Five of History's STRANGEST Yet Useful Battleship Conversions

Throughout naval history, even the most powerful battleships were not immune to obsolescence. Yet, what makes many of these ships truly fascinating is not just their time in combat, but what became of them afterward. In this video, we explore some of the strangest and most inventive ways battleships were repurposed long after their days as front-line warships had come to an end.

One of the most remarkable examples is the American pre-dreadnought USS Kearsarge, a ship already known for its unusual design. After years of service, she was transformed into a massive crane ship, capable of lifting hundreds of tons and playing a critical role in naval shipyard operations. Far from fading into obscurity, Kearsarge helped construct and refit some of the most powerful warships of the Second World War, proving that even outdated vessels could remain indispensable.

Across the Atlantic, the Royal Navy took a different approach with HMS Agamemnon. Rather than scrapping the aging battleship, she was converted into a radio-controlled gunnery target ship. Stripped of her armament and heavily modified, she became a floating laboratory for testing naval gunfire and air attack effectiveness. These experiments provided valuable insights into armor protection and battlefield conditions, shaping future naval design and tactics.

The United States Navy also embraced experimentation with USS Mississippi, which was converted into an experimental auxiliary ship after World War II. Retaining only a portion of her original armament, Mississippi became a platform for testing new weapons systems, including early guided missiles. Her transformation highlights the rapid technological shift from traditional naval artillery to the missile age.

Meanwhile, HMS Iron Duke, once the flagship of Admiral Jellicoe at the Battle of Jutland, experienced a quieter but no less interesting transformation. Partially disarmed under naval treaty limitations, she served as a training ship and later as a base ship during World War II. Even after sustaining bomb damage, Iron Duke remained in service, illustrating how older battleships could still fulfill valuable supporting roles.

Perhaps the most ambitious conversions came from Japan, where the Ise-class battleships were rebuilt into hybrid “battlecarriers” following the loss of multiple fleet carriers at Midway. By removing rear gun turrets and installing a flight deck and catapults, the Japanese hoped to supplement their carrier force. However, the design proved limited, as the ships could not recover aircraft and ultimately saw little effective use in combat.

Finally, we examine the Soviet battleship Marat, which, after suffering catastrophic damage during the Siege of Leningrad, was salvaged and returned to service as a floating battery. Even more intriguing were postwar plans to rebuild the ship using parts from another battleship, effectively creating a hybrid vessel. While these plans were never realized, they reflect the evolving role of heavy naval artillery in a world increasingly dominated by air power.

Together, these stories reveal a common theme: adaptability. Whether driven by necessity, innovation, or treaty limitations, these conversions demonstrate how navies around the world sought to extract every ounce of value from their most powerful ships.

Sources/Other Reading:

https://www.amazon.com/Castles-Steel-Britain-Germany-Winning/dp/0345408780

https://www.amazon.com/British-Battleships-World-War-One/dp/1591140536

https://www.amazon.com/Jutland-1916-Cassell-Military-Paperbacks/dp/030436648X

https://www.amazon.com/Jutland-Unfinished-Personal-History-Controversy-ebook/dp/B01LXCAJJ1/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=580696069162&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9016045&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=415891371355601087&hvtargid=kwd-174868812550&hydadcr=22569_13493349&keywords=jutland+the+unfinished+battle&qid=1686091014&s=books&sr=1-1

https://www.amazon.com/Kaisers-Battlefleet-German-Capital-1871-1918/dp/1848322291

https://www.amazon.com/Ironclads-Dreadnoughts-Development-Battleship-1864-1918/dp/1804511846

https://www.amazon.com/U-S-Battleships-Illustrated-Design-History/dp/1682477584

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/w/wyoming-iii.html

https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/us-navy-ships/battleships/utah-bb-31.html

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