![]() The Jean Bart, 77% complete at the fall of France, however, was hit quite hard when attacked by the USS Massachusettes, and did not land any hits on the enemy vessel. In the case of the Richelieu, 95% complete, she saw combat at Dakar and fended off the Hood and other Force H ships and shot down something between 9 to 16 (depending on the source) aircraft used against her in strikes. Both of the Richelieus did see combat versus other battleships or battlecruisers. They were never engaged on the high-seas versus other capital ships. And yet their combat record is very weak for the most part. Having said that, the Richelieu seems to have been a good design, as did the preceeding Dunkerques. Bismarck would have killed the Richelieu in a suprise engagement (a la Prince of Wales and Hood) because of the superior training of the German naval crews. Bismarck, consider that the Richelieu beats the Bismarck on firing range, turret armor, deck armor, and to the best of my memory, comes close or matches on AA, speed and armor belt. But I don't think that she would have managed against the Iowa.īefore you all lambast me for my Richelieu vs. ![]() 8 x 15, better armor, modern design (Bismarck was based on WWI battleship design), better speed and better sensors.įor that matter, Richelieu might have had aquited herself well too, at least against the Bismarck. Some of the facts which make me feel that way include: 9 x 16 vs. I think that the battleship Bismarck (or Tirpitz) would have gotten trounced by the Iowa. I think the Iowa class battleships were the all-around best battleships and the ones that I would put my life in the most. So I vote for the Iowas: fast, reliable, good sensors, good range, good armor, good firing range, 9 x 16" and probably the best AA of any battleship (not counting the Alaska battlecruisers or the Vanguard battleship). On the other hand, the French fleet did have an indirect impact on the war leading to a lot of politicking and maneouvering (sp?) and the German invasion of southern France. The battleship Richelieu would have been my second choice though it and its sister (or brother?) Jean Bart were used in just about the most negligable fashion possible. I took the easy way out and voted for the Iowas. Scharnhorst Class (Scharnhorst, Gneisenau).South Dakota Class (South Dakota, Alabama, Indiana, Massachusetts).King George V Class (King George V, Prince of Wales, Howe, Anson).Littorio Class (Littorio, Impero, Vittorio Veneto, Roma).Iowa Class (Iowa, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Missouri).Think about it this way, which one would you entrust your life to and/or which battleship would you want to be on board in a one-on-one battle against any other enemy battleship? What was the best battleship of WWII (actually built) and why? Vote for best all-around battleship. If the writing seems a bit scattered or choppy here and there, it is because I have cribbed these notes from some of my own posts in one of my favorite debate forums. For now, I have started with some thoughts on the Best Battleship. The following is a small collection of thoughts on the best equipment, etc.
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