"Keith Willshaw" wrote in message ...
"Kenneth Williams" wrote in message
...
Did the Japanese battleship Yamato ever fire an AA salvo during WW2?

A visiting friend of mine in the Navy told me the Japanese had a
battery-fired AA weapon that was actually fired in battle.

I guess it didn't work as the ship was sunk!

Anyone know what this weapon was?

From
http://www.warships1.com/Weapons/WNJAP_18-45_t94.htm

"As were most Japanese warships, the Yamato and Musashi were provided with a
special anti-aircraft incendiary shrapnel shell officially designated as
"Type 3 Common" but nicknamed "San Shiki" (The Beehive). This round weighed
2,998 lbs. (1,360 kg) and was filled with 900 incendiary tubes made out of
rubber thermite and 600 steel stays. A time fuze was used to set the
desired exploding distance, usually about 1,000 meters (1,100 yards). These
projectiles were designed to burst in a 20 degree cone extending towards the
oncoming aircraft with the projectile shell itself being destroyed by a
bursting charge to increase the quantity of steel splinters. The incendiary
tubes ignited about half a second later and burned for five seconds at 3,000
degrees C, producing a flame about 5 meters (16 feet) long. "

Keith

As noted in the link Keith provided the Musashi ruined one of her 18
inch guns the very first time she fired the Sankaiden ammo. The AA
rounds weren't bore safe and Musashi's detonated prematurely.
It should also be noted that Sankaiden ammo was not just for use by
the Japanese big battleships. The ammo was introduced in 1942 starting
with 8 inch guns and moving up to the big 18s of Yamato and Musashi.
They were, however, not effective in any caliber and most damaged the
ship's guns that fired them.

Rob