What is not mentioned above is that this mission was considered a potential suicide mission for the American aviators due the distance they were required to fly. AA guns and one hundred fifty-two 25-mm AA guns all open fire. Deployment: In the fall of 1941,. Ito was posthumously promoted to full admiral. TG 58.4 had just finished refueling and would arrive just in time. About 1,187 crewmen of Yahagi and the four destroyers were lost. The task force was spotted south of Kyushu by US submarines and aircraft, and on 7 April 1945 she was sunk by American carrier-based bombers and torpedo bombers with the loss of most of her crew. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. At 1302, Yamatos remaining air search radar detected a second inbound wave. As Yamato continued to list to port, her starboard armor belt came out of the water and her vulnerable underside became exposed. Another 110 planes appeared ready for the kill. All ships increase speed to 25 knots and commence a simultaneous turn. Around 2:00pm all power was lost and permission was given to abandon ship. Yamato's remains were located and examined in 1985 and again examined, more precisely, in 1999. [5] Shortly afterward, a second strike of 100 aircraft attacked Yamato and her remaining escorts. There are many stories about the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato. He saw four Avengers go in low, dropping their torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam. two Japanese aircraft carriers Deep sea explorers have found two Japanese aircraft carriers that were sunk in battle in World War Two. The mission was given to Vice Admiral Seiichi Ito, commander of the Japanese Second Fleet (pretty much all that was left of the Combined Fleet), embarked on the super-battleship Yamato. [1] When the 1st Battleship Division was deactivated once again on 10 February, Yamato was reassigned to the 1st Carrier Division. By noon, the Corsair and Hellcat fighters arrived over the Yamato group, looking for fighters protecting the Japanese, and finding none waited for the dive bombers and torpedo planes to arrive. Twenty Avengers make a new torpedo run from 60 degrees to port. The fighter issued a contact report at 0832. Quickly spotted by Allied aircraft, Yamato and its consorts were subjected to a series of heavy air attacks that resulted in the loss of the battleship and most of its supporting ships. By 1408, Yamato had clearly begun to capsize and the ship was being abandoned. The destroyer Isokaze rushed to aid Yahagi and take off Rear Admiral Komura, but got pummeled by bombs before she got close. concentrate their torpedoes on just one of Yamato's sides, an approach (They were right.) The Yamato-class ships were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing 72,800 long tons (74,000 t) fully loaded and armed with nine 46-centimetre (18.1 in) main guns. The rest of the Surface Special Attack Force consisted of the light cruiser Yahagi, and eight destroyers. She rolls slowly over her port side on her beam ends. But the mission was approved and the Japanese ships set sail for Okinawa. Updated on July 03, 2019. As later described by the captain of Yahagi, Captain Tameichi Hara, the meeting was quite contentious. A near miss on Hamakaze disabled her starboard shaft and then, at 1247, torpedo hits amidships blew her in half. FRUPAC had the message that the air cover would end at 1000, which was also known to senior U.S. Navy commanders. How many planes were lost attacking the Yamato? How many US planes were lost sinking the Yamato? One Avenger is shot down. Twelve Helldivers claim several hits near the bridge and main gun turret No. Vice Admiral Ito and YAMATOs skipper Captain Aruga and 3,055 of 3,332 crewmen are lost. Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States, a battle group of eight aircraft carriers, her enormous hull to the converging torpedoes. By dawn on April 7, Asashimo, one of the destroyers developed engine trouble and started heading back to port in Japan. At 1115, Yamatos radar indicated the two air groups were at 44 miles and closing rapidly. [26] Heavy antiaircraft defensive fire and the heavy upper-deck armour plating on Yamato also prevented any significant damage to the vessel. Two immense catapultsas tall as six-story buildings when raisedlaunched the planes, and an equally enormous crane lifted them from the water upon their return to the ship. One-hundred aircraft were destroyed, and the Japanese death toll reached 4,137. The first attack wave retires. Asashimo was first attacked by aircraft from Bunker Hill and then, a few minutes