Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainMattJ.
Well, the iowa couldve most certainly held her own in a 1 on 1. Had we not utilized radar guided FCS systems, the battle wouldve most likely have gone to yamato. Her 18.1 inch batteries and thick armor would be the obstacles to overcome. But, under even circumstance, the iowa couldve simply outgunned the Yamato from afar, using her superior top speeds and more accurate shots to pound at her from beyond the accurate range of Yamatos guns.
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I think what Steve meant there, though, is that the Navy didn't consider them equal when the ships were designed and built. Noone besides the Japanese really had a very good idea of what Yamato was capable of, as the ship was built and operated in relative secrecy from the outside world. So it was a smart thing to consider an 18" battleship superior to a 16" one, and strategically build more units to be sure to outmatch it.
Hindsight is 20/20 and most analysts after the war, of course, would agree that an Iowa would have beaten the Yamato in a duel. Of course that duel never happened. But in this situation, better to underestimate your own ships than the enemy's!