Yamato-class battleship

The Yamato-class battleships ( 大 和 型 戦 艦 , Yamato-

gata senkan) were two battleships of the Imperial
Japanese Navy (IJN), Yamato and Musashi, laid down
leading up to World War II and completed as designed. A
third hull laid down in 1940 was converted to an aircraft
carrier, Shinano, during construction.

Displacing 72,000 long tons (73,000 t) at full load, the

completed battleships were the heaviest ever constructed.
The class carried the largest naval artillery ever fitted to a Yamato undergoing trials
warship, nine 460-millimetre (18.1 in) naval guns, each
capable of firing 1,460 kg (3,220 lb) shells over 42 km Class overview
(26 mi). Name: Yamato class

Due to the threat of American submarines and aircraft Builders: Kure Naval Arsenal
carriers, both Yamato and Musashi spent the majority of Yokosuka Naval Arsenal
their careers in naval bases at Brunei, Truk, and Kure—
Mitsubishi Shipyard, Nagasaki
deploying on several occasions in response to American
raids on Japanese bases. Operators: Imperial Japanese Navy
Preceded by: Nagato class (actual)
All three ships were sunk by the U.S. Navy, Musashi
while participating in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October Number 13 class (planned)
1944, as part of Admiral Kurita's Center Force, lost to
Succeeded by: A-150 class (planned)
American carrier aircraft; the still incomplete Shinano
was torpedoed ten days after her commissioning in Cost: 250,000,897 JPY[1]
November 1944 by the submarine USS Archerfish; and Built: 1937–1942
Yamato, also ravaged by carrier planes, in April 1945
In commission: 1941–1945
during Operation Ten-Go.
Planned: 5
Completed: 3 (2 battleships, 1 converted to
Contents aircraft carrier)
Cancelled: 2
Background
Lost: 3
Design
Ships General characteristics (as built)
Yamato Type: Battleship
Musashi
Displacement: 69,988 long tons (71,111 t)
Shinano
(standard)[2]
Warships Number 111 and 797
72,000 long tons (73,000 t) (full
Specifications load).[2]
Armaments
Primary armament Length: 256 m (839 ft 11 in)
Secondary armament (waterline)[3]
Anti-aircraft armament 263 m (862 ft 10 in) (o/a)[3]
 Armour Beam: 38.9 m (127 ft 7 in)[3]
Propulsion Draught: 10.4 m (34 ft 1 in)
"Super Yamato"-class battleships Installed 12 water-tube boilers
Destruction of records power: 150,000 shp (110 MW)[3]
Cultural significance Propulsion: 4 shafts; 4 steam turbines
See also Speed: 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)[3]
Notes Range: 7,200 nmi (13,300 km;
Footnotes 8,300 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h;
References 18 mph)[3]

Further reading Complement: 2,767[4]

External links Armament: 3 × triple 46 cm (18.1 in)

guns[2]
4 × triple 15.5 cm (6.1 in)
Background guns[2]
6 × twin 12.7 cm (5 in) guns[2]
The design of the Yamato-class battleships was shaped by
expansionist movements within the Japanese 8 × triple 25 mm (1 in) AA guns
government, Japanese industrial power, and the need for 2 × twin 13.2 mm (0.52 in)
a fleet powerful enough to intimidate likely machine guns[5]
adversaries.[6]. Most importantly, the latter, in the form of
Armor: 650 mm (26 in) on face of main
the Kantai Kessen (“Decisive Battle Doctrine”), a naval
strategy adopted by the Imperial Japanese Navy prior to turrets[5]
the Second World War, in which the Japanese navy 410 mm (16 in) side armor
would win a war by fighting and winning a single, (400 mm (16 in) on
decisive naval action. Musashi),[5] inclined 20
degrees
200 mm (8 in) armored deck
(75%)
230 mm (9 in) armored deck
(25%)[5]
Aircraft 4 Aichi E13A, 3 Mitsubishi F1M
carried: 2 catapults (Yamato, Musashi)
Musashi, August 1942, taken from 47 aircraft (Shinano)
the bow
After the end of the First World War, many navies—including those
of the United States, the United Kingdom, and Imperial Japan—
continued and expanded construction programs that had begun during the conflict. The enormous costs
associated with these programs pressured their government leaders to begin a disarmament conference. On 8
July 1921, the United States' Secretary of State Charles Evans Hughes invited delegations from the other
major maritime powers—France, Italy, Japan, and the United Kingdom—to come to Washington, D.C. and
discuss a possible end to the naval arms race. The subsequent Washington Naval Conference resulted in the
Washington Naval Treaty. Along with many other provisions, it limited all future battleships to a standard
displacement of 35,000 long tons (36,000 t; 39,000 short tons) and a maximum gun caliber of 16 inches
(406 mm). It also agreed that the five countries would not construct more capital ships for ten years and
would not replace any ship that survived the treaty until it was at least twenty years old.[7][8]
In the 1930s, the Japanese government began a shift towards ultranationalist militancy.[9] This movement
called for the expansion of the Japanese Empire to include much of the Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia.
The maintenance of such an empire—spanning 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from China to Midway Island—
required a sizable fleet capable of sustained control of territory.[10] Although all of Japan's battleships built
prior to the Yamato class had been completed before 1921—as the Washington Treaty had prevented any
more from being completed—all had been either reconstructed or significantly modernized, or both, in the
1930s.[11] This modernization included, among other things, additional speed and firepower, which the
Japanese intended to use to conquer and defend their aspired-to empire.[12] When Japan withdrew from the
League of Nations in 1934 over the Mukden Incident, it also renounced all treaty obligations, [13] freeing it
to build warships larger than those of the other major maritime powers.[14]

