Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:33:16-2:33:40

Building Number 13 battlecruisers instead of Yamato

An alternative Japanese capital-ship program hinges less on Yamato's design than on whether Number 13 ships appear before the Washington treaty.

Capital ShipsImperial Japanese NavyLive Q&ANumber 13 Class BattleshipsWashington Naval TreatyYamato Class Battleships
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Question

Would Japan have been better served by building three or four Number 13-class ships instead of the Yamato class?

Short answer

Possibly, if they were completed before the Washington treaty - but their appearance could destroy the treaty system and provoke rival construction.

Notes

The panel says three or four Number 13-type ships could be a better path only if Japan completed them before the Washington Naval Treaty. Ships of that scale would alarm the other naval powers enough to threaten the treaty process and prompt rapid counterpart construction. The short answer therefore emphasizes timing and international reaction rather than treating the two designs as a simple technical trade.