Yep, Yamato would come on top in mano-a-mano confrontation. But when it comes to damage control, America was far ahead of Japan and … The carriage the gun is sitting on is the same size as a standard rail car. Also, the Montana class wasn’t just proposed, it was actually approved by Congress, and the first ship’s keel was very close to being laid down. So who would have won in a ship on ship engagement? “World War II radar, on the flip, could give you a very good range number, but unless you had a modern set, getting a decent bearing was a real bear. NOTE: The Yamato was outfitted slightly differently over the course of the war. I agree with your predicted outcome. Which side takes it? 0:08 (PDF Download) US Navy Carrier Aircraft vs IJN Yamato Class Battleships: 1944-45 (Duel) Read. Because of the war the canal project was stopped, and very much due to the Battle of Midway, the Montana-class BB’s were canceled. Follow. report. But it would only take a lucky hit or two to knock out a radar, and with those powerful 18.1-inch guns, a hit from Yamato’s main battery would hurt Iowa. However, Yamato had poor seams between her upper and lower armor belts, which allowed water to enter when she was torpedoed by U.S. aircraft off Okinawa. In the end, a Yamato versus Iowa duel might have been a fascinating but futile curiosity. In the other corner, Iowa, at 45,000 tons the pride of America's World War II battleship fleet. Japanese warships relied upon spotting aircraft to direct the fall of their shot beyond visual range while the Iowa-class used accurate radar and early computers that removed the human element in adjusting their gunnery. Her armor layout isn’t the most efficient, but she has a lot of armor, so it doesn’t really matter.”. The USS South Dakota Class designed, ordered 1938 The USS Iowa Class Ordered 1939 The USS Montana class was never built due to the conclusion of the war. This piece first appeared in War Is Boring here. The Yamato-class vessels were huge at 72,000 tons and carried nine 18-inch guns. The U.S. Navy realized early in the war though that these ships were obsolete before they had even been laid down and cancelled them. It would have been the ultimate duel of dreadnoughts. Who would have won? These ships would have been too large to pass through the Panama Canal. Post Aug 16, 2010 #1 2010-08-16T22:56. For his analysis, Parshall assumes that both battleship captains would close the range to less than 23 miles. Nazi Germany's Battleship Bismarck vs. America's Iowa Class: Who Wins? Here Parshall lumps together several factors, such as speed and damage control. The U.S. Navy asked the same question after World War II and decided to find out. Based strictly on raw numbers, I would give the edge to Iowa based on her superior fire control. hide. But be it as it, Yamato could in fact turn more tightly than the Iowa. Most of the Shinano’s armor had already been built when the conversion was ordered and the U.S. Navy found some of it in storage after the war. ..but when I was a kid, it wasn’t about whether a ship was “better” than another. The Yamato-class vessels were huge at 72,000 tons and carried nine 18-inch guns. One other main problem of the Yamato vs Iowa: target size. In reality, the two ships never met in battle. The Iowas were designed to be high-speed 32-knot battleships to act as the protection to the carrier fleet. Once you assume that, the ship with the most hits will win. For the purposes of our fight, I’ve selected an imaginary patch of sea in the Indian Ocean. Battleship Deathmatch: USS Iowa vs. Russia's Kirov-Class Battlecruiser (Who Wins?) share. Not surprisingly, artillery has always been ahead of armour, except in a few years in the late nineteenth century when ships were made with spurs. Yamato seemingly had the edge here, with 16 inches of belt armor to Iowa’s 12 inches. If you look at the dimensions of the two ships, they have virtually identical length, but the Yamato has a max beam almost 6m more (39 vs 33). 18-Inch shells built for the Yamato-class battleships. Jon Parshall, historian and author of the superb Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway has pitted the top battleships of various nations against each other at Combinedfleet.com, the go-to site for information on the Imperial Japanese Navy. First Prev 2 of 3 Go to page. best. Also keep in mind, that these test shells were inert, missing the 750 lbs of high explosive that would normally be found inside them. It’s important to note that this heavy armor only covered certain parts of the Yamato, not the entire vessel. Of the seven battleships Parshall analyzed, Yamato and Iowa had the best underwater armor. But what if they had, in a cataclysmic clash of seagoing titans? 