Doug P.

On 6/29/2022 at 4:38 PM, thibaultron said:

Accourding to an article in Naval Proceeding in the 80s. The Japanese ships used WWI era technology for armor and shells, giving for thickness of armor per inch less protection than the American WWII era battleship armor. The shells also had less penetrating power. So the larger guns on the Yamato, and thicker armor only had better performance at long range where the larger heavier shell would have better performance in plunging shots. The US ships had better radar controlled firing systems, and better speed, allowing them to better set the field of battle. At closer ranges the US ships armor and shells held the advantage. But we will never know for sure.

The problem would be, can you close the range with the Yamato before her guns with superior range hit you?  Unless our ships were able to surprise the Yamato, there might have been a problem with those plunging 46cm AP Yamato shells.....

1 minute ago, Doug P. said:

 

We Americans do love our Iowa-class battleships, all of which survived WWII relatively unscathed.  Beautiful, powerful, and fast.  However, Yamato & Musashi outclassed the Iowas in every respect except speed.  Had there ever been a surface engagement between these classes, I'm afraid the Yamato in particular would have prevailed. Bigger guns with more range, thicker armor.  I refer you to Bismarck vs. Hood. The sinkings of both Yamato & Musashi were accomplished by literally hundreds of US aircraft, unopposed by enemy aircraft and thus allowed to pound away at leisure until both were finally sunk.  Had our Iowas undergone similar assaults without our own aircover, have to believe the result would have been the same.  Bottom line, in my opinion, Yamato did represent the ultimate incarnation of battleship, never to be challenged again.  That makes it worth modelling.

"..hard to believe the result WOULDN'T have been the same."

On 6/23/2022 at 8:34 PM, mtaylor said:

Possibly "reputation" and the myths that boosted them?  Back in my control line flying days, I went for the German ones.  Maybe it was the colors and the looks?

On 6/23/2022 at 7:46 PM, Roger Pellett said:

What do people find so fascinating about these ships?  Compared to the Iowa’s they are rather ugly with their humpbacked sheer.  Both were sunk by aircraft and neither distinguished itself in battle.  And, they didn’t represent what many would consider to be a good cause.

 

My last comment would apply to Bismarck and Tripitz too.

 

Roger

We Americans do love our Iowa-class battleships, all of which survived WWII relatively unscathed.  Beautiful, powerful, and fast.  However, Yamato & Musashi outclassed the Iowas in every respect except speed.  Had there ever been a surface engagement between these classes, I'm afraid the Yamato in particular would have prevailed. Bigger guns with more range, thicker armor.  I refer you to Bismarck vs. Hood. The sinkings of both Yamato & Musashi were accomplished by literally hundreds of US aircraft, unopposed by enemy aircraft and thus allowed to pound away at leisure until both were finally sunk.  Had our Iowas undergone similar assaults without our own aircover, have to believe the result would have been the same.  Bottom line, in my opinion, Yamato did represent the ultimate incarnation of battleship, never to be challenged again.  That makes it worth modelling.

On 6/23/2022 at 7:46 PM, Roger Pellett said:

What do people find so fascinating about these ships?  Compared to the Iowa’s they are rather ugly with their humpbacked sheer.  Both were sunk by aircraft and neither distinguished itself in battle.  And, they didn’t represent what many would consider to be a good cause.

 

My last comment would apply to Bismarck and Tripitz too.

 

Roger

Bad cause, granted.  Sunk by aircraft, yes, in overwhelming numbers, 350+ USN aircraft in multiple waves, no effective escorts, no JPN air cover.  Same for Bismarck and Tirpitz vs the RAF.  If Iowa class battleships had encountered similar disadvantages, what then?  Fact is, head to head, absent any aircover, the Yamato would have demolished any of the Iowa class battleships, and I say this as a true-blue American patriot and fan of the Iowas.  Yamato deserves the mantle as the ultimate battleship, and it took an enormous advantage in air and sea resources to finally sink her.  Let's give the Japanese their due as building and deploying the ultimate incarnation of the battleship.  Will be happy to build her as a 1/200 model now that the flawed Nichimo version has finally been supplanted.

Thanks for the comprehensive review and photos.  I just got my Gallery Yamato in a week ago or so (yes it arrived while the missus was away).  I did notice from your photos that it appears Trumpeter (or Gallery) are up to their old tricks of boring hull openings straight horizontally, even in the flared bow area, which results in distorted oval-shaped openings.  They did the same thing on Titanic.  Also, not to start in already with the nitpicking, but do so wish they had included instructions at least on the substantial amount of rigging that will be necessary to bring this to life.  Again, thanks for your great review...