List of battleships of World War II explained

This is a list of battleships of the Second World War. All displacements are at standard load, in metric tonnes, so as to avoid confusion over their relative displacements. [Note: Not all displacements have been adjusted to match this yet]. Ideally displacements will be as they were at either the end of the war, or when the ship was sunk.

The battleship was a capital ship built in the first half of the 20th century. At the outbreak of war, large fleets of battleships—many inherited from the dreadnought era decades before—were considered one of the decisive forces in naval warfare. There were two engagements between battleships in the Pacific theatre and three in the Atlantic theatre. Battleships were the most heavily protected ships afloat, nonetheless sixteen were sunk or crippled by bombs or torpedoes delivered by aircraft, while three more were sunk by submarine-launched torpedoes. Guided bombs developed during the war made it much easier for aircraft to sink battleships. By the end of the war, battleship construction was all but halted, and almost every existing battleship was retired or scrapped within a few years of its end. The Second World War saw the end of the battleship as the dominant force in the world's navies.[1] [2] [3] [4]

The List of ships of World War II contains major military vessels of the war, arranged alphabetically and by type. The list includes armed vessels that served during the war and in the immediate aftermath, inclusive of localized ongoing combat operations, garrison surrenders, post-surrender occupation, colony re-occupation, troop and prisoner repatriation, to the end of 1945. For smaller vessels, see also List of World War II ships of less than 1000 tons.

List of battleships of World War II
ShipOperatorClassTypeDisplacement (tons)First commissionedEnd of serviceFate
South Dakotafast battleship35,98016 August 19429 January 1947Decommissioned 9 January 1947; museum ship
Almirante Latorresuper-dreadnought28,5501 August 19201 October 1958Scrapped 1959
Andrea Doriafast battleship25,92013 March 191616 September 1956Scrapped 1956
King George Vfast battleship39,10022 June 19421 November 1951Scrapped 1957
Pennsylvaniasuper-dreadnought31,90017 October 19167 December 1941Sunk 7 December 1941; war memorial
Wyomingdreadnought26,10017 September 191225 July 1946Sunk 25 July 1946 in A-bomb test
pre-dreadnought11,62528 April 190026 May 1942Sunk 25/26 May 1942
Queen Elizabethsuper-dreadnought31,00019 August 191525 November 1941Sunk 25 November 1941
Bismarckfast battleship41,70024 August 194027 May 1941Scuttled 27 May 1941
Bretagnesuper-dreadnought22,20010 February 19163 July 1940Sunk 3 July 1940
Tennesseesuper-dreadnought32,30010 August 192114 February 1947Decommissioned 14 February 1947, scrapped 1959
King George Vsuper-dreadnought25,50022 May 19137 June 1944Scuttled as a Mulberry harbour breakwater off Normandy, 7 June 1944
Coloradosuper-dreadnought33,10030 August 192323 July 1959Sold for scrap, 23 July 1959
Dantonsemi-dreadnought18,45825 July 1911July 1941Scuttled by Germany August 1944, scrapped 1949
Conte di Cavourfast battleship26,1401 April 191511 November 1940Deliberately run aground November 1940, scrapped 1946

