YAMATO

Historical what if discussions, hypothetical operations, battleship vs. battleship engagements, design your own warship, etc.
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RF
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YAMATO

Post by RF »

With respect to Bismarck being destroyed on the basis of facing two opposing battleships (which appears to have been the British strategy during this campaign), suppose that the Japanese sent Yamato into the
North Atlantic during WW2 and encountered Rodney and King George V.

Who would win?
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Re: YAMATO

Post by Tiornu »

Whether or not she wins, Yamato loses because she will not be able to make it home.
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ontheslipway
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Post by ontheslipway »

She won't even make it to the Atlantic with her range...
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RF
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YAMATO

Post by RF »

I am assuming that Yamato gets to the Atlantic using German supply facilities and has the use of German bases in France and Norway.
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Karl Heidenreich
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Post by Karl Heidenreich »

It´s better the other way around: Rodney and KGV are sent to the Pacific in order to replace PoW and Repulse. In their way they find the Yamato.
Action begins: Yamato fires.
Action continues: KGV or Rodney sinks while the other run away.
Action ends: Yamato sails home.

Best regards.
An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.
Sir Winston Churchill
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RF
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Post by RF »

How long does it take to sink one of the British ships? The other could land hits while this is happening - the Yamato 18.1 inch guns had a very slow rate of fire and these super-sledghammers might have been as effective against KGV as Graf Spees' 11 inch guns were against Ajax and Achilles. Rodney would be vulnerable due to its slower speed, and the Japanese commander would probably target her first (as Lutjens did on 27 May in Bismarck).

Add Norfolk to the equation, with its torpedo armament, and I think that a canny British commander such as Harwood would have the edge.
Overall the British force would have a much better chance than the previous Yamato confrontation proposed on this website, comprising Scharnhorst and Gneisenau!
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Post by Tiornu »

The 46cm guns did not have an especially slow RoF. In fact, they were probably faster than Rodney's guns.
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RF
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Post by RF »

According to US Navy engineering reports in 1946 the rate of fire of the Yamato class was about one salvo every two to two and a half minutes.
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Post by Tiornu »

The Naval Technical Mission report of 1946 says in O-45-N, "A very satisfactory rate of fire was obtained for a gun of this size: 1.5 rounds per minute at full elevation." The firing cycle at the loading angle was 30 seconds. Nevertheless, the rumor that Yamato's guns were slow-firing has continued. I'm not sure where it came from.
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marcelo_malara
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Post by marcelo_malara »

Tiornu is right. Yamato´s rate fo fire was close to 40 sec. After all, the shells were just 300 kg heavier than the 16" ones, there is no reason for that predreadnought reloading speed.
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Post by Bgile »

According to J. Skulski's "The Battleship Yamato" in the anatomy series, Yamato's firing cycle was 28 seconds at 3 deg loading angle, and 40 seconds at max elevation of 45 deg.

He lists each operation in the drill (pg 18) and the time allotted for firing at 20 degrees elevation.
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Post by Tiornu »

Skulski's account of the firing cycle differs from Campbell's, but not to any great degree.
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