Captain’s quarters, exterior
Yamato‘s captain’s quarters is located at the top of the bridge structure and has large, curved windows. The captain’s quarters itself is not directly related to the ship’s operational capability, it is merely the captain’s private office. However, above the captain’s quarters are the various antennas, and to the rear are the wave defense relays. Below are the first bridge and wave rangefinder. Almost no modifications were made to it during the refit project. No changes in appearance or functionality are known.
Captain’s quarters, interior
The interior has not changed since the voyage to Iscandar in 2199. The furnishings also appear to be unchanged. When the ship was re-commissioned in 2202, the captain’s quarters were not used by the acting captain, Susumu Kodai, or Ryu Hijikata, who served as the second captain. Thus, went virtually unmanned during the entire duration of the Gatlantis campaign.
Very few people came in and out of the captain’s quarters. The only known incidents were when Tactical Chief Susumu Kodai and XO Shiro Sanada used the room when deciding who would be appointed the acting captain just before the ship’s departure.
The First Bridge
The “brain” of Yamato, both an operating facility and a combat command center
Yamato‘s bridge underwent only minor modifications during the first refit. Few parts of the bridge are distinguishable from those in 2199. There are no known external changes. The interior seems to have undergone only updates to the electronics and software, with the exception of a new Cosmo Radar station.
(Juzo Okita’s relief in Andromeda‘s captain’s cabin was later relocated to the elevator for the captain’s seat. It is unclear whether the Wave-Motion Gun firing trigger at the captain’s seat was installed when the ship was commissioned or was added in the refit.)
Yamato‘s first bridge is unique in that it not only controls the ship’s operation, but also serves as a combat command post. Ship bridges with these characteristics were already been introduced in the Kongo-class space battleships. Yamato‘s bridge has a larger number of personnel, with as many as 12 seats including spare seats (the Kongo class has 7 seats).
The personnel include the captain and the heads of the sections directly involved in the ship’s operation and combat. AU-9 is also assigned here. This makes it easier for the captain’s instructions to be communicated to each section. It also facilitates the collection of information, and the ability to analyze, make decisions, and take action quickly, especially during combat.
The “unbreakable” first bridge that withstood the onslaught of Gatlantis
It is no exaggeration to say that all of Yamato‘s functions, such as maneuvering, route monitoring, intelligence gathering, and armament use, can be performed from the first bridge, which also serves as the CIC (Combat Information Center). This is a feature common to spacecraft built around 2200, including Garmillas and Gatlantis. However, due to the nature of the bridge structure, which protrudes from the ship, it is difficult to say that it has a higher level of defense than sections inside the ship; the bridge structure can easily become a target of attack.
Even so, it is considered to be of great merit to have the ship’s focal point at a height that makes it easy to see the outside. Newer ships such as the Andromeda class and the dreadnought class have followed the same layout.
Yamato did not install its central functions on the first bridge without taking countermeasures, such as secure defenses with wave barriers and heavy armor. It never lost function in either the first refit type or the final battle specifications deployed in the Battle of Gatlantis. It was also fortunate that the bridge structure was not intensively attacked until the Battle of the Comet Empire City. The large number of anti-aircraft pulse laser turrets prevented enemy aircraft and missiles from approaching.
The first bridge, symbolizing the manpower-oriented design
The first bridge was designed with an emphasis on manpower, allowing smooth communication between the captain and the heads of the various departments.
In both space wars, the voyage of the Iscandar in 2199 and the Battle of Gatlantis in 2202, Earth’s naval fleet suffered severe damage, even extinction. In the Gatlantis battle, even the most advanced ships, the Andromeda class and the dreadnought class, suffered losses that amounted to total annihilation. There was one ship that survived while standing at the front line: Yamato.
Several factors contributed to Yamato‘s survival in the fierce battle: its superiority as a ship equipped with a Wave-Motion Engine, and lessons learned on the voyage to Iscandar applied to the refit. Perhaps even more important is the emphasis on manpower that was abandoned on newer ships such as the Andromeda class.
