JohnT Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 .....and epitomises the spirit of the service whose colours she fought under? As an aeroplane buff I enjoy the aircraft threads but it dawned on me that there were not that many ship threads Thinking on this I found it easier to say "Bismark" for the Kreigsmarine and one of the carriers or Yamato for the Imperial Japanese Navy But the Royal Navy? Exeter? Cossack? Gloworm? Warspite? Victory? Dreadnought? Shannon? I can't find one alone that singularly captures the RN spirit? Similar problems for the USN Any suggestions for those and other navies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panzer Vor!!! Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 HOOD for the Royal Navy Yorktown for the USN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hepster Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 HMS Victorious!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VMA131Marine Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 (edited) For the Kreigsmarine, it has to be a U-boot. If forced to pick one, then it would be Gunther Prien's U-47. The accomplishments of the surface fleet were minimal in comparison to what the subs did. Moreover, the U-boots kept going out on patrols even when it was obvious that they were now the hunted rather than the hunter. For a British ship, I'd probably go with Exeter or Warspite, but then again I could be convinced that the right choice is Captain Frederic John Walker's Black Swan-class sloop HMS Starling For the US Navy, I'd go with USS Enterprise CV-6 Edited December 14, 2014 by VMA131Marine 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shar2 Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Has to be the Warspite for the RN, Enterprise for the USN, Bismarck for the Kriegsmarine, Yamato for the IJN. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewa Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 +1. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnT Posted December 14, 2014 Author Share Posted December 14, 2014 Has to be the Warspite for the RN, Enterprise for the USN, Bismarck for the Kriegsmarine, Yamato for the IJN. Good choices I'm trying to match the ship and her history to the ethos and spirit of her service And of course it need not be WW2 though I suppose that's where the mind goes first What of the French and Italian navies? And Russian for that matter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ratch Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 For the RN I'd say HMS Victory and for the USN probably the Missouri. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longshanks Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 For the Royal Navy it would have to be Victory Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestar12chris Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Well being a submarine enthusiasts, Gunther Priens U-47 as mentioned by VMA131Marine for Germany, The I-400/401 for IJN, HMS Conqueror for the Royal Navy, SSN571 Nautilus for the USN, SSBN Typhoon for Russia. Historically, has to be The Hunley Confederate Army, Holland Class RN, Type VIIC Germany. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckb1 Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Factual has to be HMS Amethyst. No matter what really happened for her to make her way back down river was an outstanding feat of seamanship and courage Second HMS Campbeltown. Operation Chariot. Combined operations finest and most futile example Fictional HMS Compass Rose, the work horses of the fleet, manned by weekend warriors and HO ratings with a nod towards a couple of regular service matelots to bring experience. "Snorkers good ho"! MGB 1087. The heart of a ships company is the ship. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bangor Lad Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Warspite. If any single ship represents the Royal Navy, and should have been saved for the nation, it is Warspite. Technologically advanced (first RN capital ship to burn oil in lieu of coal) and with battle honours to be truly proud of. Thank you. Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckb1 Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 USN has to be USS St Lo, taking on a cruiser with 5" Guns, especially when St Lo was a CVE. That is bravery Kriegsmarine Bismarck hands down, the ship that would not die. Fought to a standstill. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidcurrie42 Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 (edited) HMS Victory for RN USS Enterprise CV-6 for USN Edited December 15, 2014 by kidcurrie42 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Great question! I'd say HMS Warspite for the RN, an amazing career for any ship. A disgrace that she was peremptorily bundled off for scrap, and even then she didn't lie down and die! USN's greatest for me is the USS Johnston, a destroyer that took on the Japanese battle line almost single handedly at the Battle off Samar in 1944. Japan's for me would be IJN Chokai, a heavy cruiser and flagship that fought every major surface engagement in WWII including Savo Island. It put a hell of a lot more work and guts into the war at sea than ten Yamatos! I'd also go with a U-boat for Germany, the U-99, Otto Kretschmer's boat. Definitely the most brilliantly fought submarine of all time, and the first to exploit the surface capabilities of the U-boat, sinking over 300000 tons of Allied shipping in just over a year. Thanks for bringing this up John, good to exercise the grey cells! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 For the RN, I'd have to go for the Indefatigable under Edward Pellew. If the question is about a ship that best represents the spirit of the navy in question, then I'd definitely go for a Napoleonic era frigate over anything bigger or more modern. Brilliantly fought independently, and also a vital part of the fleet; truly global in reach; captained by men of daring and intelligence, and manned by the true "hearts of oak". And Pellew's Indefatigable because he was probably the greatest Captain of the era, commanding a crew he built into the best in the fleet,,. Bestest, M. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigsty Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 HMS Troutbridge? