Yamato was a Japanese battleship laid under the keel in 1937, launched in August 1940, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in December 1941. The total length of the ship was 263 meters, width 38.9 meters, and a full displacement of 65,000 tons. The maximum speed of battleship Yamato was around 27-28 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch was 9 460 mm guns in three turrets of three guns each, and the secondary armament was mainly 12 152 mm guns.
Yamato was the first battleship of the type with the same name - ie Yamato. The genesis of this type of battleships dates back to the early 1930s, when the command of the Japanese Navy, hoping for the Washington Treaty to expire soon (from 1922) and preparing for the war in the Pacific, decided to create the most powerful and best battleship in history, which would outclass their counterparts in the US Navy or Royal Navy, and keep its construction completely secret. As a result, when it entered service in 1941, Yamato was the most powerful battleship (the 460 mm cannon had a shot range of 42,000 meters!) And was the best armored ship of this type in the world! So the assumptions of the Imperial Navy were fully realized! Yamato became the flagship of the entire Japanese Navy in 1942. It was from his deck that Isoroku Yamamoto commanded the defeat for Japan at the Battle of Midway (June 1942). Yamato spent the years 1943-1944 in the Japanese mother waters, taking a limited part in the fighting in the Pacific. In June 1944 he took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, but his role in it was marginal. He also fought in the Battle of Leyte in October 1944. Yamato's last combat mission was his suicide voyage against the American forces landing in Okinawa (Operation Ten-Go) - after being hit with at least 11 torpedoes and 8 bombs, this largest battleship in history sank on April 7, 1945.
Hyuga was a Japanese battleship laid under the keel in 1915, launched in January 1917, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in April 1918. The ship was 219 meters long, 33.8 meters wide, and had a full displacement of 38,800 tons. The maximum speed of the battleship Hyuga was around 21-23 knots, and after upgrades it reached 25 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch was 12 356 mm guns in six turrets, two guns each, and the additional armament was mainly 20 140 mm guns.
Hyuga was the second and last Ise-class battleship. During World War I, it was not subjected to major modernization, while in the years 1926-1928 and 1934-1936 it was subjected to major reconstructions. First of all, the armor was significantly strengthened, catapults for seaplanes and anti-aircraft artillery were added. The entire gym was also modernized. Despite this, Hyuga at the start of World War II was quite distinct from other Japanese or American battleships and was considered rather obsolete. Therefore, when Japan lost 4 aircraft carriers in the Battle of Midway, the decision was made to convert Huyga into a hybrid battleship-carrier ship. The reconstruction lasted from May to October 1943, but it turned out to be a completely wrong idea! After rebuilding, Hyuga fought in the Battle of Leyte. In July 1945 it was severely damaged at the base in Kure as a result of an attack by American on-board planes. The crew decided to self-sink the ship. After the war, Hyuga was scrapped in 1947.
Ise was a Japanese battleship laid under the keel in 1915, launched in November 1916, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in December 1917. The ship was 219 m long, 33.8 m wide, and had a full displacement of 38,800 tons. The maximum speed of battleship Ise was around 21-23 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch was 12 356 mm guns in six turrets, two guns each, and the additional armament was mainly 16 140 mm guns.
Ise was the first battleship of the type with the same name, ie Ise. During World War I, it was not subjected to major modernization, while in the years 1921-1928 and 1934-1937 it was subjected to major reconstructions. First of all, the armor was significantly strengthened, catapults for seaplanes and anti-aircraft artillery were added. The entire gym was also modernized. From September 1942, Ise underwent another modernization, which made it a hybrid: battleship-aircraft carrier. Two aft cannon towers were disassembled in order to create a landing deck for the planes. The idea, however, turned out to be completely unsuccessful, and Ise was lost as a battleship, without becoming a real aircraft carrier by any means. During World War II, Ise fought in the area of the Aleutian Islands in May 1942, and in October took part in the Battle of Leyte, where it was damaged. In February 1945, it was again damaged at the base in Kure as a result of an attack by American on-board planes. In 1946, the ship was scrapped.
Haruna was a Japanese battlecruiser, the keel of which was laid in 1912, launched in December 1913, and commissioned in the Imperial Japanese Navy in April 1915. The total length of the ship was 222 meters, width 31 meters, and a full displacement of 36,000 tons. Harun's top speed was around 30-31 knots. The main armament at the time of the launch was 8 356 mm guns in four turrets, two guns each, and the secondary armament was mainly 14 152 mm guns.
Haruna was the fourth and final Congo-class battleship. In the interwar period, Haruna was intensively modernized, which led to: a significant improvement in the armor of the ship, the reconstruction of the front superstructure, which took the shape of a Japanese pagoda, and an increase in power and modernization of the engine room. Haruna also received catapults enabling the operation of seaplanes. Haruna's combat career in World War II began with her participation in supporting the invasion of British territory in Indochina. In April 1942, the ship also took part in the famous raid of the Japanese fleet to the Indian Ocean, and later - in June this year - took part in the Battle of Midway, where, despite many air attacks, it suffered only minor damage. Haruna also took part in the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands in October 1942. In 1944, he fought in the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944 and in the Battle of Leyte in October of the same year. In 1945, due to a lack of fuel, Haruna did not take any combat actions, and in July of that year it was severely damaged and later sunk by American on-board planes at the naval base in Kure. The wreckage of the Haruna battlecruiser was scrapped in 1948.