"10 Largest Battleships Ever Built in the World

Naval warfare is perhaps one of mankind’s oldest forms of international warfare, and for many decades battleships were the greatest naval weapons.

It traces the history of the modern armored ship back to the 19th century ironclad ships.

Battleships reached their peak during World War II and eventually gave way to modern aircraft carriers and amphibious warships.

This list includes the largest battleships of World War II, which were the largest battleships ever built in history, as well as the largest modern amphibious warships today.

Richelieu class

Operator: French Navy

Current status: Both ships were scrapped in 1961 and 1967

FS Richelieu and FS Jean Bart were the last two French battleships.

Both battleships were the largest ships ever built by the French.

Two other ships were planned for the Richelieu class, Clemenceau, which was never completed, and Gascogne, which was never designed.

The Richelieu-class battleships were 813 ft 2 in (247.85 m) long and had a displacement of 48,180 tons (48,950 t).

The French built the Richelieu-class battleships against the Italian navy under dictator Benito Mussolini.

Both FMS Richelieu and FMS Jean Bart survived World War II and were decommissioned in the 1960s.

FMS Richelieu was under Allied and Axis control during World War II, but surprisingly never managed to sink an enemy ship.

HMS Vanguard

Current status: Scrapped in 1960

Source: Wikimedia Commons via UK Government

HMS Vanguard was the last battleship built by the British Royal Navy.

Although HMS Vanguard was built for World War II, construction began too late in the war.

After the war ended in 1945, the British Royal Navy decided to finish the battleship in case the war against the Japanese Empire dragged on.

Although HMS Vanguard was not used during the Second World War, the battleship was equipped with the most anti-aircraft guns of any ship in the Royal Navy.

Despite such a heavy armament, HMS Vanguard never fired any of her guns.

HMS Vanguard was used for some NATO missions during the Cold War before being decommissioned.

Since HMS Vanguard was never used for war, it became a royal yacht in 1947 and was commissioned in VI. King George transported his royal family to South Africa.

Bismarck class

Operator: Kriegsmarine (Navy of Nazi Germany)

Current Status: Both ships sunk during World War II

Source: Wikimedia Commons via German Federal Archives

KMS Bismarck and KMS Tripitz, the only two ships in the Bismarck class, were the two largest battleships of Nazi Germany during World War II.

Both ships were approximately 251 meters long and displaced more than 49,500 long tons (50,300 t).

KMS Bismarck is the most famous of the two Bismarck class ships and was known for her strength.

KMS Bismarck is said to have single-handedly deterred most of the British Royal Navy, which devoted many ships and resources to hunting down Hitler’s flagship.

KMS Bismarck was finally destroyed in 1941.

The key to KMS Bismarck’s survival was her armor.

Range: Essentially unlimited with nuclear energy

Operator: Russian Navy

Current status: Decommissioning

Admiral Ushakov, formerly known as Kirov, was the flagship of the Kirov Division of the Russian Navy.

The Kirov class was the largest warship in the Russian Navy.

The Admiral Ushakov was a nuclear-powered battlecruiser that stood 827 feet (252 meters) tall and could travel essentially indefinitely with its nuclear power.

Admiral Ushakov is currently decommissioned after plans to modernize the battlecruiser were scrapped.

The Kirov-class battlecruisers operated during the Cold War, forcing the United States to reinstate World War II. Iowa-class battleships from World War II.

Despite Admiral Ushakov’s 2018 story, the ship has been decommissioned and is scheduled to be scrapped.

Range: 8,690 nautical miles (16,093 km; 10,000 mi)

Current status: active since 2014

Source: Wikimedia Commons via US Navy

The USS America is not a battleship in the strictest sense, but it is the US’s largest modern amphibious assault ship/helicopter carrier.

USS America is the first of a total of four ships planned for the America class.

This modern warship was launched on June 4, 2012 and officially commissioned in 2014.

USS America is 844 feet (257 meters) long and has a displacement of approximately 44,971 short tons (45,693 t).

The USS America is currently based in San Diego, California.

The USS America is armed with two rolling airframe missile systems; two Evolved Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missile systems; and seven .50 caliber heavy machine guns.

HMS Hood

Operated by the British Royal Navy

Current status: sunk in 1941, during the battle at the Danish Strait

HMS Hood was the largest battleship ever built by the British Royal Navy.

Construction of HMS Hood began in 1916, in the middle of the First World War.

HMS Hood was launched two years later and was officially commissioned by the Royal Navy in 1920.

In the years leading up to World War II, HMS Hood toured the world and the battleship returned to service when World War II broke out without the planned upgrades the ship was supposed to receive.

As a result, HMS Hood was not equipped to handle the newer armament and the ship was sunk by the German battleship Bismarck.

It only took about three minutes for HMS Hood to sink, and only three of the ship’s crew of 1,418 were saved.

Yamato class

Range: 7,200 nautical miles at 16 knots (13,300 km at 30 km/h)

Operated by Imperial Japanese Navy

Current Status: Both sunk during World War II

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Imperial Japanese Navy’s two Yamato-class battleships are widely regarded as the most powerful battleships ever built.

Both ships were massive, with a displacement of 72,000 tonnes (73,000 tons) and were nearly 263 meters long.

Despite their formidable power, both Yamato-class battleships were sunk during World War II.

Both Yamato-class battleships were the most heavily armed battleships ever, and the main guns were 18.1-inch, the largest caliber types ever used.

Class of Iowa

Range: 14,890 nautical miles (27,580 km; 17,140 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)

Operator: US Navy

Current status: Decommissioning; all 4 ships are preserved

Source: Wikimedia Commons, Christopher M.

The Iowa-class battleships were the last true battleships of the United States and were the largest battleships ever built in terms of length.

The battleships were each approximately 887 ft 3 in (270.43 m) long and had a displacement of 57,540 tons (58,460 t).

There were a total of four Iowa-class battleships, and the lead ship was the class’s namesake, USS Iowa (BB-61).

The Iowa-class battleships were built for World War II and were used until the 1990s.

All four Iowa Class battleships have been decommissioned and are preserved in various naval museums across the United States.

The Iowa-class battleships are the only complete class of warships preserved for public display.