Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!cbnews!military
From: boulder!snoopy!scottmi@ncar.UCAR.EDU (SCOTT MICHAEL C)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Battleship Nelson
Keywords: "Nelsol" and "Rodnol"...
Message-ID: <1990Jul28.161240.2473@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 28 Jul 90 16:12:40 GMT
References: <1990Jul24.024932.21117@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: University of Colorado, boulder
Lines: 22
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: boulder!snoopy!scottmi@ncar.UCAR.EDU (SCOTT MICHAEL C)


  "Nelson" and "Rodney" were nicknamed "Nelsol" and "Rodnol" because of their
appearance.  Their single squat funnels were situated fairly far aft, resutling
in an appearance similar to a class of fleet tankers the Royal Navy was using
at the time.  Every ship in this class of tankers had a name ending in "-ol",
so Nelson and Rodney were nicknamed accordingly.
  This was at a time when nearly any ship in the RN would be given a nickname if
it had an unusual enough appearance or some annoying quirks.  HMS "Renown" and
"Repulse", because they were poorly designed and structurally weak - the armor
belt did not extend up the lower deck side as they were originally constructed,
and the scantlings were too light for a ship armed with 15" guns - went into
drydock fairly often in the years immediately following their construction.   
They came to be known as "Refit" and "Repair".



  
  --don't like snow, miss Deirdre, and wish I was still in Santa Cruz.