Shimushu's conception date is debated between 1930, 1931 and 1932. Orders followed under the 1937 naval programme, with construction coming later in the decade. The main explanation for the delay is the demand that the Yamato class placed on Japanese industry. Limited infrastructure, financial constraints and reluctance to use certain yards because of who ran them also contributed. In this assessment, Yamato aggravated those existing constraints.
Chapter · 7:00-8:02
Shimushu's early origins and delayed construction
Shimushu's origins in the early 1930s preceded orders and construction by several years, with Yamato's demands adding to industrial and financial constraints.