Best Battleship of WW2

England beat scotland, scotland beat england so on so forth. Enough with the historical stupidity. We ARE united by written decree of the scottish/english parliaments as britain. We have a proud history, so does england so whats the beef. thought this thread was about battleships not what who did what to who back then and whos best. get a grip.

You are funny guys. So some lessons for you from UK about British history - Scots are mostly celt origins mixed with Picts and some Vikings. The England was occupied also by Celts during ancient times, but after roman age they were anihilated by Anglo-Saxons (only few of them survived, mostly in Wales) who were also mixed with some Danish people during danish invasions.
And P.S. Normans were also Vikings, they were just settled in northern France.

And P.P.S. - the Scotland was never conquered by England (Wales and Ireland were). They agreed to unite together. There were some uprising on the scotish highlands during 18. century, but those were not all scots, just the jacobit highlanders, the wigs (mostly lowland) fought together with England against them.

[edit on 28-9-2004 by longbow]

Wouldnt a better question be. What was the best battleship of WW1?
If you look at WW1 there was Jutland ( or they that may have been more of a cruiser action.) There were a couple of naval battles off the Falklands Islands. The nature of sea battles in WW1 gives you comparisons that can be made between english and german battleships.
WW2 was dominated be airpower and the aircraft carrier.

Originally posted by xpert11
Wouldnt a better question be. What was the best battleship of WW1?
If you look at WW1 there was Jutland ( or they that may have been more of a cruiser action.) There were a couple of naval battles off the Falklands Islands. The nature of sea battles in WW1 gives you comparisons that can be made between english and german battleships.
WW2 was dominated be airpower and the aircraft carrier.

ill get off the scotland england thing its getting repetative, but i want to state it was in self retaliation not just some midnless rant.
the best battleship of ww1 would probably be the dreadnot (exscuse spelling)

Guys... this forum is for discussing CURRENT weaponry... okay? We really don't want speculation about "what is the best (yaddayaddayadda)... " as it says in the board rules.

Thread closed.

Originally posted by Byrd
Guys... this forum is for discussing CURRENT weaponry... okay? We really don't want speculation about "what is the best (yaddayaddayadda)... " as it says in the board rules.

Thread closed.

doest this forum section say present,past and future weapon systems?
no disrespect meant.

[edit on 29-9-2004 by devilwasp]

Originally posted by Popeye

Originally posted by blitzkrieg
i think u guys misjudged Bismarck, does anyone know how was it sunk?? was it sunk by the RN???
the answer is: NO!!!
the Germans scuttled the ship themselves 'cause they dont want it to be captured. plus, dont forget churchill nearly send the entire royal navy to sink Bismarck

"In pursuing the Bismarck the British employed eight battleships and battle cruisers, two aircraft carriers, 11 cruisers, 21 destroyers, and six submarines. The Bismarck was finally sunk on May 27, 1941, a week after it was first sighted by the British, but not before it sank the English battleship Hood � then one of the largest warships afloat � with a salvo from its guns. One of the German shells exploded in the Hood's magazine, and the entire ship vanished from sight in less than two minutes."
www.occultopedia.com/b/bismarck.htm
btw, i am a chinese from mainland china, i dont prejudice either

[edit on 26-9-2004 by blitzkrieg]

The Germany WWII battleship that scuttled itself was the Scharnhorst after being forced to leave Montevideo where it took refuge after the Battle of the River Plate. The Captain believed she was facing overwhelming odds so he scuttled to save his crew.

As regards the Bismark it was the Home Fleet that was sent after the Bismark not the whole navy by any stretch.

The Bismark only ever sunk one ship HMS Hood a WWI battlecruiser (Same guns as a Battlehip, but only thin armour sacrificed for increased speed)Because of the British numerical superiority in battleships, Hitler ordered the Kriegsmarine to target allied merchant shipping. Bismarck set off on this mission on her maiden voyage, leaving port on 18 May 1941. Three days later, she was spotted by Allied reconnaissance while refueling in a Norwegian fjord and was soon acquired by the patroling British cruisers Norfolk and Suffolk.

On 24 May 1941, accompanied by the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, she was engaged in battle by the British battlecruiser HMS Hood and the newly commissioned battleship HMS Prince of Wales, which was still being worked up (Sea trial with new crew unfamilar with the guns etc). It is believed that one of Bismarck's shells penetrated the relatively thin deck armor of Hood and struck a powder magazine.

