JapanYamato
The largest and most heavily armed battleship ever built, mounting nine 18.1-inch guns — the biggest naval guns ever mounted at sea.
- Navy
- Japan
- Commissioned
- 1941
- Fate
- Sunk by US carrier aircraft, April 1945
Service History
Yamato was the lead ship of her class and the heaviest battleship in history, displacing over 70,000 tons fully loaded. She was the pride of the Imperial Japanese Navy and was conceived to offset America's industrial superiority through sheer individual power.
Despite her overwhelming firepower, Yamato spent much of the war held in reserve. She finally sortied on a one-way mission to Okinawa in April 1945, where she was overwhelmed by waves of American carrier aircraft and sank with most of her crew.
Major Campaigns & Battles
- Battle of Leyte Gulf
- Operation Ten-Go
Other Battleships
GERBismarck
Germany · Commissioned 1940
Germany's most famous battleship, whose single Atlantic sortie ended in one of the most dramatic chases in naval history.
USAUSS Iowa
United States · Commissioned 1943
Lead ship of America's fast battleships, combining heavy 16-inch guns with the speed to keep pace with fast carrier task forces.
UKHMS King George V
United Kingdom · Commissioned 1940
The Royal Navy's modern fast battleship, notable for her unusual quadruple gun turrets and her role in sinking the Bismarck.