Coordinates: 30°22′N 128°04′E

Japanese battleship Yamato

Yamato ( 大 和 , "Great Harmony") was the lead ship of

her class of battleships built for the Imperial Japanese
Navy (IJN) shortly before World War II. She and her
sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most
powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing
72,800 tonnes at full load and armed with nine 46 cm
(18.1 in) Type 94 main guns, which were the largest guns
ever mounted on a warship.

Named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, Yamato during sea trials off Japan near Bungo
Yamato was designed to counter the numerically superior Strait, 20 October 1941
battleship fleet of the United States, Japan's main rival in History
the Pacific. She was laid down in 1937 and formally
commissioned a week after the Pearl Harbor attack in late Japan
1941. Throughout 1942, she served as the flagship of the
Name: Yamato
Combined Fleet, and in June 1942 Admiral Isoroku
Yamamoto directed the fleet from her bridge during the Namesake: Yamato Province / 大和
Battle of Midway, a disastrous defeat for Japan. Musashi ("Great Harmony")
took over as the Combined Fleet flagship in early 1943, Ordered: March 1937
and Yamato spent the rest of the year, and much of 1944,
moving between the major Japanese naval bases of Truk Builder: Kure Naval Arsenal
and Kure in response to American threats. Although Laid down: 4 November 1937
present at the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944,
Launched: 8 August 1940
she played no part in the battle.
Commissioned: 16 December 1941
The only time Yamato fired her main guns at enemy Struck: 31 August 1945[1]
surface targets was in October 1944, when she was sent
to engage American forces invading the Philippines Fate: Sunk, 7 April 1945
during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. While threatening to sink General characteristics (as built)
American troop transports, they encountered a light
escort carrier group of the U.S. Navy's Task Force 77, Class and type: Yamato-class battleship
"Taffy 3", in the Battle off Samar. The Japanese turned Displacement: 65,027 t (64,000 long tons)
back after American air attacks convinced them they
(normal)
were engaging a powerful US carrier fleet.
71,659 t (70,527 long tons)
During 1944, the balance of naval power in the Pacific (full load)
decisively turned against Japan, and by early 1945, its
Length: 256 m (839 ft 11 in) (waterline)
fleet was much depleted and badly hobbled by critical
fuel shortages in the home islands. In a desperate attempt 263 m (862 ft 10 in) (o/a)
to slow the Allied advance, Yamato was dispatched on a
Beam: 38.9 m (127 ft 7 in)
one-way mission to Okinawa in April 1945, with orders
to beach herself and fight until destroyed, thus protecting Draft: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
the island. The task force was spotted south of Kyushu by Installed 12 Kampon boilers
US submarines and aircraft, and on 7 April 1945 she was power: 150,000 shp (110,000 kW)
sunk by American carrier-based bombers and torpedo
bombers with the loss of most of her crew. Propulsion: 4 shafts; 4 steam turbines
 Speed: 27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph)

Contents Range: 7,200 nmi (13,300 km;

8,300 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h;
Design and construction 18 mph)
Armament
Complement: 2,500–2,800
Service Armament: (1941)
Trials and initial operations
3 × triple 46 cm (18 in) guns
Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of Leyte Gulf 4 × triple 15.5 cm (6.1 in) guns
Battle of the Sibuyan Sea 6 × twin 12.7 cm (5 in) (Dual-
Battle off Samar purpose gun|DP guns
Operation Ten-Go 8 × triple 2.5 cm (1.0 in) AA
guns
Wreck discovery
2 × twin 13.2 mm (0.52 in) AA
Cultural significance
machine guns
See also
(1945)
Notes
3 × triple 46 cm guns
Footnotes
2 × triple 15.5 cm guns
References 12 × twin 12.7 cm guns DP
External links guns
162 × 2.5 cm AA guns

Design and construction 4 × 13.2 mm AA machine guns

Armor: Waterline belt: 410 mm (16 in)
During the 1930s the Japanese government adopted an Deck: 200–226.5 mm (7.9–
ultranationalist militancy with a view to greatly expand
8.9 in)
the Japanese Empire.[2] Japan withdrew from the League
of Nations in 1934, renouncing its treaty obligations.[3] Gun turrets: 650 mm (25.6 in)
After withdrawing from the Washington Naval Treaty, (face)
which limited the size and power of capital ships, the Barbettes:
Imperial Japanese Navy began their design of the new Conning tower:
Yamato class of heavy battleships. Their planners
recognized Japan would be unable to compete with the Bulkheads:
output of U.S. naval shipyards should war break out, so Aircraft carried: 7 Nakajima E8N or Nakajima
the 70,000 ton[4] vessels of the Yamato class were E4N
designed to be capable of engaging multiple enemy
Aviation 2 catapults
battleships at the same time.[5][6]
facilities:
The keel of Yamato, the lead ship of the class,[7] was laid
down at the Kure Naval Arsenal, Hiroshima, on 4 November 1937, in a dockyard that had to be adapted to
accommodate her enormous hull.[8][9] The dock was deepened by one meter, and gantry cranes capable of
lifting up to 350 tonnes were installed.[8][10] Extreme secrecy was maintained throughout construction,[8][11]
a canopy even being erected over part of the drydock to screen the ship from view.[12] Yamato was launched
on 8 August 1940, with Captain (later Vice-Admiral) Miyazato Shutoku in command.[13] A great effort was
made in Japan to ensure the ships were built in extreme secrecy to prevent American intelligence officials
from learning of their existence and specifications.[8][11]
Armament

