List of battleships of World War II

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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][5][6][7][8]

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
Ship Operator Class Type Displacement (tons) First commissioned End of service Fate
Alabama  United States Navy South Dakota fast battleship 35,980 16 August 1942 9 January 1947 Decommissioned 9 January 1947; museum ship
Almirante Latorre  Chilean Navy Almirante Latorre super-dreadnought 28,550 1 August 1920 1 October 1958 Scrapped 1959
Andrea Doria  Regia Marina Andrea Doria fast battleship 25,920 13 March 1916 16 September 1956 Scrapped 1956
Anson  Royal Navy King George V fast battleship 39,100 22 June 1942 1 November 1951 Scrapped 1957
Arizona  United States Navy Pennsylvania super-dreadnought 31,900 17 October 1916 7 December 1941 Sunk 7 December 1941; war memorial
Arkansas Wyoming dreadnought 26,100 17 September 1912 25 July 1946 Sunk 25 July 1946 in A-bomb test
Asahi  Imperial Japanese Navy pre-dreadnought 11,625 28 April 1900 26 May 1942 Sunk 25/26 May 1942
Barham  Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth super-dreadnought 31,000 19 August 1915 25 November 1941 Sunk 25 November 1941
Bismarck  Kriegsmarine Bismarck fast battleship 41,700 24 August 1940 27 May 1941 Scuttled 27 May 1941
Bretagne  French Navy Bretagne super-dreadnought 22,200 10 February 1916 3 July 1940 Sunk 3 July 1940
California  United States Navy Tennessee super-dreadnought 32,300 10 August 1921 14 February 1947 Decommissioned 14 February 1947, scrapped 1959
Centurion  Royal Navy King George V super-dreadnought 25,500 22 May 1913 7 June 1944 Scuttled as a Mulberry harbour breakwater off Normandy, 7 June 1944
Colorado  United States Navy Colorado super-dreadnought 33,100 30 August 1923 23 July 1959 Sold for scrap, 23 July 1959
Condorcet  French Navy Danton semi-dreadnought 18,458 25 July 1911 July 1941 Scuttled by Germany August 1944, scrapped 1949
Conte di Cavour  Regia Marina Conte di Cavour fast battleship 26,140 1 April 1915 11 November 1940 Deliberately run aground November 1940, scrapped 1946
Courbet  French Navy
 Free French Naval Forces
Courbet dreadnought 23,200 19 November 1913 1 January 1941 Scuttled as a "Gooseberry" breakwater 6 June 1944
Duilio  Regia Marina Andrea Doria fast battleship 25,920 10 May 1915 15 September 1956 Scrapped 1957
Duke of York  Royal Navy King George V fast battleship 39,100 28 February 1940 1 November 1951 Scrapped 1957
Dunkerque  French Navy Dunkerque fast battleship 26,500 15 April 1937 1 March 1942 Scuttled 27 November 1942
Fusō  Imperial Japanese Navy Fusō super-dreadnought 34,700 18 November 1915 25 October 1944 Sunk 25 October 1944
Giulio Cesare  Regia Marina Conte di Cavour fast battleship 26,140 10 May 1914 29 October 1955 Ceded to Soviet Union 1948, renamed Novorossiysk, sunk by abandoned mine
Gneisenau  Kriegsmarine Scharnhorst fast battleship 32,000 21 May 1938 1 July 1942 Sunk as block ship March 1945
Haruna  Imperial Japanese Navy Kongō fast battleship 37,187 19 April 1915 28 July 1945 Sunk at her moorings on 28 July 1945, raised and scrapped in 1946
Hessen  Kriegsmarine Braunschweig pre-dreadnought 13,208 19 September 1905 Ceded to USSR as Tsel 2 January 1946, scrapped 1960
Hiei  Imperial Japanese Navy Kongō fast battleship 37,187 21 November 1912 13 November 1942 Sunk following the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on 13 November 1942
Howe  Royal Navy King George V fast battleship 39,100 28 September 1942 1 January 1951 Scrapped 1958
Hyūga  Imperial Japanese Navy Ise super-dreadnought 35,560 30 April 1918 28 July 1945 Sunk 28 July 1945
Idaho  United States Navy New Mexico super-dreadnought 32,514 24 March 1919 3 July 1946 Broken up at Newark, 1947
Impero  Regia Marina Littorio fast battleship 40,992 Launched during war 15 November 1939, broken up at Venice, 1948 to 1950
Indiana  United States Navy South Dakota fast battleship 35,980 30 April 1942 15 November 1945 Decommissioned 11 September 1947, scrapped 1963
Iowa Iowa fast battleship 55,770 22 February 1943 26 October 1990 Decommissioned 1990; museum ship
Iron Duke  Royal Navy Iron Duke super-dreadnought 25,400 1 March 1914 17 October 1939 Paid off March 1946
Ise  Imperial Japanese Navy Ise super-dreadnought 35,560 15 December 1917 1 March 1945 Sunk 28 July 1945
Jean Bart  French Navy Richelieu fast battleship 37,850 16 January 1949 1 August 1957 Launched during war 6 March 1940, Scrapped 24 June 1970
