The Most Famous Battleships of World War II

There were numerous famous battleships during the 1940s. While the battleship would gradually become more obsolete during the period, before the war, they still dominated most of the world’s largest navies. In this war, they remained a key support ship to aircraft carriers and were also effective for shore bombardments.

The Yamato

At approximately 70,000 tons, the Yamato is the largest battleship to have been constructed, and had a formidable arsenal. However, it would not be involved in any notable battles until 1944. At the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Yamato was among the primary Japanese battleships and played its part in the Battle off Samar before withdrawing after being bombed by American aircraft.

The Yamato survived that battle, but at the Battle of Okinawa, it was called into another operation, which ensured that it did not survive the war. Operation Ten-Go was an operation drafted by the Imperial Japanese Navy which required that the Yamato beach itself on Okinawa as a shore battery. The operation had little chance of reaching its objectives, and so the Yamato was bombed out of the water by Allied aircraft before it could reach Okinawa.

The USS Arizona

The USS Arizona was one of the battleships stationed at Pearl Harbor. This battleship was one that dated back to the First World War, although it was not involved in any notable naval battles. In 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and the USS Arizona was sunk at the harbor. The US Navy could not salvage this ship after the airstrike, and today, there is a USS Arizona Memorial located at Pearl Harbor.

The Bismarck

The Bismarck was a German battleship that first set sail during the early 1940s. It was one of the largest European battleships, at about 50,000 tons, although the ship did not last long despite its undoubted caliber. On its first operation, the Bismarck targeted British merchant ships, although it was detected before it reached them. As such, the Royal Navy soon sent the Prince of Wales and the Hood to intercept the Bismarck off the Denmark Straight. During the Battle of the Denmark Straight, the Bismarck emerged victorious as the Royal Navy lost the Hood.

Despite its victory, the Bismarck postponed its original operation and began to head for port for further repairs. The Royal Navy remained in pursuit and, thanks to its torpedo bombers, jammed the ship’s rudder. That gave the British a chance to finish off the Bismarck, and they duly did when their warships intercepted the ship soon after. After a salvo of gunfire, the Bismarck’s crew abandoned ship, but before they did, scuttling charges were laid, which would ensure the demise of the Bismarck.

The USS Missouri

The USS Missouri first joined the US Navy in 1944 and so missed most of the notable naval battles in the Pacific War. However, the battleship still provided naval support for amphibious landings at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. In this respect, the Missouri bombarded the islands, targeting Japanese positions and fortifications along the coastline.

The Bismarck

On the final day of the Pacific War, Japanese delegates also boarded the USS Missouri to bring the Pacific War to a close. As such, it was here that the Japanese Empire surrendered to the Allies. Today, the USS Missouri is a museum ship at Pearl Harbor.

The Tirpitz

The Tirpitz was another German battleship of the Bismarck class. It was a very quick battleship, with good armor and an impressive arsenal, which included torpedo tubes and large AA guns. Soon after the Royal Navy had taken out the Bismarck, the Tirpitz became a primary target for the Royal Navy. The ship also lasted longer than the Bismarck, as various Royal Navy raids could not do enough to sink it. Only in 1944, when the RAF sent in Dambuster Squadrons, was the Tirpitz, a floating fortress, entirely taken out.

The Tirpitz

These were a few of the more famous battleships of the period. The Yamato, Tirpitz, USS Arizona, Missouri, and the Bismarck were the last great battleships before the aircraft carrier emerged as the predominant naval warship.

Disclaimer: This article of mine was originally submitted to Medium.com, where you can read it here.