Courbetdreadnought23,20019 November 19131 January 1941 <--disarmed and used as a target ship then, so no longer a warship-->Scuttled as a "Gooseberry" breakwater 6 June 1944
Andrea Doriafast battleship25,92010 May 191515 September 1956Scrapped 1957
King George Vfast battleship39,10028 February 19401 November 1951Scrapped 1957
Dunkerquefast battleship26,50015 April 19371 March 1942 <--entered the drydock where she remained-->Scuttled 27 November 1942
Fusōsuper-dreadnought34,70018 November 191525 October 1944Sunk 25 October 1944
Conte di Cavourfast battleship26,14010 May 191429 October 1955Ceded to Soviet Union 1948, renamed Novorossiysk, sunk by abandoned mine
Scharnhorstfast battleship32,00021 May 19381 July 1942Sunk as block ship March 1945
Kongōfast battleship37,18719 April 191528 July 1945Sunk at her moorings on 28 July 1945, raised and scrapped in 1946
Braunschweigpre-dreadnought13,20819 September 1905Ceded to USSR as Tsel 2 January 1946, scrapped 1960
Kongōfast battleship37,18721 November 191213 November 1942Sunk following the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on 13 November 1942
King George Vfast battleship39,10028 September 19421 January 1951 <--"placed in reserve in early 1951"-->Scrapped 1958
Isesuper-dreadnought35,56030 April 191828 July 1945Sunk 28 July 1945
New Mexicosuper-dreadnought32,51424 March 19193 July 1946Broken up at Newark, 1947
Littoriofast battleship40,992Launched during war 15 November 1939, broken up at Venice, 1948 to 1950
South Dakotafast battleship35,98030 April 194215 November 1945 <--last entered drydock prior to decommissioning-->Decommissioned 11 September 1947, scrapped 1963
Iowafast battleship55,77022 February 194326 October 1990Decommissioned 1990; museum ship
Iron Dukesuper-dreadnought25,4001 March 191417 October 1939 <--beached, never refloated-->Paid off March 1946
Isesuper-dreadnought35,56015 December 19171 March 1945 <--into reserve, never moved thereafter-->Sunk 28 July 1945
Richelieufast battleship37,85016 January 19491 August 1957Launched during war 6 March 1940, Scrapped 24 June 1970
Mississippipre-dreadnought13,2091 February 190823 April 1941Sunk 23 April 1941, wreck was refloated and scrapped 1950s
King George Vfast battleship39,10011 December 19401 June 1950Scrapped 1957
Kongōfast battleship37,18719 April 191515 November 1942Sunk 15 November 1942
fast battleship37,18718 May 191221 November 1944Sunk by USS Sealion in the Formosa Strait, 21 November 1944
Mississippipre-dreadnought13,2091 April 190823 April 1941Sunk 23 April 1941, wreck was refloated and scrapped 1950s
Littoriofast battleship40,7246 May 19401 June 1948Renamed Italia 30 July 1943, scrapped 1948

Bretagnesuper-dreadnought22,20027 July 191617 February 1953 <-- stricken --->Scrapped January 1954
Queen Elizabethsuper-dreadnought31,0001 February 19161 December 1944Scrapped 1948
Gangutdreadnought23,0005 January 19154 September 1953Sunk 23 September 1941, later rear part refloated, renamed Petropavlovsk 31 May 1943, scrapped September 1953
Coloradosuper-dreadnought33,10021 July 19213 April 1947Sold for scrap 8 July 1959
South Dakotafast battleship35,98012 May 194227 March 1947Museum ship 14 August 1965
Minas Geraesdreadnought19,20018 April 191016 May 1952Scrapped 1954
New Mexicosuper-dreadnought32,51425 January 191717 September 1956Scrapped 1957
Iowafast battleship55,77011 June 194431 March 1992Museum ship 29 January 1999
Rivadaviadreadnought27,72026 February 19151 October 1956 <-- stricken --->Sold for scrap 11 January 1957
Yamatofast battleship65,0005 August 194225 October 1944Sunk 25 October 1944
Nagatosuper-dreadnought32,72024 October 19218 June 1943Sunk in harbor by internal explosion 8 June 1943
super-dreadnought32,72025 November 192015 September 1945Sunk as target 29 July 1946
Nelsontreaty battleship34,00010 September 192720 October 1947Decommissioned February 1948, scrapped March 1949
Nevadasuper-dreadnought29,00011 March 191629 August 1946Sunk as a target 31 July 1948
Iowafast battleship55,77023 May 19438 February 1991Museum ship 15 October 2001
New Mexicosuper-dreadnought32,51420 May 191819 July 1946Scrapped November 1947
New Yorksuper-dreadnought27,00015 May 191429 August 1946Sunk as target 6 July 1948
North Carolinafast battleship37,2009 April 194127 June 1947Museum ship 29 April 1962
OcéanCourbetdreadnought23,4755 June 1913Captured by Germany 27 November 1942, sunk 1944, scrapped 14 December 1945
Nevadasuper-dreadnought29,0002 May 19161 September 1944Sunk 7 December 1941, raised and sunk under tow 1947
Gangutdreadnought23,0003 June 190917 February 1956Scrapped 1959

Courbetdreadnought23,4755 June 191321 December 1955Captured by Britain 3 July 1940 used as depot ship, scrapped 1956
Gangutdreadnought23,00030 November 191417 February 1956Renamed Sevastopol 31 May 1943, scrapped 1956–1957
Pennsylvaniasuper-dreadnought31,90012 June 191629 August 1946Decommissioned 29 August 1946, sunk as target 10 February 1948
King George Vfast battleship37,30031 March 194110 December 1941Sunk 10 December 1941
Bretagnesuper-dreadnought22,2001 March 191627 November 1942Scuttled 27 November 1942
Queen Elizabethsuper-dreadnought31,00022 December 191415 May 1948Decommissioned and scrapped 1948
Revengesuper-dreadnought29,1501 September 191731 August 1945Decommissioned 31 August 1945, scrapped 1949
super-dreadnought29,1507 December 1916February 1948Scrapped 1949
super-dreadnought29,1501 February 1916March 1948Scrapped 1948