Yamato is a crew-intensive ship with superior capabilities for damage control and contingency planning, made possible by a highly-trained crew that survived the Garmillas war. This was one of the reasons the ship was able to survive several hand-to-hand battles on board.
Extremely limited modification of the first bridge
It is widely known that Yamato was modified to the first refit type upon returning to service following the realization of the “Wave-Motion Gun Fleet Concept.” However, most of the ship’s facilities were either inherited from the Garmillas War or underwent only minor modifications. The first bridge, which is the brain of Yamato, is no exception. One of the few changes was the Cosmo Radar station, at which the radar screen and surrounding interface were updated.
The reason Yamato‘s first bridge was not converted to a labor-saving type, like the Andromeda class and other newer ships, stems from its original design, which emphasizes manpower. If labor-saving design was adopted, many of the ship’s facilities, which were designed for human presence, would be wasted, and major design changes would be required to modify or replace them.
It would not have been enough to simply change the control system like on the Blackbird, which is a modified Cosmo Zero. It cannot be ruled out that they feared the loss of large manned ship know-how obtained in the previous war. It is also important to note that manpower-oriented vessels have different merits from labor-saving vessels, as can be seen from the example of Ginga, a similar class of ship.
Inside the first bridge
While newer vessels such as the Andromeda class and the dreadnought class save labor, Yamato inherited the traditional first bridge that emphasizes manpower. Originally, Yamato was a spacecraft designed for long-term voyages in outer space, and needed a large crew to cope with unforeseen circumstances. It is unclear why Shiro Sanada, who rearranged the living quarters during the refit, kept the basic specifications of the first bridge, which required a large number of personnel. However, it is possible that he was still expecting “unforeseen circumstances.”
Stations on the first bridge arranged by general function
The captain and personnel who play an important role in the operation of a combat ship, are stationed on Yamato‘s first bridge.
In addition to the captain, they are the tactical chief, main pilot, artillery chief, technical chief, chief navigator, radar chief, communications chief, and the chief engineer (and Analyzer, in charge of analysis). Of these, artillery, radar, and communications are not department heads since they report to other chiefs.
There are many departments that do not have a permanent seat on the first bridge, such as the tactical air force and the deck department. This is because of the basic premise of on-site activities, in which orders from the first bridge are issued through the heads of each department.
The seating arrangement of each section chief was carefully considered. For example, the captain’s seat is located in the last row overlooking the entire bridge. The tactical chief and the main pilot, who have a greater need to see outside the ship, are located in the front row facing the windows. Seats facing the left and right side walls, such as artillery and radar, do not have a clear view of the outside world, since they tend to rely on monitor equipment (which is not a hindrance to the mission). The Cosmo Radar station and the chief engineer’s station seem to have been placed in the center for information sharing.
Tactical Chief’s command station
The command station for the tactical chief is located in the center of the front row on the first bridge. It is the permanent seat of the Chief of Tactical Operations, Susumu Kodai. The image is from 2199, but it is basically the same after the first refit. In addition to controlling the Wave-Motion Gun and main guns, it is also equipped with a simplified ship control system.
Wave-Motion Gun control device
The Wave-Motion Gun is aimed using the target scope on the console and fired by a dedicated trigger. The image is from 2199, but the device itself does not seem to have been changed after the refit. The trigger pops up when the safety is released.
Internal Structure
The diagram shows the interior of the first bridge in 2199. It was basically unchanged in the first refit and the final battle specification. The only change in appearance was the shape of the console of the Cosmo Radar station, which is located behind the main pilot’s seat. A total of 12 seats are installed, of which two are for auxiliary or reserve use. There are almost no cases in which all the seats are occupied. When the ship departed from Earth in 2202, three seats, including the captain’s seat, were empty because the ship was not fully manned.
Main pilot’s station
The main pilot’s station is located on the right side of the first bridge, to the right of the tactical command station. Daisuke Shima, the chief navigator, is in charge of this station, and Kodai sat in it temporarily. The layout has not changed since 2199.