The result of the battle with Hood showed, most seriously, the effect of deploying a battlecruiser against a battleship, a role for which it was never designed.

Prince of Wales, half its guns out of action, escaped under a smokescreen, but not before striking the Bismarck three times, one hit causing water to be introduced into fuel storage. Bismarck headed for France and repairs, but continued to be shadowed by Norfolk and Suffolk and Prince of Wales, but eventually broke away and Prinz Eugen detached.

The British continued to shadow with an increasing number of ships, maintaining contact with radar. An attack was made by swordfish biplane torpedo planes from aircraft carrier HMS Victorious during the early evening of 24 May. The Bismarck sustained one hit. In subsequent maneuvering, it was able to break contact, though its crew was not aware of this, as they could detect British radar but did not know that the return signals were too weak. Bismarck was relocated, owing partially to her commander, Ernst Lindemann, foolishly transmitting a half-hour radio message. On 26 May, at dusk, she was attacked by British Swordfish torpedo planes from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. One torpedo hit jammed her rudder and steering gear, and she was rendered unmanoeuvrable. Throughout the following night she was the target of incessant attacks by the destroyers Cossack, Maori, Piorun (Polish), Sikh, Zulu led by captain Vian. On the early morning of 27 May 1941 she was engaged in an eighty-eight minute battle with HMS King George V, HMS Rodney, HMS Norfolk, and HMS Dorsetshire. After being struck by in excess of 300 shells and five or six torpedo hits she finally sank at 10:40 AM. Only 115 of 2,206 sailors survived.


I am surprise at the ignorance display by some of the posts on this thread.

This Is Probably One Of The Most Intelligent Responses On This Topic That Is Based On FACT
Rather Than Emotional Fanfare For Thier Favorite Battleship.

I Agree With Your Last Statement So I Will Make ONE Correction.
The Scharnhorst NEVER Participated In The Battle Of The River Plate Nor Did Scharnhorst ever Leave The North Sea.
You Are Talking About The German Pocket Battleship GRAF SPEE (That's Right Folks, NOT A Battlecruiser, A POCKET BATTLESHIP, In A Class All On Her Own)

Your Post About The Numerous Hits Shows that The Bismarck Was One TOUGH Cookie (Which Brings Me To Another Topic. Get To That Later)
The Success Of The Ship To Be Able To Take That Many Hits Vs Any Other Vessel Sunk In History With Far Less Ordnance Only Proves Beyond Of A Shadow Of A Doubt The Bismarck/Tirpitz Were The BEST All Round Battleships Anywhere By A Quantum Leap.

There's Speculation That Even The Numerous Hits Themselves Were Not
The Direct Cause Of The Sinking Itself But Believed That Captain Lugdiens Ordered The Sea Chocks & Compartments Open To Scuttle Her.
It Is Believed That Chivalry Of The German Navy Would Not Allow The British The Glory Of The Sinking Of The Bismarck By Thier Guns.
Of Course This Is Only Speculation But Every Navy Had The same Likeminded Chivalry. It Stans To Reason Looking At The History Of Other Ships The Germans Scuttled Rather Than Allow The Enemy The Victory, That This Theory Is Highly Probable.

Getting Back To "Armour" & The Big Numbers Like 12" Or 14" Plating, 15" Guns Or 16" Guns as If It Were The Be All End All.

The Thickness Of Armour Itself Has Only Limited Practical Value.
Take The Bismarcks 42,000 Tons Vs The Yamato's 65,000 Tons For Instance.
Some Nearely 22,000 Tons Of The Yamato Was Armour Alone, Yet The Bismarck Was Only 2/3rds The Weight.

The Torpedoes That Struck The Bismarck Literally Bounced Off The Hull & Only Caused Damage The The Rudder. Now Let's Hear Those Numbers Again...What's That? Over 300 Hits? I Don't Think An Iowa Class Could Last 50.
Now Let's Compare That To The Yamato (& Musashi For That Matter)
Sunk By 12 Substandard American Torpedos & Mere 8 -500 Lb Bombs That's Far Fewer Hits Than The Bismarck Suffered.