later, by aircraft from San Jacinto, which scored killing hits with torpedoes and bombs. At 1407, she was struck by at least the seventh torpedo, this time to starboard. At 1210, destroyer Asashimo, lagging behind the force, reported that she was under air attack, and radio transmissions from her ceased. The execute order for Operation Ten-ichi-go (Heaven Number One) was intercepted on 26 March 1945 and decrypted. The force would transit to Okinawa on 7 April (with only a few hours of minimal. A 500-pound general-purpose bomb hit Suzutsuki and blew off her bow. Throughout 1943, Yamato continually transferred between Truk, Kure and Brunei in response to American airstrikes on Japanese island bases. One of the largest battleships ever built, Yamato entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy in December 1941. None of the captains was afraid to diethey just objected to the sheer folly of attacking in daylight without air cover, believing that they wouldnt get anywhere close to Okinawa. This force include battleships Massachusetts (BB-59), Indiana (BB-58), South Dakota (BB-57), New Jersey (BB-62), Wisconsin (BB-64), and Missouri (BB-63) (54 16-inch guns), the battle-cruisers Alaska (CB-1) and Guam (CB-2), five cruisers, and 21 destroyers. The destroyer Isokaze attempted to come to her aid but was heavily damaged and driven off. It would not be enough. began to flood. burning just prior to disappearing beneath the waves. Ito and Captain Aruga went down with the ship. In viewing cite, this the first time I have seen any mention of the carrier Langley. Eggheads on this subject get "lost in the sauce" going over tables, charts, and math formulas done by researchers after the war shooting rounds into armor plate captured from Japan and Germany,. A total of 10 U.S. aircraft were shot down by anti-aircraft fire from the Japanese ships; some aircrews were rescued by seaplane or submarine. The Yomiuri Shimbun, one of several private companies sponsoring the search, reported that the wreck lay about 180 miles southwest of Kagoshima on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, in more than 1,100 feet of water. Then it was supposed to beach itself, run aground, and use the ship as a makeshift fort. They would launch the worlds largest battleship, the Yamato with its enormous 18-inch guns, one light cruiser, and eight destroyers against the enormous American fleet. With this contact information, Spruance ordered Deyo to ready the blocking force. A torpedo strikes HAMAKAZE starboard, aft of amidships and she jackknifes. At 0840, the Japanese reported seven Hellcats orbiting around the force. Far more effective was the extraordinary skill of Japanese ship captains in making evasive maneuvers to throw off aim and avoid numerous bombs and torpedoes. The Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Ito, orders the mission cancelled and directs the remaining ships to pick up as many survivors as possible. strafe the battleship with bullets and drop 1,000-pound bombs. Many of those lost did so after the battle on their return to the carriers; ditching in the sea having run out of fuel. YAMATO, despite hits by two bombs and one torpedo, maintains flank speed. He considered it a waste of good men and ships. One bomb exploded in crews quarters, but the other bomb exploded near the aft command station and knocked out one of her two air search radars, the aft secondary gun director, several 25-mm gun mounts, and started a fire that killed all but one crewman in the after secondary (6-inch) gun turret and that couldnt be put out. In addition, sick sailors and also the oldest sailors were sent to shore. The Attack Force turns to course 205, towards Okinawa. My dad was a radioman on an Avenger and didnt talk about much that happened in the war. She didn't even make it close to Okinawa. Meanwhile, about 34 Hellcats and Corsairs and 22 Helldivers and Avengers worked over some of the other Japanese destroyers. Isokaze, which had her steering disabled by a near miss, suffered 20 dead and 54 wounded, and had to be scuttled by gunfire from Yukikaze. By the end of the battle, Yahagi and all eight destroyers were lost. This particular image was taken during an earlier battle with American carrier aircraft on October 24, 1944 as Yamato transited the Sibuyan Sea. A report that had been delayed for 25 minutes by ransmission and decoding, is received finally. Legendary Lost Japanese WWII Battleship Found by Billionaire Paul Allen.The search was funded by Paul Allen, the Microsoft co . Eight Japanese destroyers and one cruiser, the Yahagi (left), tried to assist