Water Line Series
IJN MUSASHI
The largest warships of WW2 were the three Japanese Yamato class ships - the battleships Yamato and Musashi, and the Shinano (completed as an aircraft carrier -a fourth ship was laid down but never completed). As designed, the Yamato and Musashi mounted nine 18" and twelve 6", later two 6" turrets were removed from Yamato in favour of a heavier anti-aircraft battery.
Destined to never fight their rival American battlewagons, both Yamato and Musashi were lost to American airpower. Musashi was the victim of 20 torpedoes, 17 bombs and numerous near misses before succumbing on 24 October 1944. Yamato lasted until 7 April 1945 when she was sent on a one-way mission to bombard the American invasion fleet of Okinawa and then to beach herself and her crew were to join the troops ashore. This wasn't to be, instead Yamato was caught by American carrier aircraft and sunk along with the light cruiser Agano. When Yamato blew up, the blast was seen from over 200km away and the force of the blast destroyed many of the attacking aircraft.
