Japan Took a 72,000 Ton Yamato-Class Battleship and Rebuilt It Into an Aircraft Carrier. The US Navy Sunk It with Four Torpedoes

Japan commissioned the Yamato-class hull as the aircraft carrier Shinano on November 19, 1944, converting a battleship platform that had begun as the third super-battleship in 1940. Fully loaded it displaced about 72,000 long tons, measured roughly 872 feet, and was designed to operate 42 to 47 aircraft. Its U.S. fate was sealed just ten days later when four torpedoes from USS Archerfish sent it to the bottom. The conversion took about four and a half years, retaining major machinery and armored structure while adding a hangar, island, and armored flight deck. Despite its massive size, Shinano carried limited offensive capacity, supporting aviation operations rather than matching purpose-built American carrier air wings.