Table of Contents
Why did Japanese battleships have pagoda masts?
The pagoda mast was a type of superstructure that was common on Japanese capital ships that were reconstructed during the 1930s in a bid to improve their fighting performance.
Why was the Fuso so tall?
This drawing was adapted from one in the fire-control report of the US Naval Technical Mission to Japan. The pagoda structures on the Fuso and Yamashiro were a logical solution to a problem: The superstructure needed to be enlarged, but the small ‘footprint’ had to be maintained. This made her pagoda a little taller.
What sunk the Fuso?
Fusō was part of Vice-Admiral Shōji Nishimura’s Southern Force at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She was sunk in the early hours of 25 October 1944 by torpedoes and naval gunfire during the Battle of Surigao Strait.
Why did Dreadnoughts have masts?
American dreadnoughts were designed to use lattice masts, sometimes called “cage masts”, which were favored for their light weight since a ship should not be top-heavy.
Did the HMS Nelson sink?
She became a training ship in early 1946 and was reduced to reserve in late 1947. Nelson was scrapped two years later after being used as a target for bomb tests….HMS Nelson (28)
| History | |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | |
| Speed | 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph) |
| Range | 7,000 nmi (13,000 km; 8,100 mi) at 16 knots (30 km/h; 18 mph) |
What was the purpose of the pagoda masts?
Ultimately, the pagoda masts/superstructures themselves served no real, outstanding purpose than to raise the rangefinder as high as possible off of the water, and provide platforms for some light AA defenses, searchlights, etc.
What was the most unusual type of mast used by the Japanese?
The most unusual type of mast utilized by the Japanese was the heptapodal (7-legged) mast of the Nagato-class battleships, which was intended to result in a high degree of strength:
What happened to the Yamato class of Japanese ships?
The IJN ordered five ships of the Yamato class, but only Musashi and its elder sister were completed as intended. Shinano, the third sister, was completed as an aircraft carrier support vessel. Japan took elaborate precautions to prevent details of the ships’ construction from reaching the United States.
Why didn’t the IJN build battleships?
Ships of that size could not, it was thought, carry guns larger than sixteen inches. The IJN’s engineering problem was thus to design and build battleships that could destroy the largest ships the Americans were likely to build.