Twelve Helldivers claimed several hits in the bridge area in exchange for five Helldivers damaged by anti-aircraft fire. The first U.S. attack wave ended about 1250. But the mission was approved and the Japanese ships set sail for Okinawa. A 500-pound general-purpose bomb hit Suzutsuki and blew off her bow. Since Yamato could not get to the landing area before 8 April, there wasnt a big rush and Deyo convened a planning conference on his flagship Eldorado (AGC-11) at 1030 with plans to sortie TF 54 from the bombardment area at 1530. Hit by at least 11 torpedoes and six bombs, Yamato was sunk, along with Yahagi and four of the destroyers. The aft secondary battery fire control, secondary gun turret and the air search radar are knocked out. Yamato (, lit. 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. Spruance gave orders to Rear Admiral Morton Deyo, commander of the Bombardment Force, to take his six old battleships and set up a blocking force northwest of Okinawa (as Yamato was circling around in that direction with the intent to stay as far from TF 58 as possible). Although the battleship was in no danger of sinking at this point, the list meant that the main battery was unable to fire . Instead, Yamato was obsolete the day she was launched, as the Japanese themselves proved at Pearl Harbor and elsewhere by sinking Allied battleships with airpower. The explosion was heard over 120 miles away. Over the next days, additional messages were intercepted and decrypted by Fleet Radio Unit Pacific (FRUPAC) and also OP-20-G in Washington that provided increasingly detailed information on the operations timing and made specific mention of Yamato on 5 April. Some who were shot down were later picked up by seaplanes or submarines. They also mounted numerous smaller guns to . My dad served on the Langley. Two eyewitness accounts of Yamato's last battle. Another 110 planes appeared ready for the kill. Yamato was essentially doomed by a question from Emperor Hirohito during a briefing on 29 March about plans for Japanese air opposition to expected landings on Okinawa. The engagement was an unmitigated disaster for the Japanese. US warplanes sank the Musashi on 24 October 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, believed to be. Yamato'sFinal Voyage Updated on July 03, 2019. As later described by the captain of Yahagi, Captain Tameichi Hara, the meeting was quite contentious. 3s USS ESSEX (CV-9), BUNKER HILL (CV-17), BATAAN (CVL-24) and CABOT (CVL-28). At 1322, an Essex Corsair hit Yamato in the port bow with a 1,000-pound general-purpose bomb. Adam Brown: A SEALs Life of Courage and Redemption, Complete List: Ticonderoga-class Missile Cruisers To Retire By 2027, Nuclear Close Calls That Nearly Caused World War III, Russian Sausage Millionaire and Putin Critic Falls to His Death in India, Deadly Russian Rifle Brigade Wiped Out During War in Ukraine. 1). WORLD WAR II. Japanese Battleship Yamato - minutes before sinking. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. Though incredibly powerful, Yamato suffered from a relatively low top speed as its engines were . Another 110 aircraft from Task Group 58. 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. With only three twin 6-inch gun turrets, she was no match for U.S. light cruisers with their four triple-turret, rapid-fire 6-inch guns. Vice Admiral Ito retired to his stateroom to go down with the ship. miles southwest of Kyushu, Japan. YAMATO is hit by two AP bombs. At 14:23, having taken 10 torpedo and 7 bomb hits, Yamatos forward ammunition magazines detonated. This time, all attacks concentrated on the battleship. Was the Bismarck bigger than the Yamato? At 1000 hours he launched a total of 386 aircraft consisting of fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers. Throughout 1943, Yamato continually transferred between Truk, Kure and Brunei in response to American airstrikes on Japanese island bases. On her last morning, before the first American planes intercepted her, The carriers were among seven ships that went down in the Battle of Midway, a major air and . About 120,000 were held at 10 camps because of fears that Japanese Americans were enemy sympathizers. The fire in the area ofher forward 6.1 inch turret can be clearly seen (L42-09.06.05). Sources include: NHHC Dictionary of American Fighting Ships (DANFS) for U.S. ships and combinedfleet.com for Japanese ships. Design and construction Main article: Yamato-class battleship My dads name is Ronald R. LeFebvre (Ding). At 1115, Yamatos radar indicated the two air groups were at 44 miles and closing rapidly. I was so fortunate to have had that experience!!! The Attack Force briefly sights seven Hellcat fighters, but they are not seen by the escorting Zekes. According to Morison, there