The Yamato was one of two Yamato-class battleships that had an overall tonnage which eclipsed 70,000 tons. As such, they were the largest battleships constructed by any navy. The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) constructed the giant battleships during the 1930s and early 1940s, with the first blueprints laid down in 1934. However, they were gradually modified and refined.
The plans outlined how the Yamato would have a beam wider than the Panama Canal. The ship’s architects placed most of the battleship’s armor at the center of the ship. This actually left the bow and stern with minimal armor.
Construction of the Yamato began in 1937. The Kure Naval Dockyards were expanded to ensure that it would be deep enough to house the first Yamato-class battleships. They expanded the gantry crane to 100 tonnes, and the dockyards were also covered to make sure that the battleship construction could not be detected.
They constructed the battleship with arc wielding. More than 1,000 watertight compartments were added to the Yamato during the construction period. In comparison the Titanic ocean liner had 15 watertight compartments. A steam turbine was also added to the battleship, but the ship still had a high fuel consumption rate. Higher fuel requirements limited the Yamato’s fuel supply and the distances it could cover.
The most essential addition to the Yamato battleship was its extensive arsenal. The IJN fitted the Yamato with a caliber of guns that U.S. battleships could not match. The Yamato’s primary guns were some 18.1 inches. These were the largest added to any battleship, and were mounted in three turrets. They had armor-piercing shells that weighed some 2,998 pounds, and each of the battleship’s gun turrets matched the weight of one U.S. destroyer. The battleship had a maximum range of about 25 miles.
The primary guns were formidable, but the Yamato’s anti-aircraft arsenal was not so extensive. During construction, the IJN added only 24 AA machine guns to its decks. By 1945, that number had increased to something like 150, mostly triple turret, AA machine guns. They included Type 96 25 mm AA guns. However, during Operation Ten-Go the guns only took out a small number of U.S. planes.
Although a battleship the Yamato could also support a small number of aircraft. The ship had suitable space for several floatplanes, which were the Aichi E13A. They were primarily scouting aircraft dispatched to spot enemy ships and fleets, but they also included a 250 kg bomb-load. As the battleship also had various types of radar the reconnaissance planes were not always required.
Construction of the Yamato was complete by 1940. Then the IJN added the battleship to their fleets, as the flagship, but the Yamato was seldom dispatched for naval battles. At the Battle of Midway it was a naval support ship, but in later battles such as the Battle of Leyte Gulf it was at the front line of the IJN. There the Yamato and its fleet wiped out two U.S. warships at Samar.
In 1945, the IJN sent the Yamato on another mission during the Battle of Okinawa. Operation Ten-Go required that the battleship beach itself ashore the coastline of Okinawa as a shore battery. With no air cover it could not reach Okinawa, and U.S. aircraft intercepted it. The subsequent aerial bombardment ensured that the Yamato flooded with water. A last great battleship was lost at sea. Then it was clear that battleships were outmoded in the new era of aircraft carrier fleets.
