On This Day in 1944, HMS Vanguard was launched. Vanguard was the biggest, fastest and last Royal Navy battleship. After being sold for scrap in 1960, she decided to go for one last pint while on her way to the breakers yard by running aground next to the Still & West pub in Portsmouth
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Source via [U.S. Naval Institute](https://twitter.com/NavalInstitute/status/1465748850103177220?t=HXlcQniwPW3qGyJFBvk56g&s=19)
Should have been made into a museum.
Shame she was not saved. Barely 15 years old for a ship like that is brand new. We get 20-30out of moddern onew built like flimsey toys in comparison.
They where built well, she was not ran into ground like the KGV class by war. She was by no means unsaveable.
Look at Iowa, she was similar and they had a 50 year active lifespan.
And it was [caught on film](https://youtu.be/Db6bgu0gs-g!)
I have a dim and distant memory as a lad of about 4 or 5 seeing the Vanguard sailing down the Clyde, presumably either after a refit or an official visit to Glasgow. This would be around 1954. My dim impression is that it was big, really big.
So, this is what Star Destroyer design has been based on?
Beautiful ship but those 15 inch guns look too small for the ship!