Maybe so, DJ... My own recollections from other sources (titles now long forgotten) is that the BBs had steam up to do turns for maximum speed to go after Yamato and the request to alter course to engage was denied. Undoubtedly there was also a loss of life factor involved in the decision. Yamato might very well have seriously damaged or sunk one of the BBs befroe seh went down, and the losses in that eventuality would be far higher htan that of losing a few aircrew to Japanese antiaircraft. At that late stage of the war I'm sure there was considerable risk/benefit analysis going on, as everyone realized that the enemy was very nearly done so why take casualties you don't need to take.

Getting off topic, but the whole evolution of this thread makes me wonder what might have occurred had Surface Action Groups based around an Iowa and a Kirov might have fared against each other.

Greg

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Maybe so, DJ... My own recollections from other sources (titles now long forgotten) is that the BBs had steam up to do turns for maximum speed to go after Yamato and the request to alter course to engage was denied. Undoubtedly there was also a loss of life factor involved in the decision. Yamato might very well have seriously damaged or sunk one of the BBs befroe seh went down, and the losses in that eventuality would be far higher htan that of losing a few aircrew to Japanese antiaircraft. At that late stage of the war I'm sure there was considerable risk/benefit analysis going on, as everyone realized that the enemy was very nearly done so why take casualties you don't need to take.

Getting off topic, but the whole evolution of this thread makes me wonder what might have occurred had Surface Action Groups based around an Iowa and a Kirov might have fared against each other.

Greg

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Greg--that is one of those interesting historical possibilities better left to electronic wargames. I'd love to match electrons over that one!
DJ

I think that the Kirov would get some good licks in first with its Shipwrecks, the Russians having more experience with mid-course guidance correction for long range shoots, but once the Iowa had a hard firing solution for its anti-ship Tomahawks, she would literally dismember the Kirov piece by piece. Nothing beats a good old-fashioned armored belt and steel plate for handling explosive impacts, both of which the Iowa has in abundance and which the Kirov is nearly completely lacking in. It would sure make a mess though if or when the Kirov's reactor vessel was breached---Chernobyl at sea...
As rebuilt, the Iowas were armed with 8x Armored Box Launchers with a mix of land attack. anti-shipping, and Nuclear land attack missiles. She and her sisters also had 4x quad Harpoon launchers.