Yamato in fending off her attackers. The Americans lost 10 aircraft, while one aircraft carrier, one battleship, and one destroyer were damaged. YAMATO opens fire with her two forward main turrets and AA guns. I joined the Navy in 1964. At 1830, destroyer Isokaze sighted Threadfin on the surface. (Although some accounts say that, according to the plan, the ships were only given enough fuel to reach Okinawa, they actually received as much fuel as was available to give. One of the final photographs of the supership shows her severely damaged hull Deyo had just received a cheery send-off from his immediate boss: "We hope you will bring back a nice fish for breakfast." One of the torpedo planes took a hit in the wing, pulled up in flames, then plunged into the sea. The American invasion fleet had, besides a heavy battleship contingent consisting of six battleships (Massachusetts, Indiana, New Jersey, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Missouri), seven cruisers (including the large cruisers Alaska and Guam) and 21 destroyers. The Yamato group cranked up speed to 25 knots. World War II would see the aircraft carrier emerge as the key to naval supremacy, supplanting the battleship. The loss of these ships shocked the British government, and helped change procurement and employment strategies in both the United States and the United Kingdom. An F/A-18C Hornet catches an arresting wire on the USS Nimitz. Although born a U.S. citizen, he had been studying in Japan when the war broke out and had the choice of execution or serving in the Imperial Japanese Navy.). Yamato maneuvers while under attack by U.S. Navy carrier planes north of Okinawa, 7 April 1945, maneuvering evasively at a brisk 15 to 20 knots. The carriers were among seven ships that went down in the Battle of Midway, a major air and . The Yamato sank during a fierce battle for Okinawa on April, 7 1945. YAMATO is hit by two AP bombs. At 0823, a Hellcat fighter off Essex (CV-9) sighted Yamato, a contact that the battleship reported at 0832. The second penetrates the port side of the aft Command station and explodes between the 155-mm gun magazine and main gun turret No. Another 110 planes appeared ready for the kill. that ultimately led to the supership's demise. Was the Bismarck bigger than the Yamato? TG 58.1, commanded by Rear Admiral J. J. The battleship and its sister, Musashi, were the only battleships ever constructed with 18.1" guns. Ten minutes later, two more torpedoes strike her port side. 2 gun mount. Yamato In total, 97 combatants were killed and 122 wounded. Deep sea explorers have found two Japanese aircraft carriers that were sunk in battle in World War Two. Design commenced in 1934, construction began in 1937 (in great secrecy) and Yamato was commissioned in December 1941 just after Pearl Harbor. At 1000, Task Group 58.1 and Task Group 58.3 commence launching a 280-plane strike wave (132 fighters, 50 bombers, and 98 torpedo planes). producing the blasts that tore the ship in half and sank her. Yamato (, lit. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ Lagging behind the main force, destroyer ASASHIMO is attacked and sunk by aircraft from SAN JACINTO. 3s USS ESSEX (CV-9), BUNKER HILL (CV-17), BATAAN (CVL-24) and CABOT (CVL-28). 1000 hour The Attack Force sights two large Martin Mariner PBM flying boats. Yamato carried only enough fuel to reach Okinawa, as the fuel stocks available were insufficient to provide enough fuel to reach Okinawa and return. Photographed from a USS Yorktown (CV-10) plane (NH 62581). Submarine Hackleback (SS-295) then picked up surveillance, issuing four contact reports during the night as Yamato transited southwesterly along the coast of Kyushu. Both the U.S. Fifth Fleet commander, Admiral Spruance, and Vice Admiral Mitscher (commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force, TF 58), who had access to the Ultra communications intelligence and were expecting the sortie, immediately reacted to the submarine reports. The Imperial Japanese Navy ceases to exist as a fighting force. Almost all of the nearly 400 American fighters and bombers . Mitscher, CTF 58, was embarked on Bunker Hill. Despite the destruction, the majesty of the ship is unmistakable, symbolized by a six-foot-wide chrysanthemum crest, icon of the Japanese imperial family, still gracing Yamatos prow like a figurehead. Both Rear Admiral Komura and Captain Hara survived. Just after 1240 on 7 April, Yamato maneuvers frantically under the initial attackby USS Bennington (CV-20)and USS Hornet (CV-12) aircraft as a bomb explodes offher port side. Six Yorktown Avengers