What if Yamato survived the war?

However, if the HIJMS Yamato survived WWII and the 9 or so years of being a demilitarized hulk, it could be restored and serve as a docked museum ship and fleet headquarters for the Japan Self-Defense Maritime Force. Its historical value is that of being the largest battleship ever built with 18.1 guns.

What if Yamato made it to Okinawa?

If the Yamato had made it all the way to the beach on Okinawa, it would have been steadily pounded by US dive bombers and perhaps warships. It wouldn’t have been able to effectively use its guns. Even at the point of beaching itself, it would probably be so battered as to be useless or near useless.

Why was the Yamato never used?

Yamato was deliberately expended in a suicide mission as part of Operation Ten-Go, sent to use her big guns to provide relief to Japanese forces engaged in the Battle of Okinawa. She never came close, sunk en-route on 7 April 1945 by 386 American carrier aircraft.

How many sailors survived the sinking of the Yamato?

Although accounts vary about how many crewmen were on Yamato, the most definitive appears to be that 3,055 of 3,332 crewmen were lost. According to Morison, there were only 23 officers and 246 enlisted sailors who survived, which doesn’t exactly match, but is close.

What happened to the Musashi?

During the Battle of Leyte Gulf, Musashi was sunk by an estimated 19 torpedo and 17 bomb hits from American carrier-based aircraft on 24 October 1944. Over half of her crew was rescued. Her wreck was located in March 2015 by a team of researchers employed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

Has the Musashi been found?

American billionaire Paul Allen has announced the discovery of the famous World War Two Japanese battleship, the Musashi, more than 70 years after it was sunk by US forces. Mr Allen said the vessel was found by his private exploration team.

How did the Yamato get sunk?

Hundreds of carrier aircraft hit Yamato with dozens of bombs and torpedoes, sinking the massive battleship well before she could reach Okinawa. But the United States Navy had also prepared a welcoming party of battleships to destroy Yamato if she survived the air attacks.

How many battleships did the US have off Okinawa?

The U.S. Navy had an embarrassment of battleships off Okinawa, including three elderly ships, seven “standard type” battleships, six fast battleships, and two battlecruisers. By most accounts the battlecruisers and fast battleships remained with the aircraft carriers, leaving the older, slower battleships to confront Yamato.

Did the Yamato protect Japan from Allied invasion?

The decision sealed the fate of the battleship Yamato and its crew, but ironically did nothing to actually protect the island from Allied invasion. The battleship Yamato was among the largest and most powerful battleships of all time. Yamato has reached nearly mythical status, a perfect example of Japan’s fascination with doomed, futile heroics.

How many Yamato -class battleships were built?

The battleship Yamato was the first of what were to have been five Yamato -class battleships, but only three were built. The Yamato was commissioned on December 16, 1941, and the second Yamato -class ship, the Musashi, was commissioned on August 5, 1942.