Ships the panel would choose to serve aboard

Which historical ship would the panel most like to serve aboard, and why?

Their choices include Midway for family history, Lion to influence Jutland-era practice, Nubian for an exceptional combat career, and Hermes to witness early carrier development.

One panelist chooses USS Midway during a grandfather's service in order to meet him. Dr. Clarke considers HMS Lion before Jutland, where intervention might address dangerous battlecruiser practices, before selecting a Tribal-class destroyer such as HMS Nubian for her extraordinary operational record. Destroyer actions do not always receive battle honors under the same conventions as capital-ship engagements, helping explain why Nubian can appear less decorated than Warspite despite constant fighting. HMS Hermes in the 1920s offers another appealing choice because a sailor could watch the Royal Navy work out carrier operations and even employ an aircraft carrier on anti-piracy patrols. The answers turn a personal prompt into several distinct windows on naval service and institutional change.