Cruisers fare best in public memory of wartime navies

Which wartime warship type is most overrated or underrated in public perception?

Cruisers probably fare best, aided by museum visibility and broader recognition than carriers or battleships receive.

British carrier service is often forgotten outside famous episodes such as Taranto, while battleships are flattened into a story of obsolescence. HMS Belfast gives cruisers a prominent physical symbol in central London and helps keep the type visible in public history. American carrier memory is powerful but concentrated heavily on USS Enterprise, leaving less room for a broad popular picture of the whole carrier force. Cruisers and, at times, destroyers consequently enjoy a more balanced reputation than their less visible operational history might otherwise produce.