Top 10 largest battleships in the world

(CLO) Although battleships were replaced by aircraft carriers at the end of World War II, they remain a testament to a bygone era of warfare and a symbol of national power.

For nearly half a century, battleships were the sole symbol of a nation's overall power: a floating fortress representing industrial capability, military prestige, and political deterrence. With their thick armor, massive cannons, and distinctive shape, they dominated the world's waterways from the early 1900s until World War II.

Battleships are the largest class of warships, alongside aircraft carriers and destroyers. Photo: US Navy

Even after World War II, they continued to play a vital role in the U.S. Navy for decades, most recently in the Gulf War when Iowa-class ships like the USS Missouri and USS Wisconsin shelled Iraqi positions in Kuwait.

Although most naval planners agree that the era of this type of ship is over, a new turning point has emerged.

In December 2025, the US Navy announced it would pursue the construction of a series of new warships named the Trump-class. The US Navy has released concept drawings of the Trump-class ships along with some estimated technical specifications, but much information remains undisclosed, including the projected number of ships and the official commissioning date.

The US Navy shared an image depicting the USS Defiant, a Trump-class warship. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The Trump-class battleships are smaller than older ships, have weaker armor, but carry more modern weaponry, leading some analysts to question their classification as supercarriers. Furthermore, given the highly political nature of the project and its uncertain strategic value, it remains to be seen whether these ships will ever leave the blueprints.

If this era truly comes to an end, the following 10 legendary ships will forever remain the largest ships ever built:

10. The King George V (British, 1940)

Tenth place goes to the British King George V-class ships of 1940, with a displacement of over 44,000 tons. These ships were equipped with 10 35.5 cm guns – smaller than the 40.6 cm guns commonly found on American ships – but this was compensated by an excellent fire control system and superior armor. This class of ship was designed to fight intelligently rather than relying solely on brute force.

The British ship King George V enters Apra Harbor, Guam, in 1945. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

The class's moment of glory was when HMS Prince of Wales helped sink the colossal German battleship Bismarck. However, the sailors had little time to celebrate the victory. Six months later, the proud British ship met a painful end off Singapore after a Japanese air attack, a testament to the fact that the era of this type of ship was drawing to a close, giving way to aircraft carriers.

9. USS South Dakota (USA, 1942)

In ninth place is the 1942 USS South Dakota, a compact yet powerful ship with a displacement of 44,500 tons, boasting nine .40.6 cm guns and a modern radar system in a relatively short hull. The South Dakota served actively in the Pacific , from the Santa Cruz Islands to the fierce night battles off Guadalcanal.

The USS South Dakota is pictured during sea trials in July 1942. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

In November 1942, it took dozens of hits while its radar-guided salvos crippled Japanese ships, demonstrating the importance of electronic fire control for the future of warfare. It subsequently saw combat in the Philippines and Okinawa.

8. The Vittorio Veneto ship (Italy, 1940)

The Vittorio Veneto embodied Italy's ambition to restore its dominance in the Mediterranean during the 1940s. With a displacement of 45,200 tons and equipped with nine 38.1 cm guns, the Veneto could reach a speed of 55.5 km/h, faster than most ships of its time.

The Italian ship Vittorio Veneto shortly after its completion in 1940. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Equipped with the advanced Pugliese torpedo defense system and sophisticated fire control, it was the most modern design in Europe at the time. Although nearly destroyed at Cape Matapan in 1941, the ship survived World War II until Italy's surrender in 1943 and was eventually scrapped by the British.

7. HMS Hood (British, 1920)

Seventh place goes to the British ship HMS Hood, launched in 1920. At the time of its launch, it was the world's largest warship, with a displacement of 47,400 tons and a length of 262 meters. Equipped with eight 38.1 cm guns and capable of reaching speeds of 59.2 km/h, Hood embodied British maritime dominance between the two world wars, serving as flagship on global voyages.

HMS Hood of the British Royal Navy. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

In May 1941, during the Battle of the Denmark Strait, the Hood was swiftly destroyed by the German ship Bismarck, killing all but three of its 1,418 crew members. Subsequent investigations determined that a German shell had blown up the aft ammunition magazine, completely destroying the ship. Its destruction shocked Britain and turned the pursuit of the Bismarck into a national obsession.