Japan's intention to acquire resource-producing colonies in the Pacific and Southeast Asia would likely lead
to confrontation with the United States,[15] thus the U.S. became Japan's primary potential enemy. The U.S.
possessed significantly greater industrial power than Japan, with 32.2% of worldwide industrial production
compared to Japan's 3.5%.[16] Furthermore, several leading members of the United States Congress had
pledged "to outbuild Japan three to one in a naval race."[17] Consequently, as Japanese industrial output
could not compete with American industrial power,[6] Japanese ship designers developed plans for new
battleships individually superior to their counterparts in the United States Navy.[18] Each of these battleships
would be capable of engaging multiple enemy capital ships simultaneously, eliminating the need to expend
as much industrial effort as the U.S. on battleship construction.[6]

Design
Preliminary studies for a new class of battleships began after Japan's
departure from the League of Nations and its renunciation of the
Washington and London naval treaties; from 1934 to 1936, 24 initial
designs were put forth. These early plans varied greatly in armament,
propulsion, endurance, and armor. Main batteries fluctuated between
460 mm (18.1 in) and 406 mm (16 in) guns, while the secondary
armaments were composed of differing numbers of 155 mm (6.1 in),
127 mm (5 in), and 25 mm (1 in) guns. Propulsion in most of the
designs was a hybrid diesel-turbine combination, though one relied
solely on diesel and another planned for only turbines. Endurance in the
designs had, at 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph), a low of 6,000 nautical
miles (11,000 km; 6,900 mi) in design A-140-J2 to a high of 9,200 nmi
(17,000 km; 10,600 mi) in designs A-140A and A-140-B2. Armor
varied between providing protection from the fire of 406 mm guns to
enough protection against 460 mm guns.[19]
The bridge of Musashi
After these had been reviewed, two of the original twenty-four were
finalized as possibilities, A-140-F3 and A-140-F4. Differing primarily
in their range (4,900 nmi (9,100 km; 5,600 mi) versus 7,200 nmi (13,300 km; 8,300 mi) at 16 knots
(30 km/h; 18 mph)), they were used in the formation of the final preliminary study, which was finished on
20 July 1936. Tweaks to that design resulted in the definitive design of March 1937,[20] which was put forth
by Rear-Admiral Fukuda Keiji;[21] an endurance of 7,200 nmi was finally decided upon, and the hybrid
diesel-turbine propulsion was abandoned in favor of turbines. The diesels were removed from the design
because of problems with the engines aboard the submarine tender Taigei.[20] Their engines, which were
similar to the ones that were going to be mounted in the new battleships, required a "major repair and
maintenance effort"[22] to keep them running due to a "fundamental design defect".[22] In addition, if the
engines failed entirely, the 200 mm (7.9 in) armored citadel deck roof that protected the proposed diesel
engine rooms and attendant machinery spaces, would severely hamper any attempt to remove and replace
them.[23]

The final design called for a standard displacement of 64,000 long tons (65,000 t) and a full-load
displacement of 69,988 long tons (71,111 t),[24] making the ships of the class the largest battleships yet
designed, and the largest battleships ever constructed. The design called for a main armament of nine
460 mm naval guns, mounted in three triple-gun turrets—each of which weighed more than a 1930s-era
destroyer.[21] The designs were quickly approved by the Japanese Naval high command,[25] over the
objections of naval aviators, who argued for the construction of aircraft carriers rather than
battleships.[26][A 1] In all, five Yamato-class battleships were planned.[6]