attacked from the starboard side, with their Mark 13 torpedoes re-set for a 20-foot depthseveral hit. TG 58.1 and 58.3 were quickly on station. Of Yamato's crew of 2,747, all but 23 officers and 246 enlisted men were lost. On 19 March 1945 Yamato came under heavy attack when American carrier aircraft from Enterprise, Yorktown and Intrepid raided the major naval base of Kure where she was docked. At 1423 as she began to capsize, the raging fires onboard ignited her magazines and the resultant explosion unleashed a huge mushroom cloud that rose to 20,000 feet and took out a few American planes that were overhead. Suzutsuki suffered 57 dead and 34 wounded, but, despite having her bow blown off, made it back to Sasebo, Japan, steaming in reverse the whole way; she was never repaired. Yamato was commanded by Captain Kosaku Aruga (spelled Ariga in some accounts). Her main armament consisted of three triple 18.1-inch gun turrets that could hurl a 3,200-pound shell (compared to 2,700 pounds for the U.S. 16-inch shells) to a range of just over 22 miles. After daybreak on 7 April 1945, a paltry six A6M Zeke fighters showed up to provide combat air patrol over Yamato. US warplanes sank the Musashi on 24 October 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, believed to be. Additionally, aircraft damaged most of the . Vice Admiral Ito initially objected to the mission, viewing it as futile and wasteful. The Yahagi was too tempting a target for the hundreds of attacking aircraft. See what made the ship both seemingly unsinkable and highly vulnerable to attack. Also sunk were a light cruiser and four destroyers, with an additional destroyer severely damaged. 10 aircraft Yamato was still more than 300 nautical miles from Okinawa when she went down. NOVA interviews two survivors of the sinking, who had to meet the most stringent requirements in the Japanese navy to be chosen for the crew. ), and when they were lost.the bu numbers listed as lost on 4.7.1945 is very extensive!!!!! U.S. losses were 10 aircraft and 12 pilots and aircrewmen. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Our web site is dedicated to the memory of Harry D. Jones (1922-2012), VT-17 pilot during WWII. . Some of the Japanese survivors reported that U.S. fighter aircraft strafed Japanese survivors floating in the water. At 1246, she took a direct torpedo hit in the engine room that killed the entire engine room crew and left her dead in the water, unable to avoid further hits. The Attack Force changes course due south to 180 degrees. She lies in two main parts in some 1,000 feet of water. The ships were to sink as many troop transports as possible, then beach themselves and continue firing as long as they had ammunition. He suggests the order to abandon ship be given. Rather than targeting specific vessels, Stump ordered his air group to attempt to cripple as many Japanese ships as possible. The largest battleships ever built were Yamato and Musashi of the Imperial Japanese Navy. (Remember, the US lost 10 planes and 12 men sinking Yamato out of more than 300 aircraft) There is no logical reason to do this. DANFS - Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, Permitting Policy and Resource Management, The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks: 20 Years Later, "Ex Scientia Tridens": The U.S. The commander in chief of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Soemu Toyoda, resolved to send what was left of his force out in a blaze of glory. The attack on Pearl Harbor 71 years ago left a tangled mess of burning and shattered warships. Orders to Commit Suicide The Yamato had unbelievable orders. Lieutenant J.G. In a separate attack, compani settled on the seafloor 1,200 feet down and about 50 Senior U.S. Navy commanders in the Pacific, including Admiral Raymond Spruance, Commander U.S. Fifth Fleet, knew what the battleship Yamatos mission was before almost anyone on Yamato did. On her last morning, before the first American planes intercepted her, YAMATOs list increases to about 15 degrees and her speed slows to 12 knots. The chief of staff of the Combined Fleet, Vice Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka, flew in from Tokyo to ensure that Ito would comply with Admiral Toyodas orders. Twenty Avengers attacked from the port side (concentrating torpedo attacks from the port side was deliberate, with the intent to capsize the ship). Read Next: The Ultimate Gunfighters! Constructed from 1937 1940 and formally commissioned in late 1941, Yamato served as the flagship of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto throughout 1942, first sailing as part of the Combined Fleet during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. 