Your Favorite Warship and Why

[Easy E]

To put it simply, what is your favorite warship and why?  They can be historical, modern, or even fictional. 

For Historical, I am going with this venerable classic....

The good old Trireme.  Super light and designed to ram.  The original glass-cannon before cannons were even invented. 

.... and this one.....

The SMS Emden who was a famous German Commerce Raider during World War I in the Indian Ocean. 

.... and finally this one.

The USS Minnesota- Part of the Great White Fleet.  Sadly, she launched as an obsolete ship since the HMS Dreadnought was launched a few months before.

Your choices?

[Landlubber]

Hmmm...interesting question, and one that frankly I'm surprised we haven't ever asked on this forum before!

I'll go with one of each.

Historical: the USS Arizona. Mostly because this was the first plastic model kit I ever built, as a Cub Scout project with my dad, and I think it helped kick off my interest in the Pacific Theater of WWII. It was a pretty small-scale model, probably something around 1/1200 scale--it wasn't very long or detailed, but in the fog of my memory from that long ago it seemed like we were glueing small guns on the side of the ship for hours and hours. The model died a horrible death that involved a shared bedroom, a hard-rubber bouncy ball, and my little brother.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Arizona_(BB-39)

Modern: most modern ships look very similar to me (something I think we've discussed before on the podcast), however I do like the look of the US Navy's Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. To me, they epitomize the look of a modern warship.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arleigh_Burke-class_destroyer

Fictional: the Battlestar Galactica. Both versions.  Because Galactica.

[Fracas]

Historical: HMS Victory, Nelson flag ship from the age of sail peak, a man of war

Current: Zumwalt class destroyer, sleek and modern

Fictional: B5 shadow ship, it shrieks through the void

[Dakkar]

For Historical, I'll say the USS Constitution as a prime example of the era.
Runner-up - The Bismarck

For Current Day, I'll say a Navy Aegis Destroyer like the McCain. Not just because our work here supports them, but because Missile Interception is the absolute future of surface and space warfare, and these vessels are key to perfecting it.

For Fiction, and saying pure warship, I'll go with the classic Klingon D7 - both as a model I used to have and loved, and an iconic look that perfectly captured the menace of the race that came with the ship. The Command Boom idea is probably as dumb at the Federation Bridge "Bullseye" placement, but it just looks cool. All the modern versions (Bird of Prey, Romulan D'Deridex, etc) all ape that original look.

Runner-Up to the possibly non-Military CYGNUS from THE BLACK HOLE. Also a model I had for a long time, and the first example of a "cathedral" ship that I recall (for me at least it predate the Nostromo). Such a great look when they first find it, a void against the void, all outlined spires in the light of the titular accretion disk. And then it illuminates from within with that blue light ... SO cool

Worst Ship Designs that I'm Still Stupidly Fond of:
-- The Eagles from SPACE 1999
-- The Liberator from BLAKE'S SEVEN
-- and of course, Serenity

[Ruckdog]

This is tough! Its sort of like asking which of my children I love most 

If I really had to pick one single historical ship for a favorite, I think I would have to go with the American South Dakota class from WWII:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Dakota-class_battleship_(1939)

These 4 ships are my favorites partly because one, BB-58, was named after my home state of Indiana. They were also (IMO) somewhat underrated by a lot of historians, as they weren't in action as early as the North Carolina class was, nor did they have extended post-war careers like the Iowas. However, they had great protection and armament for their size, and I just love their somewhat stubby looks!

Now, for sci-fi ships, its tough to top this beautiful lady:



There's just something about the lines, details, and colors of the refit-Constitution class! A close second would probably be the Galaxy class.

[Covertwalrus]

 Historical - USS Missouri particularly the 1980s refit. It just defines the phrase "Battlewagon" to the eye.

 Fictional - For spacecraft, probably the Omega Class ships from "Babylon 5"; Justifiable science in the design, yet it looks cool and has some style.

 Fictional naval, I'd have to say the Dystopian Wars Covenant of Antarctica Descartes Class battleship has to be the best of that excellent lot.

 I could be here all day detailing a list of my Top Ten in all those categories as well

[Jack Brown]

Historical: Tough to pick just one. Scahrnhorst was a very good looking ship. I have a fondness for the USS Washington, both for being named for my home state and the righteous can of whoop-as it opened on the Kirishima.

But, there will always be a fondness for the Lexington. Probably due to reading a very good book by a reporter who was on her at Coral Sea.


Modern-ish would probably have to go to the Missouri. Yeah, modern-ish...

Fiction: no contest, space battleship Yamato:

[KazadHarri]

This one is tough for Historical I have to go with a 3 way tie.  The USS New Jersey- I served on her in the 80's and she was a first love of my life.  Also she evolved so much in her career from a Kick ass BB, to a fast AA platform, to fire support and then in the 80's as the US answer to a true modern surface action group with long range missiles, and still retained fire power.  If she had not been so expensive to operate I could have seen her with vertical launch replacing the box launchers and SPY-1 radar.
The other part of the tie is USS Constitution a frigate that was undefeated, and made all other frigates scared. 
The last is the Victory.  Not really because of Trafalgar, but her career of work.  For over 50 years she was the symbol of British naval dominance.
For space.  The Battlestar Galactica. Survived a bad series, and one war and then came back and kicked ass in the next one.  The close runner up is the Millenium Falcon.  Not a warship you say.  But how many freighters are involved in blowing up two Death Stars, and beating off countless TIE fighter attacks. 
As for fiction, the HMS Surprise.  No other ship dominates fiction like this one in the hands of Lucky Jack Aubrey.
/Jeff