with a television journalist who made live news reports via satellite during the search. The search team also planned to [[Streaming media|stream]] video from the [[remotely operated underwater vehicle]] (ROV) directly to Channel 4's website.<ref name=Mearns75/>

After footage of ''Bismarck'' was collected, Mearns and the search team began scanning a {{convert|600|sqnmi|km2|adj=on}} search box for ''Hood''; completely covering the area was estimated to take six days. Areas that Mearns felt were more likely to hold the wreck were prioritised, and the [[side-scan sonar]] located the battlecruiser in the 39th hour of the search.<ref name=Mearns76/>

''Hood''{{'}}s wreck lies on the seabed in pieces among two debris fields at a depth of about {{convert|2,800|m|abbr=off}}.<ref name=bell/> The eastern field includes the small piece of the stern that survived the magazine explosion, as well as the surviving section of the bow and some smaller remains, such as the propellers. The 4-inch fire-control director lies in the western debris field. The heavily armoured conning tower is located by itself, a distance from the main wreck. The amidships section, the biggest part of the wreck to survive the explosions, lies inverted south of the eastern debris field in a large impact crater. The starboard side of the amidships section is missing down to the inner wall of the fuel tanks and the plates of the hull are curling outward; this has been interpreted as indicating the path of the explosion through the starboard fuel tanks.

It is further supposed that the small debris fields are the fragments from the aft hull where the magazines and turrets were located, since that section of the hull was totally destroyed in the explosion. The fact that the bow section separated just forward of 'A' turret is suggestive that a secondary explosion might have occurred in this area.<ref>Mearns and White, pp. 206–207</ref> Other researchers have claimed that the final salvo fired by ''Hood'' was not a salvo at all, but flame from the forward magazine explosion, which gave the illusion of ''Hood'' firing for the last time.<ref>Chesneau, p. 179</ref> This damage, ahead of the armoured bulkhead, could have been implosion damage suffered while ''Hood'' sank, as a torpedo room that had been removed during one of her last refits approximates the site of the break.

It was the opinion of Mearns and White who investigated the wreck that this was unlikely as the damage was far too limited in scale, nor could it account for the outwardly splayed plates also observed in that area.<ref>Mearns and White, p. 206</ref> Bill Jurens points out that there was no magazine of any kind at the location of the break and that the location of the break just forward of the forward transverse armoured bulkhead suggests that the ship's structure failed there as a result of stresses inflicted when the bow was lifted into the vertical position by the sinking stern section. Furthermore, the current position of the plates at the edge of the break reflects only their last position, not the direction they had first moved.<ref>Jurens, et al., p. 15</ref>

The forward section lies on its port side, with the amidships section keel up. The stern section rises from the seabed at an angle. This position shows the rudder locked into a 20° port turn, confirming that orders had been given (just prior to the aft magazines detonating) to change the ship's heading and bring the aft turrets 'X' and 'Y' to bear on the German ships.<ref>Chesneau, p. 180</ref>

In 2002, the site was officially designated a [[war grave]] by the British government. As such, it remains a protected place under the [[Protection of Military Remains Act]] of 1986.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/20062616.htm |title=Statutory Instrument 2006 No. 2616 The Protection of Military Remains Act of 1986 (Designation of Vessels and Controlled Sites) Order 2006 |publisher=Queen's Printer of Acts of Parliament |access-date=20 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708214655/http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2006/20062616.htm |archive-date=8 July 2008 }}</ref>

===Expeditions to retrieve ship's bell===
In 2012, the British government gave permission for Mearns to return to the site of ''Hood''{{'}}s final resting place to retrieve one of her two [[ship's bells]] which were lying in a small open debris field some way from the wreck herself. With the backing of the HMS ''Hood'' Association, Mearns planned to return the bell to Portsmouth where it would form part of the first official and permanent memorial to the sacrifice of her last crew at the newly refitted [[National Museum of the Royal Navy]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hmshood.com/association/archive/specevents/bell2012.htm |title=Recovery of H.M.S. Hood's Bell |publisher=HMS Hood Association |access-date=17 August 2012 |archive-date=16 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120816234244/http://www.hmshood.com/association/archive/specevents/bell2012.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web |url=http://www.hmshood.com/association/archive/specevents/20120729_HMS_HOOD_BELL_news_release.pdf |title=H.M.S. Hood's Bell news release |publisher=Royal Navy |access-date=17 August 2012 |archive-date=24 August 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120824062706/http://www.hmshood.com/association/archive/specevents/20120729_HMS_HOOD_BELL_news_release.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