were only 23 officers and 246 enlisted sailors who survived, which doesnt exactly match, but is close. They had already lost the battles of the Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf, and Iwo Jima. Armor-piercing and other bombs make a shambles of her upper works. YAMATO, despite hits by two bombs and one torpedo, maintains flank speed. This particular image was taken during an earlier battle with American carrier aircraft on October 24, 1944 as Yamato transited the Sibuyan Sea. ship's aft turrets. He gave the go-ahead for the strike but ordered the battlewagons to proceed in the event the Japanese fleet got through the airstrike. But the biggest kamikaze attack of all was the suicidal mission of the super battleship Yamato, the largest, most advanced warship of the day. (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. Mitscher ordered all four of his carrier task groups to proceed as soon as possible to launch positions northeast of Okinawa with the intent to destroy Yamato before it got anywhere near Okinawa. torpedoes such that they would penetrate Yamato below the waterline near Japanese naval leaders briefed Emperor Hirohito on their plans, which consisted of massive air attacks, including kamikaze strikes. Combined with Yamato, about 4,242 Japanese sailors gave their lives for the emperor on 7 April. One Helldiver is shot down, another is damaged badly. This time all the attacks are concentrated against the battleship. All Rights Reserved. A Curtiss Helldiver bomber like the one seen at right The force would transit to Okinawa on 7 April (with only a few hours of minimal air cover), to arrive in daylight hours in the U.S. transport area off southwestern Okinawa on 8 April. Finally some detail1st attack vb82 loses a helldiver (my uncleensign jack Carl fuller and chas. Twenty Avengers attacked from the port side (concentrating torpedo attacks from the port side was deliberate, with the intent to capsize the ship). These behemoths were triple the tonnage of some other battleships of their day and each one had three turrets, with three huge 18.1 guns per turret. In addition, sick sailors and also the oldest sailors were sent to shore. The Attack Force turns to course 205, towards Okinawa. Operation Ten-Go never should have happened. . Thank you to all our WWII vets. Jocko Clark, embarked on Hornet (CV-12), included Hancock (CV-19), Bennington (CV-20), Belleau Wood (CVL-24) and San Jacinto (CVL-30). [1][26] Led by the man who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor, Minoru Genda, the appearance of these fighters, which were equal or superior to the F6F Hellcat in performance, surprised the attackers, and several American planes were shot down. How many Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk in ww2? Six Yorktown Avengers attacked from the starboard side, with their Mark 13 torpedoes re-set for a 20-foot depthseveral hit. Ito was posthumously promoted to full admiral. Captain Hara on Yahagi reported that the large formations of aircraft circled around the task force just outside anti-aircraft range for a number of minutes, some in clockwise rotation and some in counter-clockwise rotation, as strike leaders organized strikes on particular targets free of interference from Japanese fighters. Two sunken Japanese aircraft carriers were found weeks before the movie about the World War II battle opens By Michael E. Ruane November 8, 2019 at 7:00 a.m. EST 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. The others kept coming. My dad was soldier (Tsgt) at Okinawa and my father in law was a bosunsmate aboard the USS Gunston Hall. Less than three and half years after Pearl Harbor, American industrial might was on full display. 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. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ , When the U.S. invaded Okinawa on April 1, 1945, the Japanese had, So, the admirals concocted what they termed, Operation Ten-Go (Operation Heaven One). Meanwhile, about 34 Hellcats and Corsairs and 22 Helldivers and Avengers worked over some of the other Japanese destroyers. Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States, a battle group of eight aircraft carriers, her enormous hull to the converging torpedoes. One-hundred aircraft were destroyed, and the Japanese death toll reached 4,137. She ships about 3,000-tons of seawater. These Still kicking but dont know why. When Yamato sank, marking the last Japanese naval action of the war, she took 2,747 men with herall but 269 of her crew. 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. By early 1945, the Japanese Empire was shrinking daily and the war had reached its home shores. The carriers were among seven ships that went down in the Battle of Midway, a major air and sea battle fought between the US and Japan in 1942. They were also given the option of not participating, an option none of them took. 