Ships
Although five Yamato-class vessels had been planned in 1937, only
three—two battleships and a converted aircraft carrier—were
completed. All three vessels were built in extreme secrecy, to
prevent American intelligence officials from learning of their
existence and specifications;[6] indeed, the United States' Office of
Naval Intelligence only became aware of Yamato and Musashi by
name in late 1942. At this early time, their assumptions on the class's
specifications were quite far off; while they were correct on their Yamato and Musashi anchored in the
length, the class was given as having a beam of 110 feet (34 m)—in waters off of the Truk Islands in 1943
actuality, it was about 127 feet (39 m) and a displacement of 40,000–
57,000 tons (actually, 69,000 tons). In addition, the main armament
of Yamato class was given as nine 16-inch (406 mm) guns as late as July 1945, four months after Yamato
was sunk.[27][28] Both Jane's Fighting Ships and the Western media also misreported the specifications of
the ships. In September 1944, Jane's Fighting Ships listed the displacement of both Yamato and Musashi as
45,000 tons.[29] Similarly, both the New York Times and the Associated Press reported that the two ships
displaced 45,000 tons with a speed of 30 knots,[30] and even after the sinking of Yamato in April 1945, The
Times of London continued to give 45,000 tons as the ship's displacement.[31] Nevertheless, the existence of
the ships—and their supposed violation of naval treaties—heavily influenced American naval engineers in
the design of the 60,500-ton Montana-class battleships, though they were not designed specifically to
counter the Yamato class.[32]
 Laid
Name Namesake Builder Launched Commissioned Fate
down
Sunk in air
Yamato 4 attack during
8 August 16 December
Yamato Province/Great Kure Naval Arsenal November Operation Ten-
1940 1941
Harmony 1937 Go, 7 April
1945
Sunk in air
attack during
1
Musashi Mitsubishi Heavy 29 March the Battle of
Musashi November 5 August 1942
Province Industries, Nagasaki 1938 the Sibuyan
1940
Sea, 24
October 1944
Converted into
aircraft carrier,
July 1942
Shinano Yokosuka Naval 4 May 8 October 19 November Torpedoed and
Shinano
Province Arsenal 1940 1944 1944 sunk by USS
Archerfish, 28
November
1944
Cancelled
March 1942
Warship 7
when 30%
Number Kii Province Kure Naval Arsenal November N/A
complete
111 (Kii) 1940
Broken up in
place
Warship
Cancelled
Number N/A
during planning
797

Yamato

Yamato was ordered in March 1937, laid down 4 November 1937,

launched 8 August 1940, and commissioned 16 December 1941.[21]
She underwent training exercises until 27 May 1942, when the
vessel was deemed "operable" by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto.[21]
Joining the 1st Battleship Division, Yamato served as the flagship of
the Japanese Combined Fleet during the Battle of Midway in June
1942, yet did not engage enemy forces during the battle.[33] The next
two years were spent intermittently between Truk and Kure naval Yamato on trials in 1941
bases, with her sister ship Musashi replacing Yamato as flagship of
the Combined Fleet.[21] During this time period, Yamato, as part of
the 1st Battleship Division, deployed on multiple occasions to counteract American carrier-raids on
Japanese island bases. On 25 December 1943, she suffered major torpedo damage at the hands of
USS Skate, and was forced to return to Kure for repairs and structural upgrades.[21]

In 1944—following extensive antiaircraft and secondary battery upgrades—Yamato joined the Second Fleet
in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, serving as an escort to a Japanese Carrier Division.[34] In October 1944,
as part of Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita's Center Force for the Battle of Leyte Gulf, she used her naval artillery
against an enemy vessel for the only time, helping sink the American escort carrier Gambier Bay and the
destroyer Johnston before she was forced away by torpedoes from Heermann, which put her out of
combat.[35] Lightly damaged at Kure in March 1945, the ship was then rearmed in preparation for
operations.[21] Yamato was deliberately expended in a suicide mission as part of Operation Ten-Go, sent to
use her big guns to provide relief to Japanese forces engaged in the Battle of Okinawa. She never came
close, sunk en route on 7 April 1945 by 386 American carrier aircraft . After receiving 10 torpedo and 7
bomb hits she capsized, taking 2,498 of the 2,700 crew-members with her, including Vice-Admiral Seiichi
Itō.[28] The sinking of Yamato was seen as a major American victory, and Hanson W. Baldwin, the military
editor of The New York Times, wrote that "the sinking of the new Japanese battleship Yamato ... is striking
proof—if any were needed—of the fatal weakness of Japan in the air and at sea".[36]

Musashi

Musashi was ordered in March 1937, laid down 29 March 1938,

launched 1 November 1940, and commissioned 5 August 1942.
From September to December 1942, she was involved in surface and
air-combat training exercises at Hashirajima. On 11 February 1943,
Musashi relieved her sister ship Yamato as flagship of the Combined
Fleet. Until July 1944, Musashi shifted between the naval bases of
Truk, Yokosuka, Brunei, and Kure. On 29 March 1944, she
sustained moderate damage near the bow from one torpedo fired by
the American submarine Tunny. After repairs and refitting
Musashi departing Brunei in October
throughout April 1944, Musashi joined the 1st Battleship Division in 1944
Okinawa.[37]

In June 1944, as part of the Second Fleet, the ship escorted Japanese
aircraft carriers during the Battle of the Philippine Sea.[37] In October 1944, she left Brunei as part of
Admiral Takeo Kurita's Center Force during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.[38] Musashi was sunk 24 October
during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, taking 17 bomb and 19 torpedo hits, with the loss of 1,023 of her
2,399-man crew.[39]

