 Editor in Chief Bill   | 28 Feb 2017 11:07 a.m. PST |
Which naval engagements in WWII would you rank in the top five? |
 T Callahan  | 28 Feb 2017 11:43 a.m. PST |
Coral Sea – First naval battle where combatants ships did not sight each other.
Midway – Destroyed Japanese offensive carrier ability.
Philippine Sea – Finished what Midway started. Destroyed Japanese ability to mount any type of carrier offensive.
Battle Off Samar – Part of the largest naval battle in history Battle of Leyte Gulf failure of the Japanese to finish the job.
Surigao Strait – Battle lines shoot it out, also part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Terry |
| slugbalancer | 28 Feb 2017 11:53 a.m. PST |
Operation Pedastal for sheer drama. |
 Herkybird | 28 Feb 2017 12:20 p.m. PST |
Operation Neptune
Midway
Arctic Convoys
Battle of the Atlantic
Hunting the Bismarck |
| David Manley | 28 Feb 2017 12:22 p.m. PST |
North Cape
Barents Sea
Midway
Java Sea
Matapan |
| Tgunner | 28 Feb 2017 12:25 p.m. PST |
The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal should be in the top five! It was a brutal, brutal battle that lasted three days with massive air strikes and two nasty surface actions. That battle, forever, took the initiative away from Japan and set the US "on the road to Tokyo". link |
| willlucv | 28 Feb 2017 12:47 p.m. PST |
Agreed on Guadalcanal and all the associated battles, the US/Australian Navies took an absolute pasting but hung in there and turned the tide, in association with the land offensive. The Bismarck episode was truly fascinating, I never get bored with that story. The battle of the Atlantic defined the war in the West, the Allies were forced to tie up masses of warships to try and prevent the U boat menace. And Midway and Leyte Gulf, enough said. |
| emckinney | 28 Feb 2017 1:25 p.m. PST |
Top five on what basis? Historical impact? Drama? Gameability? my favorite is Second Guadalcanal, which demonstrated the overwhelming power of radar. Despite all sorts of disadvantages, the Washington essentially waltzed up to the Kirishma in the dark and one-punched her. It's something of a forgotten moment; even battlecruisers shouldn't go down quite that fast. Washington then found herself in what was supposed to be the worst possible situation for a capital ship: alone, in restricted waters, at night, surrounded by enemy cruisers and destroyers. With a combination of skill and luck, Washington walked away without a scratch and didn't ground in the shallow waters. |
| willlucv | 28 Feb 2017 1:56 p.m. PST |
Sadly South Dakota wasn't so lucky. Also contrast with Savo Island, which was an allied disaster only mitigated by the Japanese failure to destroy the troop transports. Those Japanese destroyers and long lance torpedoes were lethal. |
| Allen57 | 28 Feb 2017 2:52 p.m. PST |
Midway
The Malta and North Cape convoys
Battle of the Atlantic
Guadalcanal (Savo, etc.)
Coral Sea
Leyte Gulf |
| 21eRegt | 28 Feb 2017 4:13 p.m. PST |
I hate these question, but like a traffic wreck are drawn to look. Operation Pedestal
1st/2nd Guadalcanal
Sink the Bismarck
Battle of Coral Sea
Either Battle for the Atlantic or Battle of the Murmansk Convoy. |
| Patrick Sexton | 28 Feb 2017 4:44 p.m. PST |
Interesting? Important? Both? I would pick The Battle off Samar, The Battle of Leyte Gulf, The Battle of Narvik, The Battle of Sunda Strait, Midway. |
| Rod I Robertson | 28 Feb 2017 5:30 p.m. PST |
Pearl Habour
Matapan
Leyte Gulf
Battle of the Atlantic
Midway Perhaps I would add Mers el Kebir and Coral Sea but there is no room left. Cheers and good gaming.
Rod Robertson. |
| Tgunner | 28 Feb 2017 6:09 p.m. PST |
Yeah, I know. There are so many actions out there that were so important. How can you pick just five??? |
| emckinney | 28 Feb 2017 11:55 p.m. PST |
"Sadly South Dakota wasn't so lucky." True, but many of South Dakota's wounds were literally self-inflicted. Having your chief engineer cripple the ship in the middle of a fight is not the road to victory, and doesn't say much about the capabilities of the ship or its technology. |
| Pontius | 01 Mar 2017 2:14 a.m. PST |
Ranked by what criteria?
Overall impact on the war, playability as a wargame, drama?
This is one of those questions like, "which was the best warship?" that requires clarification |
| Bozkashi Jones | 01 Mar 2017 1:23 p.m. PST |
Despite the lack of criteria I'm happy to enter into a Top 5 – it reminds me of the Nick Hornby novel High Fidelity… Based purely on what I find most interesting/dramatic (and apologies that my choices are Anglo-centric) I go for: 1) Barents Sea – half a dozen small destroyers hold off 6 big destroyers with 5.9" guns and 2 heavy cruisers long enough for 2 light cruisers to arrive and chase them off
2) 2nd Narvik – Warspite in the fjords! If replayed I'd actually have to make some scenery
3) Calabria – fleet action in the Med – gotta love that
4) Java Sea – for the sheer drama and tragedy
5) Malacca Strait – RN destroyers v. Japanese heavy cruiser – a classic destroyer action Nick |
