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Subject: Top Ten Warships of All Time- Miltary Channel
buzzard    5/30/2006 10:54:25 AM
OK, yesterday I caught part of this show on the Military Channel. It had, IMO a rather odd set of picks for the top ships in history. I really don't quite get how they made their evaluations. 1 Iowa Class battleships 2 Nimitz Carriers 3 Aegis Cruisers 4 Queen Elizabeth Battleships 5 Fletcher Destroyers 6 North Caroina Class 7 Essex Class carriers 8 Bismark 9 Graf Spee 10 Hood (!?!) Now I'm not sure of the order (precisely, though I know 1-4 are correct), and maybe they limited things to the 20th century (which seems like the only way this list could be excusable). I have to ask, what the hell were they thinking? The Hood did not even vaguely deserve to be on the list other than due to noteriety. The Bismark and Graf Spee were pretty much meaningless in effect. Why are there no submarines even on the list? So, given this rather strange list we are presented with, what would your choices be. For the sake of argument, let's limit things to 20th century. Since I chose this forum choice, why don't we stick to surface ships at that. buzzard
 
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ambush       3/30/2007 1:17:27 PM
Since folks are going into the pre 1900s why not the Viking Longships, granted more of transport than a fighting vessel but certainly  inovative and had a rep.  I would also add the USS Monitor and the HMS Ark Royal /Pegasus
 
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DropBear       4/1/2007 6:10:02 PM
 
#1 Scharnhorst.
 
 
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Herald1234       4/1/2007 8:53:03 PM

 

#1 Scharnhorst.

 



Which one? SMS or RKMS?
Herald
 
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DropBear       4/2/2007 12:13:44 AM
 
The German WW2 Battlecruiser, naturally.
 
 
 
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Herald1234       4/2/2007 9:39:26 AM

 

The German WW2 Battlecruiser, naturally.

 

 

Why?

Herald

 
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kensohaski       4/2/2007 10:26:29 AM
I watch the "Top 10" show and find their logic compelling at times.  But this list only focuses on the "tip of the spear" wheras ALL ships involved should be considered warships.  What usually forces a country into defeat is economic collapse.  I am restricting my list to the 20th century.
 
1.  Liberty ships
 
2.  "Thick skinned Gato's"
 
3.  Jeep Carriers
 
4.  U-boats
 
5.  Fleet replenishment ships
 
6.  All classes of DD's
 
7.  Hermes class CV's
 
8.  Essex Class CV's
 
9.  Dreadnought Class B's
 
10.  LST's
 
If you have no beans or bullets, you have no war.
 
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Herald1234    Compelling argument.   4/2/2007 3:49:44 PM
I mightr quibble over some of your choices but your logic is impeccable
 
Herald
 
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kensohaski       4/6/2007 9:50:27 AM

I mightr quibble over some of your choices but your logic is impeccable

 

Herald



Indeed,
 
The north won the Civil War in spite of a host of crappy generals.  But the north had most of the beans and bullets.  Grant and Sherman combined them with brilliant leadership and warfare has not changed since.  Rapid transit (rail), electronic communication (telegraph), and air based observation (Union balloons). 
 
It all seems to come down to beans and bullets..
 
Yes I know that a Liberty Ship is an eyesore but their contribution (and loss rate) is legion.   Of course the HMS Hood is a much prettier ship to look at.  But it was shredded by the Bismark in a matter of minutes...  There are some Italian Battleships that were pleasing to the eye as well....
 
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Howard826       1/22/2008 1:33:39 AM
Ok that list sucks. I think we need to look at it like this. lets look at the service records of these ships. Two come to mind, one allready mentioned the U.S.S. Enterprise (cv-6) earned 20 battle stars. and for you destroyer lovers out there the U.S.S. Riddle (DE-185) had a total of 12. Now as for battleships I can't believe no one even mentioned the most decorated american battleship and surviving battleship the U.S.S. New Jersey (BB-62) with a total of 19 battle stars and a career spaning almost 50 years and 3 major wars I can't believe she was forgotten! lol I guess being a "jersey boy" I sure didn't. Well there's somethin for you all to chew on feel free to expand on this guys.
 
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Crazyhorse       1/25/2008 11:53:17 AM
 

 If we are talking about revolutionary ships in the modern era than

#1 has to go to H.M.S. Dreadnaught; overnight entire navies around the world became obsolete. I give her a slight edge to my #2 selection due to a much longer service life. 

#2 C.S.C. Virginia/USS Monitor With their battle off Hampton roads the arrival of the ironclads sent a loud message to the rest of the world that the day of wooden warships was over. Once again, overnight entire navies around the world became obsolete.

#3 Essex class Fleet Carriers they were the grandfather of the concept of the super carrier and were primarily responsible for the naval defeat of Japan.

#4 USS Nautilus the first nuclear boat, she changed submarine design forever.

#5 Ark Royal, this was the first aircraft carrier to have an armored flight deck, she took several bomb hits that caused minimal damage. After the war the US looked at this and included it in every post WW2 carrier built.

 

 
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