More...
Found an excellent website (in spanish), where a true in-depth analysis of the end of Yamato is made. My apologies for my naval terminology is poor.
These guys seem to really know what they talk about; of course -getting repetitive- they are aware of the fact a fleet without air cover coming under aerial attack has little chances if any.
Now, they make a question: how come Yamato went down after receiving less damage than her twin Musashi as it happened in the Sibuyan Sea of the Phillipines?
It is interesting to note i had not found the information on this spanish website in any other source:
It is possible that Yamato had a somewhat sooner end due to the insane amount of ammunition of all calibers she carried during her last mission? The numbers shown are the following:
1,170- 18 in. shells;
1,620- 6.1 in shells;
13,500- 5 in. shells; and (more importantly)
~
11,000,000- 25 mm shells. (!)
Such amount of ammo was not carried under "ordinary" circumstances but in view of the nature of the mission in April 1945 (Ten-Ichi-Go) which the naval high command knew would be final was that they decided to load the number of ammo therein mentioned.
The important thing comes when they say such a number of ammunition (especially the 25mm rouds) could not be properly stored and handled in well protected compartments.
So as the battle raged, a great amount of 25 mm shells had to be placed near the AA batteries. They say that chances are a bomb hit near the forward triple 6 in. turret may have caused a "chain explosion" of unproperly stored and handled 25 mm rounds, that in addition to a prior torpedo hit on the left side of the ship, under the area of main turret (B) that had weakened internal structures where the 16. in shells were stored, may have caused a huge number of exploding 25 mm rounds into the area, causing a huge fire, leading to her dimise.
1939-1945 - La Segunda Guerra Mundial
http://www.de1939a1945.bravepages.com/descargas/findelyamato.pdf