After reaching a top speed of over 35 knots...
...the captain then ordered the battleship to go instantly from all ahead flank...
...to all back emergency
The ship took over two miles to come to a stop
Across the world's oceans, legends were born
I'm talking about the fastest battleships ever built
From the British Royal Navy's King George V class battleships...
... the Japanese Yamato-class...
... to America's Iowa-class battleships...
... with a few others thrown in between
Their speed and power left an indelible mark on naval history
Unfortunately, no battleships operate today
So which battleship took the prize of being the fastest?
Well the sheer size and formidable firepower
of the two Japanese Yamato-class battleships made them awe-inspiring
The Yamato and the Musashi showcase Japan's determination and commitment to naval supremacy...
... and were designed with a top speed of approximately 27 knots
But of the two, it was the Musashi that was actually faster...
...with a top speed of 27.5 knots
In the British Royal Navy...
...the King George V class of battleships stood tall during World War II...
... and I'm talking about the HMS King George V...
... HMS Prince of Wales...
... HMS Duke of York...
... and HMS Anson
Their balance of firepower and armor provided a designed top speed of 28 knots
But out of the four battleships in that class...
...it was the HMS Anson that took the prize at 29.25 knots
Now I'm sure you're thinking "Why isn't this guy mentioning the HMS Hood?"
But is the Hood a battleship, or a battle cruiser?
Yeah, we're not going there
We couldn't tell this story without mentioning the famous German battleship Bismarck
Commissioned in 1940, she symbolized the power of
the German Navy and was the namesake of the Bismarck-class of battleships
However, despite reaching a top speed of 30.01 knots during sea trials...
...it was actually her sister ship, the Tirpitz,
during a run to Norway in 1942, that reached a top speed of 30.8 knots
I'm sure some are going to argue the German Navy's Scharnhorst class should be on the list
After all they achieved speeds of approximately 31 knots
But there again, battleship, or battle cruiser?
Now here's a real battleship that I feel does not get much attention
I'm talking about the French battleship Richelieu
Launched in 1939, she was a marvel of French engineering
With her impressive top speed of 32 knots, her legacy as one of the fastest battleships endures
Alright, alright... let's get into that controversy we touched on before, shall we?
Let's go back to the British battleships because as I mentioned there's some argument here
The HMS Hood, due to its design, armor, and armament...
... is it a battleship, or a battle cruiser?
Regardless, this monster, launched and commissioned way back after World War I...
... over 100 years ago...
... reached a top speed of 32.07 knots during a full power run on the Arran Measured Mile...
... in force-6 winds
I don't know. Do you think the HMS Hood deserves to be on the list?
This brings us to the United States Navy's Iowa-class of battleships
Commissioned during the latter half of World War II...
... we're talking about the USS Iowa...
... USS New Jersey...
... USS Missouri...
... USS Nevada...
... and USS Wisconsin
These giants projected American power across the globe
Now the US Iowa-class battleships were powered by eight fuel oil boilers and four propellers...
... delivering 212,000 shaft horsepower
All four of the Iowa-class battleships reached their designed speed of 33 knots...
... but which of the four Iowa-class battleships was the fastest?
In 1968 during a shakedown cruise...
... the USS New Jersey achieved a top speed of 35.2 knots...
... which it sustained for six hours
Now as part of a brutal test of the ship's engines...
... Captain Edward Snyder then ordered the ship to
go instantly from all ahead flank to all back emergency
USS New Jersey took some two miles to come to a stop
When it comes to the fastest battleships, there is definitely one thing I forgot to mention...
... let us remember the valor and sacrifices made by those who served aboard them