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Firefighting Systems:
2.Yamato:
The Yamato was designed with very sophisticated firefighting systems, including automatic sprinklers that covered almost the entire ship. It also had containment areas to limit the spread of fire. Additionally, the Yamato featured fully isolated internal compartments, which allowed fires in one area of the ship to be contained and prevented from quickly spreading to other sections.
Bismarck:
The Bismarck also had well-developed firefighting systems for its time, but they were not as sophisticated as those on the Yamato. While it had internal compartments and pressurized water systems, its fire control capabilities were somewhat more limited compared to the Yamato’s design. During the Battle of the Denmark Strait, after being hit, the Bismarck suffered significant fires, which contributed to its inability to maintain control and its eventual destruction. This showed that its firefighting system was insufficient to contain the damage.
- Impact of Fires on Ship Performance:
3.Yamato:
The Yamato was designed to be an almost unbeatable ship, with systems to handle damage and fires. During its only battle, the Battle of Cape Engaño, it was not severely affected by fires, as the ship’s resilience helped prevent a quick collapse.
Bismarck:
In the case of the Bismarck, fire was one of the causes of its loss, alongside the damage from air attacks. The fire on the command deck and the difficulty in controlling the flames made it hard to operate the ship and reduced its combat effectiveness.
Other Factors:
Construction Technology: The Yamato was built with more resources and the technology of the 1940s, whereas the Bismarck was launched earlier (1939), using methods and materials from the 1930s.
Size and Compartments: The Yamato, being larger, had more resources and space for firefighting compartments. This gave it a significant advantage in terms of damage resistance.
Finally, in a confrontation between the two, the Yamato would have enough time to neutralize the Bismarck before the fires became a significant threat, due to its superior firepower and the ability to cause devastating damage in just a few salvos. This would make any effort to overwhelm the Yamato with fires relatively ineffective.
Indeed, the Yamato had the best firefighting systems, with wide hulls designed to contain fires due to the ship’s size, not to mention the large crew that could be mobilized to contain or close off areas of the ship to prevent the fire from spreading.
I don’t see any moment where the Yamato would be “overwhelmed” by fires or its rate of fire. Its design and resources would allow it to handle such challenges far more effectively than most other ships of its time.