Comments by "Steve Valley" (@stevevalley7835) on "HMS Ramillies - Guide 295" video.

@QuizmasterLaw Several older ships seem to have been pretty decrepit. Most of the surviving Revenges and Malaya were put in reserve by the end of 43. I read somewhere, regarding the Madagascar operation, the original intention had been to use Malaya, but she was so decrepit they used Ramillies instead. Rodney was intended to be used for fire support in Normandy, but, first, went into drydock, because the hull was leaking so badly. Royal Sovereign went to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for refit in early 43, but the navy yard couldn't do anything with the hoists, because they were worn out. After repairing what it they could, the ship was returned to the UK, and they passed her off to the Russians. Drac has commented on the poor condition of Nevada at Pearl Harbor. At the time the Washington Treaty was signed, battleships were expected to have a 20 year life. First London decreed they would have a 26 year life. By the time WWII got rolling, these ships were closing in on 30 years, well past their projected life spans.
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@icefox192 In the system I have seen diagrammed, the anchor unreels a weight until it hangs a preset distance below the anchor. This preset distance is the distance the mine is to lay under the surface. As the anchor starts to sink, it unreels the mooring cable to the mine, while the mine floats on the surface. When the weight hanging below the anchor hits bottom, the mechanism in the anchor locks the reel that had been paying out cable to the mine, so the mine is then pulled under the surface as the anchor sinks the last few feet to the bottom.
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@Knight6831 The subsequent treaties did not have a fixed replacement schedule like the Washington Treaty did. First London extended the life of battleships to 26 years. The WNT replacement schedule went strictly by age. QE, Warspite and Barham replaced in 35. Malaya and Royal Sovereign replaced in 36. Revenge and Resolution gone in 37. Royal Oak gone in 38. Valiant and Repulse gone in 39. Renown gone in 40. Ramillies and Hood gone in 41. Nelson and Rodney gone in 42. The life extension in First London appears to have scrambled that schedule some. From my reading, Ramillies was in somewhat better condition than the other Revenges, the only one still in active RN service after 43, so probably would have been the last to go in any event.
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@Knight6831 my favorite what if would be if the third cancelled Revenge, Resistance, was completed as a third Renown, using the three surplus turrets that ended up on monitors. The Admirals were started as answers to the Mackensens, but then delayed as work on the Mackensens was slowed, except Hood was completed, so that it, plus the two Renowns, would make up the battlecruiser losses from Jutland. If Resistance had been built, so there would be three Renowns to replace Jutland losses, would Hood have been completed, or cancelled with the other Admirals?
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@Knight6831 I'm not so sure the French were that far behind. The Bretagne isn't that far off the pace of the Iron Dukes, and both classes were laid down in 1912. The primary difference between the Normandie and Revenge classes, both laid down in 1913-14, is the French went for a large number of 13.4" guns, while the Revenges went with only 8 of the new 15". That debate, more smaller guns vs few larger guns, raged in the USN until Jutland proved combat at longer range was viable, so the French were not necessarily backward for specifying the 13.4" before the war started. They are very close in displacement, though the Revenges appear to have a slight speed advantage. Hood was designed during the war as a reply to the Mackensens, and G3 was an entirely postwar design, so can't really be compared to the pre-war French designs.
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@Knight6831 you are referring to my scenario where Resistance is built as a battlecruiser? The scenario rests on Jackie being a slightly better salesman, and having all three cancelled Revenges reordered as battlecruisers. In that scenario, Resistance would have been laid down in 1915, so, when three battlecruisers are lost at Jutland, three more would already under construction. The Admirals were laid down in late 16. The impetus to build the Admirals clearly was lost as three of the class were suspended and the design repeatedly revised. They only pressed on with Hood, apparently to make up Jutland losses. With Resistance building, they would not have needed Hood to make up losses, and Resistance would likely be completed in late 16/early 17, so would be useful during the war.
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