From ancient triremes to modern nuclear submarines, join us as we explore the most legendary warships that shaped naval history! These vessels didn't just participate in battles - they changed the course of wars, revolutionized maritime technology, and became symbols of national pride and military might.
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00:00Built in secrecy, she was a magnificent achievement of German technology, whose focus was fear and mass destruction.
00:08Welcome to WatchMojo, and today, we're counting down our picks for the 20 greatest warships of all time.
00:15Enormous vessels, crewed by thousands, bristling with massive guns and powerful aircraft.
00:22They can deliver terrifying destruction and turn the tide of history.
00:2720. CSSHL Hunley
00:30Hunley was a Confederate submarine launched during the American Civil War.
00:34Confederate Naval Secretary Stephen Mallory quickly authorized the construction of yet another
00:40innovative war weapon that the Confederacy hoped would turn the tide in their favor.
00:46A military submarine known as the Hunley.
00:50It wasn't the first submarine in history, but it was the first to successfully sink a warship.
00:55It was still early days for the technology since it wasn't fully submerged,
00:59and the ship and crew perished after its famous attack.
01:03Its victim was the USS Housatonic in 1864, which sank following the Hunley's deployment
01:09of a spare torpedo, a very primitive weapon consisting of a bomb at the end of a big pole.
01:16We don't know why it sank following its successful attack, but the whole crew was lost.
01:21The sub was recovered a century later in 1970 and is now on display in Charleston.
01:27When conservation work is complete, the Hunley will be placed in its own museum,
01:32a permanent resting place for what was in its day the only weapon of its kind.
01:3719. CSS Virginia and USS Monitor
01:41We're cheating a little here, but considering the fact that both of these ships played a
01:45large role in making the other one famous, we decided to combine them as one entry.
01:50Gentlemen, the beast spawned by Satan to destroy the Union.
01:54The CSS Virginia and USS Monitor were two ironclad warships who squared off against each
02:00other during the American Civil War. Called the Battle of Hampton Roads or the Battle of Ironclads,
02:06it was the first time in history that two ships made from iron engaged each other.
02:11The Union-controlled Monitor and Confederate-controlled Virginia fought for hours,
02:15but neither side emerged victorious. Although the battle may not have been glorious,
02:20it marked a significant change in naval warfare.
02:3418. USS Nautilus
02:37Our second submarine on the list is the USS Nautilus,
02:40which became the world's first nuclear-powered submarine back in 1954.
02:45Commissioned in 1954, the USS Nautilus changed the game as the world's first
02:51nuclear-powered submarine. It was built during the Cold War,
02:55and to the Americans, launching a nuclear submarine wasn't quite intimidating enough.
02:59They had to send it on a mission, too, to show off how strong it was.
03:03In 1958, Nautilus completed Operation Sunshine, a mission to cross the North Pole by ship.
03:09It departed from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and made it all the way to Greenland,
03:13prompting the commander to send the message,
03:15Nautilus 90 North, to the president. In 1982, it was designated a historic landmark
03:20and can be visited in Groton, Connecticut.
03:3117. USS Missouri BB-63
03:35Also known as Mighty Moe or Big Moe, the USS Missouri was the site where World War II officially
03:41The USS Missouri is the world's most famous battleship. Her illustrious career spanned
03:46three wars and was marked by history-making events that made her a national icon.
03:51She participated in numerous battles in the Pacific Theater,
03:54including assisting with the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
03:58Not long after, the Japanese officially surrendered,
04:01and the documents making this official were signed on board.
04:04Her service wasn't done yet, however, as she participated in the Korean War
04:08and provided support during Operation Desert Storm.
04:11Today, the 45,000-ton battleship is located in Pearl Harbor
04:15and serves as a war memorial and museum.
04:17The world's most famous battleship is open to the public, here in Pearl Harbor,
04:22across from the USS Arizona Memorial.
04:24The two together, acting as dramatic symbols of tragedy and triumph.
04:2916. Trireme
04:31This entry isn't one specific ship, but a type which dominated the Mediterranean
04:36during the Age of Antiquity.