Yamato's main battery consisted of nine 46-centimetre (18.1 in) 45

Caliber Type 94 naval guns—the largest caliber of naval artillery
ever fitted to a warship,[15] although the shells were not as heavy as
those fired by the British 18-inch naval guns of World War I. Each
gun was 21.13 metres (69.3 ft) long, weighed 147.3 metric tons
(162.4 short tons), and was capable of firing high-explosive or
armor-piercing shells 42 kilometres (26 mi).[16] Her secondary
battery comprised twelve 155-millimetre (6.1 in) guns mounted in
four triple turrets (one forward, one aft, two midships), and twelve Yamato near the end of her fitting
12.7-centimetre (5 in) guns in six twin mounts (three on each side out, 20 September 1941[14]
amidships). These turrets had been taken off the Mogami-class
cruisers when those vessels were converted to a main armament of
20.3-centimetre (8 in) guns. In addition, Yamato carried twenty-four 25-millimetre (1 in) anti-aircraft guns,
primarily mounted amidships.[15] When refitted in 1944 and 1945 for naval engagements in the South
Pacific,[17] the secondary battery configuration was changed to six 155 mm guns and twenty-four 127 mm
guns, and the number of 25 mm anti-aircraft guns was increased to 162.[18]

Service

Trials and initial operations

During October or November 1941 Yamato underwent sea trials,

reaching her maximum possible speed of 27.4 knots (50.7 km/h;
31.5 mph).[13][N 1] As war loomed, priority was given to
accelerating military construction. On 16 December, months ahead
of schedule, the battleship was formally commissioned at Kure, in a
ceremony more austere than usual, as the Japanese were still intent
on concealing the ship's characteristics.[13] The same day, under
Captain (later Vice-Admiral) Gihachi Takayanagi, she joined fellow Yamato during sea trials, October
1941
battleships Nagato and Mutsu in the 1st Battleship Division.[20]

On 12 February 1942, Yamato became the flagship of Admiral

Isoroku Yamamoto's Combined Fleet.[13][19] A veteran of Japan's crushing victory over Russia at the Battle
of Tsushima in the Russo-Japanese War, the Pearl Harbor victor was planning a decisive engagement with
the United States Navy at Midway Island. After participating in war games Yamato departed Hiroshima Bay
on 27 May for duty with Yamamoto's main battleship group.[13][21] US codebreakers were aware of
Yamamoto's intentions and the Battle of Midway proved disastrous for Japan's carrier force, with four fleet
carriers and 332 aircraft lost.[13] Yamamoto exercised overall command from Yamato's bridge,[21] but his
battle plan had widely dispersed his forces to lure the Americans into a trap, and the battleship group was
too far away to take part in the engagement.[13] On 5 June, Yamamoto ordered the remaining ships to return
to Japan, so Yamato withdrew with the main battleship force to Hashirajima, before making her way back to
Kure.[19][20]

Yamato left Kure for Truk on 17 August 1942.[22][N 2] After 11 days at sea, she was sighted by the American
submarine USS Flying Fish, which fired four torpedoes, all of which missed; Yamato arrived safely at Truk
later that day.[19][22][N 3] She remained there throughout the Guadalcanal Campaign because of a lack of
46 cm ammunition suitable for shore bombardment, uncharted seas around Guadalcanal, and her high fuel
consumption.[13][17] Before the year's end, Captain (later Rear Admiral) Chiaki Matsuda was assigned to
command Yamato.[22]

On 11 February 1943, Yamato was replaced by her sister ship Musashi as flagship of the Combined Fleet.[13]
The battleship spent only a single day away from Truk between her arrival in August 1942 and her departure
on 8 May 1943.[13][23] On that day, she set sail for Yokosuka and from there for Kure, arriving on 14
May.[13][23] She spent nine days in dry dock for inspection and general repairs,[22] and after sailing to
Japan's western Inland Sea she was again dry-docked in late July for significant refitting and upgrades. On
16 August, Yamato began her return to Truk, where she joined a large task force formed in response to
American raids on the Tarawa and Makin atolls.[22] She sortied in late September with Nagato, three
carriers, and smaller warships to intercept US Task Force 15, and again a month later with six battleships,
three carriers, and eleven cruisers. Intelligence had reported that the United States Naval Base at Pearl
Harbor was nearly empty of ships,[13] which the Japanese interpreted to mean that an American naval force
would strike at Wake Island.[13] But there were no radar contacts for six days, and the fleet returned to Truk,
arriving on 26 October.[13]

Yamato escorted Transport Operation BO-1 from Truk to Yokosuka

during 12–17 December.[23] Subsequently, because of their
extensive storage capacity and thick armor protection, Yamato and
Musashi were pressed into service as transport vessels.[24] On 25
December, while ferrying troops and equipment—which were
wanted as reinforcements for the garrisons at Kavieng and the
Admiralty Islands—from Yokosuka to Truk, Yamato and her task
Yamato and Musashi anchored in the group were intercepted by the American submarine Skate about 180
waters off of the Truk Islands in 1943 miles (290 km) out at sea.[13][25] Skate fired a spread of four
torpedoes at Yamato; one struck the battleship's starboard side
toward the stern.[13] A hole 5 metres (16 ft) below the top of her
anti-torpedo bulge and measuring some 25 metres (82 ft) across was ripped open in the hull, and a joint
between the upper and lower armored belts failed, causing the rear turret's upper magazine to flood.[14]
Yamato took on about 3,000 tons of water,[14][25] but reached Truk later that day. The repair ship Akashi
effected temporary repairs,[22] and Yamato departed on 10 January for Kure.[25]

