Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 38:46-40:33

Warship classes with punishing seakeeping

Small Russian and Chinese corvettes draw modern criticism, while Flower, Castle, and Dunkerque classes illustrate uncomfortable Second World War behavior.

Castle Class CorvettesCorvettesDunkerque Class BattleshipsFlower Class CorvettesSeakeepingShip Design
Watch at this timeFull video guide
Question

Which ship class had the worst seakeeping from the Second World War to the present?

Short answer

Small Russian and Chinese corvettes are modern candidates, while Flower, Castle, and especially Dunkerque classes stand out for the Second World War.

Notes

Poor seakeeping depends on era and ship size, so there is no single universal loser. Small Russian and Chinese corvettes are modern examples, including a Chinese ship photographed rolling so violently that its gun appears at risk. The Flower class was famously lively, while Castle-class corvettes could be very wet. Among larger Second World War ships, the Dunkerque class was exceptionally uncomfortable for its size.