This comes as no surprise seeing as she was the pinnacle of traditional battleship doctrine, where the BB's are kept at the center of the fleet until the enemy's BB force comes into view, with carriers and other ships providing escort for them until then, but not shying away from engaging if an opportunity arises, while the Iowa's were designed primarily as high speed long range escorts, with fast carriers as the center striking force. Yamato was indeed quite fast for her size at 27 knots, thanks to her bulbous bow and other streamlining features, but speed was ultimately secondary to raw armor and firepower. Even faster than the notoriously swift 30 knot Littorio's, who's speed gave the Limey's a major headache in the Mediterranean. ![]() Pretty much any battleship would succumb to the same fate when faced with a similar scenario, with the possible exception of Iowa, as her anti-aircraft loadout was arguably the best among any battleship afloat during the war, and with the highest top end speed at 33 knots. Her downfall was being swarmed by wave upon wave of carrier aircraft with minimal to no support. Her large rudder afforded her excellent maneuverability for such a big ship.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |