Yamato

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Yamato, named after the ancient Japanese Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy. She was lead ship of her class. She and her sister Musashi were the largest, heaviest, and most powerful battleships ever constructed, displacing 72,800 tonnes at full load, and armed with nine 46 cm (18.1 inch) main guns. It carried 7 Nakajima E8N or Nakajima E4N aircraft. Ordered in March 1937, she was laid down on 4th November of that year, and was launched on 8th August 1940. She was commissioned on 16th December 1941. The ship held special significance for the Empire of Japan as a symbol of the nation's naval power ('Yamato' was sometimes used to refer to Japan itself), and its sinking by US aircraft in the final days of the war during the suicide Operation Ten-Go is sometimes considered symbolic of Japan's defeat itself. It was sunk, north of Okinawa, on 7th April 1945.