Favorite ship of WWII

While USS WASHINGTON was scrapped after the war (a real pity, I've always thought...), her sister ship still exists. The battleship NORTH CAROLINA is permanently berthed in Wilmington, North Carolina. A visit to her will show you what WASHINGTON looked like.

 

Interesting thread...
If I remembr the book about the USS Washington, didn't one of her skippers step-off the ship--while at sea--never to be seen again? Or something equally strange? She's a ship with a proud history. Or WAS rather...I'd vote for her as well.
My other favorites with no particular rhyme nor reason...

US Patrol torpedo boats--the mosquito with a stinger.

S-100 class German E-boats--they just look too cool.

The British Navy Rodney, King George class. Some call them ugly, but they look SO VERY distinctive, compared to other ships of the line.

The US Heavy Cruiser Indianapolis. A sad saga of this ship--and Captain's ultimate fate. (The IJN sub-skipper who sunk her testified at the Court-Martial hearings that it would not have mattered whether the ship was zig-zagging or not.)

IPN Shimakaze-Class Destroyers. The finest of Japanese destroyers with 6x5inch guns. Speed of nearly 40 knots, torpedo-tubes galore--15 with 24' tubes. Comparable to the Sumner-class of US destroyers. Only one of this class that was completed. One of first IPN warships to be radar-equipped. Sunk during action at Ormoc Bay.

I think some of the Italian heavy-cruisers--Fiume--had stunning lines.

I'm sure there are others as well...

Tim

 

I think you refer at Rear Admiral John Walter Wilcox, Jr. He was lost overboard 27 March 1942.

http://www.usswashington.com/moverbrd.htm

 

A sad but interesting story. I can tell you this: if the water was 36 degrees Fahrenheit, he was dead within two or three minutes, maximum.

 

The H.M.S. Repulse rulesssssss the Seas.



I´ve started a similar thread on another forum a while ago hehe :bang:

http://forum.schlachtschiff.com/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=31


Regards,
Che.

 

REPULSE was a handsome ship, indeed. And the Japanese had a much harder time sinking her then they did the more modern PRINCE OF WALES.

 

How is that?
The POW sank almost an hour later!!
Both got around the same hits (a bomb or torpedo more or less) at around the same time

 

Repulse was quiet a nimble ship for her size. According to one account I've come across she dodged 19 torps before finally being nailed.

 

I agree with Tim that the S-100 class looks just great and they were also very effective. Am I right?

 

Indeed she was. Her captain was driving her like she was a DD, but there were just too many Japanese bombers lining up on her and they finally got her.

 

They were arguably the most effective surface units in the Kriegsmarine. IIRC, they sank two British cruisers during the war (among others) and held their own against the more numerous British and American torpedo boats. In fact, they dominated the English Channel for most of the war. That ended June 6, 1944.

 

A while back i posted my favourite boat. This is link to very good model in 1/35 scale:
MiG productions BKA 1125
http://www.migproductions.com/MP/products/35253/35253.htm

And before anyone asks it's not a waterline model.

 

That Pink Sub, what her name ?......

 

Very impressive indeed! The German E-boats would have had their hands full going up against one of those, I daresay...

 

The only pink submarine I can think of is USS SEA TIGER, the fictional sub from the movie "Operation Petticoat".

 

i just love the scharnhorst. fast and a beautifull look. and the way she fougth at the battle of the nordkape on 26 december 1943 was just awesome. technicly inferior and outnumberd but she gave the Britisch one hell of a fight in the pure tradition of naval war. fight on until you sink, the rudders still turning and the flag still waving. the death of every heroic battleship

 

Not to mention the death of all but 36 of her ship's company. I daresay that they found nothing at all heroic about their situation.

 

Yeah but they did their job, it would be easier for them to run away or to rise the white flag, but they didn´t they fought, knowing that they pobably die and I think you can call this heroic.

Heroic = To know that you will die and to fight nevertheless.


The Sharnhorst was also quite strong

During the Battle, Scharhorst was targeted by
55 torpedoes, of which probably 11 hit the ship

More than 2.000 shells, of which:

- 446 was 356 mm (14 inch) shells from Duke of York

- 161 was 203 mm (8 inch) shells from Norfolk

- 874 was 152 mm (6 inch) shells from Jamaica, Sheffield and Belfast

- 686 was 133 mm (5,2 inch) shells from Duke of York

- 126 was 120 mm (4,7 inch) shells from the destroyers


She also sunk some merchant ships

LUSTROUS.................(6.156 BRT),
MARATHON................(6.352 BRT),
ATHELFOAM...............(6.554 BRT),
BRITISH STRENGTH....(7.139 BRT),
MANGKAI...................(8.298 BRT),
SILVERFIR.................(4.347 BRT),
SARDINIAN PRINCE...(3.491 BRT),
DEMETERTON............(5.251 BRT),
A. D. HUFF................(5.866 BRT),
HARLESDEN..............(5.483 BRT),
BIANCA....................(5.688 BRT),
SAN CASIMIRO.........(8.046 BRT),
POLYKARP................(6.405 BRT),
SIMNIA....................(6.197 BRT),
RIO DORADO...........(4.507 BRT),
EMPIRE INDUSTRY....(3.648 BRT),
GRANLI....................(1.577 BRT),
MYSON.....................(4.564 BRT),
ROYAL CROWN..........(4.364 BRT),
CHILEAN REEFER.......(1.831 BRT).

And together with her sistership she sunk the AC HMS Glorious and the DDs H.M.S. Ardent and H.M.S. Acasta

And the armed merchant cruiser HMS Rawalpindi.

So I think she was one of the most successful battleships of WW2. Am I right?

Regards
Che.

 

you're right. she was the best german surface ship there was. she sunk more ships than any other ship. grap spee stands on a good second place (i think)

 

Atlantis sank or captured 22 ships; Michel, 18; Thor, 22; Pinguin, 26. The only pocket battleship to be in this neighborhood on the grt scoreboard was Scheer.