HMS Lion (1910)
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HMS Lion was a battlecruiser built for the Royal Navy in the 1910s. She was the lead ship of her class, which were nicknamed the "Splendid Cats". They were significant improvements over their predecessors of the Indefatigable class in terms of speed, armament and armour. This was in response to the first German battlecruisers, the Moltke class, which were very much larger and more powerful than the first British battlecruisers, the Invincible class.
Lion underway
Painting of Lion, heavily damaged from enemy gunfire during the Battle of Dogger Bank
'Q' turret after removal of the armour penetrated by a 305 mm shell from Lützow
Two-photo composite of Lion (left) surrounded by waterspouts from enemy gunfire and right Queen Mary exploding
Lion-class battlecruiser
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The Lion class were a pair of battlecruisers built for the Royal Navy before World War I. Nicknamed the "Splendid Cats", the ships were a significant improvement over their predecessors of the Indefatigable class in speed, armament and armour. These improvements were in response to the German battlecruisers of the Moltke class, which were in turn larger and more powerful than the first British battlecruisers of the Invincible class.
Princess Royal at anchor, before 1916
Lion underway
Lion's 'Q' turret showing the armour plate blown off by the ammunition fire
Queen Mary blowing up at the Battle of Jutland; she is hidden by the explosion and smoke. To the left is Lion, surrounded by waterspouts from enemy shots falling short.