[Wulfmann]

I have studied battleship design and history since about 1960.

There are different ways to grade these and since we are talking WWI (you can not compare a 1965 F1 car to a 2207. Can you?)

Warpsite is the epitome of the spirit of the Royal Navy. She was in so many places and never failed to deliver. Even when they disgracefully decided to scrap her she broke free and embedded herself on the rocks defiant to the end.

Bismarck by deed, no doubt of all modern warships she sailed behind enemy lines (not under) blasted the symbol of the Royal Navy (Who's name was forever changed from "The Mighty Hood" to "Sunk by the Bismarck"!!!) and died much like the gallant 300 at Thermopylae.
While Cameron is off IMO as Bismarck was actually sinking the fact the crew scuttled the ship was to prevent the disgrace of being boarded. He (Captain Lindenmann asked Bismarck be so addressed) sits proudly on the ocean floor majestically. More movies, TV documentaries books articles have been written about this warship than any other in history.

Best, technically IMO, the 4 Iowa class battleships. of all completed battleships.
Had the H-39 been built it would (???) have been in the same category.
Yamato was over sized but mediocre. Her 18.1 inch guns were big but about equal to the excellent 16/55s of the Iowa. In a straight fight I would bet on Iowa. Superior fire control, able to dictate the range at her choosing but luck would really be the deciding factor in the end.
Vanquard was a great design but here WWI main armament was vastly inferior to Iowa's main guns. V was the best the Royal Navy ever built but its like getting the fastest Indy racer to the track a week after the race.
Bismarck was from an earlier class and one size smaller so not fair to compare. Bis and the South Dakota would have been a good match and Richelieu with a German or British crew would also have been their equal.

Best capital ship of WWI, IMO was the Derrflinger and more than any other ship pointed the way to the modern battleship. As to deeds well Derrflinger certainly took a punch and delivered knock out blows but all the German battlecruisers were of the same spirit and that unit of Hippers was ton for ton the baddest bunch in WWI.

I spent a day on the Texas and got a special inside tour of her. Went down into the magazines, even sat in the captain's chair.
Too bad more are not preserved and that takes us back to Warspite the battleship that earned the right above all others to be preserved. Sad and she would have been better off sunk maybe where ships of similar stature survive say 200 miles or so west of Brest!

Wulfmann