The Untold Story Of WW2’s Fastest Battleships
YouTube / History X
From the British Royal Navy’s King George V-class battleships and Japan’s World War II-era Yamato-class, here’s a list of the fastest WWII battleships ever built:
Japanese Yamato Class
The two Japanese Yamato-class battleships’ sheer size and formidable firepower made them awe-inspiring. The Yamato and Musashi showcase Japan’s determination and commitment to naval supremacy. Both are designed with a top speed of 27 knots. Of the two, the Musashi was faster with a top speed of 27.5 knots.
British King George V Class
In the British Royal Navy, it was the King George V class battleships that stood out in WWII. This was the HMS King George V, HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Duke of York, and HMS Anson.
The balance of these ships’ firepower and armor gave a top speed of 28 knots. However, out of the four battleships in that class, it was the HMS Anson that took the prize at 29.25 knots.
German Bismarck Class
Commissioned in 1940, the German battleship Bismarck symbolized the power of the German Navy and was the namesake of the Bismarck class of battleships.
However, despite reaching the top speed of 30.01 knots during sea trials, it was actually her sister ship, the Tirpitz, during a run in Norway in 1942, that reached a top speed of 30.8 knots.
French Battleships Richelieu
While this battleship doesn’t get much attention, when she was launched in 1939, she was a marvel of French engineering with an impressive top speed of 32 knots. Her legacy as one of the fastest battleships endures.
United States Navy Iowa Class
Commissioned during the latter half of WWII the class includes the USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Missouri, USS Nevada, and USS Wisconsin. These battleships were powered by eight fuel oil boilers and four propellers delivering 212,000 shaft horsepower.
All four Iowa-class battleships reached their designed speed of 33 knots. The fastest of the four was the USS New Jersey when it achieved a top speed of 35.02 knots which had sustained for six hours in 1968 during a shakedown cruise.