On 16 January 1944, Yamato arrived at Kure for repairs of the torpedo damage and was dry-docked until 3
February.[22] During this time, armor plate sloped at 45° was fitted in the area of damage to her hull. It had
been proposed that 5,000 long tons (5,100 t) of steel be used to bolster the ship's defense against flooding
from torpedo hits outside the armored citadel, but this was rejected out of hand because the additional
weight would have increased Yamato's displacement and draft too much.[14] While Yamato was dry-docked,
Captain Nobuei Morishita—former captain of the battleship Haruna—assumed command.[22] On 25
February, Yamato and Musashi were reassigned from the 1st Battleship Division to the Second Fleet.

Yamato was again dry-docked at Kure for further upgrades to all her radar and anti-aircraft systems from 25
February to 18 March 1944.[22] Each of the two beam-mounted 6.1 inch (155-mm) triple turrets was
removed and replaced by three pairs of 5-inch (127-mm) AA guns in double mounts. In addition, 8 triple
and 26 single 25mm AA mounts were added, increasing the total number of 127 mm and 25 mm anti-
aircraft guns to 24 and 162, respectively.[18] Shelters were also added on the upper deck for the increased
AA crews. A Type 13 air search and Type 22, Mod 4, surface search/gunnery control radar were installed,
and the main mast was altered. Her radar suite was also upgraded to include infrared identification systems
and aircraft search and gunnery control radars.[22] She left the dry dock on 18 March and went through
several trials beginning on 11 April.[25] Yamato left Kure on 21 April and embarked soldiers and materiel
the following day at Okinoshima for a mission to
Manila, reaching the Philippines on 28 April.[14] She
then moved on to Malaya to join Vice-Admiral Jisaburo
Ozawa's Mobile Fleet at Lingga;[22] this force arrived at
Tawi Tawi on 14 May.[22]

Battle of the Philippine Sea

Line drawing of Yamato as she appeared in 1944–
In early June, Yamato and Musashi were again 1945 (specific configuration from 7 April 1945)
requisitioned as troop transports, this time to reinforce
the garrison and naval defenses of the island of Biak as
part of Operation Kon.[24][26] The mission was cancelled when word reached Ozawa's headquarters of
American carrier attacks on the Mariana Islands.[24] Instead, the Imperial Japanese Navy reorganized,
concentrating the majority of its remaining fighting strength in the hope of achieving a decisive success
against the Americans. By this time though, the entire Japanese navy was inferior in numbers and
experience to the U.S. Pacific Fleet.[26] From 19 to 23 June 1944, Yamato escorted forces of Ozawa's
Mobile Fleet during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, dubbed by American pilots "The Great Marianas
Turkey Shoot".[26][27] The Japanese lost three aircraft carriers and 426 aircraft;[26] Yamato's only significant
contribution was mistakenly opening fire on returning Japanese aircraft.[22]

Following the battle, Yamato withdrew with the Mobile Fleet to the Hashirajima staging area near Kure to
refuel and rearm. With Musashi she left the fleet on 24 June for the short journey to Kure, where she
received five more triple 25 mm anti-aircraft mounts.[26] The opportunity was taken to put in place
"emergency buoyancy keeping procedures". These resulted in the removal of almost every flammable item
from the battleship, including linoleum, bedding, and mattresses. In place of the latter, men slept on planks
which could be used to repair damage. Flammable paints received a new silicon based overcoat, and
additional portable pumps and fire fighting apparatus were installed.[26] Leaving Japan on 8 July, Yamato—
accompanied by the battleships Musashi, Kongō, Nagato, and eleven cruisers and destroyers—sailed south.
Yamato and Musashi headed for the Lingga Islands, arriving on 16–17 July. By this stage of the war, Japan's
tanker fleet had been much reduced by marauding American submarines, so major fleet units were stationed
in the East Indies to be near the source of their fuel supply.[26] The battleships remained at the islands for the
next three months.[26]

Battle of Leyte Gulf

Between 22 and 25 October 1944, as part of Admiral Takeo Kurita's

Center Force (also known as Force A or First Striking Force),
Yamato took part in one of the largest naval engagements in history
—the Battle of Leyte Gulf.[28] In response to the American invasion
of the Philippines, Operation Shō-Gō called for a number of
Japanese groups to converge on the island of Leyte, where American
troops were landing. On 18 October, Yamato was given a coating of
black camouflage in preparation for her nighttime transit of the San
Bernardino Strait; the main ingredient was soot taken from her
Yamato after being hit by a bomb smokestack.[22] While en route to Leyte, the force was attacked in
during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea Palawan Passage on 23 October by the submarines USS Darter and
on 24 October 1944; the hit did not Dace, which sank two Takao-class heavy cruisers including Kurita's
cause serious damage flagship, Atago, and damaged a third.[29] Kurita survived the loss of
Atago and transferred his flag to Yamato.[22]
Battle of the Sibuyan Sea