It's Not The Numbers Or The Thickness Of The Armour, But The QUALITY & HARDNESS Of The Plating.
That KRUPP Armour Stood Up To Suppn' Fierce! BTW Tigers & Panthers Were Made Of Krupp Armour. Not A Single American Tank Could Stand Up To Them.

On The Subject Of The Yamato, It would Have Been Interesting To See How It Performed Against An Iowa Class Or North Carolina Class Battleship.
It Is Said Her Loss Is Due In Part Because Of The Ineffectiveness Of Her MASSIVE 18.1 Inch Guns. Yamato Had A FORMIDDABLE Anti-Aircraft Arsenal,(More Than Twice That Of An Iowa) But Too Many Of Them Never Had Turrets & The Blast From Firing The Massive 18 Inch Guns Would Have Killed The Crew. This Is Why If Defending Against Aircraft She Could Not Defend Against A Naval Encounter At The Same Time, Making Them Ineffective Against A Combined Attack.
This Is Why She Was Lost. (But It's Also Due In Part The Japanese Had The Lowest Quality Steel Plating)
I''ll Bet A Single 18.1" Salvo Would Rip Right Through Any Of The Best Plating On An Iowa Class.

And For The Record A Battlecruiser Is Classified As A Ship With The Same Armament As A Battleship, But The Armour Of A Cruiser, Hence Battlecruiser.
Bismarck & Tirpitz Were NOT Battlecruisers, They Were Battleships @42,000 Tons Normal & Up To 46,000 Tons Loaded.

As Far As Coolness Is Concerned, I'll Give It To The HMS Rodney(WAYYY COOL) King George 5th (Love The Turrets With 4 Guns!), YAMATO, Scarnhorst, Graf Spee & I Think The North Carolina/Washington Are Cooler That The Iowa Class, Simply Because It's The same Ship With Identical Armaments/Towers But Has A More Compact Hull. Gives It A "Giant Pocketbattleship" Look.

Bismarck Is Ugly.




[edit on 20-6-2007 by Heil Hitler,Eh?]

[edit on 20-6-2007 by Heil Hitler,Eh?]

Bismarck and Tirpitz were the best, but as with cars (where it is the driver not the car which counts) the way Germany wasted it's impressive capital ships was a pure waste.

Originally posted by sy.gunson
Bismarck and Tirpitz were the best, but as with cars (where it is the driver not the car which counts) the way Germany wasted it's impressive capital ships was a pure waste.

Yes They Were Poorly Managed, Not By The Commanders, But Hitler Himself.
The "Avenge The Hood" Might Have Been The Battle Cry But The Resolve Of The British Is Because Of What Hitler Planned To Do With Bismarck In The Open Sea. Sink Unarmed Merchantships In HUGE Numbers.
That Goes For Scarnhorst, Gniesenau & Any other Ship That Hounded
The Convoys.
Perhaps The British Would Not Have Risked So Much If Bismacrk
Engaged With Men o War Instead Of Civilian Ships Full Of VITAL Supplies.
She Would Have Been Deadlier That 3 Wolfpacks On A Single Convoy.

Originally posted by Heil Hitler,Eh?

Perhaps The British Would Not Have Risked So Much If Bismacrk
Engaged With Men o War Instead Of Civilian Ships Full Of VITAL Supplies.

Had the very limited number of German Battlecruisers/Battleships actually attempted to stand their ground against the Royal Navy they would have been creamed. The sheer numerical advantage alone would ensure the RN would win.

The Germans just did not have enough of them. They knew they couldn't compete with the RN without spending a decade building the fleet, so they built U-boats instead, which are far more cost effective.

While the Iowa class were certainly great ships, they were never seriously tested in battle against another battleship. The bismark class had high profile but short lives.

In terms of doing what a battleship was designed to do, that is dishing out punnishment and taking it there is nothing that beats the record of the Q. Elizabeth class battleships, particularly HMS Warspite.

taken from wikipedia:
en.wikipedia.org...


"She survived Jutland, taking heavy damage and saving the Warrior by taking the hits instead.

In April 1940, Warspite served in the Norwegian Campaign, providing essential battleship support during the Second Battle of Narvik, when Warspite and numerous British destroyers attacked eight German destroyers trapped in Ofotfjord, near the port of Narvik.

