One of the things which seem almost impossible is how they made such massive guns. It boggles the mind.
Also such guns as the 18 inch ones on Yamato and Musashi. Also battleships with 16 inch thick armor plate and even thicker. How in the world did they do that?
I read fairly recently that there is not a single foundry in the world today capable of making battleship armor.
“...how they made such massive guns. ...”
Herr Krupp was a metalurgic genius.
My old man was WWII Airborne, and he met up with some of Mr. Krupp’s genius up close and personal, twice...
The Japs went hog wild with foundries and metal industry too, and Yamato and her sister Musashi were the result. However, as Billy Mitchell proved - and the Japs themselves again at Pearl Harbor - you can have the biggest ships in the world, but when you own the sky, it’s a matter of time.
The Japs sent Yamato out to attack the Okinawa landings and support ships, but they sent her out with no air screen, and our dive bombers and torpedo bombers from multiple carrier groups blew her out of the water. Basically, she was sent on a suicide mission to cause havoc with the invasion fleet, beach herself, and use those massive 18 inch guns to decimate the transports.
Musashi was also sunk by air power.
Carriers, not battleships, ruled the sea.
Here’s a great write up on both.
http://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/death-of-the-battleship-sinking-the-yamato-and-musashi/
The story of Germany’s Bismarck, Graf Spee, Scharnhorst, Tirpitz, Prinz Eugen... all amazing stories as well.