Japanese battleship Yamato is sunk by Allied forces
On this day in 1945 the Japanese battleship Yamato ostensibly the greatest battleship in the world is sunk in Japans first major counteroffensive in the struggle for Okinawa.Weighing 72800 tons and outfitted with nine 18.1-inch guns the battleship Yamato was Japans only hope of destroying the Allied fleet off the coast of Okinawa.But insufficient air cover and fuel cursed the endeavor as a suicide mission.Struck by 19 American aerial torpedoes it was sunk drowning 2498 of its crew.