Warspite's Fairey Swordfish, a bi-plane fragile in appearance, attacked and sunk the German U-boat U-64, to become the first aircraft to sink a U-boat in World War II. One heavily damaged German ship, the Erich Koellner, was destroyed by broadsides from Warspite. Warspite targeted the Diether von Roeder and Erich Giese, the former was scuttled by the ship's crew, while the Erich Giese was destroyed by Warspite and destroyers. The objective of eliminating all eight German destroyers, who were running out of both fuel and ammunition, was achieved with minimal loss.

During the summer of 1940, Warspite was transferred to the Mediterranean theatre and fought in several engagements. The most important of these were the important strategic victory at the Battle of Cape Matapan in which three Italian heavy cruisers and two destroyers were sunk in a night action, and the Battle of Calabria. Her sister ships were all heavily damaged during their time in the Mediterranean. HMS Barham was sunk and Valiant and Queen Elizabeth both spent time resting on the bottom of Alexandria harbour after their hulls were holed in an attack by Italian frogmen. Warspite stayed afloat but was damaged several times.

During the Battle of Calabria she was credited with achieving the longest range gunnery hit from a moving ship to a moving target in history. This was a hit on the Giulio Cesare at a range of approximately 26,000 yards. Warspite also took part in the naval portion of the Battle of Crete, where she was badly damaged by German bombers.

In June 1943, Warspite joined Force H, based in Gibraltar, and took part in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, in July, along with the battleships Nelson, Rodney and Valiant, and the carriers Formidable and Illustrious. Warspite began her bomdardment of Sicily on July 17, when she poured heavy fire onto German positions at Catania.

Between 8 September and 9 September, Force H, covering the landings at Salerno, came under fierce German air-attack, but shot down many German planes. On 10 September, Warspite, who had battled the Italian Fleet during her time in the Mediterranean in 1940-41, led them, now surrendered to the Allies, into internment at Malta.

Warspite, now commanded by her one time midshipman Herbert Annesley Packer was back in action on 15 September, at Salerno. The American sector was in a precarious situation after the Germans had counter-attacked, and when Warspite and Valiant arrived at Salerno they commenced a bombardment of German positions that effectively saved the Allied forces. However disaster soon struck Warspite, for on 16 September she was attacked by a squadron of German aircraft, armed with an early guided missile, the Fritz X (FX-1400). She was hit three times, one of them striking near her funnel, ripping through her decks and causing immense damage, making a large hole in the bottom of her hull, and crippling much of Warspite as it did so. Casualties were minor; 9 killed and 14 wounded.


On 6 June 1944, Warspite took part in the Normandy Landings as part of the Eastern Task Force, firing on German positions to cover the landing at Sword Beach(some say the first to open fire on the beaches, though this is disputed) . She subsequently helped support the Americans on their beaches. "X" turret, badly damaged by the FX 1400 attack, remained inoperative. She also helped support Gold Beach a few days later. Her guns worn out, she was soon sent to Rosyth to be regunned. On the way, she set off a magnetic mine, causing heavy damage, but made it to Rosyth safely. She received only partial repairs, enough to get her back into action for bombardment duties.

After repairs, she bombarded Brest, Le Havre and Walcheren, the latter of which was an assault on that island which began on 1 November, with Warspite providing support for the troops, in what was to be the last time she fired her guns. Largely inactive since Walcheren, Warspite was placed in Category C Reserve on 1 February 1945. Following the end of the war, there were pleas to retain Warspite as a museum ship like Lord Nelson's HMS Victory, but they were ignored and the ship was sold for scrap in 1947.

She had survived Jutland, the many horrors of the Second World War, and post-World War I RN cuts, and in 1947 Warspite would achieve one more victory when she escaped the indignity of the breakers' yard. After already experiencing trouble on the journey to the breakers due to a storm, she broke free of her anchor, subsequently running hard aground in Prussia Cove. It was a defiant end to her career, and Warspite had to be scrapped in situ over the next few years. The ship that 'refused to die', finally met her lamentable end, when breaking work was completed in 1950. Warspite had gained the affections of some of the most famous figures in the UK, including some of the most revered Royal Navy commanders in its history, Sir Andrew Cunningham in particular, and became a legend, her name becoming synonymous with majesty and courage. She was arguably the greatest battleship the Royal Navy ever possessed."



NOW THAT IS HOW A BATTLESHIP IS MENT TO SERVE!!!!!!!!