The following day the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea hurt the Center Force badly with the loss of three more
heavy cruisers, eliminating a substantial part of the fleet's anti-aircraft defence. During the course of the day,
American carrier aircraft sortied a total of 259 times. Aircraft from the USS Essex struck Yamato with two
armor-piercing bombs and scored one near miss; Yamato suffered moderate damage and took on about 3,370
tonnes (3,320 long tons) of water, but remained battleworthy.[30] However, her sister ship Musashi became
the focus of the American attacks and eventually sank after being hit with 17 bombs and 19 torpedoes.[31]

Battle off Samar

Unknown to the Japanese admiral, the main American battle group under the command of Admiral William
Halsey, Jr., departed the Leyte Gulf area on the evening of 24 October. Convinced that Kurita's Center Force
had been turned back, Halsey took his powerful Task Force 38 in pursuit of the Japanese Northern Force, a
decoy group composed of one fleet aircraft carrier (Zuikaku), three light carriers, two Ise-class hybrid
battleship-carriers, and their escorts.[29] The deception was a success, drawing away five fleet carriers and
five light carriers with more than 600 aircraft among them, six fast battleships, eight cruisers, and over 40
destroyers. During the hours of darkness, Kurita's force navigated the San Bernardino Strait and shortly after
dawn, in the Battle off Samar, attacked an American formation that had remained in the area to provide
close support for the invading troops. Known as "Taffy 3", this small group comprised six escort carriers,
three destroyers, and four destroyer escorts.[32] In the initial stages of this battle, Yamato engaged enemy
surface targets for the only time in her career, hitting several American ships.[32][33][34] After Yamato
confirmed primary battery hits on the escort carrier USS Gambier Bay, a spread of torpedoes heading for
Yamato was spotted; the battleship was forced to steer away from the fighting to avoid them and was unable
to rejoin the battle.[29] Although armed only with torpedoes and 5 inch guns and under attack by large
caliber cannons, the light American surface combatants, supported by FM-2 Wildcats and TBM Avengers
from Taffy 3's escort carriers,[35] attacked so ferociously that Kurita believed his ships were engaging a full
American task force of fleet carriers.[29] A mistaken report that he was facing six fleet carriers, three
cruisers, and two destroyers led Kurita to order his task force to turn and disengage. Yamato emerged from
the battle without serious damage; only three near misses from bombs and seventeen casualties from strafing
were suffered during the battle itself, while carrier strikes during the retreat caused light damage to the ship
and injured or killed 21 crewmen. Three more heavy cruisers and one light cruiser were subsequently lost.
The Centre Force sank one American escort carrier (CVE), two destroyers, and a destroyer escort.[29] A
second CVE was lost by kamikaze attack after the surface engagement.

Following the engagement, Yamato and the remnants of Kurita's force returned to Brunei.[36] On 15
November 1944, the 1st Battleship Division was disbanded and Yamato became the flagship of the Second
Fleet.[22] On 21 November, while transiting the East China Sea in a withdrawal to Kure Naval Base,[37]
Yamato's battle group was attacked by the submarine USS Sealion. The battleship Kongō and destroyer
Urakaze were lost.[38] Yamato was immediately drydocked for repairs and anti-aircraft upgrades on reaching
Kure, where several of the battleship's older anti-aircraft guns were replaced. On 25 November, Captain
Aruga Kōsaku was named Yamato's commander.[22]

Operation Ten-Go

On 1 January 1945, Yamato, Haruna and Nagato were transferred to the newly reactivated 1st Battleship
Division. Yamato left drydock two days later for Japan's Inland Sea.[22] This reassignment was brief; the 1st
Battleship Division was deactivated once again on 10 February and Yamato was allotted to the 1st Carrier
Division.[39] On 19 March, American carrier aircraft from Enterprise, Yorktown and Intrepid raided
Kure.[39][40] Although 16 warships were hit, Yamato sustained only minor damage from a number of near
misses and from one bomb that struck her bridge.[33] The
intervention of a squadron of Kawanishi N1K1 "Shiden" fighters
(named "George" by the Allies) flown by veteran Japanese fighter
instructors prevented the raid from doing too much damage to the
base and assembled ships,[40][N 4] while Yamato's ability to
maneuver—albeit slowly—in the Nasami Channel benefited her.[33]

As the final step before their planned invasion of the Japanese

mainland, Allied forces invaded Okinawa on 1 April.[41] The
Imperial Japanese Navy's response was to organise a mission
codenamed Operation Ten-Go that would see the commitment of Yamato under attack off Kure on 19
much of Japan's remaining surface strength. Yamato and nine escorts March 1945
(the cruiser Yahagi and eight destroyers) would sail to Okinawa and,
in concert with kamikaze and Okinawa-based army units, attack the
Allied forces assembled on and around Okinawa. Yamato would then
be beached to act as an unsinkable gun emplacement and continue to
fight until destroyed.[42][43] In preparation for the mission, Yamato
had taken on a full stock of ammunition on 29 March.[22] According
to the Japanese plan, the ships were supposed to take aboard only
enough fuel for a one way voyage to Okinawa, but additional fuel
amounting to 60 percent of capacity was issued on the authority of
local base commanders. Designated the "Surface Special Attack
Yamato's senior officers just before
Force", the ships left Tokuyama at 15:20 on 6 April.[42][43]
Ten-Go

