PDA

View Full Version : What's your favorite battleship?

Michael
Apr 28th 2009, 10:51 PM
Okay, everyone has a favorite battleship right? So which one is yours?

I'll start with HMS Warspite - arguably one of the most battle-scarred of Battleships, seeing action in both WW1 and WW2. A bit of an ill-starred beginning in life, with two accidents (getting grounded and colliding with her sister ship, both of which required substantial repairs). Then at the Battle of Jutland, Warspite takes fifteen hits from German heavy guns and manages to stay floating and with just one turret 'manually' operational and continued to fire a dozen rounds. Now that's a ship with fighting spirit!

In WW2, Warspite was active in the naval battle of Norway when the Royal Navy successfully conspired to trap and destroy eight German Destroyers. Afterwards, Warspite saw action against other capital ships in two significant battles in the Mediterranean Sea (and the destruction of several Italian warships) and was damaged by aircraft at the Battle of Crete. Warspite was also there for shore bombardment for the landings in Sicily, Italy and Normandy.

And a nice personal touch - the midshipman who kept the A turret going on manual control at Jutland was appointed captain of HMS Warspite in 1943 to command her last actions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Warspite_(03)

Anyone else have any favorite battleships? :D
Dominick
Apr 28th 2009, 11:05 PM
^^
I had a model of that one as a kid.

My favourite is -unbelievably- the Bismarck. Yes, a Nazi ship.
I can't help it. It's just so darn impressive. And I had two models of that one, one of them, well not exactly seaworthy but at least waterworthy. And motorized. That's 30 years ago. :eek:
Michael
Apr 29th 2009, 10:41 AM
My favourite is -unbelievably- the Bismarck. Yes, a Nazi ship. I can't help it. It's just so darn impressive.
1. Bismark was a German Navy ship. There is no such thing as a "Nazi ship". ;)

2. I've never been keen on the Bismark - her statistics have never impressed me very much - she was too light in the armor belts. She wasn't faster, better or stronger than any other ship of her contemporaries (indeed, she's slower, less armored and outgunned by most of them). She is only impressive as being one of the first of the new generation of battleships (thus the most famous). Admittedly, Bismark was a fairly good looking battleship.

Btw, I've always had a soft spot for the 'pocket battleships' the Germans launched (ie. Graf Spee class). The Germans never really used this type of ship well, but they could have if they had a couple more of them.

Speaking of German battleships, I've always thought the Sharnhorst was one of the best looking battleships out there. :)

(and yes, I know the difference between a heavy battle cruiser and a battleship, I just don't think the distinction is meaningful - HMS Hood and Sharnhorst are as much battleships as any other ship out there, yet both are strictly termed "battlecruisers" - HMS Hood for example was larger, heavier and carried bigger guns than most contemporary battleships).
Non Sequitur
May 4th 2009, 11:31 PM
The USS Missouri.
SMadsen
May 5th 2009, 05:12 AM
Since I'm not a trekkie and thus reluctant to vote for the USS Enterprise, my favorite battleship will have to be the Mon Calamari Cruiser. 48 turbolasers, multiple tractor beam projectors and A-, X- and Y-Wing squadrons put it right on top.
The Drunk Guy
May 5th 2009, 08:16 AM
Since I'm not a trekkie and thus reluctant to vote for the USS Enterprise, my favorite battleship will have to be the Mon Calamari Cruiser. 48 turbolasers, multiple tractor beam projectors and A-, X- and Y-Wing squadrons put it right on top.

I have to go with The Executor.
http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/starwars/images/c/cc/Executor_04.jpg

19km long, with two wings of TIE fighters, ATATs, and ATSTs all ready to go into battle. Imperial Power at it's finest.;)
SMadsen
May 5th 2009, 08:38 AM
I have to go with The Executor.

19km long, with two wings of TIE fighters, ATATs, and ATSTs all ready to go into battle. Imperial Power at it's finest.;)
:D

Nah, too big and vulnerable. It was taken out by a single A-Wing in the Battle of Endor.
The Drunk Guy
May 5th 2009, 08:26 PM
:D

Nah, too big and vulnerable. It was taken out by a single A-Wing in the Battle of Endor.
Geez, it was just a movie. Get real.

:angel:
Americano
May 6th 2009, 12:30 PM
The ultimate battleship:
Michael
May 13th 2009, 08:19 PM
The ultimate battleship:
Technically speaking, not quite a battleship actually (though, I'd say the same about several other pics in this thread). :)

That would be a picture of the "ultimate weapon", don't you think?

* * *

As for some of the others, I think the space-based ships seem more akin to carriers or 'carrier groups' than battleships per se. ;)

The USS Enterprise (Star Trek version) seems much more 'akin' to a battleship in principle than most of these other spaceships since it relied upon its own primary weapon system rather than launching fighter-ships to fight on its behalf.