During the battle for Okinawa, the Japanese sent the super battleship Yamato to bombard the American fleet. Fortunately, they sent her out without adequate air cover, and she was blown out of the water by American carrier based aircraft.
Had she gotten close to the American fleet and invasion force, she would’ve caused absolute carnage.
Musashi, Yamato’s sistership, was sunk during the battle for Leyte Gulf… was hit by an estimated 19 torpedoes and 17 bombs.
I think there was a third ship in that class, I believe it was called the Shinano, but I don’t think it was ever completed; I believe they converted it to a carrier.
Yes.. here it is: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_aircraft_carrier_Shinano
Yamato sank a destroyer in the Battle of Leyte Gulf but when planes from light carriers appeared, Yamato withdrew. I remember one story that after that, US sailors yelled, “Boys, They’re getting away!”
Nimitz was not happy that Halsey went off to chase the decoy carriers.