noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', transitive verb
sink (a ship); send to the bottom
Primarily used for attacking and sinking a ship. Can be used metaphorically for overwhelming defeat, but the core meaning is literal naval destruction.
敵艦を撃沈した。
They sank the enemy ship.
その海戦で戦艦が撃沈された。
The battleship was sunk in that naval battle.