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The 5 greatest warships of all time

5. USS Nautilus

The 5 greatest warships of all time

4. HMS Dreadnought

4. HMS Dreadnought

The HMS Dreadnought ushered in a new era of "all big gun ships." Unlike battleships before it, the Dreadnought only had 12 inch cannons aided by electronic range-finding equipment. Defensively, the ship was completely encased in steel.

The Dreadnought presented a suite of technologies so cutting edge that it is often said that it rendered all battleships before it obsolete.

Though the Dreadnought did not have a distinguished service record, it did become the only surface battleship to sink a submarine. It is remembered largely for shifting the paradigm of naval warfare, as opposed to its victories in battle.

3. USS Enterprise

3. USS Enterprise

Unlike the Dreadnought, the historians remember the USS Enterprise for it's outstanding record in combat.

As the sixth aircraft carrier to join the US Navy in 1936, the Enterprise was one of the first craft to respond after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, and it survived major battles in Midway, Guadalcanal, Leyte Gulf, and the 'Doolittle Raid' on Tokyo during World War II.

After the war, the Enterprise was decommissioned as the most decorated ship in US naval history.

2. Korean Turtle Boats

2. Korean Turtle Boats

Korean Turtle Ships served with the Korean navy for centuries, first coming into play in the Seven Years' War (1592-1598) between Korea and Japan.

The idea behind the Turtle Ship was to provide an impenetrable floating fortress optimized for boarding enemy craft. The side of the ship is dotted with holes from which the crew can fire cannons and other artillery, while the top of the ship is covered in iron spikes, making it especially dangerous for enemy sailors to board the vessel.

With up to 80 rowers pulling along the heavy craft, the Turtle Ships were brutal but effective.

1. USS Constitution

1. USS Constitution

The USS Constitution, or "Old Ironsides," as it is affectionately known, first hit the seas as one of the first six frigates in the newly formed US Navy of 1797.

The Constitution had both 30 24-pound cannons and also speed. Not only was it technologically sound for its time, but it was simply unparalleled and undefeated in battle.

Famously, in 1812, the Constitution fought against the HMS Guerriere, whose guns could not pierce the heavily armored sides of the Constitution.

The Constitution is still commissioned by today's navy, considered the oldest commissioned warship in the world, and the only currently commissioned US Navy ship to have sunk an enemy vessel. It is in every way worthy of the title "greatest warship of all time."


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