Unfortunately for the Japanese, the Allies had intercepted and

decoded their radio transmissions, learning the particulars of
Operation Ten-Go. Further confirmation of Japanese intentions came around 20:00 when the Surface Special
Attack Force, navigating the Bungo Strait, was spotted by the American submarines Threadfin and
Hackleback. Both reported Yamato's position to the main American carrier strike force,[17][43] but neither
could attack because of the speed of the Japanese ships—22 knots (25 mph; 41 km/h)—and their extreme
zigzagging.[43]

The Allied forces around Okinawa braced for an assault. Admiral Raymond Spruance ordered six
battleships already engaged in shore bombardment in the sector to prepare for surface action against Yamato.
These orders were countermanded in favor of strikes from Admiral Marc Mitscher's aircraft carriers, but as a
contingency the battleships together with 7 cruisers and 21 destroyers were sent to interdict the Japanese
force before it could reach the vulnerable transports and landing craft.[43][N 5]

Yamato's crew were at general quarters and ready for anti-aircraft

action by dawn on 7 April. The first Allied aircraft made contact
with the Surface Special Attack Force at 08:23; two flying boats
arrived soon thereafter, and for the next five hours, Yamato fired
Common Type 3 or Beehive (3 Shiki tsûjôdan) shells at the Allied
seaplanes, but could not prevent them from shadowing the force.
Yamato obtained her first radar contact with aircraft at 10:00; an
hour later, American F6F Hellcat fighters appeared overhead to deal
with any Japanese aircraft that might appear. None did.[44][N 6]

Yamato steering to avoid bombs and At about 12:30, 280 bomber and torpedo bomber aircraft arrived
aerial torpedoes during Operation over the Japanese force. Asashimo, which had fallen out of
Ten-Go formation with engine trouble, was caught and sunk by a detachment
of aircraft from San Jacinto. The Surface Special Attack Force
increased speed to 24 knots (28 mph; 44 km/h), and following standard Japanese anti-aircraft defensive
measures, the destroyers began circling Yamato. The first aircraft swooped in to attack at 12:37. Yahagi
turned and raced away at 35 knots (40 mph; 65 km/h) in an attempt to draw off some of the attackers; it
drew off only an insignificant number. Yamato was not hit for four minutes, but at 12:41 two bombs
obliterated two of her triple 25 mm anti-aircraft mounts and blew a hole in the deck. A third bomb then
destroyed her radar room and the starboard aft 127 mm mount. At 12:45 a single torpedo struck Yamato far
forward on her port side, sending shock waves throughout the ship. At 12:46, another two bombs struck the
battleship's port side, one slightly ahead of the aft 155 mm centreline turret and the other right on top of the
gun. These caused a great deal of damage to the turret and its magazines; only one man survived.[44][N 7]
Because many of the ship's crew who did not go down with the vessel were killed by strafing aircraft as they
swam in the oily water, the details are uncertain, but authors Garzke and Dulin record that little damage was
caused.[44] Shortly afterward, up to three more torpedoes struck Yamato. Two impacts, on the port side near
the engine room and on one of the boiler rooms, are confirmed; the third is disputed but is regarded by
Garzke and Dulin as probable because it would explain the reported flooding in Yamato's auxiliary steering
room. The attack ended around 12:47, leaving the battleship listing 5–6° to port; counterflooding—
deliberately flooding compartments on the other side of the ship—reduced the list to 1°. One boiler room
had been disabled, slightly reducing Yamato's top speed, and strafing had incapacitated many of the gun
crews who manned Yamato's unprotected 25 mm anti-aircraft weapons, sharply curtailing their
effectiveness.[44]

The second attack started just before 13:00. In a coordinated strike,

dive bombers flew high overhead to begin their runs while torpedo
bombers approached from all directions at just above sea level.
Overwhelmed by the number of targets, the battleship's anti-aircraft
guns were ineffective, and the Japanese tried desperate measures to
break up the attack. Yamato's main guns were loaded with Beehive
shells fused to explode one second after firing—a mere 1,000 m
(3,300 ft) from the ship—but these had little effect. Three or four
torpedoes struck the battleship on the port side and one to starboard.
Three hits, close together on the port side, are confirmed: one struck Yamato photographed during the
a fire room that had already been hit, one impacted a different fire battle by an aircraft from
room, and the third hit the hull adjacent to a damaged outboard USS Yorktown (CV-10). The
engine room, increasing the water flow into that space and possibly battleship is on fire and visibly listing
flooding nearby locations. The fourth hit, unconfirmed, may have to port.
struck aft of the third; Garzke and Dulin believe this would explain
the rapid flooding reported in that location.[45] This attack left
Yamato in a perilous position, listing 15–18° to port. Counterflooding of all remaining starboard void spaces
lessened this to 10°, but further correction would have required repairs or flooding the starboard engine and
fire rooms. Although the battleship was not yet in danger of sinking, the list meant the main battery was
unable to fire and her speed was limited to 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).[46]

