Hood

'The Mighty Hood', as she became known, was launched in 1918 to much public acclaim. She was a magnificent ship: 860ft long and displacing 42,100 tons, Hood was one of the fastest capital ships in the world. Hood's peacetime role took her on goodwill visits around the world. When war came in 1939, however, after 21 years without a major refit the Hood was in no shape to face Germany's modern, better armoured battleships. In action with the Bismarck on 24 May 1941, she exploded and sank with the loss of all but three of her crew. Roger Chesneau's book investigates this tragic story, providing a lively mix of technical data and historical narrative.