Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 49:20-50:16

Why Yamato's torpedo survival has no fixed number

The number of aerial torpedoes needed to sink Yamato depends on hit location, flooding, and the difference between disabling a ship and sending it down quickly.

Damage ControlNaval AviationTorpedoesWarship SurvivabilityYamato Class Battleships
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Question

How many Mark XII aerial torpedoes might Yamato survive?

Short answer

There is no fixed count: location matters, one hit can disable a ship, and several hits may still leave it afloat even though four or more would be extremely serious.

Notes

There is no single deterministic torpedo count for Yamato. One well-placed hit could disable a ship, while several poorly distributed hits might leave it afloat and listing. Four or more hits would create a grave survival problem, but the sinking rate would still depend on their locations. Underwater damage is governed by distribution, compartmentation, and flooding effects rather than a simple hit-point total.