As a ship ages, its machinery and structure experience "wear and tear." The degree of wear and tear depends of course, upon the conditions under which the ship was operated, as well as the quantity and quality of maintenance received. Often, regardless of how well-maintained a ship may be, deficiencies in its design and/or equipment come to light and must be addressed. As a result of any of these factors, modifications in the form of refits or repairs are periodically necessary.
Hood herself was certainly no exception: she received some form of refit for nearly every single year from the time of her launching until the time of her loss. Of the approximately 20 more notable refits, most involved modifications to secondary guns, fire control and range finding equipment. The scope of the refits varied in size. Only one (1929-1931) was actually a major refit/overhaul.
By the late 1930s, Hood, due to the poor condition of key internal components (i.e., engines) was once again in need of a major refit. It was also apparent that she was not up to the standards of the current generation of modern battleships. Thus, in late 1938, preliminary plans were discussed with Captain Walker and crew. Hood's key deficiencies and shortcomings were outlined and a rough plan was formulated. This plan was officially referred to as the "Large Repair."
Unfortunately, detailed final plans were not created – only preliminary planning sketches were drawn-up. According to sources, the sketches were simply overlaid or drawn-over drawings of Hood in her then present configuration. Logically, the sketches showed an arrangement extremely similar to that of Renown following her 1936-1939 refit/overhaul. The whereabouts of these sketches is unknown and are they are believed to have been lost. Therefore, any attempt to draw a reconstructed Hood is hypothetical at best.
The work (based on pre-war considerations) would have taken between two and three years to complete at a cost of as much as £4.5 million. Sadly, due to budgetary constraints and the fact that there were other ships in need of more immediate attention, Hood's refit was not scheduled to commence until at least Spring 1942.
Proposed Modifications
What follows is a list of the proposed work:
- New internal machinery. Nearly everything would have been upgraded, especially engines/propulsion.
- Rearranged/remodelled torpedo bulges and side armour. Bulge would have extended to the top of the 7" armour belt rather than to the top of the 12" belt)
- Improved deck armour/protection over vital areas
- Removal of spotting top and the 5" side armour
- New superstructure and masts fore and aft. Most notably, the forward superstructure would have been a "block" type similar to that of Renown, the Queen Elizabeths or the King George Vs (KGV).
- New funnels. These would have been something similar to those on Renown as KGV funnels would have been too small.
- Addition of a catapult, hangars and Walrus seaplanes. (See "Some Considerations" below)
- Improved antiaircraft (AAA) protection. This would include: The addition of 3 pom poms (for a total of 6), removal of all UPs and 4" HA/LA guns and lastly, the addition of either 16 x 4.5" (like Renown) or 5.25" guns (like KGV) (See "Some Considerations" below)
- Upgraded fire control. She would have received updated radar, fire control tables, comms, directors, etc.
- Extended forecastle deck. Hood's stern was notoriously wet due to her overweight condition. An extension was considered for the simple fact that it might help keep the quarterdeck a bit drier. The extension would retain the rough "V" shape but would instead, extend to "X" turret. (See "Some Considerations" below).
We feel that due to certain circumstances, of the above list, a few items would likely have been changed or possibly not implemented:
- Catapult/aircraft gear–. By 1944/1945, the Royal Navy had reexamined the need for aircraft aboard battleships and battle cruisers. Due to key considerations, not the least of which was the improvement in aerial surveillance radar, it was decided to remove such equipment. Therefore, Hood, under construction during this period. would likely have had changes made. It is possible that if aircraft were not used, the space they would have occupied would have gone to boats or possibly increased 40mm antiaircraft batteries.
- 4.5" or 5.25" Secondary Battery–. Though the 5.25" would have been preferred, there were availability issues with the guns. Instead, the widely available 4.5" guns would have been a more likely choice to install aboard Hood.. It was also a more standard sized round (Queen Elizabeth, Renown, carriers, etc.).
- Extended Forecastle deck–. This would only have been done if other modifications did not result in a significant reduction in displacement/increase in freeboard. If Hood sat higher in the water, there would have been no need for the extension.
- Location of shell rooms and magazines–. This, Hood's "Achilles heel," would not have been fixed. The powder magazines would still have been situated dangerously over the shell rooms.
Hypothetical Profile Drawings of a Fully Refitted Hood
1. What we feel would have been most likely – something very similar to Renown (Click to enlarge)
2. The best possible refit, but less likely to happen – similar to the King George V class (Click to enlarge)
3. Another interpretation of Hood looking similar to Renown, courtesy of Dave Weldon (Click to enlarge)
4. Here is another Renown style interpretation of Hood, courtesy of Monty Mills (Click to enlarge)
Hypothetical Photographic Conceptions of a Fully Refitted Hood
1. Alt_Naval's Hood refitted along the lines of the King George V class (Click to enlarge)
2. Alt_Naval's Hood refitted along the lines of Renown (Click to expand)
Alt_Naval has another Renown type Hood, which you can view by clicking HERE.
Hypothetical Model Conception of a Fully Refitted Hood
Tony Ansell's interpretation of Hood as refitted (Click to view other photos)
Final Conclusions
It is highly possible that even had she survived her encounter with Bismarck, Hood would still not have undergone a full refit or r large repair. As stated above, the proposed "Large Repair" was based upon pre-war considerations. With the war well underway, resources and finances would have been severely limited. Resources would be diverted to building new ships and repairing damaged ones.
Additionally, an important asset like Hood may not have been able to be spared for a full three years. At worst, Hood would likely have had her engines repaired/updated, some slight modifications to her superstructure (weight saving attempts) and a significantly increased antiaircraft capability. If that were the case, she may have looked something like a cross between her actual final appearance and one of the drawings shown above (Note- because of the extreme uncertainty involved, we have not attempted such a drawing). After a refit of 1 to 2 years, she would have been right back out on front line service. Following the completion of the war, the ship would likely have paid off and decommissioned then eventually scrapped along with all the other great "big gun" ships of the Royal Navy.