Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 39:36-43:13

A German Yamato and the Allied response

Germany could not conceal a Yamato-scale battleship as Japan did, so British intelligence would make it an immediate construction crisis.

German NavyNaval IntelligenceRoyal NavyYamato Class Battleships
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Question

What if Germany built a Yamato-class ship under Japanese licence?

Short answer

Britain and the United States would react sharply because Germany could not hide such a ship from British surveillance.

Notes

Geography and intelligence matter as much as gun calibre in this counterfactual. Japan could obscure the details of Yamato, but British observers could watch German yards and agents could report construction continuously. Visible 18-inch armament would make the threat politically impossible to ignore before war began. Britain could answer by completing Lions with 16-inch guns or designing a heavier ship, while the United States would face similar pressure to strengthen its battle line.