Steel Titans: The Most Famous Battleships of the 20th Century

The battleships played an important part in naval warfare during the 20th century, particularly in the first half. Two global conflicts involving the world's largest navies provided plenty of opportunities for battleships. There were a number of notable battleships that became famous during the century.

The Admiral Graf Spee

To begin with, there was the German pocket battleship the Graf Spee, launched in 1934. The Graf Spee was not the largest of German battleships, but it still had good firepower. The Graf Spee came to prominence in 1939 as the ship began to sink Allied merchant shipping as part of commerce raiding operations.

As such, the Royal Navy sent ships to find the Graf Spee, and three of them did. During the Battle of the River Plate, the British ships fired at the Graf Spee; however, the Graf Spee inflicted heavy damage on the Exeter. Although the Graf Spee was also hit as it headed towards the Uruguayan port in Montevideo.

Upon reaching port, the Graf Spee required some repairs, but was not allowed to stay in port. The Royal Navy surrounded the port and waited for the Graf Spee to exit. When it did, the Graf Spee blew up after being scuttled by its captain. Since then, the Graf Spee has been featured in films such as “The Battle of River Plate.”

The USS Arizona

The USS Arizona was an American battleship stationed at Pearl Harbor. As such, it became a target for Japanese bombers during the Pearl Harbour raid in December 1941. The Arizona took some direct hits, resulting in large explosions that were enough to sink the ship. As such, today USS Arizona is a Pearl Harbour Memorial, and many visit Pearl Harbor for the USS Arizona Pearl Harbor visitor centre.

The Bismarck

The Bismarck was the largest battleship of its time when it was launched in 1939. At about 50,000 tonnes, this was a German battleship that outstripped any other, so it became a primary target for the Royal Navy in 1941. The Bismarck set sail during Operation Rheinübung in 1941, targeting Allied convoys. However, the Royal Navy discovered the Bismarck in the Denmark Straight and during the battle, it was sunk by the British after being hit by aerial torpedoes and bombarded by British warships. Like the Graf Spee, films such as “Sink the Bismarck” have enhanced the ship's historical status.

USS Missouri

The USS Missouri was a famous US battleship that rose to prominence during the Pacific War. Launched in 1944, the USS Missouri was involved in battles, such as the Battle of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, providing naval support. Then, in 1945, the war ended on the USS Missouri when Japanese delegates boarded and formally signed the surrender documents during the surrender ceremony on the USS Missouri. However, the Missouri continued in service beyond this and was also involved in the Korean War in the early 1950s. As such, the ship received 11 battle stars for combat service, and today it is a museum ship at Pearl Harbor.

Battleship Yamato

The battleship Yamato was the largest battleship ever produced and comfortably outstripped the Bismarck by over 20,000 tonnes. This Japanese battleship entered the war in 1941 and survived some naval battles, such as the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf. However, in 1945, the Allies spotted the battleship and sank it. The battleship has been remembered in films such as “Yamato.” There is also the Yamato Museum, which includes a replica of the battleship.

These are a few of the famous battleships of the 20th century. Some of these battleships were among the most potent of their time, the largest constructed, and all were involved in historic battles. Today, they are significant ships in maritime history, comparable even to the Titanic.