On Friday 9 January 1920, the notquitecomplete Hood left John Brown’s shipyard for the first and last time.

By noon, when preparations were starting for moving the great ship, the weather, which had been bright and frosty in the morning, took a change for the worse and snow began to fall.
Prompt to time, the four tugs at the stern of the Hood began towing the great vessel into the channel, and within fifteen minutes the warship was clear of the dock. There was a brief blink of sunshine at this stage and as Hood lay out clear of the land she presented an impressive picture in the bright light. Once the warship was safely in the river, two tugs which had been towing astern joined the pair at the stem of the vessel, and a few minutes after one, the journey down the river began. One of the tugs was being towed stern foremost at the stern of the big vessel, while the remaining tug stood by to render assistance if needed. A few seconds later, the Hood, having gathered way, gave three earpiercing blasts on her siren as a farewell to Clydebank and the journey to the sea began.

Far away, the Hood was broadside on, and showed to perfection the long low lines of the hull, with the great powerful thrust of the bow, and the cut away cruiser stern, lines as graceful as those of a warship can be. The best picture of all however, was the threequarter silhouette shown as the ship swung into the winding channel. The massive upperworks on the foredeck, from the great guns to the navigating turret, were then in the eye presenting a magnificent spectacle.