battleships

Battleships are large, heavily armored warships designed to engage enemy fleets with powerful, turreted gunfire. They are built to project naval power through concentrated fire and to withstand significant damage in fleet battles. Traditional battleships combined thick armor, heavy main batteries, and robust propulsion to operate as the core of naval formations.

The concept evolved from 19th-century ironclad and steel-hulled ships into vessels dominated by large-caliber guns mounted in armored turrets. The dreadnought revolution of the early 20th century introduced uniform, large-caliber main batteries and improved propulsion, making earlier ships obsolete. In the two World Wars, battleships served as central assets in many fleets, but their dominance declined as naval air power and submarines gained effectiveness. Notable engagements in World War II demonstrated the rising importance of aircraft carriers, though battleships still played roles in some actions, including actions at sea during the latter stages of the war.

Postwar trends further reduced their prominence. International treaties limited construction and armament, and naval doctrine increasingly prioritized carriers, missiles, and submarines over traditional gun-armed battleships. By the late 20th century, front-line battleships were retired or converted for other roles, and many were preserved as museum ships or scrapped.

Today there are no active battleships in major navies. The term remains a historical designation for a class of capital ships that played a decisive role in early modern naval warfare and helped shape the shift toward air power and guided missiles in modern maritime strategy.