The third and most damaging attack developed at about 13:40. At least four bombs hit the ship's
superstructure and caused heavy casualties among her 25 mm anti-aircraft gun crews. Many near misses
drove in her outer plating, compromising her defense against torpedoes. Most serious were four more
torpedo impacts. Three exploded on the port side, increasing water flow into the port inner engine room and
flooding yet another fire room and the steering gear room. With the auxiliary steering room already under
water, the ship lost maneuverability and became stuck in a starboard turn. The fourth torpedo most likely hit
the starboard outer engine room, which, along with three other rooms on the starboard side, was being
counterflooded to reduce the port list. The torpedo strike accelerated the rate of flooding and trapped many
crewmen.[47]
 At 14:02, the order was belatedly given to abandon ship. By this time,
Yamato's speed had dropped to 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) and her list was
increasing. Fires raged out of control and alarms on the bridge warned of
critical temperatures in the forward main battery magazines.[N 8] Protocol
called for flooding the magazines to prevent explosion, but the pumping
stations had been knocked out.[49]

At 14:05, Yahagi sank, the victim of twelve bombs and seven torpedoes. At
the same time, a final flight of torpedo bombers attacked Yamato from her
starboard side. Her list was now such that the torpedoes—set to a depth of
6.1 m (20 ft)—struck the bottom of her hull. The battleship continued her
The explosion of Yamato's inexorable roll to port.[22] By 14:20, the power went out and her remaining
magazines 25 mm anti-aircraft guns began to drop into the sea. Three minutes later,
Yamato capsized. Her main 46 cm turrets fell off, and as she rolled suction
was created that drew swimming crewmen back toward the ship. When the
roll reached approximately 120°, one of the two bow magazines detonated in a tremendous explosion.[49]
The resulting mushroom cloud—over 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) high—was seen 160 kilometres (99 mi) away on
Kyūshū.[50] Yamato sank rapidly, losing an estimated 3,055 of her 3,332 crew, including fleet commander
Vice-Admiral Seiichi Itō.[22][N 9] The few survivors were recovered by the four surviving destroyers, which
withdrew to Japan.[22]

From the first attack at 12:37 to the explosion at 14:23, Yamato was hit by at least 11 torpedoes and 6
bombs. There may have been two more torpedo and bomb hits, but this is not confirmed.[49][51]

Wreck discovery
Due to often confused circumstances and incomplete information regarding their sinkings, few wrecks of
Japanese capital ships have been discovered and identified.[48] Drawing on US wartime records, an
expedition to the East China Sea in 1982 produced some results, but the wreckage discovered could not be
clearly identified.[52] A second expedition returned to the site two years later, and the team's photographic
and video records were later confirmed by one of the battleship's designers, Shigeru Makino, to show the
Yamato's last resting place. The wreck lies 290 kilometres (180 mi) southwest of Kyushu under 340 metres
(1,120 ft) of water in two main pieces; a bow section comprising the front two thirds of the ship, and a
separate stern section.[52]

On 16 July 2015, a group of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers began meetings to study the feasibility of
raising the ship from the ocean floor and recovering the remains of crewmembers entombed in the
wreckage. The group said it plans to request government funds to research the technical feasibility of
recovering the ship.[53] In May 2016, the wreckage was surveyed using digital technology, giving a more
detailed view and confirming the earlier identification. The resulting video revealed many details such as the
chrysanthemum crest on the bow, the massive propeller, and the detached main gun turret. The nine-minute
video of this survey is being shown at the Yamato Museum in Kure.[54][55]

Cultural significance
From the time of their construction, Yamato and her sister Musashi carried significant weight in Japanese
culture. The battleships represented the epitome of Imperial Japanese naval engineering, and because of
their size, speed, and power, visibly embodied Japan's determination and readiness to defend its interests
against the Western Powers and the United States in particular. Shigeru Fukudome, chief of the Operations
Section of the Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff, described the ships as "symbols of naval power that
provided to officers and men alike a profound sense of confidence in
their navy."[56] Yamato's symbolic might was such that some
Japanese citizens held the belief that their country could never fall as
long as the ship was able to fight.[57]

Decades after the war, Yamato was memorialised in various forms

by the Japanese. Historically, the word "Yamato" was used as a
poetic name for Japan; thus, her name became a metaphor for the
end of the Japanese empire.[58][59] In April 1968, a memorial tower
was erected at Cape Inutabu on Tokunoshima, an island in the The 1:10 scale model at the Yamato
Amami Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture, to commemorate the lives Museum
lost in Operation Ten-Go. In October 1974, Leiji Matsumoto created
a new television series, Space Battleship Yamato, about rebuilding
the battleship as a starship and its interstellar quest to save Earth. The series was a huge success, spawning
eight feature films and four more TV series, the most recent of which was released in 2017. The series
popularised the space opera. As post-war Japanese tried to redefine the purpose of their lives, Yamato
became a symbol of heroism and of their desire to regain a sense of masculinity after their country's defeat
in the war.[60][61] Brought to the United States as Star Blazers, the animated series proved popular and
established a foundation for anime in the North American entertainment market.[62] The motif in Space
Battleship Yamato was repeated in Silent Service, a popular manga and anime that explores issues of nuclear
weapons and the Japan–US relationship. It tells the story of a nuclear-powered super submarine whose crew
mutinies and renames the vessel Yamato, in allusion to the World War II battleship and the ideals she
symbolises.[63]

In 2005, the Yamato Museum was opened near the site of the former Kure shipyards. Although intended to
educate on the maritime history of post Meiji-era Japan,[64] the museum gives special attention to its
namesake; the battleship is a common theme among several of its exhibits, which includes a section
dedicated to Matsumoto's animated series.[65] The centrepiece of the museum, occupying a large section of
the ground floor, is a 26.3-metre (86 ft) long model of Yamato (1:10 scale).[66]