04:37The Trireme is a premier example of political forces
04:41and technology working together to shape human history.
04:45We believe it was the Phoenicians who developed them,
04:48an ancient civilization originating on the coast of the Levant in modern-day Lebanon.
04:52They were probably first seen in the 7th century BCE
04:56and were popular for roughly five centuries.
04:59After the Phoenicians used them, the Greeks, Persians, and Romans all adopted them,
05:03and could have even been seen during the early Roman Empire.
05:06The high-tech Greek Trireme, combined with the effective tactics of a highly skilled crew,
05:12transforms the warship into a virtual torpedo.
05:16It was innovative for its speed, agility, and use of three rows of oars,
05:21making it one of the most efficient and powerful ancient warships.
05:2515. USS Maine ACR-1
05:29Remember the Maine? To hell with Spain!
05:32That was the rallying cry after the USS Maine exploded and sank in 1898.
05:37The appearance of one of America's premier battleships, bristling with 10-inch guns,
05:42helped reassure U.S. citizens in Havana.
05:44The Maine, which was equipped with a range of guns, including four Gatling guns,
05:49four Hotchkiss guns, and four torpedo tubes,
05:52was anchored in Havana Harbor during the Cuban revolt against Spain.
05:56On February 15, 1898, however, she exploded,
06:00which resulted in the deaths of more than 260 people.
06:03On February 15, the Maine exploded in a gigantic fireball that echoed throughout Havana's streets.
06:09This was the catalyst for the Spanish-American War,
06:12as the Spanish were blamed for causing the explosion by
06:15yellow press such as William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer.
06:19The Spaniards' culpability has never been proven, however,
06:22and the incident remains a source of controversy.
06:2414. USS Yorktown
06:27Yorktown was an American sloop of war fitted with 16 guns and launched in 1839.
06:34It became part of the Africa Squadron, and as such, its primary task was suppressing
06:39the transatlantic slave trade, which had been recently outlawed by America and the British
06:44Empire. It did a remarkable job patrolling the West African coast, intercepting illegal
06:50slave ships, and cracking down on the despicable human traffickers who shipped Africans to the
06:54Americas. Unfortunately, it was wrecked on a reef near the Cape Verde Islands in 1850.
07:00The crew managed to survive, but ultimately, the ship needed to be abandoned.
07:0513. Ormarranlanji, The Long Serpent No one will refute the claim that the Vikings
07:11were some of the greatest sailors in human history. This group of Scandinavian seafaring
07:16people conquered the waves, voyaging as far as Baghdad in America. The Long Serpent is one of
07:22their most famous vessels. Built for King Olav Tryggvason in the 10th century, it was the grandest
07:28longship of its time. Documents tell us it had 34 pairs of oars, kitted for a crew of 68 rowers.
07:36This leads experts to believe it would have been approximately 148 feet long.
07:41Olav met his maker in the Battle of Svolder, and this is the last tale we have of the great warship.
07:4712. Richelieu The Richelieu was a French battleship,
07:51first launched in 1939 and decommissioned almost three decades later in 1967. It was one of the
07:58French Navy's most important warships during World War II, with a complex and extensive career.
08:04It was capable of up to 32 knots, making it one of the fastest and most armed battleships of its
08:09era. After the German invasion of France in 1940, Richelieu escaped to French West Africa,
08:15allowing it to remain operational under Vichy France. This remained the case until 1943,
08:21when it finally joined the Allies, eventually fighting in the Indian Ocean. It served as the
08:26French flagship until it was decommissioned long after the war's closure.
08:3111. USS Nimitz CVN 68 The world's oldest serving carrier is the USS
08:37Nimitz, which is also one of the largest warships in the world. Nicknamed Old Salt,
08:42she is over 1,000 feet long and can travel at speeds as high as 31.5 knots. After first being
08:49deployed in the 1970s, Nimitz has provided support during both the Persian Gulf War and the war in
08:55Iraq. In 2010, she was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation for her service in both Iraq
09:00and Afghanistan in the mid-2000s. Ships like the Nimitz are why the United States Navy is so
09:06powerful. 10. Kobuksan
09:09Kobuksan, also called a turtle ship, was a remarkable warship crafted by Korea during
09:14the 15th century and a central part of the Joseon Navy until the 19th century.
