A visible fast battleship as deterrence

Number 13 was intended to fill a clearer fleet role than the later Yamatos, which were meant to symbolize power but spent much of their service concealed. Deterrence depends on an opponent knowing that the threat exists, so a large, fast, heavily armed battle-line ship needed to be visible and deployable. Its planned 5.5-inch secondary guns and 4.7-inch anti-aircraft battery supported a ship expected to operate as a fleet cornerstone. The design's speed, range, armament, and infrastructure requirements all support that role.