Why flawed warships can still be interesting

Are there terrible ships that you nevertheless like?

Personal favourites include ambitious early American battleships, French designs, Graf Zeppelin, Yubari and American cruisers, with affection for their appearance or ingenuity surviving criticism of their performance.

Early American battleships attract sympathy because their designers faced renewed demands after years of inadequate investment in shipyards and supporting technology. French designs provoke disagreement over whether fitting more guns compensated for shortcomings in individual weapons, with Lyon's sixteen-gun layout as the example. Graf Zeppelin is admired for its appearance while receiving a strongly negative assessment as a carrier. Yubari is also liked, with its Second World War employment regarded as a poor fit for the ship. Northampton and Omaha cruisers are liked for their unusual designs even while their arrangement is criticised. Another view is that the Northamptons performed reasonably and often served as carrier escorts. These are personal and sometimes conflicting judgments, rather than a formal ranking of the ships.