The expedition also took the opportunity to re-film the wreck and survey her using techniques unavailable in 2001. As before, with the exception of the attempted retrieval of the ship's bell, a strict look-but-do not-touch policy was adhered to. The original attempt, sponsored by [[Paul Allen]] and using his yacht [[Octopus (yacht)|''Octopus'']], was abandoned after ten days in September 2012 due to unfavourable weather conditions.<ref name="bell">{{cite news|title=Recovery of HMS ''Hood''{{'}}s ship's bell abandoned|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-19479556|work=BBC News|access-date=6 January 2013|archive-date=17 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017122439/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-19479556|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2015, the same team attempted a second recovery operation and ''Hood''{{'}}s bell was retrieved on 7 August 2015. After conservation work, [[Anne, Princess Royal|Princess Anne]], the [[Princess Royal]], unveiled the bell at the museum on 24 May 2016 – the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Denmark Strait. The bell was rung eight times{{explain|date=August 2024}} in a commemorative service at midday attended by descendants of crew members who died in the battle before being placed in the museum's exhibit on the Battle of Jutland.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nmrn.org.uk/news-events/nmrn-blog/hood-bell-unveiling |title=''Hood'' Bell Unveiling|publisher=National Museum of the Royal Navy |access-date=27 December 2021}}</ref><ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite news|title=HMS Hood's bell unveiled at Navy museum Portsmouth|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-36361855|access-date=6 April 2017|work=BBC News|date=24 May 2016|archive-date=14 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170414035954/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-36361855|url-status=live}}</ref>

The recovered bell was originally carried on the [[pre-dreadnought battleship]] {{HMS|Hood|1891|2}}. Before being installed on the battlecruiser, the bell was inscribed around its base with the words: "This bell was preserved from HMS ''Hood'' battleship 1891–1914 by the late Rear Admiral, The Honourable Sir Horace Hood KCB, DSO, MVO killed at Jutland on 31st May 1916."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nmrn.org.uk/news-events/nmrn-blog/conserved-hms-hood-bell-rings-out-75th-anniversary-largest-ever-royal-navy|title=Conserved HMS Hood bell rings out on 75th anniversary of largest ever Royal Navy loss|publisher=National Museum of the Royal Navy|access-date=21 June 2017|archive-date=22 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222052134/https://www.nmrn.org.uk/news-events/nmrn-blog/conserved-hms-hood-bell-rings-out-75th-anniversary-largest-ever-royal-navy|url-status=live}}</ref> There is a second inscription on the side of the bell that reads "In accordance with the wishes of Lady Hood it was presented in memory of her husband to HMS ''Hood'' battle cruiser the ship she launched 22nd August 1918." In addition to the two inscriptions, the bell still wears vivid royal blue paint work on its crown as well as its interior.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://hmshood.com/hoodtoday/2001expedition/hood/wreckdebris2.htm |title=Photos of the Wreck of H.M.S. Hood in 2001 |website=Battle Cruiser Hood |at=Pt. 2 |date=19 July 2016 |access-date=21 June 2017 |archive-date=18 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170618003216/http://www.hmshood.com/hoodtoday/2001expedition/hood/wreckdebris2.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Surviving relics===
Some relics from the time of ''Hood''{{'}}s sinking still exist. A large fragment of the wooden [[Transom (nautical)|transom]] from one of ''Hood''{{'}}s boats was washed up in Norway after her loss and is preserved in the [[National Maritime Museum]] in London.<ref name="HoodAssociationRelics" /> A metal container holding administrative papers was discovered washed ashore on the Norwegian [[Senja (island)|island of Senja]] in April 1942, almost a year after the Battle of the Denmark Strait. The container and its contents were subsequently lost, but its lid survived and was eventually presented to the Royal Navy shore establishment HMS ''Centurion'' in 1981.<ref name="HoodAssociationRelics" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hmshood.com/hoodtoday/Lid.jpg|title=Relics of HMS Hood – Ledger Container Lid|publisher=HMS Hood Association|access-date=15 April 2012|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303231928/http://www.hmshood.com/hoodtoday/Lid.jpg|url-status=live}}</ref>

Other surviving relics are items that were removed from the ship prior to her sinking:

