Battleship Top Ten

Karl Heidenreich · Post by **Karl Heidenreich** » Mon Nov 06, 2006 4:00 pm

Hi everybody!

Until now I´m able to browse again the forum. I see that ostriker, Bgile and Antonio miss the Missouri. And Antonio´s remark of the most beautifull is right on the spot for Tirpitz. There is also some agreement about other ships. Since I asked your opinion I like to see everybody happy, so here is the list 10.2

I. Top Ten Most Famous WWII BBs and BCs
1. Bismarck
2. Hood
3. Arizona
4. Warspite
5. Schanhorst
6. Missouri
7. Yamato
8. Tirpitz
9. KGV
10. PoW

Note: USS Missouri is again on the list. The Royal Oak was striked out. The Tirpitz got a higher rank because Antonio´s comments, Repulse got out and KGV gets in. Arizona is still in because her historical importance.

II. Top Ten Most Beautifull WWII BBs and BCs
1. Bismarck Class
2. HMS Hood
3. HMS Warspite
4. Roma
5. Schanhorst
6. HMS Repulse
7. Richelieu
8. KGV
9. Yamato
10. Royal Oak

Note: Roma is in the list for the Littorio Class and switches places with the KGV.

III. Top Ten Most Powerfull WWII BBs and BCs
1.Yamato Class
2. Iowa Class
3. South Dakota Class
4. North Carolina Class
5. Bismarck Class
6. Richelieu
7. Nelson Class
8. Nagato Class
9. Littorio Class
10. KGV Class

Note: Because there has been a lot of discussion about the armament and armour of Bismarck and there seems to be evidence that it was below that of the South Dak and North Car classes the Bismarck is in 5th place. If someone can gives us evidence that it´s a wrong interpretation please come forward. I´ll be the most happy guy in the forum if I can put Bismarck ahead of those two classes.

Special Mention:
HMS Vanguard (post WWII BB)

Note: Vanguard is there because it is the last dreadnought built, so it had all the technological virtues of older ships. The problem is that she didn´t fought in WWII so can´t be in the Top Ten List 10.2

Most Ugly WWII BB:
Gangut

Note: Nobody says anything so there is an absolute agreement that this is the most ugly WWII ship ever.

Karl Heidenreich · Post by **Karl Heidenreich** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 6:54 pm

Since November 6th, 2006 there have been no comments about this list, so, I may presume, everybody "feels" OK with it.
After reviewing it I must admit I "miss" Royal Oak as a Famous BB because her sinking was quite a blow to the RN and a great strike for the U Boat Arm.
About the Top Ten Most Powerfull it´s certain that Yamato (and Musashi) deserve the honor place. Maybe, still, there can be some argument about who must be first at 5th place: Bismarck or Richelieu. After some thoughts I think that we could leave Nelson were it is, there is no proof to put her higher.

Best regards.

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 9:58 pm

Hi Karl.

The sinking of Royal Oak was an embarrasment to the Royal navy because it happened when Royal Oak was tucked up in bed (Scapa Flow), the 800+ men lost was tragic but the ship itself probably wasnt a major tactical loss to the fleet.

A number of senior officers were dismissed afterwards and Churchill (1st lord of the admiralty at the time) only escaped because he was new on the job.

Terje Langoy · Post by **Terje Langoy** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 5:34 pm

Top Ten Most Beautiful -> Gneisenau

Now I've nominated the Gneisenau also, RF

Bgile · Post by **Bgile** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 7:03 pm

Hmmm ... no US battleships in the entire list. Don't understand that. Warspite and KGV and Vanguard are all more beautiful than Iowa or West Virginia? Maybe Warspite before modernization.

People may not like the US ships because of their backup spotting position being so high. Better, but not beautiful. But Vanguard and KGV are both like that too.

Oh well, it's all subjective.

Karl Heidenreich · Post by **Karl Heidenreich** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 9:03 pm

Maybe Bgile is right, after all. Any ideas?

Admiral-scheer · Post by **Admiral-scheer** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 12:37 am

I agree with Langoy that we should consider Gneisenau as Beautiful.

I kind of disagree with USS ships Being beautiful. While they general figure was fine I don't like them being so tightly armed, it makes them look somewhat less beautiful. This is just my thought but I don't like 2 funnels.

Bgile · Post by **Bgile** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:17 pm

I kind of agree that what makes the US ships less pleasing visually is the huge amount of AAA, which breaks up their fine lines. Also the aircraft on the stern and the many electronic antennas. It makes them look cluttered.

Kind of ironic. The very things which made them ultimately survivable and useful in the Pacific theatre rules them out visually. A different age, one in which the carrier reined supreme.

paul mercer · Post by **paul mercer** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 1:55 pm

Bgile wrote:I kind of agree that what makes the US ships less pleasing visually is the huge amount of AAA, which breaks up their fine lines. Also the aircraft on the stern and the many electronic antennas. It makes them look cluttered.

Kind of ironic. The very things which made them ultimately survivable and useful in the Pacific theatre rules them out visually. A different age, one in which the carrier reined supreme.

I always thought that the Iowa's looked as if they should have had a fourth turret on their stern - 12 X 16", wow, they surely would have been a match for the Yamoto's!

Abram Joslin · Post by **Abram Joslin** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 5:44 pm

I think the USS Washington (North Carolina class) should be on a list somewhere, the only American ship to engage in a ship to ship (battleship) attack, causing the Japanese to scuttle the IJN Kirishima because she was so badly damaged.

For most beautiful I'd nominate any of the Battle line from the Pacific fleet before their rebuilds after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

I, personally, would put Iowa before Yamato on most powerful, yes Yamato had 18" guns and the like, but the Iowa had a faster rate of fire and better radar.

Also, the Yamato isn't really famous, IMO, except for being a big ship that didn't do much but cause the Americans to consider building the Montana class. It was a waste of Japanese resources...

Those are my opinions of course, and people will disagree...

Karl Heidenreich · Post by **Karl Heidenreich** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:46 pm

OK. Gneisenau could figure in the most beautiful, but, where on the list?
And about the US BBs I agree to put some of the old battlewagons before their post-Pearl Harbor refit. Which one (s) and where?

Hey Abram:

the subject about the Iowa vs. Yamato had been widely covered in this forum last year. Everybody agrees with you about the Iowa Class´ radar but, as that point created a lot of controversy, more or less everybody decided not to consider it as an integral part of the Battleship and weight only the ship without the electronics.

Best regards.

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 7:07 pm

And about the US BBs I agree to put some of the old battlewagons before their post-Pearl Harbor refit. Which one (s) and where?

Colorados?

Terje Langoy · Post by **Terje Langoy** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 8:54 pm

A proper place for the Gneisenau?

Paris... Louvre... Next to the Mona Lisa...

Abram Joslin · Post by **Abram Joslin** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:01 pm

Gary wrote:
And about the US BBs I agree to put some of the old battlewagons before their post-Pearl Harbor refit. Which one (s) and where?

Colorados?

Tennessee and Colorado class (virtually identical) My personal favorite is the Pennsylvania class. (To be honest I think they were/are all beautiful, Nevada class included)

Gary · Post by **Gary** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 10:13 pm

The masts (pre-rebuild) were awful though