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I'd like to know what you people think is the most distinguished battleship in modern history? Not the heaviest, prettiest, most durable or strongest armed, but the one with the most distinguished service record.
My nomination goes to the HMS Warspite, arguably the finest battleship the Royal Navy ever had. She served in both world wars and earned a reputation as a ship that simply refused to die. Her first engagement was the famous Battle of Jutland, in which she suffered heavy damage and dealt out the same. During the Norwegian campaign of WWII, Warspite provided essential battleship support during the Second Battle of Narvik, and one of the Warspite's seaplanes, a Fairey Swordfish, attacked and sunk a German U-boat, becoming the first airplane to sink a submarine. In the summer of 1940, Warspite was transferred to the Mediterrean, where she took part in several strategically important operations, the most notable of which was the Battle of Cape Matapan and the Battle of Calabria. During the Battle of Calabria, Warspite was credited with achieving the longest ranged naval gunnery hit on a moving target in history, hitting the Italian battleship Giulio Cesare from 23 kilometres (14.7 miles) away. She also took part in the Battle of Crete, and was heavily damaged by German bombers. After a short tour in the Indian theatre, Warspite returned to the Mediterranean, taking part in Operation Husky and, after Italian surrender, led the Italian fleet into internment at Malta. After severe damage by a German Fritz X (early type of anti-ship missile), Warspite was towed Gibraltar for repairs. She then was moved north and undertook her last duties bombarding the Normandy Beaches, Brest, La Havre and Walcheren. Warspite fired her formidable Mk. I 15 inch naval guns for the last time on November 1st, 1944. After the war, despite pleas to retain Warspite as a museum ship like the Nelson's Victory, the ship was sent to the broken up in 1947. She survived Jutland, the ferocity of the Second World War and the multiple RN cuts over the years, and even achieved one more small victory when she ran aground in Prussia Cove, avoiding the indignity of the breakers yards and making a defiant end to her career.
That is what I think is the greatest battleship in history, one of those ships whose name is synonymous with majesty and courage. We'll miss you Warspite.
My nomination goes to the HMS Warspite, arguably the finest battleship the Royal Navy ever had. She served in both world wars and earned a reputation as a ship that simply refused to die. Her first engagement was the famous Battle of Jutland, in which she suffered heavy damage and dealt out the same. During the Norwegian campaign of WWII, Warspite provided essential battleship support during the Second Battle of Narvik, and one of the Warspite's seaplanes, a Fairey Swordfish, attacked and sunk a German U-boat, becoming the first airplane to sink a submarine. In the summer of 1940, Warspite was transferred to the Mediterrean, where she took part in several strategically important operations, the most notable of which was the Battle of Cape Matapan and the Battle of Calabria. During the Battle of Calabria, Warspite was credited with achieving the longest ranged naval gunnery hit on a moving target in history, hitting the Italian battleship Giulio Cesare from 23 kilometres (14.7 miles) away. She also took part in the Battle of Crete, and was heavily damaged by German bombers. After a short tour in the Indian theatre, Warspite returned to the Mediterranean, taking part in Operation Husky and, after Italian surrender, led the Italian fleet into internment at Malta. After severe damage by a German Fritz X (early type of anti-ship missile), Warspite was towed Gibraltar for repairs. She then was moved north and undertook her last duties bombarding the Normandy Beaches, Brest, La Havre and Walcheren. Warspite fired her formidable Mk. I 15 inch naval guns for the last time on November 1st, 1944. After the war, despite pleas to retain Warspite as a museum ship like the Nelson's Victory, the ship was sent to the broken up in 1947. She survived Jutland, the ferocity of the Second World War and the multiple RN cuts over the years, and even achieved one more small victory when she ran aground in Prussia Cove, avoiding the indignity of the breakers yards and making a defiant end to her career.
That is what I think is the greatest battleship in history, one of those ships whose name is synonymous with majesty and courage. We'll miss you Warspite.
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