Name the top five war ships in naval history

Never heard of it Stik, but I'll look into it.

About the I-400,
To be honest, there were some plans that the I-400 would attack US West Coast cities with biological weapons, but some smart guys in the japanese high command were able to cool the others down and get rid of the plan and after that they decided to attack the Panama Canal.

Bissyboat, try 'Japans Secret weapon' from National Geographic, they cover this subject quite good actually.

With regards, Ninetalis. 

Hi Stik.

You're absolutely bang on. They were used for a strike on the Panama Canal. Thanks for the input. I stand corrected and much wiser.

IIRC, the theory for the I-400 boats was to attack the Panama canal, not West Coast US cities. 18 boats x 3 aircaft each, would not been much of a massive attack. More like a light carrier's strike, and float planes vs shore based fighters (the Panama Canal and US Coastal cities had fighter squadrons nearby), would have been rather one sided. I think it is another case of something looking very good on paper to someone in charge, not being so practical in reality.

If you want to see something that was highly effective, look at Japanese Heavy Cruisers. In 1942 they ruled the South Pacific in almost all surface actions.

The torpedo bombers put the final nails in its coffin. Yes the design of this battle ship is beyond amazing! Incredible set of cannons! I must find a 1/700 to build. Its a trophy in anyone's boat collection. I love the I-400 sub! How many u-boats were fitted with air crafts. Perfectly designed to launch surprise attacks on convoys. I understand that the master plan behind these u-boats was to send as many as possible to the western cities of the states and launch a massive aerial attack. 18 of this was meant to be put in production in 1942, but only 5 were made in 1943, with only three completed for service.

Ninetails, read up about the Battle off Samar during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Phillipines, October 1944. It is very well documented from both sides. Yamato was the flagship of the Japanese surface task force that went thru San Bernadino strait. This massively powerful surface force fell upon "Taffy 3", a group of  US Escort Carriers and their escorting Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts. Hardly an even fight by any measure. But the US forces put up a fight that is the suff of legend. It was a brawl that ranged from long range gunnery to short range point plank shots by almost all combatants. Look at Ordies post above about USS Johnston, one of the bold USN Destroyers in that fight. And the mighty Yamato, was indeed "taken out" of the fight (not sunk) by being forced to run away from a torpedo spread fired at  her by USS Heerman, a Fletcher Class destroyer. By the time that the torpedoes ran out of "juice" and Yamato could turn around and move to rejoin the battle, the battle had moved too far awar for Yamato to take part. The Japanese did not have fire control radar and their gunfire direction was visual. In the weather conditions of that place and time, she was out of the battle. Before the torpedo spread which forced her retirement, her 18" gunfire was not overly effective or impressive. Yamato showed rather poorly in this fight, her only surface battle, which is what she was designed for.  The Japanese Cruiser force was far more lethal during this battle, the last great suface fight in sea warfare. The old US Battleships that fought the night before at Surigao Straight were fought better, by their Captains and crews. And most of those had been at Pearl Harbor. Yes, Yamato was sunk six months later by an overwhelming aerial onslaught on the open sea with no air cover, just as Prince of Wales and Repulse were 4 years earlier. But in her sole surface action, she performed worse than many other battleships.

Have a look at the Battle of Leyte Gulf Nine, and I promise that you will find some great naval history.

LOL? Yamato sunk by 'only' one destroyer?

She was taken out after beeing attacked by nearly 400 aircraft, also, I remember a guy posting somewhere that his dad worked on a Gato-class(?) sub, shooting torpedos at the Yamato several times and hitting it.

The Yamato has never had a surface fight, and if it did and it would of used its main guns it would had taken the SH** out of the enemy, instead, it was sunk by aircraft because it had no air cover, EVERY (battle)ship would have been sunk, remember Force Z?

Also "Spruance ordered Admiral Deyo to assemble a force of 6 battleships (USS Massachusetts, Indiana, New Jersey, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Missouri), together with 7 cruisers (including USS Alaska and Guam) and 21 destroyers, and to prepare for surface action against Yamato should the airstrikes prove unsuccessful." 

And if the Yamato-class doesn't impress you, maybe this will. 

Still, you could go on and on about how this ship came to late, since it was the dawn of the aircraft carrier and all that BUT it still is the biggest, heaviest, most armored battleship build with the biggest armament ever mounted on a battleship...

Also, I forgot to mention, the I-400 sub is magnificent to! 

