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Lady Sara, because without eight-inch guns she was one of the first true large fleet carriers, and She had style.

Edit; and She also had a nice arse!

For sheer heroics

USS Samuel B. Roberts, DE-413.

Two 5" guns and three 21" torpedoes and she and the rest of Taffy 3 sailed into history.

"We're making a torpedo run. The outcome is doubtful, but we will do our duty." - Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland, USNR (CO, DE-413)

My vote goes to one of the relatively unsung heroes of the war.



She wasn't the fastest battlewagon, or the most powerful.

But she did her duty.

ORIGINAL: TheLoneGunman

My vote goes to one of the relatively unsung heroes of the war.

She wasn't the fastest battlewagon, or the most powerful.

But she did her duty.

Her sistership, the USS Texas is still in existence in Houston.

ORIGINAL: Torplexed

ORIGINAL: TheLoneGunman

My vote goes to one of the relatively unsung heroes of the war.

She wasn't the fastest battlewagon, or the most powerful.

But she did her duty.

Her sistership, the USS Texas is still in existence in Houston.

I'm glad some of those old steel warhorses are around. [:)]

Yep, she is the only WW1 vintage dreadnought still afloat. She looks completely different than she did back in 1914 but she is still beautiful.

I would have liked to have seen the West Virginia kept as a memorial. She exemplified the ability of the United States to bounce back after the attack on Pearl Harbor. I doubt too many navies would have been able to not only bring that ship back to life but to update her into a then modern configuration. What they did to that ship was amazing. In addition she was the lead ship at Suriago Straight and fired the first shots of the last bb vs bb action of the war. She would have been the best example saved from Pearl Harbor attack.

I agree SIM. But of course I am a BB 48 fan boy

doc

ORIGINAL: Knavey

For sheer heroics

USS Samuel B. Roberts, DE-413.

Two 5" guns and three 21" torpedoes and she and the rest of Taffy 3 sailed into history.

"We're making a torpedo run. The outcome is doubtful, but we will do our duty." - Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland, USNR (CO, DE-413)

Warspite1

Going down to the destroyer/destroyer escort level, then two outstanding contenders were:

HMS Onslow (for her role in the Barents Sea) [&o]
HMS Petard (for having the distinction of sinking a German, an Italian and a Japanese submarine) during WWII!

Onslow was sold to a foreign navy after the war, but Petard was still around in the sixties - when more money was available to consider saving such ships...sad that no one had the foresight.

ORIGINAL: DivePac88

Lady Sara, because without eight-inch guns she was one of the first true large fleet carriers, and She had style.

Edit; and She also had a nice arse!

Warspite1

[:)] - Good in-depth technical analysis there DivePac88! [;)]

Warspite was a great candidate for preservation and really didn't want to go to the knacker's yard - perhaps they should have just left her in Prussia Cove.

I'll nominate Hosho. She was the IJN's only carrier that survived the full duration of the war (if you discount Junyo's Kashiwara Maru incarnation), and was historically significant as the first aircraft carrier designed as such to commission. But in 1945 a defeated enemy's ship was hardly likely to attract the sympathy of those in a position to save her, even if they had perceived her value as a historical artefact.

There's still a chance to save HMS Whimbrel as last representative of the Black Swan class of sloops and a worthy ship to commemorate the Battle of the Atlantic. But it's not likely to happen if the Egyptians persist in their demand for a price four times the amount originally agreed.

Alternatively, if you are in the US, you could do something for USS Olympia - but be prepared to put your hand deep into your pocket!

No votes for the USS Reluctant?   [:'(]
 

So HMS Warspite, USS Enterprise and USS Saratoga are the clear favourites for those that should have been saved - good choices all three.

Probably also Prinz Eugen. Was every where from the Axis view point (Europe) but probably not a very PC choice

ORIGINAL: m10bob

Warspite or Saratoga.



One of the Kirishima class BB's might have been nice,(for a museum piece.)




(A perfect collection is still at Bikini, but some "repairs" might be needed?)

Actually until the worldwide economy crash you were able to SCUBA dive the wrecks at Bikini. Once the world economy settles, I hope that they will reopen the site.

http://www.bikiniatoll.com/divetour1.html

ORIGINAL: warspite1

So HMS Warspite, USS Enterprise and USS Saratoga are the clear favourites for those that should have been saved - good choices all three.

I understand Warspite and Enterprise..., but Saratoga was a bit of a "Yard Queen" during the war. I'd love to have seen dozens of ships preserved..., but given the costs of mantainence made that impossible, Saratoga seems to me to be a couple of rungs below the other two on the "deserved to be saved" list.

ORIGINAL: trojan

Probably also Prinz Eugen. Was every where from the Axis view point (Europe) but probably not a very PC choice

Warspite1

I don't think that's entirely true. She was not involved in any successful operations - except for the tactical victory that was Cerberus (although even that was a strategic defeat). She was not a lucky ship either.

Her first operation was Rheinubung with Bismarck, and although she detached from the battleship to continue a limited version of that operation, she soon had to return to France with engine trouble.

After Cerberus she tried a number of times to get to Norway - each attempt ending in failure and she took a torpedo for her trouble during one of the attempts.

After a period of training duty in the Baltic she only went back into frontline service only in 1944. She took part in operations to support the retreating German Army until the end of the war. During that period she almost sank the cruiser Leipzig after a collision between the two. A bit of an unhappy career really...

Nice looking ship though [:)]

ORIGINAL: mike scholl 1

ORIGINAL: warspite1

So HMS Warspite, USS Enterprise and USS Saratoga are the clear favourites for those that should have been saved - good choices all three.

I understand Warspite and Enterprise..., but Saratoga was a bit of a "Yard Queen" during the war. I'd love to have seen dozens of ships preserved..., but given the costs of mantainence made that impossible, Saratoga seems to me to be a couple of rungs below the other two on the "deserved to be saved" list.

Warspite1

Yes, all navies have them. I suspect our biggest "Yard Queen" was HMS Queen Elizabeth - she always seemed to miss out on the action.

She was the only ship of her class to miss the fleet encunter at Jutland - she was in the dockyard - and was in the same place when WWII began [&:]

She had not been in the Mediterranean that long when the Italians sunk her at anchor in Alexandria harbour and she required major dockyard time getting repairs in the US.

By the time she got to the Indian Ocean, the opportunities for action were somewhat limited. Another rather unhappy career for a ship built for war.

USS England (DE-635)