H.M.S. Rodney: Warships of the Royal Navy

Sorry. Of the 600 pages here, about 100 concern the ship. Of those 100 pages, about half are opinion, often misinformed. And the final pages are concerned mainly with Ballantyne's emotional problems. He almost looks upon this ship as a lover. It's embarrassing. Especially as he develops and continues a refrain --- 16-inch -- appearing 77 times in the final pages.-- as if that size gun was an exclusive -- although the US Navy carried 90 of them through World War II -- each shell weighing 2750 pounds rather than the 2000 pound shells here.. Ballantyne does not even win solace from extolling a champion ship. The Rodney was anything but. It was slow, flimsy, and poorly fitted out. One might make a case that its salvos at Bismarck did almost as much damage to Rodney. Taken globally, no -- she did not win the war, did not win back France, did not save armies. However, no doubt about it -- she did beat Bismarck which never landed a single hit. But the question must be asked -- unavoidably -- were it not for a single horribly old-fashioned British Swordfish, would Bismarck even have been there?

A very thorough compilation of facts and figures, skilfully woven together by the Author to render an intensely readable narrative of a magnificent fighting ship.

A good read for anyone who has been tobsea in a military uniform.