With regards, Ninetalis.

The Yamato was taken out of her only surface fight by a Fletcher Class destroyer, USS Heerman.... 'nuff said.... ;-)

IJN Yamato, nuff said!

Best regards, Ninetalis.

Yeah, Stik - if the thought of Lt. Cdr. Evans, fighting his badly damaged ship from aft-steering with one hand (while actually steering the ship with that hand), giving the Johnston's last and all trying to keep a swarming enemy off the Gambier Bay doesn't choke you up, nothing's going to.  One of the last things heard on the Johnston's sound-powered phones was a gunner's mate on the last functioning five-inch gun calling for, "More shells!  More shells!"  They fought her top to bottom that day, they surely did.

Ordie, your post about the USS Johnston speaks volumes. She was a Fletcher Class destroyer, and as such, one of scores built ,and until that October day, nothing special among them. But that day, average sailors aboard an average destroyer went above and beyond the call of duty (along with all the other escorts) lashing out at a far superior Japanese force, and eventually forced them to retire. Including the mighty Yamato in her only surface action, turned back by a spread of torpedoes from USS Heerman, a sister ship of USS Johnston. That action truly speaks to the fact that it is the crew, from the commander to the youngest/newest sailor, that makes a great warship great.

Hehehe. It 's good to poke some fun. What fascinating history! Thanks for the input. :c)

The USS Johnston was more than just a great war ship. More like a great legend! It did a good joob with its five inch guns. It really went beyond call of duty against the opposition. We got to support the underdogs. Greatness doesn't come to capitol ships and aircraft carriers alone. We salute Cdr, Evans and his brave crew.

And those same Bipe's sank a battleship and mortally damaged two others the year before at Taranto. And chased the Regia out of the Med....

Taffey 3 is a great call BTW. They got a Presidential Unit Citation, and for a bunch of converted freighter hulls...

Bissyboat

You have my respect. I do not side with the japanese on this matter, only saying the Yamato was met with an overwhelming force, what seemed suicidal as they could only fight of the dive bombers. It was the right thing to do.and it reduced the number of casualties on American side. In an ideal world were history could be tweaked, I would imagined a more glorious battle where the big American capitol ships would come out and fight with their guns blazing like a real classic show down. However, the Yamato wasn't going to perform any miracles. It wanted to inflict as much damage as possible and then to suffer defeat the honorable way. Trust me I'm glad the Yamato went down.

I know you're glad the Yamato  went down.  Just funnin' with ya ... but what happened to the Yamato is the reason nobody has built battlewagons since - airplanes (and their carriers), missiles and submarines rule the waves, and have for the last 70 years or so (with missiles the most recent comer).  Battleships, grand as they were, are history.

I'll add another ship to my list, now that I've been thinking about it (actually, I'm adding her skipper and her crew as much as I'm adding the ship):  The destroyer USS Johnston, DD-557 (Fletcher class).

During Battle of Samar (Leyte Gulf), as a member of TF "Taffy 3", a ragtag collection of CVL's, DD's and DE's, the USS Johnston, captained by Lt. Cdr. Earnest E. Evans, distinguished herself as one of the great warships of all time.  Admiral Kurita of the IJN had four battleships, six heavy cruisers, two light cruisers, and eleven destroyers.at his disposal, notably including the IJN Yamato.  Lt. Cdr. Evans (who, upon taking command of the Johnston when she was commissioned in  '43, famously repeated to his crew the words of America's first naval hero, John Paul Jones, "This is going to be a fighting ship.  I intend to go in harm's way, and anyone who doesn't want to go along had better get off right now."), on his own initiative, attacked the Japanese battle fleet headlong.

The Johnston scored damaging hits on the heavy cruiser Kumano with her five-inch guns, then blew the Kumano's bow off with a torpedo, forcing the much larger ship to retire. The Johnston's success against the Kumano inspired Adm. Sprague's order, "Small boys, attack!", which sent the remaining handful of American destroyers and destroyer escorts in amongst the Japanese warships, firing their guns and torpedoes as they went.  The Johnston, after being hit by several 14 inch shells, next took on a Kongo-class battleship, against whose superstructure she scored multiple short-range hits with her guns.  Breaking off that attack to rush to the defense of the CVL USS Gambier Bay, the Johnston drove off another heavy cruiser.  She then fought off a group of IJN destroyers, forcing them to retire beyond her gun range, deftly dodging their fusilade of torpedos.  By then, several of the Johnston's guns had been knocked out, her steering damaged, her 40 mm magazine set afire, and Lt. Cdr. Evans wounded.  Nevertheless, the Johnston continued to fight until her engines were knocked out, leaving her dead in the water. 

