Battleships: the biggest, most armored, heaviest gunned, and slowest ships of the Japanese navy were beloved by the so called "Battleship Admirals". A well known
 fact is that Japan built the largest battleship of all time, the 72,000 ton Yamato class mammoths. These ships, with their 18.1 inch guns, and THICK armor easially
  hold the title of #1 ass kicker among all warships. Their thick armor also allowed Musashi (my favorite of the pair) to take 17-21 bombs, and 15-25 torpedoes at
 Leyte. Anyway, Japan's first battleships fought in the Russo-Japanese war of 1905, and were the sole purpouse of the defeat of the Czar's fleet. The first Japanese
 built ships were constructed with considerable british assistance. The Kongo class battlecruisers, perhaps the most well rounded of the ships were origionally built in
 the UK. Fuso and Yamashiro followed, and the Ise & Hyuga pair summed up the pre-treaty developments of the Japanese dreadnoughts. Nagato, built in the 20's
 was the only class to survive the treaty, where the Amagi, Kaga, and Kii class ships were axed. Nagato and Mutsu were the final ships consturcted until 1937, when
 Japan broke from the London treaty and began consturction of the mammoth Yamatos. All of these ships were held in reserve for a final "decsisive battle" with the
 american carriers except the Kongo class cruisers. By the time that battle came at Midway, and Again at Leyte, the Japanese battleships were smashed by Carrier
 forces. In the end the ships huddled in the shallow bays of the homeland, devoid of fuel and ammunition. Perhaps the final nail in the battleship's coffin was the dismal
 failure of Yamato's "Ten-Ichigo" Kamikaze operation to Okinawa. After the war, only Nagato survived, and was finally expended at Bikini Atoll in 1946, after plans
 to incorprate her into the American fleet failed. So, in the end the battleships accomplished little, only Nagato is credited with signifigant vicotry, sinking destoyers at
leyte. The most ironic thing: Leyte, Admiral Kondo has the oppunity to smash the invasion force, Ozawa's decoy has worked flawlessly, BUT, they turn back. Much
        like the whole war, the commanders were afraid to take risks, and would not commit their entire force to any operation (EXCEPT MIDWAY)