====5.5-inch guns====
Two of ''Hood''{{'}}s 5.5-inch guns were removed during a refit in 1935, and shipped to [[Ascension Island]], where they were installed as a shore battery in 1941, sited on a hill above the port and main settlement, [[Georgetown, Ascension Island|Georgetown]],<ref group="Note">{{nowrap|{{coord|7.92770|S|14.40654|W|scale:2000_type:landmark|display=inline}}}} – corrected from Google Earth, which has a public domain picture of the emplaced weapons</ref> where they remain. The guns were restored by the RAF in 1984.<ref name="secondaryguns">{{Cite web |url=http://www.hmshood.com/hoodtoday/ascension.htm |title=HMS ''Hood''{{'}}s 5.5" Guns on Ascension Islands |date=4 April 2010 |publisher=HMS Hood Association |access-date=6 June 2013 |archive-date=9 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509163343/http://www.hmshood.com/hoodtoday/ascension.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Ascension Island guns saw action only once, on 9 December 1941, when they fired on the {{GS|U-124|1940|6}},<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.uboat.net/boats/u124.htm |title=U-124 |publisher=uboat.net |access-date=18 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125154515/http://www.uboat.net/boats/u124.htm |archive-date=25 November 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as it approached Georgetown on the surface to shell the cable station or sink any ships at anchor. No hits were scored, but the submarine [[Crash dive|crash-dived]] and retreated.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.heritage.org.ac/avis10.htm |title=And So Back To Conflict |author=Graham Avis |date=9 February 2002 |work=History of Ascension |publisher=Ascension Island Heritage Society |access-date=18 January 2010 |archive-date=21 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121162605/http://www.heritage.org.ac/avis10.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Fragments of propeller====
[[File:HMS Hood vs HMS Renown propeller nugget.jpg|thumb|right|Privately owned propeller fragment]]

As a result of a collision off the coast of Spain on 23 January 1935, one of ''Hood''{{'}}s propellers struck the bow of ''Renown''. While dry-docked for repairs, ''Renown'' had fragments of this propeller removed from her bilge section. The pieces of the propeller were kept by dockyard workers: ''"Hood" v "Renown" Jan. 23rd. 1935'' was stamped on one surviving example, and ''"Hood V Renown off Arosa 23–1–35"'' on another. Of the known surviving pieces, one is privately held and another was given by the Hood family to the ''Hood'' Association in 2006.<ref name="HoodAssociationRelics">{{Cite web |url=http://www.hmshood.com/hoodtoday/today1.htm |title=Relics and Artefacts from ''Hood'' |date=13 September 2009 |publisher=HMS Hood Association |access-date=5 July 2010 |archive-date=6 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101206000501/http://hmshood.com/hoodtoday/today1.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> A third piece was found in Glasgow, where ''Hood'' was built. It is held by a private collector and stamped ''HMS HOOD v HMS RENOWN 23 1 35''.<ref name="flickr">{{Cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/amd87ts/8316798059/|title=HMS Hood v HMS Renown propeller fragment|date=28 December 2012|via=Flickr|access-date=16 November 2021|archive-date=16 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211116014629/https://www.flickr.com/photos/amd87ts/8316798059/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note|30em}}