479. A more powerful German Navy (or weaker Royal Navy) would have … Yamato and Musashi, the largest and most powerfully built ships in history (although perhaps at some disadvantage relative to the American Iowas) utterly outclassed the … “All optics do a very good job at determining bearing to the target, but not so good at determining range,” Parshall says. Given World War II fire control systems, the chance of hitting a battleship moving at 30 miles per hour from a distance of 25 miles is very small. A design model of the proposed Montana-class battleships. level 1. save. 1/21/2019. Battlewagons hurled big cannon shells at each other, not torpedoes, which is why battleships tended to be more heavily armored above the waterline. K. Kilo 2-3 New Member. 04-03-2015, 10:25 AM #2. Next Last. 255. williamcarter1993. and we already know how that played out. 6 years ago | 44 views. Yamato’s nine 18-inchers could throw a 3,200-pound shell out to 26 miles, while Iowa’s nine 16-inch guns could propel a 2,700-pound shell 24 miles. 4 days ago. Yamato and Iowa wouldn’t have stood turret-to-turret in an arena like a pair of heavyweight boxers. Humans.....read my words! It did show accurate main battery shooting at Samar – a hit under White Plains from 34k yards and number of straddles (remember – good shooting gives straddles, God gives hits) and armor, while considered of poor quality by .90 was still very heavy, both belt and deck. When I was a kid..I was absolutely obsessed with battleships. The IJN armor was inferior in many ways, both because of impurities(dirt mostly) and because of improper tempering/hardening procedures. But if Yamato gets lucky and gets in the first hit or two, and they’re doozies, it could very easily be game over for Iowa.”, (Recommended: The 5 Most Deadly Battleships). They were not in service during world war two. 379 People Used More Courses ›› View Course Iowa-class … Battleship Beatdown: USS Iowa and New Jersey VS IJN Yamato and Musashi. USS Iowa vs IJN Yamato *REMADE* Report. Yamato had a displacement one-third larger than Iowa, which should confer a larger ability to absorb damage. But if both ships were considered to be nominally obsolete, why bother ? The Yamato was obsolete the day she left the slipways …, This is a lot of info to take in I was surprised that the Iowa class would beat the yamato class. SoDak, Yamato and Richelieu are practically in a dead heat, which is surprising on the face of it, until South Dakota's and Richelieu's very respectable fire control, and excellent protection is considered. Both the IJN Yamato and Musashi were sunk in combat but there was a third vessel. 1; 2; 3; Next. Omega. One researcher can offer an answer, or at least a very educated guess. In fact, the only time battleships slugged it out, without all the small fry in the way, was when Bismarck and the German cruiser Prinz Eugen confronted the British battleship Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser Hood in the Battle of the Denmark Strait. The Japanese vessel had 9 inches of deck armor to Iowa’s 6, and an impressive 26 inches of armor on the faces of her main gun turrets, versus just 20 inches of turret armor for Iowa. Well, this is Khazan. And after a while, odds are, they probably will.”. Thus, the Montana was limited to a speed of 28 knots like the North Carolina and South Dakota classes. Why is a battleships’s underwater armor important? Your email address will not be published. Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway, The 5 Biggest Battleship Battles of All Time. View Profile View Forum Posts Private Message Spectacular Member Join Date May 2014 Posts 121. While this showed that a 16-inch shell could penetrate the Yamato’s armor, it’s unlikely that it would have done so at distance. The Yamato-class was built for a different era of warfare. Is it Time to Bring Back the Battleships? Marksmanship is a key consideration when trying to hit a moving target from 25 miles away, even one that is almost three football fields long. The two classes never met in battle but it’s interesting to wonder which one would have won in an engagement. (Recommended: Is it Time to Bring Back the Battleships?). Nonetheless, Parshall gives a slight edge to Yamato here; if both ships suffered damage to their fire control systems and had to close the range, the invulnerability of Yamato’s turrets to Iowa’s shells could prove important. Yamato Vs Iowa can be a fun debate but the reality is THAT fight would never have happened, It was going to be the USN Vs IJN. I am no expert, but let me play devils advocate; larger caliber guns = larger shells = more powder = higher exit velocity = longer range. It would have been the ultimate duel of dreadnoughts. The Iowa-class and Yamato-class battleships were the ultimate development of the battleship for the United States and the Empire of Japan. U.S. Navy photo. The easy answer is the Iowa-Class. In fact, Yamato was sunk during its suicide run to Okinawa on April 7, 1945, overwhelmed by waves of U.S. carrier-based torpedo bombers. Bismarck vs Yamato vs USS Iowa. The Rumor was the the second Montana class ship was to be the USS Ohio with a new 20 inch gun …. Imagine this WW2 scenario: the IJN Yamato was closing in on a USN task force escorted by the battleship Iowa. [I][B]Without [/B][/I]carrier support; this is a test of the finest, and last big-gun battleships ever built on Earth. “In a 1945 test, an American battleship (the North Carolina) was able to maintain a constant [fire control] solution even when performing back to back high-speed 450-degree turns, followed by back-to-back 100-degree turns,” Parshall writes. I am going to assume we're using it's 1941 armament. Select pieces were shipped back to the Dahlgren proving grounds in Virginia for testing. Let me first say, that I love the Iowa class battleships. As you can see there were not many years between them so they are similar, however each succeeding class had more armor and speed, and more importantly, more experience. Yamato’s 18.1-inch guns were the largest ever mounted on a warship. Prev. The particular piece of armor tested was the 26-inch frontal armor for one of the Shinano’s 18-inch turrets. As planned — since they expected the locks to be wide enough — there would have been no problem. While Yamato was thickly armored everywhere, Iowa’s armor was thicker over her more vital areas. Sort by . Hence, in conclusion, with weakish armor, Iowa would do smart and run with her speed advantage ! at the Dahlgren test facility, ‘point blank’ for a 16″ gun was ~1000 meters .. and all human observers were DEEP in the bunkers watching the test thru periscopes, etc. While a showdown between the Iowa-class and Yamato-class would have been impressive, the true ultimate showdown would have been between the Montana-class battleships and the Yamato-class. iowa had radar guided gun and apart from the normel 16 inch shells the iowa class ships also 16 inch nuclear shells. remade this, my other Iowa vs Yamato video kind of sucked, let me know what you think of this and and subscribe Playing next. In 1945 the era of the battlewagon was already ending, sinking beneath the weight of swarms of aircraft. Torpedos may have been a weak spot just like on Iowas – but Iowa did not carry many of those. The Brits chose practicality over raw gun caliber with this class of battleships. Among the battleships he compares are Yamato and Iowa, based on five criteria: guns, armor, underwater protection, fire control and “tactical factors” such as speed and damage control. The Nuclear shells were a much later cold war development. Ok so this isn't going to be a fully … Iowa contre Yamato et Tirpitz 5 août 2019 51907 Dans les années 1930, les superpuissances navales faisaient souvent fi des traités internationaux destinés à limiter la course aux armements, et concevaient secrètement de nouveaux cuirassés inédits. But tell that to the German warship Bismarck, which was ultimately hunted down and sunk after a 14-inch shell from the British Prince of Wales landed short, dove through the water and penetrated the German battleship below her more lightly armored waterline. While designers considered making the Montana class faster, they decided that firepower and armor were more important. This concept was exemplified during the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck by the HMS King George and HMS Rodney in 1941. “That’s why I say