Battleship Yamato facts for kids
The Yamato was a huge Japanese super battleship. It served in the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II. Along with its sister ship, the Musashi, these were the biggest battleships ever built.
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What Was the Yamato?
The Yamato was built in Kure, Japan. It started service on December 16, 1941. It was meant to be one of five super battleships. However, only two were finished: Yamato and Musashi. The Allies did not know Japan had built these giant ships until they were seen.
The Yamato was very large. It weighed 62,315 tons. It had nine 18-inch guns. These were the biggest guns in the world at that time. The ship was 263 meters (863 feet) long. Its armor was 460 millimeters (18 inches) thick. Its guns were its most feared weapons. They fired shells that weighed 3,200 pounds each. That's about the size of a small car! These shells could travel 44 kilometers (27 miles). The Yamato was made to fight and destroy US battleships. But it never fought one in battle.
Yamato's Role in World War II
In the 1920s and 1930s, battleships were the strongest ships in naval warfare. But when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, they showed that aircraft carriers were now more powerful. This meant battleships were already becoming old-fashioned.
When the war began, Yamato was the main ship for the Combined Fleet commander Isoroku Yamamoto. For much of 1942, it protected Japanese ships near Truk. In 1943, a US submarine hit it with a torpedo. The Yamato was then under repair until 1944.
Because attacks from the air were now the main danger, Yamato got more anti-aircraft guns. In June 1944, Yamato joined the Battle of the Philippine Sea. In October, Yamato was in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. During this battle, it fired its guns at US escort carriers. It thought they were full-sized carriers. Several US destroyers attacked it, and it got some damage.
Yamato returned to Japan in November. It was fitted with even more anti-aircraft guns. By then, Japan did not have enough resources to keep Yamato fighting.
In 1945, Yamato left for Okinawa. This was part of Operation Ten-Go. The goal was to attack US ships helping in the Battle of Okinawa. But off the coast of Kagoshima, US aircraft sank it on April 7.
After the War: The Yamato's Legacy
After the war, the Yamato became a very interesting topic in Japan and other places. In 1985, its wreckage was found under 340 meters (1,115 feet) of water. It lies on the seabed in two main pieces. The name Yamato lives on in the anime series Space Battleship Yamato.
Why is the Yamato Important to Japanese Culture?
The word "Yamato" was an old, poetic name for Japan. So, the ship's name became a symbol for the end of the Japanese empire.
In April 1968, a memorial tower was built at Cape Inutabu on Tokunoshima. This island is in the Amami Islands of Kagoshima Prefecture. It remembers the lives lost in Operation Ten-Go.
In October 1974, Leiji Matsumoto created a TV show called Space Battleship Yamato. It was about rebuilding the battleship as a spaceship. It went on a journey through space to save Earth. This show was a huge hit. It led to eight movies and four more TV shows. The latest one came out in 2017. The series helped make the space opera style popular.
After the war, Japanese people were trying to find new meaning in their lives. The Yamato became a symbol of heroism. It also showed their wish to feel strong again after their country's defeat. The animated series came to the United States as Star Blazers. It was popular there and helped anime become known in North America.
The idea from Space Battleship Yamato was also used in The Silent Service. This was a popular manga and anime. It looked at nuclear weapons and the relationship between Japan and the US. It tells the story of a nuclear submarine whose crew takes over. They rename the ship Yamato. This name refers to the World War II battleship and what it stands for.
In 2005, the Yamato Museum opened. It is near where the Kure shipyards used to be. The museum teaches about Japan's sea history after the Meiji era. It pays special attention to the battleship Yamato. The ship is a common theme in many exhibits. There is even a section for Matsumoto's animated series. The main part of the museum is a 26.3-meter (86.3-foot) long model of Yamato. This model is 1:10 scale.
Also in 2005, Toei released a movie called Yamato. It was based on a book by Jun Henmi. It came out to mark 60 years since World War II ended. Tamiya made special models of the battleship for the film's release. The movie tells the story of the sailors on the doomed battleship. It talks about honor and duty. The film was shown in over 290 cinemas across Japan. It was a big success, earning 5.11 billion yen at the box office.
The 2019 Japanese film The Great War of Archimedes is based on a manga by Norifusa Mita. It tells about a disagreement in the Japanese Navy. They argued whether to build aircraft carriers or a new battleship, which would become Yamato. The film starts with the sinking of Yamato and ends with it being put into service.
Images for kids
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Yamato near the end of her fitting out, September 20, 1941
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Yamato during sea trials, October 1941
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Yamato and Musashi anchored near the Truk Islands in 1943
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Yamato after being hit by a bomb during the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea on October 24, 1944; the hit did not cause serious damage
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Yamato under attack off Kure on March 19, 1945
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Yamato's senior officers before Operation Ten-Go
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Yamato steering to avoid bombs and aerial torpedoes during Operation Ten-Go
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Yamato photographed during the battle by an aircraft from USS Yorktown (CV-10). The battleship is on fire and visibly listing to port.
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The explosion of Yamato's magazines
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See also
In Spanish: Yamato (1941) para niños
