Why Hood loses a one-on-one fight with Yamato

Who wins between Hood and Yamato?

Yamato wins a one-on-one fight because its 18-inch guns give it an overwhelming advantage once it can engage effectively.

The answer is direct: in a one-on-one engagement, Yamato's 18-inch battery gives it an overwhelming advantage over Hood. Once the Japanese battleship can range and concentrate on its opponent, each hit carries a destructive power Hood was not designed to absorb. Multiple attackers can complicate Yamato's fire-control problem and divide its attention. Against a lone opponent, however, the practical lesson is to avoid offering Yamato the fair fight its main armament is built to win.