Shinano

Shinano, originally Warship Number 110, was laid down as the third
member of the Yamato class, albeit with a slightly modified design.
Most of the original armor values were slightly reduced, including
the belt, deck, and turrets. The savings in weight this entailed meant
that improvements could be made in other areas, including added
protection for fire-control and lookout positions. In addition, the Shinano in November 1944
12.7 cm (5.0 in) secondary armament on the first two Yamatos was
to have been replaced by the 10 cm (3.9 in)/65 caliber Type 98 gun.
Although smaller, this gun was superior to the 127 mm, possessing a significantly greater muzzle velocity,
maximum range, anti-aircraft ceiling and rate of fire.[40]

In June 1942, following the Japanese defeat at Midway, construction of Shinano was suspended, and the hull
was gradually rebuilt as an aircraft carrier.[41] She was designed as a 64,800-ton support vessel that would
be capable of ferrying, repairing and replenishing the airfleets of other carriers.[42][43] Although she was
originally scheduled for commissioning in early 1945,[44] the construction of the ship was accelerated after
the Battle of the Philippine Sea;[45] this resulted in Shinano being launched on 5 October 1944 and
commissioned a little more than a month later on 19 November. Shinano departed Yokosuka for Kure nine
days later. In the early morning on 29 November, Shinano was hit by four torpedoes from
USS Archerfish.[41] Although the damage seemed manageable, poor flooding control caused the vessel to
list to starboard. Shortly before midday, she capsized and sank, taking 1,435 of her 2,400-man crew with
her.[41] To this day, Shinano is the largest naval vessel to have been sunk by a submarine.[46][47]
Warships Number 111 and 797

Warship Number 111, never named, was planned as the fourth member of the Yamato class and the second
ship to incorporate the improvements of Shinano. The ship's keel was laid after Yamato's launch in August
1940 and construction continued until December 1941, when the Japanese began to question their ambitious
capital ship building program—with the coming of war, the resources essential in constructing the ship
would become much harder to obtain. As a result, the hull of the fourth vessel, only about 30% complete,
was taken apart and scrapped in 1942; materials from this were used in the conversions of Ise and Hyūga to
hybrid battleship/aircraft carriers.[48][49][A 2]

The fifth vessel, Warship Number 797, was planned as an improved Shinano but was never laid down. In
addition to the modifications made to that ship, 797 would have removed the two 155 mm (6.1 in) wing
turrets in favor of additional 100 mm guns; authors William Garzke and Robert Dulin estimate that this
would have allowed for 24 of these weapons. Yamato was eventually modified in 1944 to something akin to
this.[50]

Specifications

Armaments

Primary armament

The Yamato-class battleships had primary armaments consisting of

three triple-mounted 46 cm/45 caliber Type 94 naval guns – the
largest guns ever fitted to a warship,[6] although they were officially
designated as the 40 cm/45 caliber (15.9 in) Type 94[51] – each of
which weighed 2,774 tonnes for the complete mount.[52] Each gun
was 21.13 metres (69.3 ft) long and weighed 147.3 metric tons
(145.0 long tons).,[53] and could fire 1,460 kg (3,219 lb) armour-
piercing shells and 1,360 kg (2,998 lb) high explosive shells out to
42.0 kilometres (26.1 mi) at a rate of 1½ to 2 shells per minute.[6][51] Yamato's port-side anti-aircraft
The main guns were also capable of firing 1,360 kg (2,998 lb) 3 armament as depicted on the model
Shiki tsûjôdan ("Common Type 3") anti-aircraft shells.[A 3] A time of the ship at the 'Yamato Museum' in
fuze was used to set how far away the shells would explode Kure
(although they were commonly set to go off 1,000 metres (1,100 yd)
away). Upon detonation, each of these shells would release 900
incendiary-filled tubes in a 20° cone facing towards incoming aircraft; a bursting charge was then used to
explode the shell itself so that more steel splinters were created, and then the tubes would ignite. The tubes
would burn for five seconds at about 3,000 °C (5,430 °F) and would start a flame that was around 5 metres
(16 ft) long. Even though they comprised 40% of the total main ammunition load by 1944,[51] 3 Shiki
tsûjôdan were rarely used in combat against enemy aircraft due to the severe damage the firing of these
shells inflicted on the barrels of the main guns;[54] indeed, one of the shells may have exploded early and
disabled one of Musashi's guns during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea.[51] The shells were intended to put up
a barrage of flame that any aircraft attempting to attack would have to navigate through. However, U.S.
pilots considered these shells to be more of a pyrotechnics display than a competent anti-aircraft weapon.[51]