Kilkis  Hellenic Navy Mississippi pre-dreadnought 13,209 1 February 1908 23 April 1941 Sunk 23 April 1941, wreck was refloated and scrapped 1950s
King George V  Royal Navy King George V fast battleship 39,100 11 December 1940 1 June 1950 Scrapped 1957
Kirishima  Imperial Japanese Navy Kongō fast battleship 37,187 19 April 1915 15 November 1942 Sunk 15 November 1942
Kongō fast battleship 37,187 18 May 1912 21 November 1944 Sunk by USS Sealion in the Formosa Strait, 21 November 1944
Lemnos  Hellenic Navy Mississippi pre-dreadnought 13,209 1 April 1908 23 April 1941 Sunk 23 April 1941, wreck was refloated and scrapped 1950s
Littorio  Regia Marina Littorio fast battleship 40,724 6 May 1940 1 June 1948 Renamed Italia 30 July 1943, scrapped 1948
Lorraine  French Navy
 Free French Naval Forces
Bretagne super-dreadnought 22,200 27 July 1916 17 February 1953 Scrapped January 1954
Malaya  Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth super-dreadnought 31,000 1 February 1916 1 December 1944 Scrapped 1948
Marat  Soviet Navy Gangut dreadnought 23,000 5 January 1915 4 September 1953 Sunk 23 September 1941, later rear part refloated, renamed Petropavlovsk 31 May 1943, scrapped September 1953
Maryland  United States Navy Colorado super-dreadnought 33,100 21 July 1921 3 April 1947 Sold for scrap 8 July 1959
Massachusetts South Dakota fast battleship 35,980 12 May 1942 27 March 1947 Museum ship 14 August 1965
Minas Geraes  Brazilian Navy Minas Geraes dreadnought 19,200 18 April 1910 16 May 1952 Scrapped 1954
Mississippi  United States Navy New Mexico super-dreadnought 32,514 25 January 1917 17 September 1956 Scrapped 1957
Missouri Iowa fast battleship 55,770 11 June 1944 31 March 1992 Museum ship 29 January 1999
Moreno  Argentine Navy Rivadavia dreadnought 27,720 26 February 1915 1 October 1956 Sold for scrap 11 January 1957
Musashi  Imperial Japanese Navy Yamato fast battleship 65,000 5 August 1942 25 October 1944 Sunk 25 October 1944
Mutsu Nagato super-dreadnought 32,720 24 October 1921 8 June 1943 Sunk in harbor by internal explosion 8 June 1943
Nagato super-dreadnought 32,720 25 November 1920 15 September 1945 Sunk as target 29 July 1946
Nelson  Royal Navy Nelson treaty battleship 34,000 10 September 1927 20 October 1947 Decommissioned February 1948, scrapped March 1949
Nevada  United States Navy Nevada super-dreadnought 29,000 11 March 1916 29 August 1946 Sunk as a target 31 July 1948
New Jersey Iowa fast battleship 55,770 23 May 1943 8 February 1991 Museum ship 15 October 2001
New Mexico New Mexico super-dreadnought 32,514 20 May 1918 19 July 1946 Scrapped November 1947
New York New York super-dreadnought 27,000 15 May 1914 29 August 1946 Sunk as target 6 July 1948
North Carolina North Carolina fast battleship 37,200 9 April 1941 27 June 1947 Museum ship 29 April 1962
Océan  French Navy Courbet dreadnought 23,475 5 June 1913 Captured by Germany 27 November 1942, sunk 1944, scrapped 14 December 1945
Oklahoma  United States Navy Nevada super-dreadnought 29,000 2 May 1916 1 September 1944 Sunk 7 December 1941, raised and sunk under tow 1947
Oktyabrskaya Revolutsiya  Soviet Navy Gangut dreadnought 23,000 3 June 1909 17 February 1956 Scrapped 1959
Paris  French Navy
 Royal Navy
Courbet dreadnought 23,475 5 June 1913 21 December 1955 Captured by Britain 3 July 1940 used as depot ship, scrapped 1956
Parizhskaya Kommuna  Soviet Navy Gangut dreadnought 23,000 30 November 1914 17 February 1956 Renamed Sevastopol 31 May 1943, scrapped 1956–1957
Pennsylvania  United States Navy Pennsylvania super-dreadnought 31,900 12 June 1916 29 August 1946 Decommissioned 29 August 1946, sunk as target 10 February 1948
Prince of Wales  Royal Navy King George V fast battleship 37,300 31 March 1941 10 December 1941 Sunk 10 December 1941
Provence  French Navy Bretagne super-dreadnought 22,200 1 March 1916 27 November 1942 Scuttled 27 November 1942
Queen Elizabeth  Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth super-dreadnought 31,000 22 December 1914 15 May 1948 Decommissioned and scrapped 1948
Ramillies Revenge super-dreadnought 29,150 1 September 1917 31 August 1945 Decommissioned 31 August 1945, scrapped 1949
Resolution super-dreadnought 29,150 7 December 1916 February 1948 Scrapped 1949
Revenge super-dreadnought 29,150 1 February 1916 March 1948 Scrapped 1948
Richelieu  French Navy
 Free French Naval Forces
