A rare stern view of the Japanese battleship Yamato during the final stage of construction at the Kure Naval Base on 20 September 1941. The photograph clearly shows the ship's massive main battery and secondary armament just weeks before she entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy.
Final construction of the world's largest battleship:
This remarkable photograph captures Yamato while she was being completed at the Kure Naval Base, one of Japan's most important naval shipyards.
Seen from the stern, the image provides an excellent view of the battleship's enormous armament. Visible are the three 460 mm (18.1-inch) main guns mounted in the aft triple turret, along with the 155 mm secondary guns installed in the superfiring turret immediately forward of it. These weapons reflected Japan's determination to build the most heavily armed battleship ever constructed.
Built in extraordinary secrecy:
The construction of Yamato was one of the Imperial Japanese Navy's most closely guarded secrets.
Special measures were taken to conceal the battleship from foreign observers. Large screens surrounded the building dock, photography was tightly restricted, and workers were required to maintain strict secrecy. As a result, very few authentic photographs exist showing Yamato before she entered operational service.
This image is therefore an especially valuable historical record.
Other ships visible in the photograph:
The photograph also captures two other important Japanese naval vessels.
On the right side of the harbor is the light aircraft carrier Hōshō, one of the world's first purpose-built aircraft carriers. In the background is the fleet supply ship Mamiya, which supported Imperial Japanese Navy operations by delivering provisions and supplies to warships at sea.
The presence of these vessels highlights the importance of Kure as one of Japan's principal naval bases before the Pacific War.
📍 Location: Kure Naval Base, Japan
📅 Date: September 20, 1941
📷 Photographer: Unknown
Recommended reading:
- Yamato Battleship During Sea Trials
- The Construction of Yamato-Class Battleships
- Japanese Aircraft Carrier Hōshō
- Fleet Supply Ship Mamiya
- Imperial Japanese Navy Before Pearl Harbor