Comprising three ships—Yamato, Musashi, and Shinano—they featured unprecedented 18-inch guns capable of firing 3,200-pound shells over 25 miles. -Despite their formidable design, all three ...

The General Board, which considered design options, initially considered using an 18-inch/47-caliber gun that had been in use since the 1920s. The 18-inch gun was massive and formidable.