1,000 watertight compartments couldn't save her, and her lower decks rapidly most of the American pilots returned to their carriers, knowing Yamato avoided two, but the third hit her port side at 1245. Light cruiser YAHAGI, hit by 12 bombs and seven torpedoes sinks exactly one minute after the last bomb hits. However, three-quarters of these (128 boats) were lost during the conflict, a proportion of loss similar that experienced by Germany's U-Boats. I was so fortunate to have had that experience!!! Another 110 aircraft from Task Group 58. The result was arguably the largest suicide mission in history. Though many Japanese naval leaders considered Operation Ten-Go to be a waste of their remaining resources, it moved forward on April 6, 1945. She was blasted by 12 bombs and six more torpedos. The Americans lose 10 aircraft and 12 crewmen. She was blasted by 15 bomb hits and eight torpedoes. They were also instructed to YAMATOs No. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. They also mounted numerous smaller guns to . He reports the formation at bearing 180, heading north, and splitting into two groups. TOKYO -- Seventy-six years ago, on April 7, 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy vessel Yamato, the world's largest battleship, was sunk by U.S. military aircraft. However, in order to keep up with Yamato, these forays were short-lived. Altogether, more than 2,700 men went down with the ship or drowned after it sank, making the loss of the Yamato one of the greatest naval disasters of all time. (The actual U.S. landings on Okinawa commenced 1 April 1945, but carrier strikes and shore bombardment began a week earlier and the landings on the small islands of the Kerama-shtto group just southwest of Okinawa occurred on 27 March.). At 2:10pm Yamato rolled over and began to sink with fires from her aft 6.1" turret reaching her no. the Japanese were aware of Yamato's poor anti-aircraft defense and . While the Americans' 1,000-pound bombs held fearsome destructive power, as seen in seven torpedo hits within two hours of battle. The most powerful battleship in the world was no match for 390 U.S. carrier aircraft. She quickly shipped 2,235 tons of water, but the list was soon corrected with effective counter-flooding. It said the wreck was in two main pieces, a bow-to-midships section about 560 feet long, and a 264-foot-long stern section. During the night, this plan morphed into sending six new battleships detached from TF 58 into blocking position. Operation Ten-ichi-go was the Imperial Japanese Navys plan to react to the U.S. invasion of the island of Okinawa, which Japanese intelligence correctly determined would occur at the end of March 1945. On 29 March, Yamato took on a full stock of ammunition, in preparation for combat off Okinawa in Operation Ten-Go. Thanks for watching. After a dozen torpedo hits, even the Yamato's Agroup of five low-flying Avengers (VT-17) from HORNET (CV-12) start a torpedo run from the port, bearing 70 degrees. The engagement was an unmitigated disaster for the Japanese. The Hell Divers then plummeted straight down dropping armor-piercing bombs, clearing the way for the Avenger torpedo bombers that came in low and slow to try to put torpedoes on the target. One of the surviving destroyers did not have a bow. 1 magazine causing a huge explosion with a mushroom smoke cloud that was visible for 100 miles away. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! [5] The smoke from the explosionover 4miles (6.4km) highwas seen 100miles (160km) away on Kysh. The debate up to that point was whether to keep the fleet in home waters as a last-ditch defense or to send it on what everyone knew would be a one-way mission to attack the overwhelming U.S. forces expected to be at Okinawa. With nearly all of her anti-aircraft guns out of action, the Avenger torpedo planes wreaked havoc. Her auxiliary rudder is jammed in position hard port. SUZUTSUKI takes a 500-lb GP bomb hit to starboard, abreast her No. An astounding series of explosions onboard The first torpedoes pass by harmlessly, but the remaining two strike her port amidships. The Japanese also noted eight Hellcats circling the force with impunity because of no Japanese fighter cover, and remaining outside anti-aircraft range. When Yamato sank, marking the last Japanese naval action of the war, she took 2,747 men with herall but 269 of her crew. this one exploding off Yamato's port bow, it was their air-launched torpedoes The Japanese also spot the HACKLEBACK