Anatomy of Yamato

6. Aircraft & Catapults
The seven floatplanes Yamato carried were not fighter planes capable of protecting her. They were designed for reconnaissance and to help direct Yamato's guns to distant targets. The range of her big guns was so enormous—25 miles—that spotter planes were essential for honing in on enemy ships over the horizon. Two immense catapults—as tall as six-story buildings when raised—launched the planes, and an equally enormous crane lifted them from the water upon their return to the ship.