IJN
Yamato Class Battleship

Dimensions
863' | 127.8' | 36'

Tons
68,200

Crew
2,399

Armament
9 × 460 mm (18.1 in) (3×3)
6 × 155 mm (6.1 in) (2×3)
12 × 127 mm (5 in) (6×2)
130 × 25 mm AA (32×3, 34×1)
4 × 13 mm (2×2)
7 aircraft, 2 catapults

1944

October 24, 1944

Ship History
Musashi was named after the ancient Japanese Musashi Province and was the second and final ship of the Yamato class to be completed as a battleship. With her sister ship, Yamato she was a member of the largest and most heavily armed and armored class of battleships ever constructed.

Wartime History
Executives from the Mitsubishi Nagasaki Shipyard including Director Kensuke Watanabe and yard engineer Kumao Baba were ordered to begin preparations for construction and fitting out of one of the new series of battleships. Expansions of the Number 2 slipway had originally inspired naval executives to issue Nagasaki Shipyard the lucrative contract. Floating cranes of 150 and 350 metric tons capacity were built for heavy lifts. Built under the strictest of security, including the erection of large screens to hide the construction from the U.S. consulate across the bay, the battleship was launched November 1, 1940, and spent the better part of eighteen months fitting out. The completion date was revised to accommodate the changes requested by the Navy, including strengthening armor on the 15.5cm turrets, and the installation of extra communications gear. Commissioned on 5 August 1942, she proceeded to Truk Lagoon, where Admiral Yamamoto made Musashi his flagship. After he was killed on April 18, 1943. Musashi returned to Japan carrying his ashes. Musashi returned to Truk on 5 August 1943, and remained there until 10 February 1944. Her only activity during this time was a sortie toward the Marshall Islands, which resulted in no contact with American forces.

On March 29, 1944, Musashi was hit by one torpedo from the submarine USS Tunny, and had to return to Japan for repairs and modifications to her anti-aircraft armament. In June 1944, with the torpedo damage repaired, Musashi took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Her next, and last, major operation was the Battle of Leyte Gulf, in which the Japanese surface navy made a final major effort to repulse the U.S. drive into the Western Pacific.

Sinking History
Musashi formed part of Vice-Admiral Takeo Kurita's Centre Force along with Yamato at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. On October 24, 1944, while en route to the prospective battle area off the Leyte landing beaches, Musashi and her consorts were attacked by hundreds of U.S. Navy carrier aircraft. In this Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, she was hit by some nineteen torpedoes and seventeen bombs. Though her heavy protection withstood this massive damage to a degree probably unsurpassed by any other contemporary warship, Musashi capsized and sank about four hours after she received her last hit and sank at 19:35hrs. on October 24, taking more than 1000 of her 2399 crew with her; 1376 of the crew were rescued by the destroyers Kiyoshimo and Shimakaze.

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