trailing the Attack Force. Operation Ten-Go ( (Kyjitai) or ja: (Shinjitai) Ten-g Sakusen) was a Japanese naval operation plan in 1945, consisting of four likely scenarios. After all, she was the The Yamato, completed in Kure in December 1941, was the largest battleship in the world at the time. At about 1237, U.S. aircraft commenced attack runs, with strafing and rockets from fighters (which quickly began decimating Japanese anti-aircraft gunners), and then bombs and torpedoes. At 2144, the submarine issued a detailed contact report with an accurate force disposition. Yamato lies on the floor of the East China Sea, 200 miles north of Okinawa, blown apart by one of the most massive explosions ever to occur at sea. At this point, the Japanese task forces location had been picked up by American PBM flying boats, which kept the American fleet apprised of the Japaneses position and direction. Yahagi capsized and sank shortly after 1400. (Based on erroneous San Jacinto report, Samuel Eliot Morison misidentifies this ship as Hamakaze, but a photo shows a Yugumo-class destroyer, which would be Asashimo, and which was also the one lagging behind.). Their solution was to bolt a shit load of 25mm open AA gun mounts where ever they could which left the sailor's firing them very exposed to enemy MG's. The USN would rake the hell out of just one side of a BB like Yamato and soften up the AAA for the torpedo planes and dive bombers to attack. The once-proud Japanese Imperial Navy that Americans feared would threaten the West Coast, was largely driven across the Pacific and now operated mainly from its home waters. The Imperial Japanese Navy's super-battleship Yamato, shown here during pre-commission running trials in the Bungo Strait between the Home Islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, 20 October 1941 (NH 73092). Only 10 American aircraft While YAHAGI jams their sighting messages, YAMATO receives a report from a Japanese scout plane that Task Force 58 has been located east of Okinawa, 250 nautical miles from the Attack Force. The aircraft are lost behind the clouds. Also, accounts differ as to whether he was a captain or rear admiral. With the steering locked to port and the ship doomed, Admiral Ito at 1402 hours ordered the crew to abandon ship. Japan started the war with 63 ocean-going submarines (i.e., not including midgets), and completed 111 during the war, for a total of 174. U.S. aircrew claimed additional bomb and torpedo hits in this first wave, but these were mostly near misses. Forced to wait out much of the war due to her vulnerability to air attack, Yamato was committed in a last, desperate gamble during the Battle of Okinawa in April 1945. [1], Operation Ten-Go was a deliberate suicide attack against American forces off Okinawa by Yamato and nine escorts, beginning on 6 April 1945. went down in the battle, with the loss of just 12 men. He gave the go-ahead for the strike but ordered the battlewagons to proceed in the event the Japanese fleet got through the airstrike. At 1107, Yamatos Type 13 air search radar detected a large aircraft formation inbound at the radars maximum range of 63 nautical miles, and noted the aircraft formation was splitting into two groups. Musashi and her sister ship, Yamato, were by a wide margin the largest battleships ever built. At flank speed, YAMATO commences a right turn but two 1000-lb AP bombs hit her. 1). YAMATO turns hard to port. They eventually fell in line when informed that this was what the emperor wanted, that the force would serve to support the mass kamikaze air attack, and that it was an order. Mitscher correctly assumed that the Japanese were operating without air cover and would be sitting ducks for his huge airwing. This is the first wave of 280 aircraft (132 fighters, 50 bombers, 98 torpedo planes) from Task Group 58. It starts a fire that cannot be extinguished and rips a 60-foot hole in the weather deck. VA-25 (1959) Air Group VI (6) They pounced on her like sharks in the water. The shocked emperor then asked, But what about the Navy? I have his flight logs (as he never talked about the war except the death of his brother and his friends) so it is nice to get the big picture of this action. Air search reports two groups of aircraft, range 44 miles, closing at high speed. Operation Ten-Go never should have happened. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. Executive Officer Nomura Jiro reports to Captain Aruga that his damage control officers are all dead and that counter-flooding can no longer correct the list.
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