Japanese Battleship "Yamato" (1/350) (fs) Mint

From the Estate of a late customer, this fantastic kit is in factory-sealed mint condition. Manufacturer's Suggested Retail is $477.00;

The Japanese battleship Yamato is one of the most famous warships in history, primarily for its sheer size and immense firepower. It was armed with nine 46 cm (18.1 in) Type 94 main guns, the largest caliber naval guns ever mounted on a warship. Each armor-piercing shell weighed over 3,200 pounds and
had a range of up to 25 miles. The ship was heavily armored, including a main belt over 16 inches thick in places, designed to resist shells of its own caliber.

The construction of Yamato was carried out in extreme secrecy, as the Imperial Japanese Navy wanted to keep its unprecedented capabilities unknown to rivals, particularly the United States. For a period, Yamato served as the flagship for Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Combined Fleet, including during the pivotal Battle of Midway (though the battleship itself was too far away to participate). Ironically, due to its size, fuel consumption, and the Japanese Navy's reluctance to risk its most valuable asset without adequate air cover, Yamato spent long periods of the war inactive at anchor, earning it the nickname "Hotel Yamato" among some sailors.

Yamato's first significant engagement was at the Battle of Samar (part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf) in October 1944. She was one of the Japanese ships that briefly engaged an American escort carrier force, successfully sinking one escort carrier, the USS Gambier Bay, and reportedly one destroyer. Yamato's final and most famous sortie was Operation Ten-Go in April 1945. It was a virtually suicidal, one-way mission to attack the Allied invasion fleet off Okinawa, with only enough fuel for the outward journey, and almost no air cover. On April 7, 1945, the ship was intercepted by hundreds of aircraft from the U.S. Navy's Task Force 58. It was overwhelmed and sank after being hit by an estimated 10-13 torpedoes and 6-8 bombs. The loss of Yamato decisively signaled the end of the battleship era, proving that even the largest surface warships could not survive sustained attack by carrier-based air power. A massive explosion from her forward magazine was the final blow.