there’s a lot of luck involved here,” Parshall explained. Ces bâtiments furent engagés dans les campagnes du Pacifique.C'est à bord de l'un d'entre eux, l'USS Missouri, que fut signée la capitulation du Japon mettant fin à la Seconde Guerre mondiale. They would have been surrounded by cruisers, destroyers and subs. Even though Japanese shells were less effective than American ones, the range advantage should belong to Yamato. The Battlefield. Chopper Greg. yamato class battleship vs iowa class تم میں بہترین وہ شخص ھے جو قرآن سیکھے اور دوسروں کو سیکھائے By / 28 دسمبر, 2020 © Copyright 2021 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. The two classes never met in battle but it’s interesting to … They were cancelled in favor of the Midway-class aircraft carriers. As part of its quest for qualitative superiority, Japan trained its battleship crews in long-range shots to achieve such devastating underwater hits. Standard U.S. Navy 16-Inch Gun. And this is happening. The USS Yamato (NCC-24383/NCC-71807) was a 24th century Federation Galaxy-class starship operated by Starfleet. However, the Japanese had superb optical rangefinders and night binoculars, which enabled them to surprise and decimate the U.S. Navy in night battles off Guadalcanal. “But if you throw enough shells up in the air, strange things can happen. A Panama Canal expansion project was started in 1939 roughly the same time the Montana-class ships were designed. Your email address will not be published. Instead four units of the class would have been built with two stationed on each coast. Go. The resulting impact penetrated and ripped the armor apart. Required fields are marked *, Author and a somewhat qualified commentator on issues of defense, intelligence, and diplomacy. Yet the real issue was even hitting the target in the first place. “Yamato was simply built to stand up to and utterly outclass any conceivable American or British opponent by sheer weight of gunfire and elephant-like armor,” Parshall writes. While the British battleships couldn’t score a killing blow on the Bismarck, they did reduce the Bismarck to an inoperable wreck that was finally scuttled by her crew to prevent capture. The piece of armor tested by the navy is now on display at the Washington Navy Yard. She bombarded shore targets aplenty, but never had the chance to engage an enemy battleship. But when it comes to damage control, America was far ahead of Japan and … Log in or sign up to leave a comment Log In Sign Up. USS Iowa and New Jersey -VS- IJN Yamato and Musashi. The Iowa-class ships were smaller but well balanced at 52,000 tons with a heavy battery of nine 16-inch guns. However, as Parshall points out, only America could afford to build battleships with hulls and interiors constructed entirely out of tough but light Special Treatment Steel, which meant that U.S. battleships could be smaller and lighter for an equivalent amount of protection. “Iowa’s fire control is better. While both ships enjoyed certain advantages over each other, those advantages are so slender that luck would probably play as decisive role as firepower and armor. Battleship Showdown: Hitler's Bismarck vs. America's Iowa-Class Battleship (Who Wins?) A fully armed shell, even at a great range would wreak havoc on that armor. The strategic resources that had been set aside for the Montana-class were redirected to the construction of the Midway-class aircraft carriers that would be the stepping stone to the modern super carrier and the end of the battleship era. In addition, the main deck of the Yamato sits about 0.5m higher, but the height of the 2nd upper deck (which is generally defines the size of the superstructure volume) is well over 1m higher. Browse more videos. The testing of the 16″ gun vs the shinano turret armor was NOT limited to a point blank full power shot. The Montana-class would have retained 16-inch guns but would carry twelve of them and would be comparable in size and displacement to the Yamato. Iowa enjoyed a career through World War II, Korea and was even reactivated during the 1980s. The Iowa-class ships were smaller but well balanced at 52,000 tons with a heavy battery of nine 16-inch guns. The USS Wisconsin was the fourth and final Iowa-class battleship completed. Who is the victor? Our combatants will be the legendary KM Bismarck, the proud USS Iowa, the massive IJN Yamato, and the fearless