09:19The turtle ship greatly helped Korean naval forces beat Japanese invaders in the late 16th century.
09:25There are few historical records to detail the actual figure of the warship other than
09:30movies or TV shows. Some believe it to be one of the first ironclad warships,
09:35with a covered deck useful for protecting its crew. It was originally developed during the
09:40Imjin War by Admiral Yi Sun-sin when Japan sought to invade Korea in 1592. These ships were
09:46instrumental in preventing the invasion, winning a total of 16 battles against the Japanese Navy.
09:52Its design influenced naval warfare not only in Korea but across the entirety of East Asia,
09:58showcasing the brilliance of Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
10:059. Mikasa
10:08Mikasa was a battleship built in the 1890s for a freshly industrialized Imperial Japan,
10:15which famously squared off against the Russian Navy at the Battle of Tsushima in 1905. It was
10:21the first modern battleship owned by Japan and played a pivotal role in Japan's victory over
10:26Russia. Admiral Togo Hihachiro used Mikasa as his flagship and then devastated the Russian fleet,
10:32which lost most of its ships. This was one of the most significant wars in history since it showed
10:38Japan could compete with Western powers and fueled the imperialistic mentality that would
10:42eventually cause the Pacific War. It now sits in a historic museum in Yokosuka on the edge of Tokyo
10:48Bay. 8. USS Johnston, DD-557
10:54USS Johnston was a destroyer built for the U.S. Navy in World War II. Its most famous moment was
11:00the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history. But the Japanese guns
11:04were too big and too many. Johnston is dead in the water and crippled, and these Japanese
11:10destroyers are just firing round after round after round into the ship. And finally Johnston sinks,
11:18and one of the Japanese commanding officers was observed to actually salute the U.S. ship as it
11:24went down. It was fought over four days in the Philippines, and Johnston was part of a task
11:29force that faced a much larger Japanese fleet. Despite being overwhelmingly outgunned, Johnston
11:35took part in a legendary last stand, launching a daring torpedo attack at the Japanese ships.
11:40The wreckage will remain untouched, but its discovery has brought to the surface the
11:45astonishing story of the USS Johnston. Unfortunately, the ship was eventually overwhelmed,
11:51but the heroism of the crew was historic, and the captain, Ernest E. Evans, was posthumously
11:57awarded the Medal of Honor. Number 7. HMS Dreadnought. HMS Dreadnought revolutionized
12:04warships. First deployed in 1906, it was the first Dreadnought ever crafted.
12:10These were the war machines that sparked the arms race that changed the world.
12:17It was a menacing, dangerous-looking ship, and everybody wanted one. These were the Dreadnoughts.
12:26It had remarkable speed and firepower for the time, with ten 12-inch guns and able to reach
12:32speeds of up to 21 knots. It was so powerful, it kick-started a naval arms race between the UK
12:38and Germany, with countries all over the world racing to build Dreadnoughts. The US, France,
12:43and Japan all set about making their versions of HMS Dreadnought, but it was Germany's response
12:50that worried the Royal Navy. HMS Dreadnought itself saw little action during its time,
12:56eventually being decommissioned in 1919, but the impact it had on the world was monumental,
13:01influencing naval engagements and strategies throughout the entirety of World War I.
13:06Number 6. USS Enterprise, CV-6. Another of the heavy hitters from World War II on our list,
13:13the USS Enterprise CV-6 was involved in more naval engagements with Japan than any other
13:19US ship. The decorated ship is in for a massive overhaul to make her even tougher and more deadly.
13:25Known as the Big E, she became something of a mythological ship to the Japanese.
13:30They believed they had sunk her on numerous occasions, only to find themselves squared
13:35off against the Enterprise again in the next naval battle. She was decommissioned in 1947
13:41and finished the war with 20 battle stars, more than any other American ship in World War II.
