I finally got a chance to watch a show I recorded on The Military Channel, "Top 10 Fighting Ships." It's limited to the 20th Century so doesn't cover ships like HMS Victory, CSS Virginia, née Merrimack, or USS Monitor. The criteria are the same they use for other weapons, IE.

Fear Factor
Firepower
Protection
Innovation
Service Life

The ships chosen are as follows.

10. HMS Hood
9. KM Deutschland Class
8. USS Essex Class
7. KM Bismarck Class
6. USS North Carolina Class
5. USS Fletcher Class
4. USS Ticonderoga Class
3. HMS Queen Elizabeth Class
2. USS Nimitz Class
1. USS Iowa Class

For the record I have some issues with some of these choices. I am totally crazy about the Hood, but I'm not sure I'd include her on this list. Bismarck is, IMHO, totally over-rated, and should be no higher than 10, if that. I'm kind of surprised the North Carolina scores as high. I think Essex should be much higher on the list, possibly as high as 2 or 3.

Anyway that's my two cents worth.

Hi Rodger

I wonder why the IJN Yamato wasn't included in the top ten...
Just my two cents (Euro)

Skipper

Very true Skip. I'm sure if you asked the Allied sailors in the Pacific they would put it right up there.

Gator

Frankly I don't think Yamato should have been represented. Let's look at the criteria used.

Fear Factor. Actually not as high as you might think, since the Allies weren't aware of Yamato's true size, and thought she was only armed with special 16" guns, not the 18" she really had. I'd give her no more than a 4 or 5 when built, and not more than a 3 when sunk since the airman attacking her weren't all that afraid of her.

Firepower. Pretty high, but really the American Iowas put out as much metal in a broadside, due to faster firing cycle. Give her a 7.

Protection. Pretty high, probably her strongest suit. Give her a 9 as far as armor, but only a 5 as far as AA protection.

Innovation. Low, not more than 3 or 4. She wasn't all that innovated, she was just bigger. For example the true innovation of the Queen Elizabeth class was the combination of speed, armor, and firepower, that really hadn't all come together in such a way before.

Service Life. Terrible. Less than four years, and how much of that time was spent in port? Give her a 2.

I add this up to average about 4.5 out of a possible 10. Not that great.

What, no Baltimore Class Cruisers?