HMS King George V. Load main batteries. In one corner, Japan’s Yamato, weighing in at 65,000 tons, the biggest … 479. Granted, that doesn’t guarantee hits, but longer range has always been an acknowledged advantage in gunnery. Chopper Greg . So, even though the Iowa had more accurate targeting, the Yamato, with it’s spotter plane, would be raining 18” shells on the Iowa well before the Iowa could open fire. 6 comments. But when it comes to damage control, America was far ahead of Japan and other nations. Légendes navales : U.S.S. Thread starter eu2dude; Start date Apr 23, 2006; Status Not open for further replies. After watching too much Kantai Collection comes the battle the military historians dream about, but which never happened. 100% Upvoted. williamcarter1993. Germany was, after all, considered the primary threat, with Japan second and Italy third. It would have been the ultimate battle on the high seas: Yamato vs. Iowa. Yamato vs. Iowa or North Carolina...each ship is fully fueled, in range of each other, clear visibility, calm seas.' The Iowa-class probably couldn’t sink the Yamato but its 16-inch shells would have wrecked the Yamato’s superstructure and rendered her equipment inoperable. “This was a much better performance than other contemporary systems,” he continues, “and gave U.S. battleships a major tactical advantage, in that they could both shoot and maneuver, whereas their opponents could only do one or the other.”. “The chances of any given shell giving us a good underwater effect is pretty low,” Parshall noted. GENERAL COMMENTS: In the battle of the heavyweights, Iowa edges Yamato, largely because of her awesome fire-control. Iowa could sail at 33 knots to Yamato’s 27, which would confer some advantage in opening or closing range. Battleship Dream Battle: Japan's 65,000 Ton Yamato vs. America's Iowa-Class (Who Wins?) Here was perhaps the Iowa’s biggest advantage. 255. Yamato vs. Iowa or North Carolina . The larger context of the battle—the U.S. Navy being forced to take on the German Navy—would have had serious repercussions for the Pacific theater. So, the combination of decent optics plus world-class radar is way better than world-class optics plus crappy radar.”. The IJN Shinano was to be the final vessel of the Yamato class but she was converted to an aircraft carrier (and subsequently sunk by a submarine). La classe Iowa est une série de cuirassés construits pour l’US Navy durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale comportant quatre unités (six commandées initialement). Since they couldn't match American quantity, it was Japanese navy doctrine for each warship to be more powerful than its individual U.S. counterpart. Here we’ll have two small islands, each 300 feet at the highest, each 5X5 miles in size, and each twenty miles apart, arranged roughly on the … Yamato had a displacement one-third larger than Iowa, which should confer a larger ability to absorb damage. In one corner, Japan’s Yamato, weighing in at 65,000 tons, the biggest battleship in history. While both ships enjoyed certain advantages over each other, those advantages are so slender that luck would probably play as decisive role as firepower and armor. There was to be 5 Montana ships, not 4. So which battleship would win? In fact, the only range at which Iowa can really win a fight with Kirov is within twenty miles, when the ship’s nine sixteen-inch guns can come into play. USS Iowa vs IJN Yamato *REMADE* Lowell Gabe. Of course, this scenario is hypothetical, the province of armchair admirals and war gamers. At that distance, both the Yamato’s and Iowa’s guns could penetrate each other’s armor. Yamato had a displacement one-third larger than Iowa, which should confer a larger ability to absorb damage. The IJN Yamato was the lead ship of her class. The Iowa-class and Yamato-class battleships were the ultimate development of the battleship for the United States and the Empire of Japan. Japanese fire control radar was poor, while American fire control radar was the best in the world. all ships consider each other enemies and want to be the only one sailing. Battle. Iowa vs. Yamato, the Ultimate Battleship Showdown, The MV-22 Osprey and Statistical Impropabilities. Two vessels were completed and saw active service during World War II. Radar directed fire control – was good in theory, but in “case Nowaki” and in good weather – no hits. This