Yamato Class Armor

[CptTrips]

26-inch thick armor from a Japanese Yamato class battleship, pierced by a US Navy 16-inch gun. The armor is on display at the US Navy Museum.

I don't know what is more amazing; that armor, or the thought of what could punch a hole through it.

 

[Rocco]

That's cool. But when did that happen? I could be wrong but I thought none of the Yamato class ever came in contact with surface ships. At least nothing with 16 inch guns. I know all 3 were either sunk by subs or aircraft.

[Volron]

Have to remember that Japan simply lacked the material quality that the US had, even at it's peak.  So I'm not surprised.  Still cool none the less. 

[CptTrips]

That's cool. But when did that happen? I could be wrong but I thought none of the Yamato class ever came in contact with surface ships. At least nothing with 16 inch guns. I know all 3 were either sunk by subs or aircraft.

Have no idea.  It just popped up in my FB feed because the Algo knows I stop and click on stuff like that.  That and nifty obscure mechanical gadgets/toys.

Maybe they used some captured ships for munitions tests after the war?

Ah.  http://www.williammaloney.com/Aviation/USNavyMuseum/OtherExhibits/pages/32Yamato26InchArmorPlate.htm

[Vulcan]

None of the Yamato class were captured either.

Here you go, turret was never fitted (last hull was converted to a carrier), test data is here: http://www.navweaps.com/index_tech/tech-040.php

[guncrasher]

I looked it up.  it was a test piece to test the 16 inch guns.  it was never installed on a ship.  reddit made it popular and from it spread to facebook.


semp

edit: link from wikipedia for yamato class destroyers.  look at the footnotes for confirmation.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamato-class_battleship

[Karnak]

(Image removed from quote.)

I don't know what is more amazing; that armor, or the thought of what could punch a hole through it.

 

It was the turret face intended for one of Shinano's turrets.  The test was from a far shorter range, and a hit at 90 degrees, than would have been possible in actual combat as mounted on Yamato and Musashi.  As mounted there was no battleship round that could penetrate that plate.  Close enough to have the energy and the angle of the plate would bounce the round.  Far enough away for the shell to hit at close to a 90 degree angle and it wouldn't have the energy to penetrate.  Japanese armor wasn't as good as American or British, but it wasn't enough worse to make that plate penetrable.