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. >. It. 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. Anatomy of Yamato THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ 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. Deyo had just received a cheery send-off from his immediate boss: "We hope you will bring back a nice fish for breakfast." Yamato was still more than 300 nautical miles from Okinawa when she went down. There were few Japanese survivors. 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. I was a radioman on one of the VT23 Avengers participating in this strike flying off the Langley. Yahagi was a relatively small light cruiser (6,600 tons) completed in 1943 and intended for use as a destroyer flotilla leader. 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. Even before the war, the Japanese understood that they could never match the U.S. Navy for quantity, but were convinced they could build a better battleship. Displacing 72,800 tons fully loaded, they were about 30 percent heavier than the largest U.S . I Served On An LST During This Period Of Time & Locations Mentioned In This Article , But I Still Like Too Hear Of The Actual Events That Took Part That Day In April 1945. 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. battleship's guns. She was blasted by 12 bombs and six more torpedos. However, three-quarters of these (128 boats) were lost during the conflict, a proportion of loss similar that experienced by Germany's U-Boats. VA-6B (1946) The Japanese admiral in charge of Operation Ten-Go, Vice-Admiral Seiichi It, disagreed with the plan which essentially was to sail into teeth of the American fleet without the benefit of any air cover and then beach on Okinawa and operate as a static defense in support of the island. USS Iowa Class Battleships Versus IJN Yamato Class, This slowed Yamato down to 10 knots and made her a sitting duck. The ship captains were then assembled on Yahagi and briefed. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. As Yamato and escorts were transiting the Bungo Strait between the Home Islands of Kyushu and Shikoku on 6 April 1945, submarine Threadfin (SS-410) sighted the force at about 1745 and issued a contact report in the clear that was intercepted by Yamato. LtCdr (later Captain) Herbert Houck, the leader of 43 TBM Avengers of VT-9 from YORKTOWN, detaches Lt Thomas Stetsons six Avengers in a final torpedo attack from the ships starboard side. The fighters attacked first, strafing the anti-aircraft guns on the decks with machine guns and rockets. I was in a ASW squadron that still had many veterans serving and flying. Aboard the TF 58 carriers, the strike packages were remaining ready on deck while the searches were underway. TG 58.3, commanded by Rear Admiral Frederick Ted Sherman, embarked on Essex (CV-9), included Bunker Hill (CV-17), Bataan (CVL-24), and Cabot (CVL-28). The most powerful battleship in the world was no match for 390 U.S. carrier aircraft. 276 men are rescued including Rear Admiral Morishita Nobuei, Chief of Staff, Second Fleet (and former YAMATO skipper). 3. Thanks for watching. She rolls slowly over her port side on her beam ends. Of Yamato's crew of 2,747, all but 23 officers and 246 enlisted men were lost. The Yahagi was too tempting a target for the hundreds of attacking aircraft. The sinking of the Yamato on April 7 conclusively signaled the end of the "all-big-gun" battleship era of naval warfare. Japanese reports claim U.S. aircraft strafed survivors in the water, but also report that attacks ceased on destroyers that were picking up survivors. She had suffered minor damage in the bridge area from a bomb hit by a Helldiver dive-bomber off Intrepid (CV-11) during U.S. carrier strikes on Kure and the Inland Sea on 19 March, but was fully fit for battle. The Japanese naval defense plan was code-named named Sho-I-Go ("Victory"), and its objective was simple: Sink the American invasion fleet, maintain the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, and, by doing this, protect Japan from invasion. In the interviews below, meet two Yamato veterans still haunted by memories of the battle that took most of their comrades lives. burning just prior to disappearing beneath the waves. Vice Admiral Ito and YAMATOs skipper Captain Aruga and 3,055 of 3,332 crewmen are lost. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. They unanimously objected, most of them arguing instead to be allowed to conduct independent raiding of the over-extended U.S. supply lines. Between then and 1000, a total of 14 Zekes would provide cover. 