Secondary armament
In the original design, the Yamato class' secondary armament
comprised twelve 15.5 cm/60 Type 3 guns mounted in four triple
turrets (one forward, two amidships, one aft),[52] and twelve 12.7
cm/40 Type 89 guns in six double-turrets (three on each side
amidships).[52] These had become available once the Mogami-class
cruisers were rearmed with 20.3-centimetre (8.0 in) guns.[55] With a
55.87-kilogram (123.2 lb) AP shell, the guns had a maximum range Musashi as she appeared in 1942;
of 27,400 metres (30,000 yd) at an elevation of 45 degrees. Their compare to the 1944 and 1945
rate of fire was five rounds per minute.[56] The two midships turrets configurations of the class, which
were removed in 1944 in favor of additional 127-millimetre (5.0 in) removed the amidship 15.5 cm
heavy and 25-millimetre (0.98 in) light anti-aircraft guns. turrets to make way for additional
anti-aircraft guns of 12.7 cm/40 Type
Initially, heavy anti-aircraft defence was provided by a dozen 40- 89 and 25 mm Type 96 varieties
calibre 127-millimetre Type 89 dual-purpose guns in six twin turrets,
three on each side of the superstructure. In 1944, the two amidship
15.5 cm turrets were removed to make room for three additional
127-millimetre mounts on each side, bringing the total number of
these gun to twenty-four.[57] When firing at surface targets, the guns
had a range of 14,700 metres (16,100 yd); they had a maximum
ceiling of 9,440 metres (30,970 ft) at their maximum elevation of 90
degrees. Their maximum rate of fire was 14 rounds a minute; their
sustained rate of fire was around eight rounds per minute.[58] Musashi as she appeared in mid-
1944

Anti-aircraft armament

The Yamato class originally carried twenty-four 25 mm Type 96

anti-aircraft guns, primarily mounted amidships.[52] In 1944, both
Yamato and Musashi underwent significant anti-aircraft upgrades in
preparation for operations in Leyte Gulf[59] using the space freed up
by the removal of both midships 15.5 cm (6.1 in) secondary battery
turrets,[60] and ended up with a complement of twenty-four 12.7 cm Yamato as she appeared c. 1945
(5.0 in) guns, [60] and one hundred and sixty-two 25 mm (0.98 in) (specific configuration from 7 April
antiaircraft guns, [60] The 25 mm anti-aircraft guns could tilt at 90- 1945)
degree angles to aim at planes directly overhead, but their
mountings' lack of protection made their gunnery crews extremely
vulnerable to direct enemy fire.[61] These 25-millimetre (0.98 in) guns had an effective range of 1,500–
3,000 metres (1,600–3,300 yd), and an effective ceiling of 5,500 metres (18,000 ft) at an elevation of +85
degrees. The maximum effective rate of fire was only between 110 and 120 rounds per minute because of
the frequent need to change the fifteen-round magazines.[62] This was the standard Japanese light AA gun
during World War II; it suffered from severe design shortcomings that rendered it a largely ineffective
weapon. According to historian Mark Stille, the twin and triple mounts "lacked sufficient speed in train or
elevation; the gun sights were unable to handle fast targets; the gun exhibited excessive vibration; the
magazine was too small, and ... the gun produced excessive muzzle blast".[63]

The class was also provided with two twin mounts for the licence-built 13.2 mm Type 93 anti-aircraft
machine guns, one on each side of the bridge. The maximum range of these guns was 6,500 metres
(7,100 yd), but the effective range against aircraft was only 1,000 metres (1,100 yd). The cyclic rate was
adjustable between 425 and 475 rounds per minute; the need to change 30-round magazines reduced the
effective rate to 250 rounds per minute.[64]
The armament on Shinano was quite different from that of her sister vessels due to her conversion. As the
carrier was designed for a support role, significant anti-aircraft weaponry was installed on the vessel: sixteen
12.7 cm (5.0 in) guns,[65] one hundred and twenty-five 25 mm (0.98 in) anti-aircraft guns,[65] and three
hundred and thirty-six 5-inch (13 cm) anti-aircraft rocket launchers in twelve twenty-eight barrel turrets.[66]
None of these guns were ever used against an enemy vessel or aircraft.[66]

Armour

Designed to engage multiple enemy battleships simultaneously,[4] the Yamatos

were fitted with heavy armour plating described by naval historian Mark Stille as
providing "an unparalleled degree of protection in surface combat".[67] The main
belt of armour along the side of the vessel was up to 410 millimetres (16.1 in)
thick,[6] with transverse bulkheads of the armoured citadel up to 355 millimetres
(14.0 in) thick.[6] A lower belt armour 200 millimetres (7.9 in) thick extending
below the main belt was included in the ships as a response to gunnery
experiments upon Tosa and the new Japanese Type 91 shell which could travel
great lengths underwater.[68] Furthermore, the top hull shape was very advanced,
the peculiar sideways curving effectively maximizing armour protection and
structural rigidity while optimizing weight. The armour on the main-turrets Protection schematic
surpassed even that of the main-belt, with turret face plating 650 millimetres at the rear turret;
(26 in) thick.[6] Armour plates in both the main belt and main turrets was made of amidships schematic
Vickers Hardened, which was a face-hardened steel armour. [69] Main armoured here
deck—200 millimetres (7.9 in) thick—was composed of a nickel-chromium-
molybdenum alloy. Ballistics tests at the proving ground at Kamegakubi
demonstrated the deck alloy to be superior to the homogeneous Vickers plates by 10–15%.[69] Additional
plating was designed by manipulating the chromium and nickel composition of the alloy. Higher contents of
nickel allowed the plate to be rolled and bent without developing fracture properties.[69]