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfqweofekwpeweiop4 Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 If you want Napoleonic ships to have a shout, how about HMS Royal Sovereign? She was Collingwood's flagship at Trafalgar, first into action by 20 minutes, fought her way past 5 enemy ships at the same time, whilst heading for the largest ship she could find, the Spanish 4 deck, 120 gun, Santa Ana. If that action doesn't sum up the RN, what does? Warspite (QE BB) also deserves a mention for her actions in both world wars. Hood may have been the symbol of RN sea power between the wars but ultimately didn't do so well. Amethyst certainly deserves a shout for her action on the Yangtze river. Other than that, how about a shot for Royal Navy destroyers, frigates (include Napoleonic ones) and other small warships? Small British warships have a tradition of being brave and aggressive, attacking superior forces without hesitation. Think about actions like Narvik, Acasta and Achates trying to defend Glorious from Scharnhorst and Gniesnau. Destroyers fending off Adm Hipper and Lutzow from a convoy, destroyer actions in the Med, both attacking enemy shipping and defending convoys. A destroyer flotilla sank the Japanese Heavy Cruiser Haguro. If you wanted to pick a single large warship for the US, It has to be the Enterprise (CV-6). Enterprise simply has the greatest battle honours and her aircraft are responsible for sinking, damaging and destroying more ships and aircraft than any other single warship in history. The one ship the US should have preserved should have been the Enterprise. I would also shout out like the RN for the USN destroyers, not just because of Leyte Gulf but for their efforts, hard work and sometimes brilliant and heroic actions in other campaigns, such as Guadalcanal. The Germans can be summed up by their U-boats - take your pick which one, they were more successful than the German surface fleet in both wars! As an alternative to Bismarck for a surface ship, how about Scharnhorst? It was more successful than Bismarck at the wartime role it was given and made something of a heroic last stand. As for the IJN, how about Mikasa? Togo's flagship at Tsushima and preserved for all to see, the last survivor of Japan's greatest victory at sea in an open battle. If you go to WW2, I think 2 large ships epitomise Japan's way of thinking during the war. The IJN was dreaming of a great battle between it's battleships and the US battleships, a WW2 Tsushima if you like. For this reason Yamato is the obvious choice, as although it doesn't have a great war record (because the IJN battleships were held in reserve, or used in supporting roles, waiting for the big battle) it was the ultimate battleship and therefore sums up the underlying IJN desire for battleship action perfectly. The other choice is the Zuikaku. Zuikaku and sister ship Shokaku were probably the most successful IJN carriers (although I believe Taiho was the better design). Zuikaku was there at Pearl Harbour and took part in all major carrier battles (apart from Midway) until it was sunk in the Leyte Gulf action. Although the IJN wanted a big battleship action to decide the ultimate balance of power in the pacific, they used the carrier arm as the main striking force. The carrier force was faster and more mobile than the battleships as well as having a longer reach with it's aircraft. Yamamoto knew full well that the future of naval power was with the carriers but many senior admirals still believed in the battleship, hence the underlying desire for the large battleship action. So Yamamoto used his carriers to soften up targets for invasion and to neutralise other potential threats and finally to try to destroy the US carriers, in order that they would have to use their battleships but we all know how it went! thanks Mike 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaddad Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 If the main criteria is epitomising the spirit of the service both HMS Jervis Bay & HMS Rawalpindi must be in with a shout. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moaning dolphin Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Although her past is not as glorious as others, I cant believe no one has mentioned HMS Ark Royal. Certainly in more modern times she has stood out as a flag ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darby Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 HMS Temeraire...no I don't mean the clubswingers lair either! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnT Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 If the main criteria is epitomising the spirit of the service both HMS Jervis Bay & HMS Rawalpindi must be in with a shout. Some great responses. The number of options coming up for RN ships reflects the huge naval tradition and esprit de corps that infuses hundreds of years of British naval tradition. That makes it a more difficult choice for the UK service than perhaps for other countries I suppose Spaddad - I confess the Rawalpindi crossed my mind more than once. A converted ocean passenger liner pressed into service with some pop guns on her taking on two of the heaviest enemy warships rather than just running up a flag of surrender and scuttling? worth quoting in full from Wiki :- "While patrolling north of the Faroe Islands on 23 November 1939, she investigated a possible enemy sighting, only to find that she had encountered two of the most powerful German warships, the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, which had been conducting a sweep between Iceland and the Faroes. Rawalpindi was able to signal the German ships' location back to base. Despite being hopelessly outgunned, 60-year old Captain Edward Coverley Kennedy RN of Rawalpindi decided to fight, rather than surrender as demanded by the Germans. He was heard to say "We’ll fight them both, they’ll sink us, and that will be that. Good-bye"." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davepb Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Capital ship - HMS WARSPITE Small ship - HMS STARLING 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davecov Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 X-Craft used in the attack on Tirpitz. Dave 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckb1 Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Up the Andrew! Another, the media darling that was HMS Kelly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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