6. The Richelieu ship (France, 1940)

The French ship Richelieu, an innovative vessel with a displacement of 49,000 tons and possessing eight 38.1 cm guns housed in two fully forward quadruple turrets. Designed to counter the burgeoning Italian fleet, Richelieu left Dakar to avoid German capture in 1940 and subsequently joined the French Free Navy.

The French ship Richelieu operating in the Atlantic Ocean on August 26, 1943, after being refitted at the New York Naval Shipyard (USA). Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

After being modernized in New York, it bombarded Japanese positions in the Indian Ocean and escorted Allied convoys. It continued to serve in various roles until its decommissioning in 1967.

5. The Bismarck (Germany, 1940)

Fifth place goes to the German Bismarck in 1940, a brutal "giant" with a displacement of 50,000 tons and eight 38.1 cm guns, representing Germany's attempt to challenge Britain on the high seas. In its maiden voyage in May 1941, it sank HMS Hood, Britain's most powerful warship.

Bismarck in a Norwegian fjord, May 21, 1941, just before departing for the Atlantic sortie. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

This ultimately led to its demise; enraged, the British launched a relentless pursuit with over 50 ships and dozens of aircraft. Finally, after being crippled by torpedoes from outdated Fairey Swordfish biplanes, Bismarck was destroyed on May 27, 1941, ending a career that lasted only nine days.

4. HMS Vanguard (British, 1946)

Fourth place goes to the British HMS Vanguard from 1946, the last flagship of the Royal Navy with a displacement of 51,000 tons. Built too late to participate in World War II, it served as a flagship in the 1950s, combining lessons learned from wartime with modern amenities.

The Royal Navy ship HMS Vanguard in active service, around 1946-1948. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Despite reusing 38.1 cm guns from older ships, the Vanguard still possessed a state-of-the-art radar and fire control system, before being dismantled in 1960.

3. Iowa-class ship (USA, 1943)

Third place goes to the 1943 Iowa-class USS Missouri, the pinnacle of American warship design, with a full-load displacement of 57,500 tons, nine 40.6 cm guns, and a speed of 61.1 km/h. This class of ship played an enormous role in naval history; the USS Missouri was chosen as the location for the Japanese surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.

The USS Iowa fired all nine of its .16"/.50" guns and six of its .5"/.38" guns during a target practice exercise near Vieques Island, Puerto Rico. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

These ships also returned to combat in the Korean War and even the 1991 Gulf War, where the Missouri fired Tomahawk missiles at Iraqi targets.

No other class of ships had such a long service life or carried such symbolic weight. Today, all four ships—Missouri, Iowa, New Jersey, and Wisconsin—exist as museum ships.

2. The Yamato (Japan, 1941)

Second place goes to Japan's Yamato from 1941, the world's largest flagship at the time of its construction, with a displacement of 72,800 tons, equipped with 46 cm guns and armor up to 40.6 cm thick. However, as aircraft carriers dominated the seas, the Yamato gradually relegated to a secondary role.

The IJN Yamato conducts full-power trials in Sukumo Bay, October 30, 1941. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Although present at the Battle of Midway, it did not participate in combat as all engagements took place between aircraft carriers. In the final days of the war in April 1945, Japan sent Yamato on a one-way mission to Okinawa. Without air protection, it was subjected to relentless American air attacks, exploded, and sank with 3,000 sailors on board.

1. The Musashi ship (Japan, 1942)

The top spot goes to Japan's Musashi in 1942, the largest super-battleship ever built, slightly larger than its sister ship Yamato in terms of displacement at 72,800 tons. When first launched in 1940, this "monster" displaced so much water that it flooded an entire Japanese village across from the port.

The Japanese ship Musashi left Brunei, Borneo, in 1944, possibly on October 22, when it departed to participate in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Photographed by Japanese sailor Tobei Shiraishi from the destroyer Isokaze. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

However, things didn't go as planned for this mighty ship. Although it served in most of the Pacific War, it didn't participate in many major battles and was torpedoed in early 1944. In October 1944, the ship suffered irreparable damage from American aircraft during the Battle of Leyte Gulf and sank, ending the life of the most powerful warship of all time.

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