Anatomy of Yamato
3. Big Guns
Yamato's nine main guns, mounted in three turrets, were the
largest to ever crown a warship. They fired shells 18 inches in
diameter, and each armor-piercing shell weighed as much as a small
car. They also could strike at an unprecedented range of 25 miles.
Ironically, while designed to sink enemy battleships, they were
never tested against one. Yamato fought Allied ships only
once, in the Battle of Samar Gulf, where she sank one American
escort carrier and one destroyer. For her final mission, the
Imperial Navy swapped out some armor-piercing projectiles for
incendiary, anti-aircraft shells, but Yamato's awesome guns
were still ill equipped for aerial warfare.