In the military world, large nations have always been competing to build larger, stronger, and faster warships for many centuries. Having a solid and well-organized navy has been essential for any world power nation to maintain its status. For this reason, the world has seen hundreds of strong warships been constructed by different nations over the years. It is no exception to the 20th century that saw some of the greatest warships in history.
This article today focuses on the ten greatest warships of the 20th century. It is important to remember that it was during the 20th century that saw two of the most deadly naval wars in history.
10. HMS Dreadnought, United Kingdom
It was through HMS Dreadnought that the new era of “all big-guns” ushered. Unlike warships before the Dreadnought, it had only 12-inch cannons supported by the electronic range-finding tool. Dreadnought was encased completely in steel for defensive purposes.
The advanced technologies used in the Dreadnought led many to argue that it rendered all warships before completely obsolete. Unlike many battleships on this list, Dreadnought did not have any notable service record. It was the only surface warship to sink a submarine. It is for this reason that Dreadnought is still remembered, and also for significantly shifting the standard of naval warfare, instead of its battle victories.
9. USS Nimitz (CVN-68), United States
Nimitz class of warship consists of ten nuclear-propelled aircraft carriers, under the United States Navy. Before the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the Nimitz-class of warships was the biggest warships ever built and in-service. Nimitz ships were capable of producing a speed of over 30 knots or 56 km/h and power of over 260,000 SHP or 190 MW. The Nimitz had a length of 1,092 feet (333 meters) and 100,000 long tone displacements when loaded.
These warships are capable of operating for more than 20 years without refueling. They have a lifespan of 50 years. The ship relies on 6,012 crew members, including airwing. USS Nimitz (CVN-68) has taken part in numerous crucial and dangerous operations all around the world, including the Gulf War, Operation Eagle Claw in Iraq and most recently in Afghanistan and Iraq.
8. HMS Ark Royal (91), United Kingdom
HMS Ark Royal (91) was launched on 13 April 1937 and commissioned on 16 December 1938. A year later, she was sent out to the southern Atlantic to help other battleships search for the German pocket warship, Admiral Graf Gee.
It was HMS Ark Royal torpedo planes that hit the German battleship, Bismarck, making it un-maneuverable, thus allowing other British war vessels to close in and eventually sink her (Bismarck).
Ark Royal was very active in the Mediterranean waters. During the British naval raid on Italian controlled waters, Ark Royal struck the Genoa port. The vessel also regularly ferried aircraft to the besieged base at Malta, as well as covering Malta-bound convoys. The end of Ark Royal came in November 1941 when German marine U-81 fired four torpedoes that hit and sunk her.
7. German Battleship Bismarck, Nazi Germany
In 1941, the massive Bismarck, known as the most hunted ship in history, took several hits from the British Navy. This event finally sank the ship. Until 1989, the ship was at the bottom of the sea after Robert Ballard (the same man who found the Titanic) finally found it.
Bismarck was the most capable warship in the Atlantic during World War 2. The ship easily sank the HMS Hood with just a single round from her major battery (although, many argue that Hood’s 21-year age was the reason she went down easily) Bismarck was one of the world’s deadliest ships. It was the key to Hitler’s strategy to blockade Britain. The battle that sank Bismarck has been one of the ultimate naval battles during WWII. The battle was won by the British.
6. The USS Enterprise, United States
The USS Enterprise was the first ever nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, launched in 1960, Newport News Virginia. The former name of the carrier was CVA(N)-65. Big E was the nickname of the vessel which was solely powered by its eight nuclear reactors. For this reason, the Enterprise had more space for weapons and aircraft. The ship relied on 5,700 crews.
The USS Enterprise could easily carry 70 to 90 aircraft. The vessel measures 1,120 feet long with a 250 feet wide flight area as well as a massive displacement of 93,970 tons. These days, the Enterprise can stack 2 NATO Sea Sparrow, two 20 mm Phalanx, a Close-in Weapon System or a CIWS, 2 two RAM and mounts, and launchers. It was one of the most powerful until its decommissioning in 2012.
