Japanese battleship Yamashiro " Yamashiro " was modernized between 1930 and 1935 , with improvements to her armor and machinery and a rebuilt superstructure in the pagoda mast style . Nevertheless , with only 14 - inch guns , she was outclassed by other Japanese battleships at the beginning of World War II , and played auxiliary roles for most of the war . By 1944 , though , she was forced into front - line duty , serving as the flagship of Vice - Admiral Shōji Nishimura ' s Southern Force at the Battle of Surigao Strait , the southernmost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf . During fierce night fighting in the early hours of 25 October against a superior American force , " Yamashiro " was sunk by torpedo es and naval gunfire . Nishimura went down with his ship , and only 10 crewmembers survived . Description . The ship had a length of between perpendiculars and overall . She had a beam of and a draft of . " Yamashiro " displaced at standard load and at full load . Her crew consisted of 1 , 198 officers and enlisted men in 1915 and about 1 , 400 in 1935 . During the ship ' s modernization during 1930 – 35 , her forward superstructure was enlarged with multiple platforms added to her tripod foremast . Her rear superstructure was rebuilt to accommodate mounts for anti - aircraft ( AA ) guns and additional fire - control directors . " Yamashiro " was also given torpedo bulge s to improve her underwater protection and to compensate for the weight of the additional armor . In addition , her stern was lengthened by . These changes increased her overall length to , her beam to and her draft to . Her displacement increased nearly to at deep load . Propulsion . The ship had two sets of Brown - Curtis direct - drive steam turbines , each of which drove two propeller shafts . The turbines were designed to produce a total of , using steam provided by 24 Miyahara - type water - tube boilers , each of which consumed a mixture of coal and oil . " Yamashiro " had a stowage capacity of of coal and of fuel oil , giving her a range of at a speed of . The ship exceeded her designed speed of during her sea trials , reaching at . During her modernization , the Miyahara boilers were replaced by six new Kanpon oil - fired boilers fitted in the former aft boiler room , and the forward funnel was removed . The Brown - Curtis turbines were replaced by four geared Kanpon turbines with a designed output of . On her trials , " Yamashiro " s sister ship " Fusō " reached a top speed of from . The fuel storage of the ship was increased to a total of of fuel oil that gave her a range of at a speed of . Armament . The twelve 45 - calibre 14 - inch guns of " Yamashiro " were mounted in six twin - gun turrets , numbered one through six from front to rear , each with an elevation range of −5 to + 30 degrees . The turrets were arranged in an unorthodox 2 - 1 - 1 - 2 style with superfiring pairs of turrets fore and aft ; the middle turrets were not superfiring , and had a funnel between them . The main guns and their turrets were modernized during the ship ' s 1930 reconstruction ; the maximum elevation of the main guns was increased to + 43 degrees , increasing their maximum range from . Initially , the guns could fire at a rate of 1 . 5 rounds per minute , and this was also improved during her first modernization . Originally , " Yamashiro " was fitted with a secondary armament of sixteen 50 - caliber 6 - inch guns mounted in casemate s on the upper sides of the hull . Each gun could fire a high - explosive projectile to a maximum range of at up to six shots per minute . She was later fitted with six high - angle 40 - caliber three - inch AA guns , in single mounts on both sides of the forward superstructure and both sides of the second funnel , as well as on both sides of the aft superstructure . These guns had a maximum elevation of + 75 degrees , and could fire a shell at a rate of 13 to 20 rounds per minute to a maximum height of . The ship was also fitted with six submerged torpedo tube s , three on each broadside . During " Yamashiro " s modernization in the early 1930s , all six three - inch guns were removed and replaced with eight 40 - caliber 127 - millimeter dual - purpose gun s , fitted on both sides of the fore and aft superstructures in four twin - gun mounts . When firing at surface targets , the guns had a range of ; they had a maximum ceiling of at their maximum elevation of + 90 degrees . Their maximum rate of fire was 14 rounds a minute , but their sustained rate of fire was around eight rounds per minute . The improvements made during the reconstruction increased " Yamashiro " s draft by ; the two foremost six - inch guns were removed , as the same guns on her sister