Australian Beauties II

[Curtis Lemay]

And this is what I obliterated Tokyo with:

[Challerain]

Ever since watching Blacksheep Squadron as a kid, always had a thing for the Corsair

[Curtis Lemay]

How about some artillery support?

[Curtis Lemay]

Gotta rule the waves:

[Eambar]

I've always liked the Bathurst class Corvettes. Real workhorses for the RAN in WW2



Cheers

[Aurelian]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

The T-34 is a good shout, although I've always been partial to the Panther too. T-34 probably edges it to be honest.

The ISU-152 would like to have a chat. (It was known as the Animal Killer)

[Curtis Lemay]

Don't forget about the ordinance:

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: warspite1
Alongside (but of course behind [:)]) the Warspite, the South Dakota is probably my favourite battleship design. She just looks like a thug of a warship. Not as large as the Iowa's and so looking like they've crammed everything into too small a space, she just looks like a lady that can take care of herself.

+1 always loved this class.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: Challerain
Ever since watching Blacksheep Squadron as a kid, always had a thing for the Corsair

Same here!

[warspite1]

Beating South Dakota to my personal no. 1 in the warship dept. is of course the most famous, the most incredible, and - as per the point of this thread - the most beautiful battleship of all time.

HMS Warspite. In her original two-funnel guise she was Audrey Hepburn, an impossibly pretty, elegant and statuesque beauty - particularly so for the WWI era. But after her last re-build in the late thirties she became a bewitching, intoxicating mix of WWI (hull) meets WWII (superstructure) – she was Wonder Woman long before Gal Gadot assumed the role, and was equally as beautiful.

But regardless of which facade she was sporting, the fact was that underneath, she was a mean, hard-as-nails bruiser who could handle herself in a dark alley on a Saturday night; The entire German High Seas Fleet? “No problem”, 29 hits and she was merely warming up…. torpedoes, bombs, mines, glider bombs, “is that the best you can do, losers”?

Where had she been? Where hadn’t she been? Woof. Quite simply, if there was trouble to be had, then she would be at the centre of it – HMS Warspite was everywhere – Jutland, North Atlantic, Norway, the Mediterranean, the English Channel, the Indian Ocean, and her battle honours are testament to the fact that she just couldn’t help but put herself in harm’s way.

Most warships, if not sunk, end up in the breakers yard. But not the Grand Old Lady. In one final act of defiance, shorn of her weaponry, she still made a break for freedom so she could bow out on her terms. “If you want to break me up you’ll have to come and get me”.

Imagine looking like Jenna Coleman while being as brave as Sophie Scholl, but also being able to punch like Nicola Adams… or in other words, imagine being HMS Warspite.

Belli Dura Despicio

[carll11]

I always thought the Japs had the best all around DD design in a sleek, well armed and speedy Shiratsuyu class, of course the Long Lance made any jap DD a serious contender.

Heres the Shigure ( Summer squall)in 1939 as a nod Capt.T. Hara, who commanded her in all her engagements especially the furious fire away flanagans re; Tokyo Express around Guadalcanal up to 44, not losing a man. His Bio. Jap. Destroyer Captain is imho, a must read.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: warspite1
Beating South Dakota to my personal no. 1 in the warship dept. is of course the most famous, the most incredible, and - as per the point of this thread - the most beautiful battleship of all time.

HMS Warspite.

She's a grand ship and my favorite British BB. [:)]

[Twotribes]

ORIGINAL: carll11

I always thought the Japs had the best all around DD design in a sleek, well armed and speedy Shiratsuyu class, of course the Long Lance made any jap DD a serious contender.

Heres the Shigure ( Summer squall)in 1939 as a nod Capt.T. Hara, who commanded her in all her engagements especially the furious fire away flanagans re; Tokyo Express around Guadalcanal up to 44, not losing a man. His Bio. Jap. Destroyer Captain is imho, a must read.

Japanese Destroyers lacked a robust anti air and anti sub arsenal

[ncc1701e]

Another cat killer, the IS-2 tank.

[Aurelian]

The best looking battlecruiser in IMHO.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Aurelian

The best looking battlecruiser in IMHO.

warspite1

+ 1 billion. You certainly know how to find beautiful pictures Emperor.

The very antithesis of SoDak and Warspite (even in her WWI guise). HMS Hood was startlingly pretty. Like a cat walk model or a mannequin, the perfect body to be drapped in - in Hood's case - some of the finest weapons of war (her 15-inchers). But she was a fragile and ultimately a tragic beauty in the mould of Vivien Leigh.


The most beautiful battlecruiser ever built; HMS Hood

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

And a picture of a real beauty. Liked the look of this ship already as a young kid. First WWII ship model I ever bought. And built.

warspite1

Battleship or battlecruiser? A difficult one to slot into either category. As a child I always thought of her as a BC, but her small (relative) armament and high levels of protection are the opposite of what a BC should be. So I personally place the Scharnhorst in the BB class - albeit an under-gunned one.

As she first appeared, she would not even make my top 10. But after fitting the Atlantic bow and the capped funnel, the ugly duckling became a swan; a ship of mean and purposeful Tuetonic beauty.

Successful when operating with Gneisenau, these beautiful 'ugly sisters' proved effective. But when they became separated, the successful careers of each came to a sticky end.

Top 5 candidates for the BB-class in my book.

Scharnhorst

[Aurelian]

IMHO, the best looking battleship.

[Aurelian]

And another view, pre 1944

[Curtis Lemay]

ORIGINAL: Aurelian

And another view, pre 1944

Getting repeatative around here. (See post #24).