13:46Enterprise and the Pacific Fleet is about to set off on one of the longest naval campaigns
13:51in world history. It will mark the start of 560 days of war before she can go home.
13:57Number 5. USS Constitution, Old Ironsides. The USS Constitution first set sail from Boston Harbor
14:05in 1797 and, remarkably, you can still find her there today. Cannonballs are ricocheting off the
14:11sides and a sailor sees this happen live action and shouts out, Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!
14:18And it's a rallying cry for all sailors that are fighting in the war that we have ships so strong
14:24they're almost as if they're made of iron. Perhaps best known as Old Ironsides, she became famous
14:30during the War of 1812, where she fought against Britain and defeated five British warships,
14:36including the frigates HMS Guerriere and HMS Java. This was especially impressive as the
14:42British Navy was considered the most powerful in the world at the time. Constitution came back into
14:47Boston to a hero's welcome and then two more American frigates had victories following that,
14:54so in the fall we were beating Britain, queen of the seas, something no one had ever imagined in
15:00their lifetime. She officially retired in 1881 but is still fully commissioned and equipped with a
15:0660-man crew. 4. Yamato and Musashi
15:10The Japanese battleship Yamato and its sister ship Musashi were the mightiest warships in the
15:16entirety of human history, being both the most armed and the heaviest battleships. Yamato was
15:21armed with nine 18-inch guns, the largest ever mounted on a ship, and displaced roughly 72,000
15:28tons when fully loaded. No ships have been built since to overtake its size, and it represents the
15:34apex of Japanese battleship design. Despite its power, it saw relatively little action,
15:40only firing her main guns at enemies in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. In April 1945, it was sunk by
15:47Americans, highlighting the rise of air power in naval warfare and showing the end of an era
15:52dominated by battleships. 3. USS Arizona
15:57Whether you are an avid military history buff or not, you've probably heard of the USS Arizona.
16:03But the big ship meant to fight in the open sea fell to the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor that
16:08brought the U.S. into World War II. Representing American resolve and sacrifice, the Arizona was
16:14hit by a Japanese bomb during the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. She was blown
16:21up and sank, killing 1,177 people and pushing the United States into World War II. She could
16:28not be salvaged, and today, she remains at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, below the USS Arizona
16:34Memorial, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. 2. Bismarck
16:40For hundreds of years, the Royal Navy was the most feared fleet in all the world.
16:44But in 1941, they met their match. She was the battleship Bismarck.
16:51Surprisingly, her lifespan was that of a butterfly – just over a week. But that was enough for her to
16:58sink her dragon's teeth into the pride of the British fleet. The Bismarck was over 800 feet long
17:03and could travel at a speed of 30 knots, making it one of the biggest and fastest ships in the world
17:08at the time. She sank the near-invincible HMS Hood and badly damaged the HMS Prince of Wales,
17:15sending the Royal Navy in hot pursuit. The Bismarck abandoned the Atlantic due to damage, however,
17:21and was attacked by the British off the coast of France just days later. The nation of Great Britain
17:26rejoiced. The Bismarck had been sunk, and the Hood had been avenged. She was scuttled by her crew,
17:32and the wreck was finally found in 1989 by Robert Ballard, the same man who found the Titanic.
17:561. HMS Victory
17:58A truly majestic ship, the HMS Victory is one of the largest wooden ships ever built
18:03and represents the remarkable power of the Royal Navy during the 18th and 19th centuries.
18:08Victory is an engineering marvel, one of the biggest ships of her time.
18:15It took 6,000 oak trees to build her, clearing 100 acres of woodland.
18:21Serving as Lord Nelson's flagship at 1805's Battle of Trafalgar, the Victory helped lead
18:27the British to victory over the Spanish and French, despite the British being outnumbered.
18:32The ship was allegedly saved by the First Sealord's wife, who was moved to tears upon
18:36hearing of its proposed destruction. Currently, the Victory serves as a museum in Portsmouth,
18:42England, and remains the oldest commissioned warship in the world.
18:59Were there any powerful warships we forgot to include? Let us know in the comments section!
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