http://military.discovery.com/technology/vehicles/ships/ships.html that's the link for it. But the list is as follows : 10: HMS Hood 9: German Pocket Battleships 8: Essex class Carrier 7: Bismark class battleship 6: North Carolina class battleship 5: Fletcher class destroyer 4: Ticonderoga class destroyer 3: Queen Elizabeth class battleship 2: Nimitz class carrier 1: Iowa class battleship
As I had said "If memory serves me correctly" At the time, I did not have a chance to confirm the data. I see that I was close......
Most famous: Probable the Bismarck, any US battleship that was attacked in Pearl Harbor, and HMS Dreadnought, because most people associate the name "Dreadnought" with battleship. Most valiant (one that fought the hardest): HMS Warspite has the be mentioned, along with the Bismarck (despite her flaws, she did take a lot of damage from multiple ships and planes before sinking), and for non-battleships, probable the USS Enterprise or the Fletcher-class destroyers that fought the Yamato and other Japanese battleships at Leyte Gulf. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taffy_3) Weirdest: The HMS Nelson and Rodney were certainly very strange, and were often called Nelsol and Rodnol by sailors, as a reference to British oil tankers whose names ended in "ol." Also, don't forget this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HNLMS_Abraham_Crijnssen
For the most famous, I'd have to go with Arizona or Bismarck. Yamato and Missouri should be close seconds. Also, to think about, I'd propose the SMS/DKM Schleswig-Holstien, the ship that fired the first shots of WWII. Definitely not famous, but historifically significant. I also like HMS Vanguard, the last high point of the Mighty RN, until their new carriers come around in 2012 or 2015 or whatever. cheers
I do believe that this thread has proven that there is not a universal answer for this topic. Everyone has a different perspective. Thus everyone has a different order for significants. It does seem that the same handfull of ships are in the top ten of everyone's list. The main difference is the order in which folks rank them. I say leave it at the top ten. Do not cut hairs as to which ship is 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc.
I mentioned the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia in my speech class and got blank stares. In American history, there are a few mainstays of studying the Civil War: Fort Sumter, the Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg, and Ironclads, but this class of college students didn't seem to remember 8th grade history at all...
Ouch! I understand how you feel. I gave a talk to several hundred highschool students about the history of aviation. Only two knew of Amelia Earhart or Charles Limburg!
High school students, that's OK... sort of... They're expected to slack off and not know anything. College, now... that's a different story. If I'd asked that question and gotten such a response, I would have had every one of them lined up and shot as an example to the rest of the student body: don't forget basic stuff like this! At least they didn't think the General Lee led the American troops to victory over the Russians in the First World War.
I hope that is correct. But I was sitting on a selection panel where I asked the teenaged applicants: Who was the supreme commander in chief of the American forces when Abraham Lincoln was president? You would not believe the answers I received....
My dad once asked my sister what river ran past Washington DC, and her answer was the Punxsutawney! She's a grad student working on a PhD by the way...
I never was too good at Geography myself. Ask me to name the 50 states, and the first you'll hear from me is the State of Denial.
I will jump into this debate... and reopen it after it was probably better left to die. What is the most famous battleship in the world, and why? In my opinion, I would have to go with the Bismarck or Hood. Which of those two is the most famous probably depends on who you talk to. What are the next few most famous battleships? I would say the following: Arizona - Everyone likes a big explosion, and most people can identify the memorial if you show them a picture. Tirpitz - Another big German battleship that people know the name of. Missouri - Being the site of the surrender ceremony and shown on TV during Desert Storm. Dreadnought - Mostly well known to naval buffs, but another one that people would know that she is a battleship when you mention the name. Iowa - The explosion in the turret put her on TV and as the namesake of the class, naval buffs know of her. What is the toughest fighting battleship in the world? I would have to say that would be Warspite. She was hammered at Jutland when her rudder jammed forcing her to circle twice between the opposing battlelines. In WW2, she fought at Narvik single-handly sinking four (?) German destroyers. Later in the war, while supporting troops invading Italy, she was hit by the same type of guided bomb that sank the more modern Roma. Following that, she was still able to participate in the invasion of Normandy; granted with only three of her main gun turrets operational. What are the next few toughest ships? Goeben - This battlecruiser fought single-handedly in the Black Sea during WW1. She was mined several times and was able to continue operations until lack of repair facilities put her out of action. The sole survivor of the German fleet survived until 1960 as the Turkish Yavuz. Knyaz Suvorov - Although pounded by the Japanese at Tsushima, fought to the last until torpedoed at night. Yamato/Musashi - The amount that these two ships took is legendary. Bismarck - Another ship legendary for her survival. Some might argue that her toughness was overrated, but it is still legendary. What is the most "colorful" battleship? I would go with Agincourt. Originally designed for Brazil with one design, her design was changed prior to keel laying to a design that featured 7(!) twin turrets for a total of 14 heavy guns; a number that was never matched by a completed ship (the French Normandie was designed with 16 in a more conventional 4 turret design). During her construction (as the Rio de Janeiro), the Brazilian government sold her to Turkey (as Sultan Osman I). On the outbreak of WW1, she was seized by the British and commissioned as the Agincourt. Although it was rumored that she would capsize if she fired all of her guns, she fired several full salvoes at the Battle of Jutland. Based on the combination of her unique design and the history of her ownership (3 owners in one year), I would say that qualifies as the most "colorful" history for a battleship. It seems to fulfil all of the requirements of "most interesting history", "oddest quirks" and "out-right different." What are the next few most "colorful" battleships? Novgorod - If you are looking for "out-right different" it is hard to argue against a circular ship. Kearsarge/Virginia - The United State's experiment with superposed turrets. The idea of a secondary battery turret on the top of the primary battery turret was definitely unique. Furious - The single gun 18" turrets were an interesting idea, but not very practical when you think of the difficulty in getting a hit with only a two gun salvo. Goeben - Her operational history definitely comes under the heading of "most interesting history." Her escape from the Invincible and Indomitable at the beginning of WW1 would have been enough for a good story. Following that up with a phony transfer to Turkey upon her arrival at Constantinople adds to the lore. She had an active combat career throughout the war, unlike many of her contemporaries. If you add in her long years of service, it makes for a unique story.
The Hood / Bismarck thing is way up there for sure. I think Sink the Bismarck was the first book about ships that I ever read. I have been interested in that battle ever since. I developed a fondness for the Hood, as I considered her to be the under-dog in that battle. I always root for the under-dogs. I think it might be a fact that the Bismarck is more well-known. But the Hood is perhaps more loved. Perhaps it is just me. Mikey