ship had gotten soaked in high seas after that ship ' s reconstruction . The ship ' s light - AA armament was augmented by eight 25 mm Type 96 light AA guns in twin - gun mounts . Four of these mounts were fitted on the forward superstructure , one on each side of the funnel and two on the rear superstructure . This was the standard Japanese light - AA gun during World War II , but it suffered from severe design shortcomings that rendered it a largely ineffective weapon . According to historian Mark Stille , the twin and triple mounts " lacked sufficient speed in train or elevation ; the gun sights were unable to handle fast targets ; the gun exhibited excessive vibration ; the magazine was too small , and , finally , the gun produced excessive muzzle blast " . The configuration of the AA guns varied significantly over time ; in 1943 , 17 single and two twin - mounts were added for a total of 37 . In July 1944 , the ship was fitted with another 24 single , nine twin and eight triple - mounts , for a total of 92 anti - aircraft guns in her final configuration . The gun had an effective range of , and an effective ceiling of at an elevation of 85 degrees . The maximum effective rate of fire was only between 110 and 120 rounds per minute because of the frequent need to change the fifteen - round magazines . Also in July 1944 , the ship was provided with three twin - gun and 10 single mounts for the license - built 13 . 2 mm Hotchkiss machine gun . The maximum range of these guns was , but the effective range against aircraft was only . The cyclic rate was adjustable between 425 and 475 rounds per minute , but the need to change 30 - round magazines reduced the effective rate to 250 rounds per minute . Armor . The ship ' s waterline armor belt was thick ; below it was a strake of armor . The deck armor ranged in thickness from . The turrets were protected with an armor thickness of on the face , on the sides , and on the roof . The barbette s of the turrets were protected by armor 305 mm thick , while the casemates of the 152 mm guns were protected by 152 mm armor plates . The sides of the conning tower were thick . Additionally , the vessel contained 737 watertight compartments ( 574 underneath the armor deck , 163 above ) to preserve buoyancy in the event of battle damage . During her first reconstruction " Yamashiro " s armor was substantially upgraded . The deck armor was increased to a maximum thickness of . A longitudinal bulkhead of of high - tensile steel was added to improve the underwater protection . Aircraft . " Yamashiro " was briefly fitted with an aircraft flying - off platform on Turret No . 2 in 1922 . She successfully launched Gloster Sparrowhawk and Sopwith Camel fighters from it , the first Japanese ship to do so . During her modernization in the 1930s , a catapult and a collapsible crane were fitted on the stern , and the ship was equipped to operate three floatplane s , although no hangar was provided . The initial Nakajima E4N2 biplanes were replaced by Nakajima E8N2 biplanes in 1938 and then by Mitsubishi F1M biplanes , from 1942 on . Fire control and sensors . The ship was originally fitted with two and two rangefinder s in her forward superstructure , a rangefinder on the roof of Turret No . 2 , and 4 . 5 - meter rangefinders in Turrets 3 , 4 , and 5 . While in drydock in July 1943 , a Type 21 air search radar was installed on the roof of the 10 - meter rangefinder at the top of the pagoda mast . In August 1944 , two Type 22 surface search radar units were installed on the pagoda mast and two Type 13 early warning radar units were fitted on her mainmast . Construction and service . " Yamashiro " , named for Yamashiro Province , the former province of Kyoto , was laid down at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal on 20 November 1913 and launched on 3 November 1915 . She was completed on 31 March 1917 with Captain Suketomo Nakajima in command , and was assigned to the 1st Division of the 1st Fleet in 1917 – 18 . The ship did not take part in any combat during World War I , as there were no longer any forces of the Central Powers in East Asia by the time she was completed , but she did patrol off the coast of China briefly during the war . On 29 March 1922 , a Gloster Sparrowhawk fighter successfully took off from the ship . She aided survivors of the Great Kanto Earthquake , 1 – 30 September 1923 . Little detailed information is available about " Yamashiro " s activities during the 1920s , although she did make a port visit to Port Arthur , China , on 5 April 1925 and also conducted training off the coast of China . The ship ' s reconstruction began on 18 December 1930 at the Yokosuka Naval Arsenal where her machinery was replaced , her armor was reinforced , and torpedo bulges were fitted . " Yamashiro " s armament was also upgraded and her torpedo tubes were removed . Captain Chuichi Nagumo assumed command of the ship on 15 November 1934 , her modernization was completed on 30 March 1935 , and she became flagship of the Combined Fleet . Captain Masakichi Okuma relieved Nagumo on 15 November and he , in turn , was replaced by Captain Masami Kobayashi on 1 December 1936 . " Yamashiro " began a lengthy refit on 27 June 1937 and Captain Kasuke Abe assumed command on 20 October . Her refit was completed on 31 March 1938 and Captain Kakuji Kakuta relieved Abe on 15 November . In early 1941 , the ship experimentally launched radio - controlled Kawanishi E7K2 floatplanes . Captain Chozaemon Obata assumed command on 24 May 1941 and " Yamashiro " was assigned to the 1st Fleet ' s 2nd Division , consisting of the two " Fusō " - class and the two s . World War II . " Yamashiro " and her sister ship " Fusō " spent most of the war around Japan , mostly at the anchorage at Hashirajima in Hiroshima Bay . When the war started for Japan on 8 December , the division , reinforced by the battleships and and the light carrier , sortie d from Hashirajima to the Bonin Islands as distant support for the 1st Air Fleet attacking Pearl Harbor , and returned six days later . On 18 April 1942 , " Yamashiro " chased the Doolittle Raid er force that had just launched an air raid on Tokyo , but returned four days later without having made contact . On 28 May , she set sail , commanded by Captain Gunji Kogure , with the rest of the 2nd Battleship Division and the Aleutian Support Group at the same time that most of the Imperial Fleet began an attack on Midway Island ( Operation MI ) . Commanded by Vice - Admiral Shirō Takasu , the division was composed of Japan ' s four oldest battleships , including " Yamashiro " , accompanied by two light cruiser s , 12 destroyer s , and two oiler s . Official records do not show the squadron as part of the larger Midway operation , known as Operation AL ; they were to accompany the fleet under Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto , but were only to provide support to the Aleutian task force if needed . They were not needed , and " Yamashiro " returned to home waters where she was employed mostly for training duties , in the Inland Sea till 1 February 1943 and at Yokosuka until September , when she became a training ship for midshipmen . In an effort to replace the aircraft carriers lost at the Battle of Midway , the Navy made plans to convert the two " Fusō " - class ships to hybrid battleship / carriers , but the two " Ise " - class battleships were chosen instead . In July 1943 , " Yamashiro " was at the Yokosuka drydock for fitting of a radar and additional 25 mm AA guns . The ship was briefly assigned as a training ship on 15 September before loading troops on 13 October bound for Truk Naval Base , arriving with the battleship on the 20th . The two battleships sailed for Japan , accompanied by the carriers and , on 31 October . On 8 November , the submarine fired torpedoes at " Junyo " that missed , but hit " Yamashiro " with a torpedo that failed to detonate . " Yamashiro " resumed her training duties in Japan , and Captain Yoshioki Tawara assumed command . He was promoted to Rear Admiral on 1 May , but died of natural causes four days later , and Captain Katsukiyo Shinoda was appointed to replace him . During the US invasion of Saipan in June 1944 , Japanese troop ships attempting to reinforce the defenses were sunk by submarines . Shigenori Kami , chief of operations of the Navy Staff , volunteered to command " Yamashiro " to carry troops and equipment to Saipan . If the ship actually reached the island , he intended to deliberately beach the ship before it could be sunk and to use its artillery to defend the island . After Ryūnosuke Kusaka , Chief of Staff of the Combined Fleet , also volunteered to go , Prime Minister Hideki Tōjō approved the plan , known as Operation " Y - GO " , but the operation was cancelled after the decisive defeat in the Battle of the Philippine Sea on 19 and 20 June . The ship was refitted in July at Yokosuka , where additional radar systems and light AA guns were fitted . " Yamashiro " and her sister ship were transferred to Battleship Division 2 of the 2nd Fleet on 10 September . The ship briefly became the division ' s flagship under Vice Admiral Shōji Nishimura until 23 September when he transferred his flag to " Fusō " . They departed Kure on 23 September for Lingga Island , carrying the Army ' s 25th Independent Mixed Regiment , and escaped an attack by the submarine the next day . They arrived on 4 October , where Nishimura