For torpedo protection, a multiple bulkhead side protection system was used which consisted of several void
spaces as well as the lower belt armour; the system has a depth of 5.1 metres (16.7 ft) and was designed to
withstand 400 kilograms (880 lb) TNT charge. Notably, the torpedo defense system lacked liquid loaded of
any compartments, despite the known benefits. This may have been the result of overestimating the
effectiveness of the lower belt armour against torpedoes, as well as an effort to decrease draft and to provide
additional counter-flooding spaces.[70][71][72]

The relatively new procedure of arc welding was used extensively throughout the ship, strengthening the
durability of the armour plating.[73] Through this technique, the lower-side belt armour was used to
strengthen the hull structure of the entire vessel.[73] In total, the vessels of the Yamato class contained 1,147
watertight compartments,[73] of which 1,065 were beneath the armoured deck.[73] The ships were also
designed with a very large amount of reserve buoyancy to mitigate the effects of flooding.

However, despite the immense armour thickness, the protection scheme of the Yamato class still suffered
from several major design flaws and shortcomings.[74] Structural weaknesses existed near the bow of the
vessels, where the armour plating was generally thinner, as demonstrated by Musashi's damage from a
torpedo hit in 1943.[54] The hull of the Shinano was subject to even greater structural weaknesses, being
hastily constructed near the end of the war and having been equipped with incomplete armour and unsealed
watertight compartments at the time of her sinking.[65] The torpedo defense system performed substantially
worse than designed; in particular, very poor jointing between the upper-belt and lower-belt armour created
a rupture-prone seam just below the waterline, which when combined with the relatively shallow system
depth and the lack of liquid loading caused the class to be susceptible to torpedoes; the joint failure has been
attributed to the considerable damage inflicted upon Yamato from a single torpedo impact in 1943, and to
the sinking of Shinano from four hits in 1944.[54][71]

Propulsion

The Yamato class was fitted with 12 Kampon boilers, which powered quadruple steam turbines,[2] with an
indicated horsepower of 147,948 (110,325 kW).[6] These, in turn, drove four 6-metre (20 ft) propellers. This
powerplant enabled the Yamato class to achieve a top speed of 27 knots (50 km/h).[6] With this speed, the
Yamato class' ability to function alongside fast carriers was limited. In addition, the fuel consumption rate of
both battleships was very high.[59] As a result, neither battleship was used in combat during the Solomon
Islands Campaign or the minor battles during the "island hopping" period of 1943 and early 1944.[59] The
propulsion system of Shinano was slightly improved, allowing the carrier to achieve a top speed of 28 knots
(52 km/h).[66]

"Super Yamato"-class battleships

Two battleships of an entirely new, and larger, design were planned as a part of the 1942 fleet replenishment
program. Designated as Design A-150 and initially named Warship Number 178 and Warship Number 179,
plans for the ships began soon after the design of the Yamato class was finished, probably in 1938–39.
Everything was "essentially completed" sometime in 1941, but with war on the horizon, work on the
battleships was halted to fill a need for additional warships, such as aircraft carriers and cruisers, to replace
war losses of those vital ships. The Japanese loss in the Battle of Midway, where four carriers were sunk
(out of ten, to date, in the entire navy), made it certain that work on the ships would never begin. In the third
volume of their Battleships series, Axis and Neutral Battleships in World War II, the authors William H.
Garzke and Robert O. Dulin asserted that these ships would have been the "most powerful battleships in
history" because of their massive 51 cm (20 in) main battery and extensive anti-aircraft weaponry.[75][76]

Similar to the fate of papers relating to the Yamato class, most papers and all plans relating to the class were
destroyed to prevent capture at the end of the war. It is known that the final design of the ships would have
had an even greater firepower and size than the Yamato class—a main battery of six 51 cm (20 in) guns in
three twin turrets and secondary dual purpose armament consisting of twenty-four 10 cm (3.9 in) dual
mounted guns (similar to the Akizuki-class destroyers). The displacement was to be bigger than the
Yamato's, and a side armor belt of 46 cm (18 in) was planned.[75][76]

Destruction of records
On the eve of the Allies' occupation of Japan, special-service officers of the Imperial Japanese Navy
destroyed virtually all records, drawings, and photographs of or relating to the Yamato-class battleships,
leaving only fragmentary records of the design characteristics and other technical matters. The destruction
of these documents was so efficient that until 1948 the only known images of Yamato and Musashi were
those taken by United States Navy aircraft involved in the attacks on the two battleships. Although some
additional photographs and information, from documents that were not destroyed, have come to light over
the years, the loss of the majority of written records for the class has made extensive research into the
Yamato class somewhat difficult.[77][78] Because of the lack of written records, information on the class
largely came from interviews of Japanese officers following Japan's surrender.[79]