==References==
{{Reflist|22em}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Brown|first=David K.|title=The Grand Fleet: Warship Design and Development 1906–1922 |publisher= Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1999 |isbn=1-55750-315-X|author-link=David K. Brown}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bastock |first=John |title=Australia's Ships of War |year=1975 |publisher=Angus and Robertson |location=Cremorne, NSW |isbn=0-207-12927-4}}
* {{cite book|last=Burt|first=R. A.|title=British Battleships, 1919–1939|year=2012|edition=2nd |publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=978-1-59114-052-8}}
* {{Cite book|last=Campbell|first=John|title=Naval Weapons of World War II|year=1985 |publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-459-4}}
* {{Cite book |first=Roger |last=Chesneau |title=''Hood'' – Life and Death of a Battlecruiser |publisher=Cassell Publishing |location=London |year=2002 |isbn=0-304-35980-7}}
* {{Cite book|last=Friedman|first=Norman|title=Battleship Design and Development 1905–1945 |year=1978 |publisher=Conway Maritime Press|location=London|isbn=0-85177-135-1|author-link=Norman Friedman}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Garzke |first1=William H. |title=Battleship ''Bismarck'': A Design and Operational History |last2=Dulin |first2=Robert O. |last3=Jurens |first3=William |last4=Cameron |first4=James |year=2019 |isbn=978-1-59114-569-1|publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |name-list-style=amp}}
* {{cite book| last=Buxton| first=Ian| title=The Battleship Builders – Constructing and Arming British Capital Ships| publisher=Naval Institute Press| location= Annapolis, Maryland| date=2013 | isbn=978-1-59114-027-6}}
* {{Cite book|editor=Jordan, John|first=Trent|author1-link=Trent Hone|last=Hone|chapter=High-Speed Thoroughbreds: The US Navy's ''Lexington'' Class Battle Cruiser Designs|publisher=Conway|location=London |year=2011 |title=Warship 2011|isbn=978-1-84486-133-0}}
* {{Cite journal|last=Jurens|first=Bill|year=1987|title=The Loss of HMS ''Hood'' – A Re-Examination |journal=Warship International|volume=XXIV|issue=2|pages=122–180 |issn=0043-0374 |url=http://www.warship.org/no21987.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041204195722/http://www.warship.org/no21987.htm|archive-date=4 December 2004}}
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.sname.org/SNAME/SNAME/Libraries/ViewDocument/Default.aspx?DocumentKey=57f1943b-72c9-440c-81d0-9d58d9893dd0 |url-access=subscription |title=A Marine Forensic Analysis of HMS ''Hood'' and DKM ''Bismarck'' |last1=Jurens |first1=William |last2=Garzke |first2=William H.|last3=Dulin| first3=Robert O. Jr. |last4=Roberts |first4=John|last5=Fiske|first5= Richard |year=2002 |website=The Society of Naval Architects & Marine Engineers |access-date=3 July 2010 |format=PDF |name-list-style=amp |archive-date=28 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728033338/http://www.sname.org/SNAME/SNAME/Libraries/ViewDocument/Default.aspx?DocumentKey=57f1943b-72c9-440c-81d0-9d58d9893dd0 |url-status=dead }}
* {{Cite book |last=Kennedy |first=Ludovic |title=Pursuit: The Chase and Sinking of the ''Bismarck'' |publisher=Wm Collins & Sons|location=London |year=1974|isbn= 0-304-35526-7}}
* {{Cite book |last=Mearns |first=David |author-link=David Mearns |title=The Search for the ''Sydney'' |publisher= HarperCollins Publishers |location=Pymble, NSW |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-7322-8889-1 |oclc=301679923}}
* {{Cite book |first1=David|last1= Mearns |last2=White| first2=Rob |title=''Hood'' and ''Bismarck'': The Deep Sea Discovery of an Epic Battle |publisher=Channel 4 |location=London |year=2001 |isbn=0-7522-2035-7|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{Cite book|last1=Morison|first1=Samuel Loring|first2=Norman |last2=Polmar|title=The American Battleship |year=2003 |publisher=MBI|location=St. Paul, Minnesota|isbn=0-7603-0989-2 |author-link1=Samuel Loring Morison|author-link2=Norman Polmar}}
* {{cite book |last1=Parkes |first1=Oscar |title=British Battleships, ''Warrior'' 1860 to ''Vanguard'' 1950: A History of Design, Construction, and Armament |date=1990 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=1-55750-075-4 |edition=New & rev.|orig-year=1966|author-link=Oscar Parkes}}
* {{Cite book |first=Antony |last=Preston |author-link=Antony Preston|title=Sea Power: A Modern Illustrated Military History |publisher=Phoebus Publishing Company |location=London |year=1979 |isbn=0-89673-011-5}}
* {{Cite book |first=Antony |last=Preston|title=The World's Worst Warships|publisher=Conway Maritime Press |location=London |year=2002 |isbn=0-85177-754-6}}
* {{cite book|last1=Raven|first1=Alan|last2=Roberts|first2=John|title=British Battleships of World War Two: The Development and Technical History of the Royal Navy's Battleship and Battlecruisers from 1911 to 1946|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1976|isbn=0-87021-817-4|name-list-style=amp}}
