HMS Howe

 

While we're on the subject of interesting things within St Giles', we came across the bell for HMS Howe which spawned research into the battleship and so it is only right that we share what we know with you.

HMS Howe was the last of the five British battleships commissioned by the Royal Navy under King George V. The battleship wasn't actually launched until four years after the king's death and originally had the name Beatty but this was changed to honour Admiral Richard Howe instead.

Despite being launched two years earlier, she wasn't completed until the 29th of August 1942 as the work ended up being extended due to supplies being diverted to high priority jobs. Once complete Howe spent her career in the Arctic providing cover for Russian convoys, much like her sister ship Anson. When 1943 hit Howe was brought onboard Operation Husky and bombarded the Trapani naval base in support of the Allied landings. It then escorted two surrendered Italian battleships alongside King George V to Alexandria. Two years later she provided naval bombardments for the Allied landings at Okinawa.

When the war ended Howe spent four years as the flagship battleship of the Training Squadron at Portland before she was placed in reserve. Seven years later in 1957 she was marked for disposal, sold for scrap a year later, and broken down by 1961.

During her time in service she carried several guns such as 10 BL 14inch Mk VII guns as well as several others but to list her entire spec would take forever. However, you may be wondering why the Royal Navy presented her bell to St Giles'. Well she was actually from Glasgow so HMS Howe was a Scottish battleship at her core!

It is a shame that there is nothing left of her other than her bell and a rumoured gun turret, but who knows where that is now?!