transferred his flag back to " Yamashiro " . The ships then transferred to Brunei to offload their toops and refuel in preparation for Operation " Shō - Gō " , the attempt to destroy the American fleet conducting the invasion of Luzon . Battle of Surigao Strait . As flagship of Nishimura ' s Southern Force , " Yamashiro " left Brunei at 15 : 30 on 22 October 1944 , heading east into the Sulu Sea and then to the northeast into the Mindanao Sea . Intending to join Vice - Admiral Takeo Kurita ' s force in Leyte Gulf , they passed west of Mindanao Island into Surigao Strait , where they met a large force of battleships and cruisers lying in wait . The Battle of Surigao Strait would become the southernmost action in the Battle of Leyte Gulf . At 09 : 08 on 24 October , " Yamashiro " , " Fusō " and the heavy cruiser " Mogami " spotted a group of 27 planes , including TBF Avenger torpedo bomber s and SB2C Helldiver dive bomber s escorted by F6F Hellcat fighters , coming from the carrier . Around 20 sailors on " Yamashiro " were killed by strafing and rocket attacks , and the ship listed by almost 15 degrees after a bomb ' s near miss damaged the hull and flooded the starboard bilge , until counter - flooding in the port bilge righted the ship . Nishimura issued a telegram to Admiral Soemu Toyoda at 20 : 13 : " It is my plan to charge into Leyte Gulf to [ reach ] a point off Dulag at 04 : 00 hours on the 25th . " At 22 : 52 , his force opened fire , damaging and and forcing them to retreat before they could launch their torpedoes . Three American destroyers launched torpedoes at 03 : 00 that morning , hitting " Fusō " at 03 : 08 and forcing her to fall out of formation . " Yamashiro " opened fire with her secondary battery seven minutes later . Around 03 : 11 , the destroyers " Monssen " and " Killen " fired their torpedoes , one or two of which hit " Yamashiro " amidships . The resulting damage temporarily slowed the ship down , gave her a list to port and forced the flooding of the magazine s for the two aft turrets . " Yamashiro " may have been hit a third time near the bow at 03 : 40 . At 03 : 52 , the battleship was attacked by a large formation to the north commanded by Rear Admiral Jesse Oldendorf . First came 6 - and shells from three heavy cruisers , , , and , and four light cruisers , , , and . Six battleships formed a battle line ; the Pearl Harbor veteran was the first to open fire a minute later , scoring at least one hit with shells in the first salvo , followed by and . Hampered by older radar equipment , joined the fight late , never fired , and managed to fire exactly one salvo — the last of the engagement . The Australian heavy cruiser HMAS " Shropshire " also had radar problems and did not begin firing until 03 : 56 . The main bombardment lasted 18 minutes , and " Yamashiro " was the only target for seven of them . The first rounds hit the forecastle and pagoda mast , and soon the entire battleship appeared to be ablaze . " Yamashiro " two forward turrets targeted her assailants , and the secondary armament targeted the American destroyers plaguing " Mogami " and the destroyer " Asagumo " . The ship continued firing in all directions , but was not able to target the battleships with the other four operable 14 - inch guns of her amidships turrets until almost 04 : 00 , after turning west . There was a big explosion at 04 : 04 , possibly from one of the middle turrets . " Yamashiro " increased her firing rate between 04 : 03 and 04 : 09 , despite the widespread fires and damage , and was hit during this time near the starboard engine room by a torpedo . By 04 : 09 , her speed was back up to 12 knots , and Nishimura wired to Kurita : " We proceed till totally annihilated . I have definitely accomplished my mission as pre - arranged . Please rest assured . " At the same time , Oldendorf issued a brief cease - fire order to the entire formation after hearing that the destroyer " Albert W . Grant " was taking friendly fire , and the Japanese ships also ceased fire . " Yamashiro " increased speed to 15 knots in an attempt to escape the trap , but she had already been hit by two to four torpedoes , and after two more torpedo hits near the starboard engine room , she was listing 45 degrees to port . Shinoda gave the command to abandon ship , but neither he nor Nishimura made any attempt to leave the conning tower as the ship capsized within five minutes and quickly sank , stern first , vanishing from radar between 04 : 19 and 04 : 21 . Only 10 crewmembers of the estimated 1 , 636 officers and crew on board survived . John Bennett claimed to have discovered " Yamashiro " s wreck in April 2001 , but confirmation of the wreck ' s identity has not been made as of 2013 .