Best World war two warships?

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Considering how simple they were, they did the job well enough. They were also cheap and easy to build. Perfect for the RCN at the time. They were a misery to sail on the North Atlantic though. They tossed around like corks and always leaked. You were almost constantly wet, cold, and seasick. Those old-timers who manned them will forever have my respect.
 
This one just ekes in and probably doesn't qualify but should be noted. I saw a History Channel or Military Channel show on the USS Midway. This aircraft carrier was launched in March 1945, but really didn't make the war. This ship fought the cold war, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf war, where she was the command vessel! She was decomissioned in 1992. She had an armored deck and struggle with a certain level of instability her entire life. I guess it made landing in rough seas quite an experience. For a fighting vessel to be active for 47 years is simply outstanding.
 
USS Midway and USS Coral Sea both visited Halifax at different times when I was a kid. Coral Sea was paid off in 1986 or 87 I believe. I remember seeing her tied up down at old Pier 21, with some of her Phantoms parked on deck. Quite a sight for Halifax. They were the only remaining US carriers small enough to use our jettys. Modern carriers like the Nimitz class have to anchor out in the harbour.
 
The IOWA class have to be considered the best of the best. Alot of attention here has been made to the YAMATO and her side belt of armor and her gun size....however several factors to consider. gun size: although the YAMATO had bigger guns (18.1" vs 16" for IOWA). IOWA had better ranging shells than YAMATO. Protection: One must remember that by WWII it was the plunging shells (hitting the decks of a ship), that caused most of the damage. The IOWA's kill box was smaller than YAMATO. However this meant that IOWA could get in closer and hit YAMATO with plunging shells on her decks. YAMATO's shells at that range would have hit the IOWA at more of an angle, thus reducing their effectivness. speed: IOWA was 4 knots faster than YAMATO and had a tight radius of her own. These are somethings to consider. Remember just because you had bigger armor and guns doesnt mean better all the time.

Also IOWA would have pulverized BIZMARK. And the 'Battlecruiser' concept by WWII was a dinosaur. No battlecruiser could hope to hold its own against virtually any type of battleship.
 
pgm1962a said:
Also IOWA would have pulverized BIZMARK. And the 'Battlecruiser' concept by WWII was a dinosaur. No battlecruiser could hope to hold its own against virtually any type of battleship.
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Its spelled Bismark and she was a Battleship not a Battlecruiser. I really dont think the Iowa would have been able to deal with her so easily. Her hull was never penetrated by a shell from 5in to 16in. She was scuttled my friend.
 
pgm1962a said:
Also IOWA would have pulverized BIZMARK. And the 'Battlecruiser' concept by WWII was a dinosaur. No battlecruiser could hope to hold its own against virtually any type of battleship.
Click to expand...

mmmmm intresting thought I think you over estimate how good the Iowa class was compared to the Bismark. The Hood was not alone when it went against the Bismark but as you say pgm the battle cruiser was very much out of date by the out break of WW2 the Hood having been launched in 1918. At the end of the day the Bismark was scuttled and not directly sunk by gunfire and torpedo's (although having been rendered a flaming hulk by the time of it's demise). Although a very elegant vessel I don't think the Iowa class ship was particular any better or worse than many other classes of battleship built around that time all had become superseded by the aircraft carrier as the capital ship by the beginning of WW2 due to there vunerability from air attack and as such quickly became relegated to shore bombardment duties.
 
wether BISMARK was scuttled or not is of no importance (several of the Japanese carriers were scuttled at Midway...but no one doubts they were mortally wounded by US aircraft). When your superstructure is a flaming wreck...your main guns out of action...your steering crippled your speed reduced to 9knots (which it was before the engagement with KING GEORGE V and RODNEY)..and you are in the middle of the Atlantic, what does it matter. The Bismark was doomed either way.
 
Trackened I agree fully with what you said up there.

Yes pgm1962a was doomed however the point still remains her hull was not breached by shells fired from another warship and that has been proven by the many dives to the ship.

We had an interesting thread here for a while with excerts from an interview from a surviver from the Bismark and he described the last few hours of the ship and how she went down.

He was an intersting chap. I can not remember his name and died a few years ago. His grandson is an officer in the US Navy today serving as a Captain on a Cruiser I believe.
 
It's spelt Bismarck, actually, gentlemen.

On the matter of Battlecruisers, I don't think they were out-dated. The BC was never supposed to stand up to the BB. The armour of any BC was well known to be too thin to combat a BB head-on. On the contrary, the BC was always supposed to flee the BB as naturally it would have been faster. The BC was a raider, it was designed from the outset to out-gun everything that it couldn't out-run and out-run everything it couldn't out-gun.

As it happens, the HMS Hood was an out-dated design in itself. Not only that but it was put in a situation where it shouldn't have been, going head-on against a modern BB, the KMS Bismarck and CA KMS Prinz Eugen.
 
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