Interesting one. Both ships had serious flaws despite their fame. Conditions of engagement I think would be a defining factor. If Bismarck only had her Seekat radar then my money would still be on Yamato in a night engagement - an arena the IJN excelled at before the US turned up with gunnery radar.

I suppose they were both poor sea boats, but was Bismarck a comparatively better gun platform?

Ach this is too hard. Yamato at night, Bismarck in the day with a rough sea..

Jumbo

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"Capital! We're nearly out of ammunition! Now we can get at them with the bayonet!" General Paddy Gough, 1st Sikh War