Although the monitoring and adjustment of the Wave-Motion and auxiliary engines are left to the engine control room, the main pilot’s station alone can control Yamato, including warps. Maneuverability seems to have changed slightly with the modification, but Shima piloted Yamato without any problems.
Lead stations of the first bridge
There are three stations on the first bridge for the navigation department: the main pilot’s station, the reserve pilot’s station, and the navigation station. The pilot’s station is usually occupied by Shima, and the nav station by Ota. (The reserve pilot’s station is usually empty.) The main pilot’s station is located in the front row, center right, and the reserve pilot’s station is in the corner of the front row. The nav station facilitates cooperation.
Cosmo Radar station
The only place on the first bridge where changes of the first refit can be seen is the Cosmo Radar station. The officers in charge are Yuki Mori and Miki Saijo. This is the “eye” of Yamato to obtain peripheral information. The radar operator plays an important role in communicating ever-changing information to the first bridge. If the Cosmo Radar station does not function, operational activities will have considerable problems. It is not known if the Cosmo Radar station on the second bridge was replaced with a newer model.
Port side stations
On the port side of the first bridge, from the bow direction, are the artillery station and the communications station. The officers in charge are Chief Artillery Officer Yasuo Nanbu and Chief Communications Officer Yoshikazu Aihara, the same as during the Garmillas War.
The reason for this is that Nanbu moves to the tactical command station when Kodai is not available. (At the eleventh planet, he was away from the ship for extra-vehicular activities.) In such cases, Tetsuya Kitano and other tactical officers may take their place, or the operators of each weapon follow their own discretion.
Internal Arrangement
The seating arrangement on the first bridge seems to have been designed in consideration of the nature of the mission. The captain’s station, which overlooks the entire first bridge, is a typical example. The positioning of each station is also thought to take into consideration the communication and coordination among personnel. The tactical station and the main pilot’s station are located next to each other due to the importance of coordination during battle.
Technical station and navigation station
On the starboard side of the first bridge, in order of proximity to the captain’s station (from the aft) is the technical support station and the navigation station. The technical station, belonging to the engineering department, is occupied by Shiro Sanada, who also serves as XO. The navigation station is often occupied by Kenjiro Ota, the chief meteorologist. During the Telezart landings, Klaus Keyman was sometimes assigned to the technical station.
Three spare seats for failsafe on the first bridge
As machines become larger and more complex, they tend to experience more defects. Therefore, it is normal to provide some kind of failsafe (protection against malfunction or human error). Yamato, which carries the fate of Earth on its shoulders, is equipped with multiple layers of failsafes. In particular, various safety measures are taken on the first bridge. One of these safety measures is three spare stations, two of which are spare pilot stations and one of which is a spare crew station. (The second bridge also has a system equivalent to that of the first bridge.)
The two spare pilot’s stations seem to be surplus, but each is used when the main pilot’s seat cannot be used for some reason. The port side station is not for human use, but is the connection terminal for AU-9/Analyzer, which functions as a sub-frame of Yamato. Analyzer assists not only in piloting but also in analysis.
Spare pilot’s station, port side
The spare pilot’s station, located on the port side of the front row of the first bridge, is the dedicated position of AU-9, an autonomous shipboard analysis unit of the R-9 type, which calls itself “Analyzer.” Analyzer is a robot that functions as a sub-frame supporting Yamato‘s mainframe, but is also the crew member in charge of analysis, often assisting Sanada’s analysis from the spare pilot’s seat.
Auxiliary station, port side
The left corner of the first bridge forward row is the reserve section. It is basically empty and not often used. During the Battle of Gatlantis, Klaus Keyman, who came aboard as an observer, often sat in the reserve officer’s seat.
The right corner of the first bridge forward row is the starboard reserve pilot’s station, but there are no known instances of its use.
The Second Bridge
A combat command center that can replace the first bridge
The second bridge is located directly below the first bridge in Yamato‘s superstructure. It is equipped with a CIC (Combat Information Center) that can be operated as a central command facility with almost the same functions as the first bridge. However, it is not normally used and is considered a backup for the first bridge. When the CIC on the second bridge is used, personnel transfer from the first bridge and take their respective stations in the same role.