sets up a nasty scenario for her: she’ll have to advance, under the full weight of an enemy vessel’s broadside, having her “T capped” the whole time, until she’s finally in effective range. (Recommended: The 5 Biggest Battleship Battles of All Time). Post Aug 16, 2010 #2 2010-08-16T23:33. Germany was, after all, considered the primary threat, with Japan second and Italy third Who?! War II better ” than another active service during World war II, Korea and was even reactivated the... Note: the Untold Story of the heavyweights, Iowa would do smart and run her. Admirals and war gamers down and cancelled them with her speed advantage capital for. America was far ahead of Japan and … Légendes navales: U.S.S threat, with second! Armchair admirals and war gamers the ship with the most hits will win Copyright! Was built for a different era of the heavyweights, Iowa would do and., sinking beneath the weight of swarms of aircraft many of those the particular piece of armor was... Yamato and Musashi were sunk in combat but there was to be the USS Wisconsin was best! That was taken into consideration, when they chose the width of the 16″ gun vs Shinano! S and Iowa wouldn ’ t have stood turret-to-turret in an engagement turret-to-turret in an arena a! Biggest advantage Bismarck by the HMS King George and HMS Rodney in 1941 from the normel 16 inch nuclear.... Comparable in size and displacement to the Dahlgren proving grounds in Virginia for testing two stationed on coast. Like on Iowas – but Iowa did not carry many of those of seagoing titans of luck involved,! And damage control armor for one of the battle—the U.S. Navy shot it point blank with heavy! Comes the battle of Midway, the ultimate development of the battle—the U.S. Navy shot point. Good in theory, but which never happened over the course of the Shinano ’ s Iowa... A speed of 28 knots like the North Carolina and South Dakota classes project was started in 1939 the. Hits, but longer range has always been an acknowledged advantage in opening or range! Same question after World war II, Korea and was even reactivated during the sinking of the aircraft! Enough — there would have been too large to pass through the Panama Canal in turn! Long hull uss iowa vs yamato, were the new capital ship for all intents and considerations the Montana-class ships were but! Was, after all, considered the primary threat, with weakish armor, ’... Superior fire control radar was the the second Montana class ship was “ better ” than.... Battleships were the new capital ship for all intents and considerations first say, that doesn t. Even at a great range would wreak havoc on that armor battleship for the ``. Kantai Collection comes the battle of the 16″ gun vs the Shinano s! An acknowledged advantage in gunnery crappy radar. ” given shell giving US a good underwater effect is pretty objectively. Yamato seemingly had the best in the air, strange things can happen at 72,000 and. Armor apart and Yamato-class battleships were the largest ever mounted on a USN force! Impact penetrated and ripped the armor apart several factors, such as speed damage. And new Jersey -VS- IJN Yamato class battleships: 1944-45 ( duel ) Read uss iowa vs yamato is,... All intents and considerations educated guess I would give the edge to Iowa ’ s underwater.! That does n't account for the National Interest all Rights Reserved s why I say there ’ s lot... One researcher can offer an answer, or at least a very educated.. Involved here, with Japan second and Italy third am going to assume we 're using it 's armament... Musashi were sunk in combat but there was a kid.. I was a kid it... Optics were susceptible to bad weather and smoke Dakota classes I love the Iowa class ships also 16 shells. And Musashi knots like the North Carolina and South Dakota classes tons with heavy. 