In WWII, the aircraft carrier found its place in battle. Both the Allies and the Axis used carriers to wield the combined might of sea and air power.

The Bismarck was one of the biggest battleships that Germany ever built, a massive hulk of metal and weaponry. She was caught in the open sea while heading to port for repairs, and destroyed by Allied ships and planes.

"Big E" was a nickname for the USS Enterprise (CV-6), which served during World War II. The Big E was one of the U.S. Navy's most critical weapons in the Pacific Theater.

Britain, of course, built Queen Elizabeth-class battleships for the war. Commissioned during WWI, they also saw a lot of action in the second great war.

The Yamato was a Japanese battleship -- the biggest battleship ever built by man. It was armed to the teeth with nine Type 94 (18.1-inch guns), the largest guns ever placed on a ship of war.

All seven soviet Kirov-class cruisers survived the war. Only four of the ships engaged in real combat with Germany.

When the war started, the USS Wasp (CV-7) was not America's most advanced carrier, and she was perceived as too vulnerable for the maelstrom of the Pacific. But in the end, that's where she wound up … and a Japanese sub sent her to her death.

The USS Arizona was a huge battleship that was launched during the First World War. She was on the scene when the Japanese launched their surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

During Japan's surprise attack, a bomb struck weapons aboard the USS Arizona, triggering a cataclysmic explosion. The ship was sunk in the harbor, and nearly 1,200 sailors were killed in the disaster.

The Soviet Union deployed three big battleships during WWII. The Petropavlovsk was sunk in shallow waters near shore … so the Soviets left her there and used her as a offshore artillery base.

Submarines were stealthy in their underwater lair, but they were not invulnerable. Ships dropped big depth charges, which exploded at preset depths, in an effort to damage or destroy subs.

The Americans won a critical fight at the Battle of Midway. But it was no bloodless affair -- a Japanese submarine destroyed the USS Yorktown, and 141 sailors died with her.

The USS O'Bannon was a capable destroyer in WWII.

The USS O'Bannon earned more decorations than any other ship in its category. The ship received 17 battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation.

The USS Enterprise saw more battle action than any other American ship during the war. She earned 20 battle stars … and an eternal place in U.S. military history.

The Battle of Midway was a major turning point of the war, and Japan lost all four carriers that it sent into the fray. The USS Enterprise was undamaged in the battle's frenzy.

The Yamato was an incredible feat of shipbulding, 863 feet long. That made the Yamato about 60 feet longer than the gigantic Hindenberg zeppelin.

Battleships were still regarded as major weapons during WWII. They were huge floating arsenals, packed with guns and heavy armor … but they were also vulnerable to aircraft launched from carriers.

While WWII sent many American ships (and their sailors) to the bottom of the sea, the USS Enterprise, USS Saratoga, and USS Ranger survived the war.

The Yamato bristled with weaponry. In addition to her huge 18.1-inch, 6-inch, and 5-inch guns, she had an whopping 162 25 mm anti-aircraft guns. Enemy pilots knew the Yamato was trouble no matter how you approached her.

In the fall of 1944, the Battle of Leyte Gulf raged. The Japanese battleship Musashi was hit dozens of times by American bombs and torpedoes, and it finally sank below the waves.

At Midway, American dive bombers found their marks, blasting Kaga with bombs. Japan's officials made the decision to scuttle her before the Americans could capture the precious ship.

Her warplanes were her lifeblood. The Enterprise could carry about 90 aircraft during battles, extending her attack range by hundreds of miles.

Japanese leaders send the Yamato on a suicide mission to the Battle of Okinawa, planning to use the ship in a desperate last stand against the Americans. But Allied torpedo bombers sent the Yamato to a watery grave long before she reached Okinawa.

The USS Narwal was a highly decorated submarine -- it earned 15 WWII battle stars. She survived the war and was decommissioned in 1945.

Multiple times during the war, Japanese officials publicly announced the sinking of the USS Enterprise … only to find her massive hulk arriving at the scene of yet another battle. She was the "Gray Ghost," back from the dead, time and again.

The USS San Francisco was a New Orleans-class cruiser, and she survived the entire war, earning 17 battle stars along the way. In one brutal battle, both her admiral and captain were killed.

The Soviets did not prioritize navy spending during WWII, as they desperately funded their armies to stop the German invasion. They didn't have any carriers in WWII.

The USS Thresher was named after the thresher shark. The big sub ran 14 major war patrols, and engaged in battles, time and again. She earned 15 battle stars in WWII.

The HMS Barham was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship that fought in the Great War. But in 1941, a German U-boat struck her with a torpedo, and she sunk, taking with her more than 860 crew members.