HMS Rodney's construction commenced on December 28th, 1922, at the Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead. She was launched on December 17th, 1925, and commissioned on November 10th, 1927. The ship was named after the esteemed British Admiral Rodney from the 18th and 19th centuries.
During the Norwegian campaign of April 1940, Rodney sustained damage from a 500kg bomb dropped by a German bomber but underwent repairs and remained in service. In late 1940, Rodney was engaged in searching for the German Pocket Battleship Admiral Scheer after its attack on Jervis Bay, although the search proved unsuccessful. On May 27th, 1941, Rodney played a crucial role in the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck, firing nearly 380 rounds of 16-inch shells. Between late 1941 and 1942, Rodney served in the Mediterranean as a convoy escort alongside her sister ship Nelson. Following the invasion of Sicily in 1943, Rodney made history as the first British battleship to enter Malta since 1940 and was actively involved in the Salerno landing in September 1943.
During the Normandy landings of June 6th, 1944, Rodney was held in reserve but played a significant role from June 7th to July 9th, 1944, bombarding the beachhead with over 500 16-inch rounds along with numerous 6-inch and 4.7-inch shells.
After the conclusion of the war in 1945, Rodney was transferred to reserve status and eventually sold for scrap in 1948.