Under fire from multiple enemy ships, Lt. Cdr. Evans ordered his crew to abandon ship.  She rolled over as they did so, and a Japanese destroyer closed to fire a final shot into her to make sure she went down.  A Johnston crewman reported that he saw the captain of the Japanese ship salute the Johnston as the shot was fired.  Of 327 crewmen on the Johnston, only 141 survived the battle.  Lt. Cdr. Evans, who was seen alive as the Johnston rolled over, was never seen again.

As a result of "Taffy 3's" valiant stand, the Leyte Gulf landings were preserved in safety.  If the USS Johnston isn't a great warship, I don't know what is.

Yes crippling the boat by destroying the rudder. Also before facing the Swordfish torpedo bombers, The Bismarck started limping away, reducing its speed. Much thanks to the The Prince of Wales who shot through the hull by the bow where the fuel tanks are situated. This shot deprived the Bismarck of more than 8.000 tons of fuel until the main event against King George and Rodney.

You have my respect. I do not side with the japanese on this matter, only saying the Yamato was met with an overwhelming force, what seemed suicidal as they could only fight of the dive bombers. It was the right thing to do.and it reduced the number of casualties on American side. In an ideal world were history could be tweaked, I would imagined a more glorious battle where the big American capitol ships would come out and fight with their guns blazing like a real classic show down. However, the Yamato wasn't going to perform any miracles. It wanted to inflict as much damage as possible and then to suffer defeat the honorable way. Trust me I'm glad the Yamato went down.

A quick Wiki run later, and I'll add HMS Warspite to my list.  That makes three of five, anyway.

Rambo

Good point and the Bismark was sunk by a outdated British bi-plane

Nah, just crippled enough for the surface ships to catch up and sink her. She was sunk the old fashioned way, with gunfire.

stikpusher

... USS Constituion- the name "Old Ironsides", was not pulled out of thin salt air...

So true.  And I'll have to read up on HMS Warspite (and admit my ignorance).

bissyboat - As an old aviation ordnanceman, I'll have to call what happened to the Yamato a fair fight ... .

Good point and the Bismark was sunk by a outdated British bi-plane

Nothing speaks louder than success in battle for a warship in her designed role.

USS Enterprise, CV-6, no ship in the USN, and certainly no carrier, had a more successful or distiguished battle record in WWII.

HMS Warspite- say what you want about other newer, more powerful battleships, they were either sunk in battle (Bismark, Yamato) or never fought it out in a surface engagement (Iowa class) more than once. Warspite's battle record is also most distinguished.

The Type VII U-Boat- the one ship that came closest to defeating the Royal Navy

HMS Victory-again a ship second to none in its' era in battle

USS Constituion- the name "Old Ironsides", was not pulled out of thin salt air...

Not heard of the CSS Hunley. Just checked it on Wikipedia. Looks a bit ominous. Sacrifices has to be made to further our advancements in technology. Good choice. I like the Monitor. Low silhouette is always an advantage in battle, makes it a hard target to hit. Perhaps all battelship in WWII should have been designed along those lines. Without the tall turret that looks like a band stand of course. Hehehe. HMS Victory is the best wooden ship ever made. That vessel can take a good pounding. So majestic. Yes the Bismarck. It could have change the tide of the war if it only managed to get to Brest for repairs and then join up with Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. That would be a devastating force, capable of sinking so many supply ships, that it would cripple the British army. USS Missouri is one of the most memorable ships in history of naval war fare. Thought the document of capitulation was signed on board USS Iowa. Thanks for sharing your ships and the history.

I understand that you have a soft heart for classic war ships. That's true, but the frigates couldn't enter shallow and narrow canals and at the same time launch an invasion on the shores. It's fair to say that the viking ships were perfectly designed for that purpose. Also fast and more seaworthy than most wooden war ships.

I agree. The people commanding  these ships are equally important . These men's demonstration of valour and skills in battle add to the greatness of war ships we still remember today. You make a very fair point. Thanks.

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.

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)

Hehehe. Must be of the smallest aircraft carriers in naval history. Still every little helps. :c)

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

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.

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.

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.