HMS Vanguard Was the Last Battleship Ever Built in Human History, Never Fired Her Guns in Combat, Appeared in a War Film, and Was Sold for Scrap

HMS Vanguard Was the Last Battleship Ever Built in Human History, Never Fired Her Guns in Combat, Appeared in a War Film, and Was Sold for Scrap

HMS Vanguard was laid down in 1941 and commissioned on August 9, 1946 — after the war she was built for had already ended. At 814 feet, 30 knots, and armed with 97 guns, including four twin 15-inch main turrets, she was the largest and most capable battleship the Royal Navy ever produced. She never fired those guns in anger. The Cold War made her obsolete before she could prove herself. In 1960, just before decommissioning, she was used to film …