Actually they all WERE refitted in the mid 1920's when the twin funnels were trunked into one, extra protection & bulges fitted, and additional platforms worked in to the foremast between the bridge and the spotting top - maybe that's what you were thinking about. But...the gun elevation remained the same. Only Warspite, Valiant & Queen Elizabeth underwent major reconstruction in the 30's with Warspite serving as a prototype of sorts (1934-37) retaining 8 of her 6-inch casemate guns with 8 twin 4-inch AA. Valiant & QE were rebuilt 1937-39 and 1937-41 respectively with bridge structures more similar to the KGV class, all casemate guns removed and a DP secondary armament of 20 4.5-inch. It was in this rebuild that the gun elevation was increased.Bgile wrote:My bad ... I didn't realize all the QE class weren't rebuilt.
Renown, which remained largely unmodified since the early 20's, was rebuilt along the same lines between 1937-39 (Repulse having had a major refit in 1933-36 in which the catapult and hangar and extra deck armour were added so was lower on the priority list).
So for operations in the Atlantic with Bismarck and the Prinz on the loose, I'd think the close convoy escorts would have been the R's, Malaya, Nelson & Rodney (the other 4 QE's would stay in the Med) as their slow top speed would make them less suitable for pursuit. They'd need to put at least one cruiser (preferably a County, Town or Colony) with the close escort as well to counter the Prinz. Could they manage all this this at the time?
The 'hunters"? I'd think they'd have alternating patrols in BB/BC pairings of KGV & Repulse, PoW & Hood with Victorious and maybe Furious giving air support. No doubt Force H would be doing a lot of Atlantic sorties to cover incoming convoys too. The RN would be working very hard.....but then that's what they were doing all along!