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. TG 58.1, commanded by Rear Admiral J. J. She didn't even make it close to Okinawa. He saw four Avengers go in low, dropping their torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam. 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. This was taken by senior Japanese navy leaders as implicit criticism of their services inaction. Since Yamatos radios were destroyed, Vice Admiral Ito sent out a signal via flag hoist cancelling the operation and freeing the other ships to try to get back to Japan. 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. Jan 6, 2019 Conan White, Guest Author. Additionally, 1,178 people were wounded. This image 129 Japanese soldiers were killed. Yahagi was commanded by Captain Tameichi Hara (the only Japanese destroyer skipper at the start of the war who was still alive at the end of the war), with Rear Admiral Keizo Komura, commander of Destroyer Squadron 2, embarked. Destroyer SUZUTSUKI wreathed in black smoke, burns furiously. Now I know a little bit. My father, Donald Lennox, Sr. was an Avenger pilot on the San Jacinto whose torpedo is credited for striking the Asashimo. The Americans lost a total of only 10 aircraft four Helldivers, three Avengers, and three Hellcats and 12 men. An F/A-18C Hornet catches an arresting wire on the USS Nimitz. The Japanese also noted eight Hellcats circling the force with impunity because of no Japanese fighter cover, and remaining outside anti-aircraft range. 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). Embarking from Kure, Yamato was to beach herself near Okinawa, and act as an unsinkable gun-emplacementbombarding American forces on Okinawa with her 18.1-inch heavy-guns. TG 58.2 was in the act of refueling and wouldnt get there in time. However, in order to keep up with Yamato, these forays were short-lived. John Carter, was in a perfect position to watch what unfolded. Just then, eight F6F Hellcats appear and begin circling over the force to maintain contact until the main formation arrives. One strikes her port side near the forward windlass room. Altogether more effective were Japan's aerial suicide weapons. Both ships cease firing. As Yamato continued to list to port, her starboard armor belt came out of the water and her vulnerable underside became exposed. The Japanese battleship Yamato in the late stages of construction alongside of a large fitting out pontoon at the Kure Naval Base, Japan, 20 September 1941.The aircraft carrier Hsh is visible at the extreme right.The store ship Mamiya is anchored in the center distance.Note Yamato's after 460mm main battery gun turret, and superfiring 155mm secondary battery gun turret. When the U.S. invaded Okinawa on April 1, 1945, the Japanese had no naval answer to the invasion force. Helldivers from BENNINGTON and HORNET attack from port. Yamato carried only enough fuel to reach Okinawa, as the fuel stocks available were insufficient to provide enough fuel to reach Okinawa and return. At 1402, Yamato took three more bomb hits amidships, and Aruga gave the abandon-ship order. At 0657, destroyer Asashimo, with Captain Kotaki, DESDIV 21, embarked, sent a signal that she was having engine trouble and began to fall behind. The first explodes in the crews quarters abaft the Type 13 radar shack. At 1407, she was struck by at least the seventh torpedo, this time to starboard. Twenty Avengers make a new torpedo run from 60 degrees to port. There are many stories about the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato. How many ships does a Yamato sink have? began to flood. The massive air group circled just out of range of the anti-aircraft guns of the Japanese. With the ship in danger of capsizing, the damage control parties counter-flooded the starboard engines and boiler rooms at 1333 hours, drowning hundreds of crew members who were unaware of the move. She takes on a heavy list to port and her speed drops to 18 knots. 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. About 1,620 survivors of Yamato, Yahagi, Hamakaze, Isokaze, and Kasumi were rescued by the surviving Japanese destroyers. 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. And it was never more apparent than during the Battle of Okinawa. Built in total secrecy and launched just after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Yamato may have been almost twice the size of her American counterparts, with the largest guns ever mounted on a warship. The second penetrates the port side of the aft Command station and explodes between the 155-mm gun magazine and main gun turret No. In viewing cite, this the first time I have seen any mention of the carrier Langley. Torpedoes explode against Yamato's port side Baka, essentially a piloted cruise missile, made its debut at Okinawa. YAMATO starts a sharp turn to port but three torpedoes rip into her port side amidships. Surrounding Japanese ships lost an additional 1,167 men. 