Later that year, Toei released a 143-minute movie, Yamato, based on a book by Jun Henmi, to commemorate
the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II; Tamiya released special editions of scale models of the
battleship in conjunction with the film's release.[67] Based on a book of the same name, the film is a tale
about the sailors aboard the doomed battleship and the concepts of honour and duty. The film was shown on
more than 290 screens across the country and was a commercial success, taking in a record 5.11 billion yen
at the domestic box office.[68][69]

The 2019 Japanese film Archimedes no Taisen (アルキメデスの大戦, "Great War of Archimedes") based
on a manga by Norifusa Mita tells the story of a dispute within the Japanese Navy over whether to fund the
construction of aircraft carriers or a new battleship that would become Yamato. The film begins with the
sinking of Yamato and ends with its commissioning.

See also
Battleships in World War II
Bismarck-class battleship
Iowa-class battleship
King George V-class battleship (1939)
Littorio-class battleship
Richelieu-class battleship
Notes
1. Garzke/Dulin and Whitley's books do not give specific dates, and disagree on the month; the
former gives October, and the latter gives November.[13][19]
2. Whitley says that Yamato left six days earlier.[19]
3. Garzke and Dulin report that Yamato entered Truk on the 29th.[13]
4. Led by the man who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor, Minoru Genda, the appearance of
these fighters, which were equal or superior in performance to the F6F Hellcat, surprised the
attackers and several American planes were shot down.[40]
5. Authors Garzke and Dulin speculate that the likely outcome of a battle between the two forces
would have been a victory for the Allies, but at a serious cost, because the Yamato held a
large margin of superiority over the old battleships in firepower (460 mm vs. 356 mm), armor
and speed (27 knots (50 km/h; 31 mph) vs. 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)).[43]
6. The poor quality of the Japanese naval radar during World War II meant that only large groups
of planes could be detected. Smaller detachments were usually picked up via line of sight.
7. This account is based on Garzke and Dulin's Battleships: Axis and Neutral Battleships in World
War II. Other works generally agree, although the exact timings of events can vary between
sources.[13]
8. Garzke and Dulin state in their 1985 account that the alarms were for the aft magazines.
Yamato's wreck was discovered that same year and more detailed surveys were completed in
1999; these conclude that it was the fore magazines that exploded. Corroborating evidence
comes from Yamato's Executive Officer, Nomura Jiro, who testified that he saw warning lights
for the forward magazines.[48]
9. Garzke and Dulin give a slightly different number of 3,063 out of 3,332 lost. An exact number is
unknown.