The CIC was created in the mid-1900s as the importance of information processing and management during combat grew with the increasing speed of weaponry. This led to a differentiation of functions that had become concentrated in the bridge, with the CIC taking command of the ship during combat. The functions and roles of the bridge and CIC changed thereafter.
In the late 2100s and later, it became common for CIC function to be integrated into the bridge on space vessels. This is not only true for Earth, but also for Garmillas and Gatlantis. In Yamato‘s case, the first bridge also has CIC functions. The second bridge, which is used for emergency backup, has almost the same function. This makes survivability and redundancy extremely high.
Second bridge CIC
The second bridge has the same functions as the first bridge, but its structure is different. An independent inner shell is provided for the CIC. Inside the shell, stations corresponding to those of the first bridge are installed. There are ten stations, excluding the spare pilot and the spare officer. The design is almost the same as that of the first bridge, except for the omission of certain consoles. The spare pilot’s station and the reserve station are substituted by the ones installed near the windows outside the inner shell.
Observation room aft of the bridge
Observation room for human-powered optical observation
A “Bridge Aft Observation Room” is located at the rear of Yamato‘s bridge structure.
The purpose of this room is to observe the rear of the ship by optical means, to collect information mainly by “visual observation.” However, observation from this room is not often used, since it is possible to acquire peripheral information by mechanical means. Yamato emphasizes manpower, but human resources are not infinite. (The initial crew at the time of the Garmillas War was 999. That number was reduced during the Gatlantis War.)
Despite this, the bridge aft observation room was established because mechanical and electronic means of information gathering are not universal. The use of electronic sensors is sometimes restricted to keep the ship concealed, and electronically-controlled optical equipment can malfunction due to intense cosmic rays, jamming, and so on.
A situation in which the ship is forced to rely on visual observation may occur any number of times. Continuous monitoring by personnel wearing space suits is difficult due to physical and mental fatigue. Therefore, the bridge aft observation room, which can be used for long periods of time, is effective. It has a strong aspect of an emergency facility, but many crew members visit this room to gaze outside, as well as the observation room on the port side.
Armored shutter
The bridge aft observation deck has a bubble-canopy window with a wide field of view, making it suitable for optical and visual observation. However, the large area of the window has a tradeoff with impact resistance. In the event of a bombardment, it can be easily destroyed. To avoid such a situation, an armored shutter is provided, as in the captain’s quarters and port observation deck. It opens and closes according to the situation. If the shutter is completely closed, optical observation will not be possible. The shutter can also be partially lowered to create a slit-shaped window.
The Third Bridge
Multipurpose structure located at the bottom of the ship
A structure called the “third bridge,” following the first and second bridges located in the superstructure, is installed on the bottom of Yamato. It can be used as a reserve bridge, but is basically operated as a backup for the other bridges or as a Wave Barrier control room. The third bridge has a large hatch and two staircases at the rear, which are used for boarding and disembarking personnel and for intake of supplies.
During the Battle of Gatlantis in 2202, the third bridge was used to embark former crew members just before leaving the submarine dock as if in mutiny. It was also used to rescue space cavalry and civilian survivors on Planet 11, and for disembarkation of evacuees on the planet Stravase,
The third bridge is a characteristic feature of the Yamato class, and is also present on the third ship, Ginga. (Its presence on the second ship, Musashi is unknown). However, it is not found on newer vessels such as the Andromeda and dreadnought classes. In those cases, modules for auxiliary propulsion are placed on the bottom of the ship. It is thought that the newer, labor-saving vessels chose to avoid increasing the number of manned facilities.
Internal Structure
The third bridge is divided into left and right sections (left: male, right: female). The same equipment is installed in a symmetrical manner in accordance with the system designed for the voyage to Iscandar in 2199. In the event of the first bridge being destroyed, emergency decisions are to be made by the left and right sections of the third bridge. In a worst case scenario of internal strife, a majority-vote system is to be used.