I went with the Battleship. Always loved the design of the Bismarck. Beautiful ship and she fought gallantly too.
W Class, HMS Woolston. The ship my home town adopted. Took part in the Channel Dash, Operation Husky, D-Day landings and then took the surrender of Bergen. A fantastic little ship with a wonderful crew.
Whilst the Battleship may be the sentimental favourite for its awesome power and commanded the respect of the fleet, WW2 saw a new innovation used to deliver crushing blows to enemy, land, air and sea forces. My favourite is the Carrier and in particular "The Enterprise" (CV-6). Probably the most famous USS Enterprise (CV 6), was commissioned 12 May 1938. During WWII she participated in almost every major battle, and was the only US aircraft carrier operating in the Pacific at times. Her first action of the war came on the first day of US involvement, when her aircraft dueled with the Japanese attackers over Pearl Harbor. Early in 1942 she escorted USS Hornet on the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, and was rushing south to join in the Battle of the Coral Sea when she was recalled to Pearl to prepare for the Battle of Midway. At Midway her aircraft participated in the sinking of three Japanese carriers, ending the Japanese offensive in the Pacific. She fought with distinction through the rest of the war, collecting 20 of 22 possible combat stars, sinking 71 enemy ships and shooting down 911 aircraft. She was the most decorated ship of the war.
I voted Battleship and specifically HMS Vanguard. While she did not serve in the war her design is of it. She was the considered the best gunnery platform every. In comparison triald with the Iowa class it was ound she was more stable when firing a full broadside, not as much roll. Ross
Again, the poll options don't give my favourite: the Battlecruisers, in particular HMS Hood. This is totally an emotional thing, OK! I know you can all shoot me down with all the reasons why the Battlecruiser concept was flawed (but the thread title was "Favourite.." not "Best Ship", and anyway it wasn't as flawed as popular history suggests). Hood was beautiful and awesome - the biggest warship in the world for over twenty years, and still the longest at the time of her demise - the only warships coming close were Bismarck and the South Carolina class, commissioned that year, and the carriers USS Lexington & Saratoga and IJN Akagi & Kaga. Her armour was in fact an improvement compared with earlier b/cruisers, alas not enough, and projected further improvements were not carried out. She was probably unlucky in her duel with Bismark, being at a range where she was vulnerable to plunging fire. I suppose its a similar fascination to that of Titanic - awesome but doomed. Or, beautiful but vulnerable, like Marilyn Monroe Did I just write that ...time to go to bed! Adrian
I was torn, as in general terms I like aircraft carriers the most, probably because I'm interested in both ships & aircraft. However, I voted for battleships because my favourite is HMS Warspite. She fought at Jutland & then had one of the most distinguished records of any ship in WW2. She ought to have been preserved but was sent to the scrap yard. She refused to go quietly, ran aground & had to be scrapped where she lay. HMS Warspite
Battleships definately, they have a certain aura about them, although I have a special interest in carrier class, specifically HMS Chaser which my Grandfather served on.
That's a point, where's the Escort option? I had to vote destroyer for the Woolston. Adrian had no problem going outside the box and I like Battle cruisers too...sounds like an Irish Spring Ad. I just grabbed the most popular warship categories off the top of my head.
I go for the Destroyer, which for their size were / are the most heavily armed ships in the world. I also believe that the nuclear submarine is the battleship of today
Peter, are you trying to get us into the old is a submarine a ship or a boat argument again? Hi Kitty, No, I'm not trying to resurrect that old argument, I'm resigned to the fact that its a poser that will never be answered to any degree of satisfaction, at least to most people. I feel that nuclear fleet submarines are the new capital ships of the modern navy. They are the main striking power of the fleet and are themselves the single most effective anti-submarine weapon available.
Aircraft carriers are my vote, with no particular example as a favourite. I just think they offer so much to the concept of sea warfare. I would just add to that that I voted that way because this is a WW2 forum. Had it been a modern one I would have been torn between carriers for the same reasons and nuclear submarines because they are awsome in their ability to move undetected and awsome in their strike capability.
Aircraft carriers are my vote, with no particular example as a favourite. I just think they offer so much to the concept of sea warfare. I would just add to that that I voted that way because this is a WW2 forum. Had it been a modern one I would have been torn between carriers for the same reasons and nuclear submarines because they are awsome in their ability to move undetected and awsome in their strike capability. That was my sentiment.......WW2 forum! The question was favourite not best or most effective so you vote with your heart. Having said that, could we imagine the Pacific theatre without a strong US carrier fleet and the Japs with one?
That was my sentiment.......WW2 forum! The question was favourite not best or most effective so you vote with your heart. Having said that, could we imagine the Pacific theatre without a strong US carrier fleet and the Japs with one? That would bring new meaning to the food California Rolls in California. On a serious note the invasion of Alaska may have suceeded had the US Carriers been destroyed.
For many years it was claimed (Mostly by the Americans) that we had it easy on Sword Beach, not true, the following from one of the assault ships log, lays this misinformation to rest, what follows later, is Stan Hough’s record taken from the log of one of the ships that carried the Assault craft. Princess Astrid. Bless her! She hit a mine in the channel after the war and sunk! Sword Beach was the most heavily defended area by a very long way. Nowhere on the Normandy Invasion coast were there so many huge Enemy defences. Many stretching away inland. Hillman for example, was 650 meters by 450 meters, a huge fortress. Opened up by Lt Heal R.E. of my Company. (My Hero) These are the losses sustained by the British Assault Craft. The Princess Astrid lost 4 out of her 8 Assault landing craft. Princess Charlotte lost 7 out of 8 MV Victoria lost 5 out of 6. Prince Henry lost 5 out of 8. Finally Prince David lost all 8. On reflection, the loss of 29 Assault craft out of a total of 38 with only 9 saved, hardly bears out the idea of an "Easy landing" In passing, the continuous rain of films and documentaries over the last 60 years about the war, have created a rather one sided view, at times having very little do to with what actually took place. But, such is the power of propaganda that these myths are assumed to be true, and become fixed as part of the Legend of D Day. So these are my favourite Ships. Sapper