WW2 hypothetical time: 1944, atlantic ocean, uss missouri (iowa class) vs Tirpitz (bismarck class). winner?

Question

to most people the easy answer is that the missouri should win but there are many bismarck loyalists who say otherwise. i want to see who has the facts on their side

now i will post some ship stats to show the bismarck fans what they have to work with:

IOWA CLASS:
57,470 tons full load
33kt, 15,000 nm at 15kt
belt 12.1 inch, armor deck 12 inch total
9x16" guns, 2700# shells, 43,000 yards
radar controlled guns 18 miles effective
protected fire control and rudder

BISMARCK CLASS
50,153 tons full load
30 kt, 8900 nm at 17kt
belt 12.6 in, armor deck 4.7 inch total
8x15" guns, 1750# shells, 39,000 yards
optic controlled guns, 14 miles effective
unprotected fire control and rudder

it seems that the stats are greatly favoring the iowa class with superior protection vs plunging shells, ship speed, steaming range, gun range, shell weight, protected fire control center, protected damage control center, independant armored rudders, and ability to shoot and maneuver at the same time.

okay bismarck guys, make an argument that counters all of these statistics!

Answer 1

I'd go with the Iowa class. It was a newer design, with larger guns and better fire control. The US Navy also really prided itself on the gunnery skills of it's battleship crews so they would have gotten the most out of the guns. It would have been a tough fight to be sure, the Bismark class were very capable ships. But in the end I think the newer, larger guns of the Iowa would have been the desiding factor.

The fearsome reputation of the German ships was not because they were the biggest or most dangerous in the world. Instead it was their threat as surface raiders attacking convoys that made them so feared. If a Battlehip or even a heavy cruiser were to attack a convoy they could probably wipe it out completely. Especially since the usual escorts were no match for such a ship. This required much heavier escorts for convoys. And even the Royal Navy did not have the ships necessary to provide battleship escorts for all the convoys they needed to protect.

Answer 2

Bismarck Vs Iowa

Answer 3

I'd have to go with the Missouri, simply because she displaced slightly more (meaning she had slightly more armor, basically), her main guns were larger, and, crucially, she had radar to aim her guns. When it comes to slugging it out between main battle fleet battleships, barring a Jutland-style engineering flaw (that allowed explosions in British turrets to reach the magazine far below, destroying the ship from within), the ship with the heavier and better aimed main battery fire wins. Since Missouri had radar aimed guns, she could continue the battle into the night, when Tirpitz would be completely blind - she'd be able to see the flame from Missouri's guns, but would have no idea if her own shells were falling on target or half a mile away.

Plus, the Missouri was faster, so she could offer battle on her terms, attacking at night, coming out of the sun, or hiding behind a fog bank if she wished, sailing away if it didn't look good. She was laid down four years later, in an era of rapid military technological improvements, so she probably also had other technical advantages. There's no chance that Tirpitz could get near enough for World War II era torpedoes to be useful, with such large main guns blazing away.

Answer 4

Side by side comparison (Tirpitz/Missouri layout):

Speed - (30.8knots/33knots) Missouri
Armor - Even split (variances in thickness per compartment)
Compliment - (2608/1851) Tirpitz
Aircraft - (Yes/No) Tirpitz
Radar - (No/Yes) Missouri
Surface Cannons - (36/19) Tirpitz
AA - (100/129) Missouri
Torpedo Capable - (Yes/No) Tirpitz

All in all, on a one-to-one fight, I'd take the Tirpitz for my money... I would however say that since the Missouri was generally supported well, if the fleets were to match up, I'd have to change my answer. Mighty Mo did a bangup job, and was a credit to the Navy, but the Tirpitz was at its time a force to be taken very seriously.

Wayne

Answer 5

Iowa Class were built almost 7 years after the Bismarck Class battleships (Bismarck and Tirpitz). To be a fair fight, they should be faced with the North Carolina Class battleships...and...Germans would have sunk all american fleet

Answer 6

The radar capability of the Missouri would have allowed it to defeat the Tirpitz at a range beyond the Tirpitz's effective gun range. The Missouri's superior speed would have let it come into range, achieve a firing solution and lay down an effective barrage of 16 inch shells from its nine main guns.

Answer 7

Yes. I've had to dissect a sheep kidney, a cow eye and a mouse in my Biology class. I don't enjoy dissecting because it makes me feel sad for the animals, but it's still interesting to learn about how their bodies and organs work. Heroyalhighnezz looks like a teacher's pet. ;)

Answer 8

uss missouri

Answer 9

it is not the size of the ship in the fight but the amount of fight in the ships. It would, therefore, be up to the individual crews and their training.