Richelieu fast battleship 37,850 15 July 1940 30 September 1967 Scrapped 1968
Rivadavia  Argentine Navy Rivadavia dreadnought 27,720 27 August 1914 1 February 1957 Sold for scrap 30 May 1957
Rodney  Royal Navy Nelson treaty battleship 34,000 10 November 1927 Scrapped 1948
Roma  Regia Marina Littorio fast battleship 40,992 14 June 1942 9 September 1943 Sunk 9 September 1943
Royal Oak  Royal Navy Revenge super-dreadnought 29,150 1 May 1916 14 October 1939 Sunk 14 October 1939
Royal Sovereign  Royal Navy
 Soviet Navy
super-dreadnought 29,150 1 February 1916 18 May 1949 Transferred to USSR as Arkhangelsk 30 May 1944, returned to UK 4 February 1949, scrapped 18 May 1949
São Paulo  Brazilian Navy Minas Geraes dreadnought 19,200 12 July 1910 2 August 1947 Sunk while under tow 4 November 1951
Scharnhorst  Kriegsmarine Scharnhorst fast battleship 32,000 7 January 1939 26 December 1943 Sunk 26 December 1943
Schlesien Deutschland pre-dreadnought 14,218 5 May 1908 4 May 1945 Blown up 4 May 1945
Schleswig-Holstein pre-dreadnought 14,218 6 July 1908 25 January 1945 According to Polish sources expended as target in 1948 by Soviets; according to other sources: scrapped after 1946
Settsu  Imperial Japanese Navy Kawachi dreadnought 16,390 1 July 1912 29 July 1945 Scrapped 1946–1947
South Dakota  United States Navy South Dakota fast battleship 35,980 20 March 1942 31 January 1947 Decommissioned 31 January 1947, scrapped 1962
Sovetskaya Rossiya  Soviet Navy Sovetsky Soyuz fast battleship 65,150 Laid down 22 July 1940, 0.97% complete by the end of the war, scrapped 27 March 1947
Sovetskaya Ukraina fast battleship 65,150 Laid down 31 October 1938, 17.98% complete by the start of the war, scrapped 27 March 1947
Sovetsky Soyuz fast battleship 65,150 Laid down 15 July 1938, 21.19% complete by the start of the war, scrapped 29 May 1948
Strasbourg  French Navy Dunkerque fast battleship 26,500 15 March 1938 27 November 1942 Scuttled 27 November 1942
Tennessee  United States Navy Tennessee super-dreadnought 32,300 3 June 1920 14 February 1947 Decommissioned 14 February 1947, scrapped 1959
Texas New York super-dreadnought 27,000 12 March 1914 21 April 1948 Decommissioned 21 April 1948; museum ship
Tirpitz  Kriegsmarine Bismarck fast battleship 42,900 25 February 1941 12 November 1944 Sunk 12 November 1944
Turgut Reis  Turkish Navy Brandenburg pre-dreadnought 10,013 14 October 1894 Scrapped 1950–1957
Utah  United States Navy Florida dreadnought 22,175 31 August 1911 5 September 1944 Sunk 7 December 1941; war memorial
Valiant  Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth super-dreadnought 31,000 13 January 1916 1 July 1946 Scrapped 1950
Vanguard fast battleship 45,200 15 October 1946 9 October 1959 launch during war 30 November 1944, paid off 7 June 1960
Vittorio Veneto  Regia Marina Littorio fast battleship 40,517 28 April 1940 10 September 1943 Scrapped 1948
Warspite  Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth super-dreadnought 31,000 8 March 1915 1 February 1945 Scrapped 1950
Washington  United States Navy North Carolina fast battleship 37,200 15 May 1941 27 June 1947 Decommissioned 27 June 1947, scrapped 1960
West Virginia Colorado super-dreadnought 33,100 1 December 1923 9 January 1947 Decommissioned 9 January 1947, scrapped 1959
Wisconsin Iowa fast battleship 55,770 16 April 1944 30 September 1991 Decommissioned 30 September 1991; museum ship
Wyoming Wyoming dreadnought 26,000 25 September 1912 1 August 1947 Sold for scrap 30 October 1947
Yamashiro  Imperial Japanese Navy Fusō super-dreadnought 34,700 31 March 1917 25 October 1944 Sunk 25 October 1944
Yamato Yamato fast battleship 65,000 16 December 1941 7 April 1945 Sunk 7 April 1945
Zähringen  Kriegsmarine Wittelsbach pre-dreadnought 11,800 25 October 1902 18 December 1944 Scuttled 26 March 1945, scrapped 1949–1950

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Sondhaus (2001).
  2. ^ Gardiner (1980).
  3. ^ Parkes (1990).
  4. ^ Stilwell (2001).
  5. ^ "Hulls Listed by Name". Naval Vessel Register. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007.
  6. ^ "Royal Navy operations in the Second World War". The National Archives. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  7. ^ "US Navy Inactive Classification Symbols". Naval Vessel Register. NAVSEA Shipbuilding Support Office. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Index". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

Bibliography[edit]