[edit on 21-6-2007 by paperplane_uk]

The Japanese battleship Yamato was the most powerful ship of WW2, followed by the Tirpitz and Bismarck.

Paperplane, just so you know, you have to quote an external source. You can't just paste it into your post as people might think your trying to plagiarise another's work, Wikipedia in this case.



Interesting reading, none the less.

Dooh, thought i had! Have corrected the post to include the source.

Cheers for pointing it out.

After repairs, she bombarded Brest, Le Havre and Walcheren, the latter of which was an assault on that island which began on 1 November, with Warspite providing support for the troops, in what was to be the last time she fired her guns. Largely inactive since Walcheren, Warspite was placed in Category C Reserve on 1 February 1945. Following the end of the war, there were pleas to retain Warspite as a museum ship like Lord Nelson's HMS Victory, but they were ignored and the ship was sold for scrap in 1947.

Interesting you mention Warspite. My dad's ship LCH-187 was retasked after the D-day landings to sail close to Le Havre where the Germans had big batteries bombarding the Normandy beaches.

My dad's ship artillery spotted for Warspite and Rodney at Le Havre. Like Warspite, LCH-187 also went to Walcheren in the same capacity.

About Bismark et al. the real problem with German battleships was still the way they were used and not of the ships themselves.

Bismark, Tirpitz, Sharnhorst, Prinz Eugen and Gneisu were all faster than equivalent gunned British capital ships and outgunned the few British ships which could keep pace. Lack of an aircraft carrier was their biggest failing.
Had they sallied out in a fleet action rather than in ones or twos they might have trashed the Home Fleet.

I definatly would have to choose the Yamato
What more can I say?


She was the biggest ever made....
I like big things

And P.P.S. - the Scotland was never conquered by England (Wales and Ireland were). They agreed to unite together.

[edit on 28-9-2004 by longbow]

No we (the Welsh) just used the English tactics recently seen by the Navy/Marines of surviving to fight another day.Were a bit like Ai Queda were sleeping waiting for the day when we will defend ourselves from the slavery that is upon us or until were so crap at rugby we might as well kill ourselves and take you all with us.

To get back on topic.

HMS Rodney was the best as my grand father was on her for the whole of the WWII and survived without injury, enabling my mother to be born and then me.

Also helped Kick the Bismark, with guts and brains opposed to brawn.

[edit on 21-6-2007 by nescafe8572]

[edit on 21-6-2007 by nescafe8572]

Originally posted by sy.gunson

Had they sallied out in a fleet action rather than in ones or twos they might have trashed the Home Fleet.

They were good ships, very modern too. But to say that the small and limited number of them would have trashed the Home Fleet is wishful thinking.

This is why Donitz didn't send them up against the British. After WW1, when Germany had a much bigger and more powerful navy I might add, they ran scared of the RN.

Here is a listing of the Home Fleet in 1933. Granted, it may be slightly different from the Home Fleet in the 40's, but the blatant disparity in forces is apparent.

EDIT: Oh, Paperplane, no worries. I was just reading the same article on wiki when I read your post and thought to myself I'd better get you to quote it just in case someone got narky.

[edit on 21/6/07 by stumason]

Well this thread has been well and truelly dug up. But I'm going to contribute anyway because I'm at a loose end and have always been fascinated by battleships.

It must be difficult to decide which battleship of WW2 was the “best”. And by best I assume it means the most capable in terms of weaponry, armour, speed, endurance & radar. But I hope too it would also include how well the ship performed in service and the range of missions on which it was deployed.

I think you've also got to put aside national prejudice. I'm a Brit and have always loved ships of the RN. And as a Brit I must concede that, in general terms, British battleships were outclassed during WW2 by allies & adversaries alike. Why ? Because the British adhered to treaty obligations during the 1920's and 1930's and it was only when it became apparent that the drums of war were beating again that the RN started to design & build new battleships (the King George V class). And by the time they all came into commission the RN had conceded that battleships were no longer the Queen of the Seas and had been deposed to the second division by aircraft carriers. And although the last British battleship HMS Vanguard was widely regarded as being the most well balanced battleship the RN ever possessed most contributors would accept it wasn't a WW2 battleship in the strictest sense because although the bulk of its construction took place during the war it didn't commission until 1946. Which is a pity because it would have given overseas battleship classes a run for their money.

