Japanese battleship Musashi

Japanese battleship Musashi
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Japanese battleship Musashi. The Japanese battleship Musashi was a Yamato-class battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy, designed by Kiyoshi Hata and Chiyokichi Hata, and constructed during World War II. She, along with her sister ship, Yamato, were the largest warships ever constructed. Musashi was named after Musashi Province, a Japanese province now part of Tokyo.

Design and description

The Musashi was designed by Kiyoshi Hata, and Chiyokichi Hata, and was part of the Yamato-class of battleships, which also included Yamato and Nagato, although the latter was not completed. The Musashi measured overall and had a beam of . The draft was . She displaced at standard and at deep load.

The Musashi had nine 32 cm/45 Type 3 naval guns in three triple turrets, and a secondary armament of twelve 15 cm/45 Type 89 naval guns in six twin turrets. She also had eight 10 cm/45 Type 98 dual-purpose guns in four twin mounts, and twenty 25 mm/60 Type 96 anti-aircraft guns.

Construction and career

The Musashi was laid down at Mitsubishi's Nagasaki shipyard on 29 March 1942, and was launched on 5 February 1943. The ship was commissioned on 5 August 1942, under the command of Captain Takeshi Yano. After her commissioning, Musashi underwent sea trials and shakedown cruises.

The Musashi served in several naval battles, including the Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. In 1944, she was overhauled at Kure, and received additional anti-aircraft guns.

Sinking

The Musashi was sunk on 24 October 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, by United States aircraft from Task Force 38. The ship was hit by several bombs and torpedoes, and eventually capsized and sank.

The sinking of Musashi resulted in the loss of over 1,000 crew members, including her captain, Akira Shintō.

Wreck discovery

The wreck of Musashi was discovered on 2 March 2015, by a team led by Robert Ballard, a marine archaeologist, and Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft. The wreck was found at a depth of in the Philippine Sea, off the coast of the Philippines.

The wreck of Musashi was found to be in a remarkably intact condition, with much of her superstructure and armament still intact.

Legacy

The Musashi is remembered as one of the most powerful warships ever constructed, and her sinking marked a significant turning point in the Pacific War. The Yamato, her sister ship, was also sunk, and the loss of these two battleships had a significant impact on the Imperial Japanese Navy.

The story of Musashi has been immortalized in several books, films, and documentaries, including the documentary Jiro's Journey, and the book The Last Salvo by H.P. Willmott. Robert D. Ballard wrote a book about the Musashi and its sister ship, Yamato, titled The Last Great Naval Battle. Category:World War II battleships of Japan