* {{Cite book|last=Roberts|first=John|title=Battlecruisers|publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland|year=1997|isbn=1-55750-068-1}}
* {{Cite book|last=Roberts|first=John|title=The Battlecruiser ''Hood''|publisher=Conway |location=London |year=2001 |edition=Revised|series=Anatomy of the Ship|isbn=0-85177-900-X}}
* {{cite book|last=Rohwer|first=Jürgen|title=Chronology of the War at Sea 1939–1945: The Naval History of World War Two|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland |year=2005 |edition=Third revised|isbn=1-59114-119-2 |author-link=Jürgen Rohwer}}
* {{Cite book|last=Stephen|first=Martin|title=Sea Battles in Close-Up: World War 2|year=1988 |publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, Maryland|isbn=0-87021-556-6|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/seabattlesinclos00mart}}
* {{Cite book |first=Bruce |last=Taylor |title=The Battlecruiser HMS ''Hood'': An Illustrated Biography, 1916–1941 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |year=2008 |isbn=978-1-86176-216-0}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{Cite book |last=Bradford |first=Ernle |title=The Mighty ''Hood'': The Life and Death of the Royal Navy's Proudest Ship |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton|location=London |year=1959 |author-link=Ernle Bradford}}
* {{cite book |last= Johnston |first= Ian |year= 2011 |title= Clydebank Battlecruisers: Forgotten Photographs from John Brown's Shipyard |location= Annapolis, Maryland |publisher= Naval Institute Press |type= Hardcover |isbn= 978-1591141204}}
* {{cite journal|last1=Jurens|first1=William|year=1990 |title=Re: The Loss of H.M.S. ''Hood''&nbsp;–&nbsp;A Re-examination|journal=Warship International|volume=XXVII |issue=4 |pages=323–324 |issn=0043-0374}}
* {{cite journal |last1=Jurens|first1=William|last2= Garzke|first2=William H.|last3=Dulin| first3 = Robert O.|last4 = Roberts|first4 = John|title=Re: A Marine Forensic Analysis of HMS ''Hood'' and DKM ''Bismarck'' |journal=Warship International |date=2002 |volume=XXXIX |issue=2 |pages=113–115 |issn=0043-0374}}
* {{cite book|last=Taylor|first=Bruce|year=2012|title=The End of Glory: War and Peace in HMS ''Hood'', 1916–1941|location=Barnsley|publisher=Seaforth Publishing|isbn=978-1-84832-139-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Taylor|first=Bruce|year=2018|chapter=The Battlecruiser ''Hood'' (1918) |editor-first=Bruce|editor-last=Taylor|title=The World of the Battleship: The Lives and Careers of Twenty-One Capital Ships of the World's Navies, 1880–1990 |location=Barnsley |publisher=Seaforth Publishing |isbn=978-1-84832-178-6}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|HMS Hood (51)}}
* [http://www.hmshood.com/ HMS ''Hood'' Association]
** [http://www.hmshood.com/hoodtoday/2001expedition/index.htm HMS ''Hood'' Today&nbsp;– Wreck Overview] Description of the wreck state, and many annotated photographs.
** [http://www.hmshood.com/reference/written/books1.htm Books and Magazines]
** [http://www.hmshood.com/reference/records.htm Official Records Pertaining to HMS ''Hood'']
** [http://www.hmshood.com/history/denmarkstrait/index.htm Battle of the Denmark Strait Documentation Resource]
* [https://www.pbs.org/hood/ Hunt for the ''Hood''] Includes colour photographs and a log of the expedition.
* [https://archive.today/20131018060342/http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/sitecore/content/home/about-the-royal-navy/organisation/life-in-the-royal-navy/history/historic-ships/hms-hood-1920 HMS ''Hood'' 1920] Official Royal Navy page.
* [http://www.thesongoftheday.com/index.cgi?_d=083007 Battle of Denmark Strait] A song tribute to the ''Hood''.
* [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/3140770/Ted-Briggs.html Obituary of Ted Briggs&nbsp;– last survivor].
* [http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80011489 Imperial War Museum Interview with survivor Robert Tilburn]

{{Admiral class battlecruiser}}
{{WWII British ships}}
{{1935 shipwrecks}}
{{May 1941 shipwrecks}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hood (51)}}
[[Category:Battlecruisers of the Royal Navy|Hood (51)]]
[[Category:Admiral-class battlecruisers|Hood (51)]]
[[Category:World War II battlecruisers of the United Kingdom|Hood (51)]]
[[Category:1918 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Clyde|Hood (51)]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1935]]
[[Category:Saint Helena and Dependencies in World War II]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in May 1941|Hood]]
[[Category:Naval magazine explosions]]
[[Category:2001 archaeological discoveries]]
[[Category:Protected wrecks of the United Kingdom|Hood (51)]]
[[Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean|Hood (51)]]
[[Category:Spanish Civil War ships]]