Most of the British battleships which participated in WW2 were fine ships ... in their day. And their day was during WW1 to the end of the 1920's. And although manned by fine crews, well maintained and some receiving comprehensive refits before & during the war in the UK & USA they were simply outclassed by more modern ships. The fault for that lies with the British government in the 1930's and the policy of appeasement, hostile public opinion combined with the huge economic pressures of the time. And that criticism can as easily be directed against France and USA too.

The other consideration is that there were huge advances in battleship design during the early war years. The Bismarck class were undoubtedly the most capable battleships in the early 1940's but they too had been eclipsed by the end of the war by the Iowa and Yamato classes.

So how do you measure what battleship is the best ?

Is the best the most valued ? Not necessarily.The Chilean battleship Almirante Latorre (of British design but launched in 1913) was urgently sought by the USN after Pearl Harbor to help cover their losses in the Pacific Fleet ... in that sense it was a valuable ship at that moment in time ... despite being vintage and of a basic design that the British had scrapped in the late 1920's. Similarly too the French battleships berthed at Mers-El-Kabir in July 1940 were valuable to the British because had they fallen into enemy hands Britain would have lost control of the Mediterranean. They refused to ally with the British and as a result many were sunk or severely damaged by the RN. The USSR had great need for a battleship to cover their Arctic convoys and the British loaned them HMS Royal Sovereign .... by then an antique. But valuable to the Soviets nevertheless at that moment in time. However, being valued doesn't mean being best.

Does being modern, fast, well gunned and well armoured mean being best ? Not necessarily either. Tirpitz spent much of its time skulking around Norwegian fjiords doing nothing but tying up an inordinate amount of allied warships. The German admiralty was simply too scared to send it to sea for fear it would be lost. The same happened to Yamato & Musashi, both of which spent most of their wartime in harbour. As did the Italian fleet post Taranto. How can you describe a ship as being best when you're too scared to commit to use it ?



[edit on 21-6-2007 by Niall197]

* had to edit for size, like i say im interested in this stuff *

The USN went into WW2 in the same state as the other allies. Ill prepared at Pearl Harbor but at least having the benefit of 2 years observation of the Atlantic war. Most of its battleships were old, the exceptions being the two ships of the North Carolina class, followed shortly thereafter by the four ships of the South Dakota class. Those two years of peace when the Europeans were already at war were to prove vital for American battleship design & production. Because certainly the South Dakotas and Iowas benefited from design changes during construction as a result of shortcomings identified in foreign battleships during those two years. The Iowas were the culmination of US battleship design but even their basic design was finalised before USA had even entered the war. And the Iowas never realised the potential for which they were designed and spent most of the war either screening aircraft carriers or for shore bombardment. That's not to say they were bad ships. They were superb. But by the time they were commissioned the world had moved on.

For me the best battleships are those which were used primarily in ship to ship combat and which saw active service in that role. Candidates would include the Queen Elizabeth, Nelson & King George V classes of the RN, the Bismarck for the Kriegsmarine, the North Carolina class of the USN & the Japanese Kongo class.

But in my humble opinion, and ignoring national prejudice, I would go for the USN Colorado class.

Of that class I would single out USS West Virginia.

Present at the beginning of the Pacific War and sunk by six torpedoes at Pearl Harbor, hit by two bombs and with the loss of over 100 men (the captain included) West Virginia quickly settled on the bottom. Refloated in May 1942 & fully repaired by 1944. Lead ship of the US battle line at Surigao Strait, responsible for delivering sixteen salvoes against the Japanese line, including six salvos (of which five struck) against the battleship Yamashiro which later sank. For the rest of the war performing escort duties & shore bombardment (notably at Leyte, Iwo Jima and Okinawa) as Pacific islands were re-taken one by one. Subject to relentless kamikaze attacks. Present at the last battleship to battleship engagement. Present at the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay. Recipient of five battle stars despite a relatively brief wartime career. And she took the boys home from war in a series of magic carpet runs until the end of 1945.

She encapsulated the power of the battleship, their decline & re-birth in another role. And in a way represents the triumph of good over evil. It is thanks to her crew and guys serving in the allied wartime fleets that we're free today. I hope her surviving crew members are being loved and well looked after. They deserve it.

For me the best battleship of WW2 was the USS West Virginia.

[edit on 21-6-2007 by Niall197]