Yamato (1941) vs Iowa class
The classic Second World War battleship match-up, even though the two never met. Surprisingly, the American ship is the longer one: the Iowa class measures 270.4 metres against Yamato's 263. But the Japanese battleship was far heavier, about 72,800 tonnes against 57,500, because it traded for more armour and bigger guns, while the narrower Iowa prioritised speed.
Length to scale
Iowa class is 1 times longer than Yamato (1941) · Yamato (1941) displaces about 1.3 times as much as Iowa class
Displacement balance
Yamato (1941)
263 m · 863 ft · 72,800 t
Japanese Second World War battleship; full-load displacement.
Iowa class
270.4 m · 887 ft · 57,500 t
US battleships, in intermittent service until 1992.
* Open-source estimate. Full-load displacement in approximate metric tonnes (submerged for submarines).
Figures used and how reliable they are
- Yamato (1941): 863 ft, 72,800 t. Japanese Second World War battleship; full-load displacement.
- Iowa class: 887 ft, 57,500 t. US battleships, in intermittent service until 1992.
Related comparisons
- USS Gerald R. Ford vs Yamato
- USS Gerald R. Ford vs HMS Queen Elizabeth
- USS Gerald R. Ford vs Nimitz
- HMS Queen Elizabeth vs Charles de Gaulle
Compare any other pair in the warship size comparison, with its full method. More context: Weapons · Modern warfare · All tools
Sources / References
- U.S. Navy Fact Files for carriers, destroyers and submarines.
- Royal Navy, French Navy and Spanish Navy public ship pages.
- IISS, The Military Balance (annual editions).
- Jane's Fighting Ships and Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships (historical ships).