Musashi
Built at Nagasaki, Japan, Musashi was commissioned in August 1942. The sister ship to Yamato was 862 feet long and had a crew of 2,500 sailors. Initially assigned to the Central Pacific to thwart an American offensive, she later participated against the Allied landings of the Marshall Islands. On March 29, 1944, she was torpedoed by USS Tunny (SS-282). Repaired in Japan, her anti-aircraft was increased. In June 1944, Musashi took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. During the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, part of the Battle of the Leyte Gulf, she was attacked by U.S. Navy carrier aircraft on October 24. Hit by approximately 19 torpedoes and 17 bombs, she sank about four hours after the last hit. Paul Allen’s expedition team found Musashi in March 2015 under the Sibuyan Sea.
Image: NH 63473: Japanese battleship Musashi, 1944. Leaving Brunei, Borneo, possibly on October 22, 1944 before leaving for Leyte Gulf.
A model of Musashi was on display at the exhibit In Harm’s Way: Pacific at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy in Bldg. 76., until 2022.
