In Harbour. The battle cruiser HMS Renown in company with other warships during the Second World ...

In Harbour. The battle cruiser HMS Renown in company with other warships during the Second World War. In the right background is a Queen Elizabeth class battleship. Renown was commissioned in 1916 and reconstructed in 1936-1939 to a displacement of 32,000 tons. In 1920, Renown carried the Prince of Wales to an official visit to Australia and New Zealand. In November 1939, Renown and the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal were sent round the Cape of Good Hope from the Atlantic to operate in the Madagascar area against the threat of German raiders. During 1940-1941, Renown served in various roles with the British Naval forces operating in the Mediterranean and later proceeded to join the British Eastern Fleet in January 1944. In October 1944, at the request of Admiral King, United States Navy, Renown led a British Eastern Fleet operation against Japanese forces and installations in the Nicobar Islands as a diversionary tactic while Allied forces commenced operations leading to the invasion of Leyte in the Philippines. On 8 December 1944, Renown sailed for Durban screened by the destroyers HMAS Norman and HMS Paladin during the voyage.