Yamato (ship)

Construction

The beginning of the design of the Yamato goes back to 1934; the final plans, after modifications, were accepted in March 1937, for a vessel of 68 000 barrels. Construction began on November 4th, 1937 with the shipyards of Kure (prefecture of Hiroshima) in an especially designed basin. Launching took place on August 8th 1940 and it entered in service on December 16th, 1941. Four ships of this type were initially envisaged, but the third of the series, the Shinano , was converted into Porte-avions in the course of construction; the construction of the fourth, ever baptized and only known like the “ warship number 111 ”, was cancelled whereas the vessel was built only with one third. Plans for the type “Super Yamato ”, armed with guns of 508 mm, which were to succeed the Yamato and to maintain the advance of the Japanese battleships on their American rivals , were abandoned.

The Yamato was conceived to outclass all Navire likely to be built by the the United States of America. The choice of the gauge of 457 mm for the principal armament (rather than the 406 mm) was justified by the width of the Panama Canal, because it would have been impossible for the American navy to build a ship carrying an equivalent gauge without serious restrictions in the arrangement or the shielding of the ship (the heavier the shielding is, the bulkier the hull is, and larger is the gauge of the principal armament, longer is the range). To reinforce the secrecy, the guns were officially called “guns of 406 mm”, and the civil authorities were not informed of their startup. The budget of construction was divided and distributed on many projects, in order not to give the awakening.

Fights

The Yamato was the Flagship of the Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto starting from February 12th, 1942. Replaced by the Musashi , it remained with the port with Truk during most clearly of 1943. One reinforced the anti-aircraft defenses notably there, in Kure. Of return towards Truk, it was seriously damaged by a Torpille of the Sous-marin US Skate , and was completely repaired only in April 1944. Two of the turrets of 155 mm were replaced by anti-aircraft platforms. It replongea in the conflict by joining the Japanese fleet with the Battle of the sea of Philippines (in June), with the Battle of the gulf of Leyte, in October, where he on for the first time the occasion to make give of his principal armament, which pulverized the carry-plane of escort Uss Gambier Bay. It turned over to its Home port in November, where the anti-aircraft armament was reinforced once again during the winter. Attacked on March 19th, 1945 by the Air and sea of the Task force 58 which attacked Kure, it suffers only light damage.

Its last mission was the Opération Ten-Go, in the context of the Bataille of Okinawa, at the beginning of April 1945. The Yamato was sent on mission Suicide to attack the American fleet which supported the unloading of the troops on the west of the island. The plan consisted in causing a maximum of damage to the ships of support, then to go to fail itself to be used as coastal battery before making jump the ship. April 6th, the Yamato , with a reinforced crew, left the port of Tokuyama with its escort. The Flottille was located the following day travelling in the south. The Task force 58 launched 386 Avion S to intercept it, which started the combat at the beginning of afternoon. The Yamato , struck by at least 8 bombs and 13 torpedes, exploded at 2 p.m. 20. It capsized on port side and ran with some 200 km of Okinawa. Approximately 2 475 men of crew S perished and 269 survived.

The stray to lie with 300 m of depth, cut into two on the level of the store of the turret before which exploded, and was explored in 1985 and 1999.

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