However, in October 1942, based upon a special request from Adolf Hitler, German Admiral Paul
Wenneker, attached to the German Naval Attache in Japan, was allowed to inspect a Yamato-class battleship
while it was undergoing maintenance in a dockyard, at which time Admiral Wenneker cabled a detailed
description of the warship to Berlin. On 22 August 1943, Erich Groner, a German naval historian, and
author of the book Die Deutschen Kriegschiffe, 1815–1945, was shown the report while at the "Führer
Headquarters", and was directed to make an "interpretation" and then prepare a "design sketch drawing" of
the Japanese battleship. The material was preserved by Erich Groner's wife, Mrs. H. Groner, and submitted
to publishers in the 1950s.[80]

Cultural significance
From the time of their construction until the present day, Yamato and
Musashi have carried a notable presence in Japanese culture, Yamato
in particular. Upon completion, the battleships represented the
epitome of Imperial Japanese naval engineering. In addition, the two
ships, due to their size, speed, and power, visibly embodied Japan's
determination and readiness to defend its interests against the
western powers, especially the United States. Shigeru Fukudome,
chief of the Operations Section of the Imperial Japanese Navy
General Staff, described the two ships as "symbols of naval power
that provided to officers and men alike a profound sense of The 1:10 scale model at the Yamato
confidence in their navy."[81] Museum

Yamato, and especially the story of her sinking, has appeared often
in Japanese popular culture, such as the anime Space Battleship Yamato and the 2005 film Yamato.[82] The
appearances in popular culture usually portray the ship's last mission as a brave, selfless, but futile, symbolic
effort by the participating Japanese sailors to defend their homeland. One of the reasons that the warship
may have such significance in Japanese culture is that the word "Yamato" was often used as a poetic name
for Japan. Thus, the end of battleship Yamato could serve as a metaphor for the end of the Japanese
empire.[83][84]

See also
H-class battleship proposals (World War II German Kriegsmarine)
Montana-class battleship (U. S. Navy)
Yamato Museum
Japanese munition ship Kashino Purpose-built ship to carry main gun turrets and barrels of the
class