5. German Battleship Tirpitz
The last warship of the German Kriegsmarine, Tirpitz saw a ceremonially launch in 1939. After sending the battleship to Norway, the Germans had thought that it was safer and strategically positioned. The vessel’s presence in Norway, however, resulted in every convoy using that route to be heavily escorted by heavy battleships.
The greatest success of Tirpitz came without her firing even a single salvo, in 1942 against convoy PQ-17. The Allied vessels going to Murmansk were quickly detected, the escort ships headed out to attack the convoy.
The life of Tirpitz came to an end on 12 November 1944 when the ship came under heavy attack. The attack had already damaged the ship heavily, leading to it sinking in the low waters of the fjord.
4. Kagerō-class Destroyer, Imperial Japan
Kagerō Class Destroyer is one of the most impressive warships ever built by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The design focuses more on creating a qualitative, ship-to-ship advantage. The Japanese goal was to build warships that can sink their enemies, kill battleships, and cruisers.
Six 5-inch guns in 3 twin turrets were fit to the Kagerō. At that time 18 Kagerō ships could easily outgun all warships except the French destroyers.
The most deadly advantage the Kagerō had over the other vessels was the “24 “Long Lance” torpedo, a class of weapon mostly shared with other Japanese warships. The oxygen-powered torpedo could travel some 40,000 yards and cause some serious damage when they land on their target.
The Kagerō-class destroyers were strongly built and carried powerful anti-submarine as well as anti-aircraft armaments for their time. During the 1940s, they were the deadliest in the business.
Despite their impressiveness, only one vessel from the Kagerō-class survived the war.
3. Japanese Battleship Yamato
Yamato was one of the most imposing crafts in history, displacing more than any other in history and so bore the heftiest armament.
Yamato’s massive 18-inch guns could easily throw 3,200 lb missiles at 25 nautical miles. Her armor was more than 2 feet thick. The designers of Yamato prioritized offensive and defensive power over speed. The ship dreadnought was capable of steaming at 27 knots, and for a vessel of her size, that is not bad at all. Nevertheless, that was still slower than most of her contemporaries.
Yamato could beach herself offshores, thus was pretty unsinkable gun emplacement at least until drying up the ammunition or complete destruction. The US aerial bombardment in April 1945 destroyed the Yamato.
2. USS Pennsylvania (BB-38), United States
The former United States naval ship was officially commissioned to Captain H. B. Wilson in 1916 in Pennsylvania. Soon afterward, the ship became the flagship of the US Navy Atlantic Fleet under Admiral Henry Mayo.
USS Pennsylvania was in Yorktown Virginia when the United States entered World War I, and it remained in the States due to its high fuel oil consumption, leading to only coal-burning battleships to be sent to the United Kingdom.
When the Japanese aircraft began to raid Pearl Harbor in 1941, the ship was the first to fire, thus preventing the Japanese bombers from hitting the caisson of the drydock. USS Pennsylvania could displace 31,400 tons standard and could hold up to 915 crews. The battleship also had a speed of 21 knots with a power output of 35,000 SHP.
1. Kirov-class Battlecruiser, Soviet Nation
Kirov-class battlecruiser is a Russian navy ship considered to be the largest and most deadly armed surface combatant. Previously, it was in service with the Soviet Navy. The size of this warship along with its armament puts it between a heavy cruiser and a Battleship. It was because of the Kirov-class battlecruiser that the United States brought back the Iowa Class Battleships back into service.
Kirov began operating in 1980, with other Kirov-class following every four years. The ship can easily displace 28,000 tones when loaded and relies heavily on a pair of oil-powered steam turbines as well as pair of nuclear reactors, which combined put out 140,000 SHP. With this combination, Kirov can sprint at over 30 knots for over 1,100 miles. The ship can sustain about 20 knots when running on only nuclear power. Around 700 sailors operate the massive battleship. And, it is bristle with rockets as well as a sprawling vertical launch system containing hundreds of missiles.