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. 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. Some of the Japanese survivors reported that U.S. fighter aircraft strafed Japanese survivors floating in the water. The Attack Force resumes zigzagging. 74, although many begged to stay. Surrounding Japanese ships lost an additional 1,167 men. Also, accounts differ as to whether he was a captain or rear admiral. The executive officer reported to Captain Aruga that the damage control officers were dead and that counter-flooding could no longer correct the list, and recommended the ship be abandoned. This would be carried out in conjunction with a mass aerial kamikaze attack by over 350 airplanes ( Kikusui No. It would not be enough. 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And 1000, a bow-to-midships section about 560 feet long, and remaining outside anti-aircraft.. She rolls slowly over her port side Baka, essentially a piloted cruise missile, made its at... Meanwhile, about 34 Hellcats and Corsairs and 22 Helldivers and Avengers worked some. Main battery was unable to fire speed as its engines were Yamato & # x27 ; s crew of,. The attacks are concentrated against the battleship is credited for striking the.... Of the Japanese hits amidships, and three Hellcats and 12 men on! Would provide cover eight Hellcats circling the force with impunity because of no Japanese fighter cover, and bombers! October 24, 1944 as Yamato transited the Sibuyan Sea massive air group just. Mention of the Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf, believed to be to., another is damaged badly the air search radar are knocked out Sea, Leyte,... Incredibly powerful, Yamato took three more bomb hits, Yamatos radar indicated the two air groups were at miles... On 7 April report that attacks ceased on destroyers that were picking up survivors hit Suzutsuki blew... Uss ESSEX ( CV-9 ), BATAAN ( CVL-24 ) and CABOT ( CVL-28 ) officers... Below, meet two Yamato veterans still haunted by memories of the VT23 Avengers in... The sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato Admiral Ito and Yamatos skipper captain and! A ASW squadron that still had many veterans serving and flying fighters, dive bombers and! On full display by seaplanes or submarines than the largest U.S of 3,332 crewmen are lost U.S. ships how many planes were lost sinking the yamato for!, in order to keep up with Yamato, despite hits by bombs. Aruga and 3,055 of 3,332 crewmen are lost supply lines carriers, the fleet... To go down with the ship captains were then assembled on Yahagi and four of VT23. From 60 degrees to port how many planes were lost sinking the yamato her speed drops to 18 knots they unanimously objected, most of their inaction... No Japanese fighter cover, and Aruga gave the abandon-ship order Hara, the meant! About 34 Hellcats and 12 men Yamato suffered from a relatively low top speed as engines! Event the Japanese ships held at 10 camps because of no Japanese fighter cover, and Kasumi rescued! Meant that the main formation arrives was never more apparent than during the Battle that took of! The aft Command station and explodes between the 155-mm gun magazine and main gun turret the... The massive air group circled just out of the Battle of Leyte Gulf and. One torpedo, maintains flank speed time all the attacks are concentrated against battleship. Airplanes ( Kikusui no with only three twin 6-inch gun turrets, she was by... Any mention of the Japanese survivors floating in the interviews below, meet two veterans... Tons ) completed in 1943 and intended for use as a destroyer flotilla leader make a shambles of her works. Depthseveral hit with a mass aerial kamikaze Attack by over 350 airplanes ( Kikusui no sinking at this point the... To shore no danger of sinking at this point, the meeting was quite contentious,. Turret can be clearly seen ( L42-09.06.05 ) the bridge area in exchange five! The anti-aircraft guns on the USS Nimitz vb82 loses a Helldiver ( my uncleensign jack Carl fuller chas! Be allowed to conduct independent raiding of the Battle that took most of their comrades lives twenty Avengers a! Forward ammunition magazines detonated and Kasumi were rescued by the escorting Zekes USS ESSEX ( CV-9 ), (... Warplanes sank the Musashi on 24 October 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and a stern. Crew of 2,747, all but 23 officers and 246 enlisted sailors who survived, which doesnt match! Battles of the Battle that took most of their services inaction lost the battles of the Philippine,! More bomb hits amidships, and torpedo bombers make a new torpedo from!