Rank them according to size, tonnage, firepower and merits.
Love to know what you’re thinking. :c)
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Iowa Class - Fast Battleship; United States
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Nimitz Class - Aircraft Carrier; United States
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Queen Elizabeth Class - Battleship; Great Britain
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Ticonderoga Class - Missile Cruiser; United States
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Fletcher Class - Destroyer; United States
Why not post in Ships?
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Yamoto
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Hms dreadnought
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Bismark
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Uss enterprise
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Hms victory
Honorable mention: uss nautilus
The replies seem very heavily aimed at 20th Century ships. There were warships that existed before 20th Century- lots of them!
In addition to the Victory, already mentioned, I’d have to mention Constitution, Warrior, Gloire, British standard 74s, Sovereign of the Seas (warship, not clipper).
I suspect the ranking in terms of effectiveness would go very much by date. Newer is better, more powerful.
Zuiho…
That one ship that one all those battles…I think Jefferson Starship!
Go ask Alice…
HMS Victory, the Trafalgar one. Represents all First rates.
Any of the type 7 u-boats. As a class, they defined naval warfare for a period of time.
USS Missouri because that was the last and best battleship class that served.
IJN Yamato because if the USN had three of them, it would have been a fight…but only if protected by carriers…
The Essex class carrier. Superior in design, by the fact that they were converted and useful for 30 years,; numerous; twelve were in service by mid 1945.
I will be lazy and just add one to the list. The sailing frigates that were used by the British and the French in the period around the Napoleonic wars were fantastic ships and performed many tasks that the larger ships of the line were unable to do.
Chris
Which leads to my suggestion.
The Lindberg “La Flore”, currently marketed as the “Jolly Roger”.
I think that listing five leaves out several imortant ships in history. Too many to list from Destroyers to Flat Tops but here’s mine:
- CSS Hunley. Firt submarine used in combat. Although it met a tragic end, it was the beginning of
things to come for the submarine service.
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CSS Monitor. A different concept or armor in fighting ships, sinking two wooden Federal ships.
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HMS Victory. Saved England from a seaborne invasion.
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Bismarck. Germany’s massive battleship that squared off against a large Royal Navy Battle
Battle Group and almost won.
- USS Missouri. Earned 11 Battle Stars in WWII, Korea and The Gulf. Site where Japan signed
the surrender document.
Don’t know exactly how to rate the “top five” warships, as I am as interested in the men who sailed them and the historic situations in which they operated, as I am in the machines themselves - probably more so. But it is hard to imagine a list of the top five warships of all time without it including CV-6, the USS Enterprise. She stood-to in the PTO from start to finish, and had herself in the thick of it all the way, retiring only long enough to give her wounds a lick or two before burrowing right back into it. It is hard to believe she got scrapped for her steel - a completely sad and totally unfitting end for such a tried and true warrior.
I would add HMS Victory, as it is also difficult to imagine such a list without her on it as well. Other than that, I’m not sure how to determine.
The Hunley was one of the first submarines in combat but the first was the Turtle used in the Revolutionary War. New York Harbor was under blockade by the British Royal Navy and the Turtle Tried to attack the Flag ship HMS Eagle but it failed since the bottom of Eagle was covered by iron plates. the charge that was going to be attached to Eagle was detonated in the harbor and the British fearful of a underwater attack did break the blockade so it was also a success at the same time
Old Ironsides
The Merrimack/Virginia-revolutionized naval warfare in the 1860’s
Monitor-one upped the Virginia with a turret
The Big E-sole American carrier at one point in the pacific. Fought in numerous major battles
Dreadnaught-revolutionized naval warfare and made obsolete every capital ship in the world.
A very nice Line up of war ships. A bit pro American. Then again, they built many powerful battle ships such as The New Jersey and Missouri. They were the pride of the American navy. Really good stuff.
Yamato was the first war ship that captured my imagination as a kid. I first discovered it as the futuristic battle cruiser in the sci fi series “Star blazers”. I watched “Yamato”, the movie, and though I know the vessel’s history, it still saddened me that the ship never got a fair fight against the american war ships. Just bombed to bits wave after wave. Nice of you to rate Bismarck a third place on your list. That’s my favourite capital ship of them all! Enterprise or the US Hornet, both amazing aircraft carriers. Yes Victory. A beautiful war ship. One of the finest. I must see it in Portsmouth one day.
Ranking can also be ruled by your personal preference. Steel ships or classic war ships. I like what you have come up with so far. Nice
Hehehe. Must be of the smallest aircraft carriers in naval history. Still every little helps. :c)
Hahaha. That’s an old rockband from the 70’s. There’s another one called “Starship” Very cheesy band from the 80s. This is not on topic. :c)
Again when you look at the different rankings here, the American vessels come to the very top of the league. American war ships were arguably the best in design, performance and firepower. It’s amasing that a war ship as Missouri has had such a long shelf life. Yeah. Yamato would have made a big difference with stronger numbers. Another reason why the Americans are superior on the battlefield both land, air and water. Nothing to do with tactics and skills alone. It’s about Numbers! The American war machine churned out more tanks, warships, fighters that the Japanese or the Germans forces could shake a stick at. It was definitely a numbers’ game.