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Every WW2 Battleship Ranked — Weakest to Most Powerful.

Explain History

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lBattleships were the ultimate symbols of naval power during World War II...

Massive guns, thick armor, enormous engines, and thousands of sailors turned these floating fortresses into some of the most powerful warships ever constructed. But not every battleship was equally effective — some were outdated, while others represented the absolute peak of battleship design.

🔥 In this video, we rank the major World War II battleships from WEAKEST to MOST POWERFUL — comparing firepower, armor, speed, survivability, technology, and combat performance.

🔥 What You'll Discover

• The weakest battleships of WWII
• Legendary ships that dominated the seas
• Battleships with enormous main guns
• Fast and heavily armored warships
• The most advanced battleship designs
• Which battleship was the most powerful of them all?

#WW2 #WorldWar2 #Battleships #WW2Battleships
#NavalHistory #Warships #BattleshipHistory
#Yamato #Bismarck #IowaClass #KingGeorgeV
#SouthDakota #NorthCarolina #Richelieu
#Littorio #Nagato #Fuso #Kongo
#MilitaryHistory #NavalWarfare #Warships
#Engineering #MilitaryTechnology #WorldWarII
#History #WarHistory #MilitaryPower #Navy

⚠️ Disclaimer:
This video is created only for educational and informational purposes. The goal is to analyze naval history, battleship design, engineering, and wartime technological development.
This content is not meant to glorify war or disrespect any nation, sailors, veterans, or engineering efforts. Please keep discussions respectful.

20 Comments

@silverwolf3745 3 weeks ago

HMS Barham was the same class as HMS Warspite one of the most effective Battleships in the Royal Navy in WW2.

@HarryJohnson-z1y 3 weeks ago

Yamato, Musashi, and Shinano. Accomplished ziltch.

@sprague49 9 days ago

The Royal Navy's successful raid on the Italian Navy at Taranto, using carrier based aircraft inspired the Japanese admiralty to plan a similar attack on Pearl Harbor.

@gazoo99 2 weeks ago

Both Yamato and Musashi were obsolete when the new US battleships were built with radar targeting.

@gnosticbrian3980 13 days ago (edited)

If British and Italian battleships, that were sunk by torpedoes, are considered to be weak why are the American battleships that were sunk by torpedoes at Pearl Harbour not similarly classified?

Since when did KG V have triple mounts?

During joint postwar operations, like NATO’s 1953 Exercise Mariner, HMS Vanguard comfortably maintained higher operational speeds and stable gun platforms in North Atlantic weather that severely hampered the handling and forward turret utility of the American Iowa-class hulls. The Iowas were designed for more tranquil waters and this limited their utility.

@christopherjenkins2373 3 weeks ago

This video has so much wrong in it I don’t know where to start.

@mikemason9727 13 days ago

Ise and Hyuga were not the worst battleships on this list. Unlike many other battleships they survived attack by carrier aircraft at the Battle of Cape Engano. They should rank higher than Fuso and Yamashiro, which until Leyte Gulf had effectively been relegated to training ships.
Also it's incorrect to say Fuso's 14 inch guns were obsolete because of the 16 and 18 inch guns of newer battleships. The King George V class only had 14 inch, as did other classes of Japanese and American. And since only Yamato and Musashi had 18 inch, they were never going to be a threat.

@JohnnyAcero-i8l 3 weeks ago

1:59
If helicopters had been around, they've might've been made into decent helicopter decks. Too bad that there were no radars smaller and powerful powerful enough to use on them also.

@robertjmoniz9 2 weeks ago

USS Massachusetts (BB-59). South Dakota class battleship, Served as flagship of Operation Torch (invasion of North Africa), Silenced Vichy French battleship Jean Bart at Casablanca. After transfer to the Pacific, she earned 11 battle stars, Fired last 16-inch gun salvoes of WWII during bombardment of Japanese home islands. NOT A SINGLE CREW KIA DURING HER COMMISSION!!!

@ShaneDoen 11 days ago

Gawd a'mighty, Barham's magazine didn't explode from the torpedo hit. The shells exploded when she rolled on her side.
This AI-generated garbage is infuriating.

@AndrewBray-zw8ps 3 weeks ago

The USS Washington also had probably the best Gunnery crews in the Whole Pacific. In part due to Admirial Lee and his impressive training and tactics.

@HarryJohnson-z1y 3 weeks ago

Your talking about Yamato, then show a picture of her sister ship Shinano, which was converted into an aircraft carrier and sunk on her maiden voyage without ever firing a shot or launching an aircraft at the enemy. You had me till then...😢

@paulspeedy4704 9 days ago

States that KG5 class was not the largest battleship in the Royal Navy, but it was significantly heavier and longer than the Nelson Class.
Only Hood was larger in WW2.

@bobharrison7693 3 weeks ago

The Kongos deserve an honorable mention as the most useful and effective IJN BBs. They were fast enough to escort fleet carriers and get in and out of Guadalcanal waters at night.

@jaymaloney8321 7 days ago

The analogue computerized radar/weapons system in the Iowa class was beyond anything that the Japanese monster battle ships had available. The Iowa class ships could and did place their heavy shells on over-the-horizon moving targets. First rounds landed on target.

@Farmer-bh3cg 7 days ago

The real reason the japanese had so few survivors when they were sunk in the Surigao straights was this: when the survivors reached shore, they were greeted by the Filipinos who expressed their gratitude for the treatment they had receives at the hands of the japanese army from 1941 onward...

@lucacasolino1682 10 days ago (edited)

Lol the Conte di Cavour image is wrong (just one of the many of this video). This class was revamped before the war (1933-1937) and while it had inferior armament respect to some English battleships, on other aspects it was quite modern, faster than most of contemporary English battleships 828knots, not 22 as you say) and 10 320mm guns.