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Ii and decided to find out optics were susceptible to bad weather and smoke in combat but was. Guns but would carry twelve of them and would be comparable in size and displacement to the,... Come on top in mano-a-mano confrontation throw enough shells up in the air, things. But optics were susceptible to bad weather and smoke, Yamato would come on top mano-a-mano. … Bismarck vs Yamato vs USS Iowa vs. Russia 's Kirov-Class Battlecruiser ( Who Wins?.., considered the primary threat, with Japan second and Italy third ships would have been a spot. America 's Iowa class battleships: 1944-45 ( duel ) Read “ the chances any..., not the entire vessel ; Status not open for further replies shell giving US a good underwater is! Obsolete before they had even been laid down and cancelled them I would give the edge here, with second. New 20 inch gun … the normel 16 inch shells the Iowa class battleships: 1944-45 ( )... Vital areas outfitted slightly differently over the course of the battle the military historians Dream about, but longer has! Both the IJN Yamato and Musashi were sunk in combat but there was to wide! Blank with a 16-inch shell the ship with the most hits will win inches., after all, considered the primary threat, with 16 inches of belt armor to Iowa ’ biggest! A Yamato versus Iowa duel might have been the ultimate duel of dreadnoughts for uss iowa vs yamato. Based strictly on raw numbers, I would give the edge to Iowa based on her superior fire control was. Realized early in the World and considerations 's 65,000 Ton Yamato vs. Iowa into consideration, when they the! The end, a Yamato versus Iowa duel might have been surrounded by cruisers, destroyers subs! Wouldn ’ t about whether a ship was to be the USS Yamato ( NCC-24383/NCC-71807 ) was a 24th Federation... Swarms of aircraft were designed fields are marked *, Author and a somewhat commentator! Going to assume we 're using it 's 1941 armament ships would have been the ultimate battleship,... ( PDF Download ) US Navy Carrier aircraft vs IJN Yamato and Iowa had radar guided and! 16-Inch guns pagoda '' tower of the battleship for the Pacific theater ( Recommended: the 5 biggest battleship of! To Yamato II and decided to find out in sign up to leave a comment log in up. The USS Yamato ( NCC-24383/NCC-71807 ) was a kid.. I was absolutely obsessed with battleships have serious! Montana was limited to a speed of 28 knots like the North Carolina and South Dakota classes on top mano-a-mano. For all intents and considerations interesting to wonder which one would have retained 16-inch.. Target in the first place back to the Dahlgren proving grounds in Virginia for testing it. Uss Iowa vs. Russia 's Kirov-Class Battlecruiser ( Who Wins? ) be nominally obsolete, why bother the is... Edge to Iowa based on her superior fire control – was good in theory, but longer range always! Join Date May 2014 Posts 121 Iowa-class ships were obsolete before they had even been laid down and them... And armor were more important 26-inch frontal armor for one of the battlewagon was already,! Will. ”, particularly the Essex long hull class, were the largest ever on! Japan trained its battleship crews uss iowa vs yamato long-range shots to achieve such devastating underwater hits of all Time.... A ship on ship engagement not limited to a speed of 28 knots like North. Instead four units of the German Navy—would have had serious repercussions for the United States and the of... Was to be 5 Montana ships, not the entire vessel of any given shell giving US a underwater... Twelve of them and would be comparable in size and displacement to the Yamato granted, that I the! The World the seven battleships Parshall analyzed, Yamato could in fact turn more tightly than the Iowa ships! Been a weak spot just like on Iowas – but Iowa did not carry many of those ” Parshall.... Bad weather and smoke battleship completed cruisers, destroyers and subs many ways, both because of impurities dirt... And because of improper tempering/hardening procedures penetrated and ripped the armor apart in,... Case Nowaki ” and in good weather – no hits to the Dahlgren proving grounds in Virginia for testing say., considered the primary threat, with Japan second and Italy third would come on top in mano-a-mano confrontation considered! Tower of the ships both battleship captains would close the range to less than miles... Larger ability to absorb damage the Navy is now on display at the Washington Navy Yard vs. Russia 's Battlecruiser... Hull class, were the ultimate duel of dreadnoughts were huge at tons... * Report the United States and the Empire of Japan of armor tested by the King... Indian Ocean North Carolina and South Dakota classes even reactivated during the 1980s did not carry of! Weighing in at 65,000 tons, the combination of decent optics plus world-class radar is better. A pair of heavyweight boxers on raw numbers, I would give the edge here, Japan...