Yamamoto battleship?

Question

Its sank in the war but was it too big? I thought it was impenetrable but the allies destroyed rather quickly. Anybody know the reason is sank?

Answer 1

Ouch! You stirred up a hornest nest here! A little over-the-top reactions from some.

For Non-Japanese speakers and those without detailed knowledge of WWII, the Yamamoto and Yamato slip-up is quite common and hardly a thing to rake something thru the coals over. The two names are similar and both are connected with WWII (Yamato is also the Imperial clan and the name of an era sometimes also referred to as the Kofun Period)

Yamamoto is the name most people will of course be familiar with more so than Yamato. Yamato despite its size was so quickly sunk that it's practically just a historical footnote. So its an understandable and forgivable mistake.

As to the question, nothing is impenetrable or unsinkable on the water - remember Titantic?

The Battleship Yamato was the Maginot Line of the Japanese Navy. Just as the Maginot Line was behind the times for WWII so was the Yamato battleship. Battleships were no longer the Queen of the Battlefield. The Japanese should have learned that lesson from Pearl Harbor. Losing the battleships at Pearl Harbor did not cripple the US Navy. Had they lost the carriers the US would have really been up the creek without a paddle.

The Yamato was a dinosaur literally in terms of size and time. Her combat record was pretty uninspiring during the war. As to what sunk her, it was the suicide mission (in ship terms - the crew was expected to join the forces in Okinawa) she was sent on during the Okinawa invasion. The Yamato was not expected to return but to beach itself and use its guns like an artillery placement.

However since there was no air cover the whole thing became a suicide mission for everyone and they knew it. While the upper echelon might have been living in denial, the sailors knew battleships were obsolete and that they were sitting ducks.

The ship never made it to Okinawa. US planes caught it on the sea and battered it mercilessly until it began sinking. The ships anti-aircraft guns were relatively ineffective against the planes which hit the ship with bombs and torpedoes while fighter planes strafed the decks taking out anti-aircraft guns. It basically became one big turkey shoot.

The ship also exploded as it went down - the magazine having blown up. Only a few hundred sailors survived out of close to 3000.

So what sank it so quickly was the lack of air support that left the ship at the mercy of US planes. It never stood a chance.

Answer 2

Yamato battleship sank on its tenth mission
It was big, indeed: 72,807tons, full load
It sank because of a fire in the torpedo area, which detonated all the shell propellant and after that the magazine in turret B. There has been another explosion in the stern section .
So, Yamato took 8 bombs, 10 torpedoes and 3 inside explosions to sink.
It was a tragedy and these people deserve respect.

Answer 3

The Yamato group was provided with no air support, so the U.S. planes were opposed only by generally ineffective anti-aircraft gun fire.

The carrier planes began their attacks in the early afternoon, scoring immediate bomb and torpedo hits on Yamato and sinking Yahagi and a destroyer. Three other destroyers were sunk over the next hour, as the Japanese continued to steam southwards. In all, Yamato was struck by some ten torpedoes, mainly on the port side, and several bombs. At about 1420 on the afternoon of 7 April, less than two hours after she was first hit, the great battleship capsized to port, exploded and sank, leaving behind a towering "mushroom" cloud.

Answer 4

It's not a name for battleship. The battleship was Yamato.
Yamamoto, the planner of pearl harbor attack, was up in the sky over Papua New Guinea. He wasn't sunk but shot-down.
You better ask in history or military section about this. You will know real history of Yamato.

Answer 5

Max, you just made a big mistake. You are confused when asking this question. Laugh out loud.

Yamato battleship is totally different from Yamamoto, a Japanese last name which is unsinkable.

You better do your homework before asking a question. Now, everyone knows about your lack of knowledge.

Answer 6

it was three blocks long, and definitely it's size was a factor in why it sank. along with it ( I'm sure but check ) having no air cover.

Answer 7

Do you mean the Yamato? I think the crew scuttled it after US planes bombed the heck out of it.

Answer 8

It's really not important. Don't waste your time with this kind of stuff. It's like digging a ditch that you will only end up filling up.

Answer 9

The Bomber will always get through. Lack of fuel disanbled engines or steering. penitration of upper deck aand/or fire in the magazines