Richelieufast battleship37,85015 July 194030 September 1967 <-- stricken --->Scrapped 1968
Rivadaviadreadnought27,72027 August 19141 February 1957 <-- stricken --->Sold for scrap 30 May 1957
Nelsontreaty battleship34,00010 November 1927Scrapped 1948
Littoriofast battleship40,99214 June 19429 September 1943Sunk 9 September 1943
Revengesuper-dreadnought29,1501 May 191614 October 1939Sunk 14 October 1939

super-dreadnought29,1501 February 191618 May 1949Transferred to USSR as Arkhangelsk 30 May 1944, returned to UK 4 February 1949, scrapped 18 May 1949
Minas Geraesdreadnought19,20012 July 19102 August 1947 <-- stricken --->Sunk while under tow 4 November 1951
Scharnhorstfast battleship32,0007 January 193926 December 1943Sunk 26 December 1943
Deutschlandpre-dreadnought14,2185 May 19084 May 1945Blown up 4 May 1945
pre-dreadnought14,2186 July 190825 January 1945According to Polish sources expended as target in 1948 by Soviets; according to other sources: scrapped after 1946
Kawachidreadnought16,3901 July 191229 July 1945Scrapped 1946–1947
South Dakotafast battleship35,98020 March 194231 January 1947Decommissioned 31 January 1947, scrapped 1962
Sovetsky Soyuzfast battleship65,150Laid down 22 July 1940, 0.97% complete by the end of the war, scrapped 27 March 1947
fast battleship65,150Laid down 31 October 1938, 17.98% complete by the start of the war, scrapped 27 March 1947
fast battleship65,150Laid down 15 July 1938, 21.19% complete by the start of the war, scrapped 29 May 1948
Dunkerquefast battleship26,50015 March 193827 November 1942Scuttled 27 November 1942
Tennesseesuper-dreadnought32,3003 June 192014 February 1947Decommissioned 14 February 1947, scrapped 1959
New Yorksuper-dreadnought27,00012 March 191421 April 1948Decommissioned 21 April 1948; museum ship
Bismarckfast battleship42,90025 February 194112 November 1944Sunk 12 November 1944
Brandenburgpre-dreadnought10,01314 October 1894Scrapped 1950–1957
Floridadreadnought22,17531 August 19115 September 1944Sunk 7 December 1941; war memorial
Queen Elizabethsuper-dreadnought31,00013 January 19161 July 1946Scrapped 1950
fast battleship45,20015 October 19469 October 1959launch during war 30 November 1944, paid off 7 June 1960
Littoriofast battleship40,51728 April 194010 September 1943Scrapped 1948
Queen Elizabethsuper-dreadnought31,0008 March 19151 February 1945Scrapped 1950
North Carolinafast battleship37,20015 May 194127 June 1947Decommissioned 27 June 1947, scrapped 1960
Coloradosuper-dreadnought33,1001 December 19239 January 1947Decommissioned 9 January 1947, scrapped 1959
Iowafast battleship55,77016 April 194430 September 1991Decommissioned 30 September 1991; museum ship
Wyomingdreadnought26,00025 September 19121 August 1947Sold for scrap 30 October 1947
Fusōsuper-dreadnought34,70031 March 191725 October 1944Sunk 25 October 1944
Yamatofast battleship65,00016 December 19417 April 1945Sunk 7 April 1945
Wittelsbachpre-dreadnought11,80025 October 190218 December 1944Scuttled 26 March 1945, scrapped 1949–1950

See also

Bibliography

. Samuel Eliot Morison . Victory in the Pacific . 1960 . University of Illinois Press . 0-252-07065-8 . Champaign, Illinois . History of United States Naval Operations in World War II. Volume Fourteen.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hulls Listed by Name . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20070630220303/http://www.nvr.navy.mil/quick/INDEX.HTM . 2007-06-30.
  2. Web site: Royal Navy operations in the Second World War . . 2016-03-29.
  3. Web site: US Navy Inactive Classification Symbols . Naval Vessel Register . NAVSEA Shipbuilding Support Office . 21 April 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120118095120/http://www.nvr.navy.mil/oldclass.htm . 18 January 2012.
  4. Web site: Index . Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of battleships of World War II".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.