Notes
1. Even as far back as 1933, Imperial Japanese Navy aviators, including Admiral Isoroku
Yamamoto, argued that the best defense against U.S. carrier attacks would be a carrier fleet of
their own, not a battleship fleet. However, "when controversy broke into the open, the older,
conservative admirals held firm to their traditional faith in the battleship as the capital ship of
the fleet by supporting the construction of the ...Yamato-class superbattleships." See:
Reynolds, pp. 5–6
2. Although the hull was scrapped, the double bottom was not; later construction of four large
submarines took place on top of it. See: Garzke and Dulin, p. 84. Available sources do not
report when the double bottom was scrapped.
3. These shells may have been nicknamed "The Beehive" while in service. See: DiGiulian, Tony
(23 April 2007). "Japanese 40 cm/45 (18.1") Type 94, 46 cm/45 (18.1") Type 94" (http://www.n
avweaps.com/Weapons/WNJAP_18-45_t94.htm). Navweaps.com. Retrieved 23 March 2009.
Footnotes
1. Kwiatkowska, K. B.; Skwiot, M. Z. "Geneza budowy japońskich pancerników typu Yamato".
Morza Statki I Okręty (in Polish). Warsaw: Magnum-X. 2006 (1): 74–81. ISSN 1426-529X (http
s://www.worldcat.org/issn/1426-529X). OCLC 68738127 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/687381
27).
2. Jackson, p. 74
3. Jackson, p. 74; Jentschura et al., p. 38
4. Schom, p. 270
5. Hackett, Robert; Kingsepp, Sander; Ahlberg, Lars. "Yamato-class Battleship" (http://www.comb
inedfleet.com/yamato_c.htm). Combined Fleet. CombinedFleet.com. Retrieved 25 October
2008.
6. Johnston and McAuley, p. 123
7. Friedman, p. 182
8. Garzke and Dulin, pp. 4–5
9. Willmott, p. 32
10. Schom, p. 42
11. Willmott, p. 34; Gardiner and Gray, p. 229
12. Gardiner and Gray, pp. 229–231, 234
13. Garzke and Dulin, p. 44
14. Willmott, p. 35
15. Schom, p. 43
16. Willmott, p. 22
17. Thurston, Elliott (2 January 1935). "Fear is the Real Cause of Navy Treaty End". The
Washington Post. p. 7.
18. Garzke and Dulin, p. 45
19. Garzke and Dulin, pp. 45–51
20. Garzke and Dulin, pp. 49–50
21. Hackett, Robert; Kingsepp, Sander (6 June 2006). "IJN YAMATO: Tabular Record of
Movement" (http://combinedfleet.com/yamato.htm). Combined Fleet. CombinedFleet.com.
Retrieved 8 January 2009.
22. Garzke and Dulin, p. 49
23. Garzke and Dulin, p. 50
24. Garzke and Dulin, p. 53
25. Johnston and McAuley, p. 122
26. Reynolds, pp. 5–6
27. Friedman, p. 308
28. Johnston and McAuley, p. 128
29. Tobin, Richard (1 October 1944). "U.S. Navy Outnumbers Jap 10 to 1". The Washington Post.
p. B1.
30. Horneby, George (30 October 1944). "4 Carriers Sunk". The New York Times. p. 1.
31. "Japan's Biggest Warship Sunk". The Times. UK. 9 April 1945. p. 3C.
32. W. D. Puleston, The Armed Forces of the Pacific: A Comparison of the Military and Naval
Power of the United States and Japan (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1941), pp. 208–11.
33. Willmott, p. 93
34. Willmott, p. 146
35. Reynolds, p. 156
36. Baldwin, Hanson (9 April 1945). "Okinawa's Fate Sealed: Sinking of Yamato Shows Japan's
Fatal Air and Sea Weakness". The New York Times. p. 12.
37. Hackett, Robert; Kingsepp, Sander (6 June 2006). "IJN Musashi: Tabular Record of
Movement" (http://combinedfleet.com/musashi.htm). Combined Fleet. CombinedFleet.com.
Retrieved 8 January 2009.
38. Johnston and McAuley, p. 125
39. Steinberg, p. 56
40. Garzke and Dulin, pp. 74–75
41. Tully, Anthony P. (7 May 2001). "IJN Shinano: Tabular Record of Movement" (http://combinedfl
eet.com/Shinano.htm). Combined Fleet. CombinedFleet.com. Retrieved 8 January 2009.
42. Reynolds, p. 61
43. Preston, p. 91
44. Reynolds, p. 219
45. Reynolds, p. 284
46. Wheeler, p. 185
47. Garzke and Dulin, p. 99
48. Garzke and Dulin, p. 84
49. Johnston and McAuley, p. 124
50. Garzke and Dulin, p. 85
51. DiGiulian, Tony (23 April 2007). "Japanese 40 cm/45 (18.1") Type 94 46 cm/45 (18.1") Type
94" (http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNJAP_18-45_t94.htm). Navweaps.com. Retrieved
23 March 2009.
52. Jackson, p. 75
53. Johnston and McAuley, p. 123; each of the three main turrets weighed more than a good-sized
destroyer.
54. Steinberg, p. 54
55. Garzke & Dulin, pp. 91–92
56. Campbell, pp. 187–88
57. Chesneau, p. 178
58. Campbell, pp. 192–93
59. Jackson, p. 128
60. Johnston and McAuley, p. 180
61. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140409190413/http://battleshipyamato.info/we
apons.html). Archived from the original (http://www.battleshipyamato.info/weapons.html) on 9
April 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
62. Campbell, p. 200
63. Stille, p. 11
64. Campbell, p. 202
65. Tully, Anthony P. "Shinano" (http://combinedfleet.com/ship.php?q=shinan_c.htm). Combined
Fleet. CombinedFleet.com. Retrieved 13 January 2009.
66. Preston, p. 84
67. Stille, p. 37
68. Garzke and Dulin, p. 94
69. Garzke and Dulin, p. 65
70. Lengerer, p. 288
71. U.S. Naval Technical Mission to Japan (http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/primary_documents/gvt
_reports/USNAVY/USNTMJ%20Reports/USNTMJ-200H-0745-0786%20Report%20S-06-2.pd
f) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20131018053426/http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/prima
ry_documents/gvt_reports/USNAVY/USNTMJ%20Reports/USNTMJ-200H-0745-0786%20Rep
ort%20S-06-2.pdf) 18 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
72. Thorton, Tim (1987). "Yamato: The Achilles Heel". Warship. Vol. 41. Conway Maritime Press.
ISBN 0851774350.
73. Fitzsimons, Volume 24, p. 2609
74. "Best Battleship: Underwater Protection" (http://www.combinedfleet.com/b_underw.htm).
Combined Fleet. CombinedFleet.com. Retrieved 25 October 2008.
75. Gardiner and Chesneau, p. 178
76. Garzake and Dulin, pp. 85–86
77. Muir, Malcolm (October 1990). "Rearming in a Vacuum: United States Navy Intelligence and
the Japanese Capital Ship Threat, 1936–1945". The Journal of Military History. Society for
Military History. 54 (4): 485. doi:10.2307/1986067 (https://doi.org/10.2307%2F1986067).
ISSN 1543-7795 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1543-7795). JSTOR 1986067 (https://www.jsto
r.org/stable/1986067). OCLC 37032245 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/37032245).
78. Skulski, p. 8
79. "Warships of the World". The Times. UK. 5 November 1948. p. 2D.
80. Jentschura p. 8 (not numbered; Preface)
81. Evans and Peattie, pp. 298, 378
82. IMDB.com (1990–2009). "Uchû senkan Yamato" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140644/).
Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 26 March 2009.; IMDB.com (2005). "Otoko-tachi no
Yamato" (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451845/). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved
26 March 2009.
83. Yoshida and Minear, p. xvii; Evans and Peattie, p. 378
84. Skulski, p. 7

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Further reading
Dickson, W. David (1975). "I. J. N. Yamato". Warship International. XII (4): 294–318.
ISSN 0043-0374 (https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0043-0374).

External links
Kure Yamato Museum (http://www.yamato-museum.com/en/)
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