HMS Rodney.

HMS RODNEY   27-Aug-42   to   19-Sep-42

HMS Rodney had also taken part in operation Pedestal and had left Gibraltar before Nelson, on 16^th August, and sailed for Scapa Flow to rejoin the Home Fleet.  She then left for Rosyth to carry out some remedial work as there was ongoing trouble with all three of her steering motors that saw the ship having to steer using her propellers at times. There were also problems with leaking boiler tubes and leaking hull from her time in the North Atlantic previously. Therefore both Nelson and Rodney were at Rosyth Dockyard at the same time.

LOA    710’

Beam   106’

Draft   33’

Speed  23.8kts

Displ    33750 tons

Crew   1640

Arma   9 x 16” (3 x 3), 12 x 6” (6 x 2), 6 x 4.7” AA, 48 x 2lb AA (6 x 8), 20 x 20mm Oerlikons, 2 x aeroplanes

HMS Rodney from astern at Malta 1943.

HMS Rodney following refit in Birkenhead May 1942.

Rodney finished her repairs and modifications on 16^th September but then had to take stores and ammunition before sailing for practise shoots and exercises to bring her and the crew to war readiness out of Scapa Flow. I don’t think Dad sailed with her from Rosyth as his records state he changed ship again.