The ship entered service in , and spent her peacetime career with the Atlantic and Home Fleets , sometimes serving as a flagship when her sister ship , Nelson , was being refitted. During the early stages of the Second World War , she searched for German commerce raiders , participated in the Norwegian Campaign , and escorted convoys in the Atlantic Ocean.
Rodney played a major role in the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck in mid After a brief refit in the United States, she escorted convoys to Malta and supported the Allied invasion of French Algeria during Operation Torch in late During the Normandy landings in June , Rodney provided naval gunfire support and continued to do so for several following offensives near the French city of Caen.
The ship escorted one convoy through the Arctic to the Soviet Union in late In poor condition from extremely heavy use and a lack of refits, she was reduced to reserve in late and was scrapped in The design, which had been approved six months after the treaty was signed, had a main armament of inch mm guns to match the firepower of the American Colorado and Japanese Nagato classes in the battleline in a ship displacing no more than 35, long tons 36, t.
Rodney had a length between perpendiculars of feet She displaced 33, long tons 34, t at standard load and 37, long tons 38, t at deep load. Her crew numbered 1, officers and ratings when serving as a flagship and 1, as a private ship. The turbines were rated at 45, shaft horsepower 34, kW and intended to give the ship a maximum speed of 23 knots. During her sea trials on 7 September , Rodney reached a top speed of The main battery of the Nelson -class ships consisted of nine breech-loading BL inch mm guns in three triple- gun turrets forward of the superstructure.
Designated 'A', 'B' and 'X' from front to rear, 'B' turret superfired over the others. Their secondary armament consisted of a dozen BL 6-inch mm Mk XXII guns in twin-gun turrets aft of the superstructure, three turrets on each broadside. Their anti-aircraft AA armament consisted of six quick-firing QF 4.