Footnotes
1. 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. 54 (4): 485 –
via ProQuest.
2. Willmott (2000), p. 32.
3. Garzke and Dulin (1985), p. 44.
4. Jackson (2000), p. 74; Jentshura, Jung and Mickel (1977), p. 38.
5. Johnston and McAuley (2000), p. 122.
6. Willmott (2000), p. 35. The Japanese Empire produced 3.5% of the world's industrial output,
while the United States produced 35%.
7. Skulski (2004), pp. 8–11.
8. Johnston and McAuley (2000), p. 123.
9. Garzke and Dulin (1985), pp. 52–54.
10. Garzke and Dulin (1985), p. 53.
11. Hough, p. 205
12. Garzke and Dulin (1985), pp. 50–51.
13. Garzke and Dulin (1985), p. 54.
14. Garzke and Dulin (1985), p. 55.
15. Jackson (2000), p. 75.
16. Johnston and McAuley (2000), p. 123. Because of the size of the guns and thickness of armor,
each of the three main turrets weighed more than a good sized destroyer.
17. Jackson (2000), p. 128.
18. Johnston and McAuley (2000), p. 180.
19. Whitley (1998), p. 211.
20. Skulski (2004), p. 10.
21. Ballard (1999), p. 36.
22. "Combined Fleet – tabular history of Yamato" (http://combinedfleet.com/yamato.htm). Parshall,
Jon; Bob Hackett, Sander Kingsepp, & Allyn Nevitt. 2009. Archived (https://web.archive.org/we
b/20101129040009/http://www.combinedfleet.com/yamato.htm) from the original on 29
November 2010. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
23. Whitley (1998), p. 212.
24. Steinberg (1978), p. 147.
25. Whitley (1998), p. 213.
26. Garzke and Dulin (1985), p. 56.
27. Reynolds (1982), p. 139.
28. Reynolds (1982), p. 152.
29. Garzke and Dulin (1985), p. 57.
30. Garzke and Dulin (1985), p. 58.
31. Skulski (2004), p. 11.
32. Reynolds (1982), p. 156.
33. Garzke and Dulin (1985), p. 59.
34. "Yamato (Battleship, 1941–1945) – in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, 22–26 October 1944" (https://we
b.archive.org/web/20001102224649/http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-fornv/japan/japsh-x
z/yamato-k.htm). Japanese Navy Ships. Naval Historical Center, Department of the Navy. 13
May 2000. Archived from the original (http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-fornv/japan/japsh-x
z/yamato-k.htm) on 2 November 2000. Retrieved 7 March 2009.
35. Steinberg (1980), p. 60
36. Steinberg (1980), p. 63.
37. Wheeler (1980), p. 183.
38. Jackson (2000), p. 129.
39. Reynolds (1982), p. 160.
40. Reynolds (1968), p. 338.
41. Feifer (2001), p. 7.
42. Reynolds (1982), p. 166.
43. Garzke and Dulin (1985), p. 60.
44. Garzke and Dulin (1985), pp. 60–61.
45. Garzke and Dulin (1985), pp. 62–63.
46. Garzke and Dulin (1985), p. 63.
47. Garzke and Dulin (1985), pp. 64–65.
48. Tully, Anthony (4 September 2009). "Located/Surveyed Shipwrecks of the Imperial Japanese
Navy" (http://www.combinedfleet.com/atully08.htm). Mysteries/Untold Sagas of the Imperial
Japanese Navy. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20110606034635/http://www.combined
fleet.com/atully08.htm) from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
49. Garzke and Dulin (1985), p. 65.
50. Reynolds (1982), p. 169.
51. Whitley (1998), p. 216.
52. "Remains of sunken Japanese battleship Yamato discovered" (https://news.google.com/newsp
apers?id=FP0tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f6cFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6363%2C2384338). Reading Eagle.
Associated Press. 4 August 1985. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20130514223755/htt
p://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FP0tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f6cFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6363%2C238
4338) from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2010.
53. Jiji, "LDP lawmakers aim to raise battleship Yamato wreckage (http://www.japantimes.co.jp/ne
ws/2015/07/28/national/history/ldp-lawmakers-aim-raise-battleship-yamato-wreckage/)
Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20150731003433/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/201
5/07/28/national/history/ldp-lawmakers-aim-raise-battleship-yamato-wreckage/) 31 July 2015
at the Wayback Machine", Japan Times, 29 July 2015
54. Yohei Izumida (8 May 2016). "Kure to embark on underwater survey of mighty Yamato
warship" (https://web.archive.org/web/20160823003616/http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ2
01605080032.html). Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original (http://www.asahi.com/ajw/artic
les/AJ201605080032.html) on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
55. Yohei Izumida (17 July 2016). "New footage of sunken Yamato given to media before showing"
(https://web.archive.org/web/20160823004831/http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ20160717
0025.html). Asahi Shimbun. Archived from the original (http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ20
1607170025.html) on 23 August 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
56. Evans and Peattie (1997), pp. 298, 378.
57. "A bomb survivors leery of battleship hype". Yomiuri Shimbun. 6 August 2006.
58. Yoshida and Minear (1985), p. xvii; Evans and Peattie (1997), p. 378.
59. Skulski (2004), p. 7.
60. Mizuno (2007), pp. 106, 110–111, 121–122.
61. Levi (1998), p. 72.
62. Wright (2009), p. 99.
63. Mizuno (2007), pp. 114–115.
64. "Outline" (http://www.yamato-museum.com/en/concept/policy.html). Hiroshima, Japan: Yamato
Museum. 2008. Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20110723080057/http://www.yamato-m
useum.com/en/concept/policy.html) from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 29 March
2010.
65. "Yamato Museum Leaflet" (https://web.archive.org/web/20110627054009/http://yamato.kure-cit
y.jp/english/eng.indd.pdf) (PDF). Hiroshima, Japan: Yamato Museum. 2005. Archived from the
original (http://yamato.kure-city.jp/english/eng.indd.pdf) (PDF) on 27 June 2011. Retrieved
2 April 2010.
66. "Yamato – Kure Maritime Museum Leaflet" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100326194030/htt
p://www.yamato-museum.com/concept/pdf/ref09_3_eng.pdf) (PDF). Hiroshima, Japan: Yamato
Museum. 2008. Archived from the original (http://www.yamato-museum.com/concept/pdf/ref09
_3_eng.pdf) (PDF) on 26 March 2010. Retrieved 2 April 2010.
67. "戦艦大和・映画「男たちの大和／Yamato」特別仕様" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100617
024336/http://www.tamiya.com/japan/products/8966x_yamato/index.htm) [Battleship Yamato –
Special Edition for Yamato the Movie] (in Japanese). Tamiya Corporation. 14 December 2005.
Archived from the original (http://www.tamiya.com/japan/products/8966x_yamato/index.htm)
on 17 June 2010. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
68. "「One piece」が爆発的ヒット、「男たちの大和」「相棒」を超えた背景とは..." (https://web.
archive.org/web/20100305072157/http://www.hollywood-ch.com/news/09121302.html) [One
Piece is a Runaway Hit, Could It Surpass Yamato and Aibou...]. Hollywood Channel (in
Japanese). Japan: Broadmedia. 13 December 2009. Archived from the original (http://www.holl
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69. 「相棒」50億円超えちゃう大ヒットの予感？水谷と寺脇が初日にノリノリで登場！ (http://ww
w.cinematoday.jp/page/N0013689) [Seems Aibou Will be a 5 Billion Yen Big Hit? Mizutani and
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matoday.jp/page/N0013689) from the original on 12 March 2009. Retrieved 27 March 2010.

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External links
Yamato Museum (http://www.yamato-museum.com/en/)
Joseph Czarnecki, "What did the USN know about Yamato and when?" (http://www.navweaps.
com/index_tech/tech-084.htm)
US Navy history page on the Yamato (https://web.archive.org/web/20100325035351/http://ww
w.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-fornv/japan/japsh-xz/yamato.htm)
The Battle Off Samar – Taffy III at Leyte Gulf website (http://www.bosamar.com/) by Robert Jon
Cox

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