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. RecPak is a meal replacement for the outdoors that saves you weight, space and time in the most challenging environments, just add water. Ito was posthumously promoted to full admiral. 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. They lost their best battleship, a cruiser, and four destroyers along with nearly 4,200 sailors. The destroyers were an assortment of different classes (what was left in operation, since the Japanese would lose 120 destroyers during the war), but all were armed with powerful Type 93 Long Lance 24-inch torpedoes. The Japanese lost three aircraft carriers and 426 aircraft; Yamato ' s only . They truly were the Greatest Generation. YAMATOs list increases to about 15 degrees and her speed slows to 12 knots. two Japanese aircraft carriers Deep sea explorers have found two Japanese aircraft carriers that were sunk in battle in World War Two. Twenty Avengers make a new torpedo run from 60 degrees to port. [1], Operation Ten-Go was a deliberate suicide attack against American forces off Okinawa by Yamato and nine escorts, beginning on 6 April 1945. 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. Displacing 72,800 tons fully loaded, they were about 30 percent heavier than the largest U.S . One Avenger is shot down but her barrage is largely ineffective because each AA battery fires independently without coordination. Armor-piercing and other bombs make a shambles of her upper works. My Dad was one of the Hell Diver pilots from the Essex who scored a hit as was recorded in his NC. Throughout 1943, Yamato continually transferred between Truk, Kure and Brunei in response to American airstrikes on Japanese island bases. Baka claimed its first victim, the destroyer USS Abele, in the seas off Okinawa on April 12. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. naval action of the war, she took 2,747 men with herall but 269 of her crew. On 29 March, Yamato took on a full stock of ammunition, in preparation for combat off Okinawa in Operation Ten-Go. Yamato was commanded by Captain Kosaku Aruga (spelled Ariga in some accounts). Captain Hara of Yahagi later said the mission would be like throwing an egg against a rock.. 1300 hour YAMATO changes course to 180 degrees, due South. More U.S. aircraft may have been knocked down by the magazine explosion than by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. A heartfelt salute from myself, a navy vet in the 70s! The Americans lost 10 aircraft, while one aircraft carrier, one battleship, and one destroyer were damaged. Vice Admiral Ito and Captain Aruga went down with the ship. Workers are gathered around the gaping opening that will house main turret #2. She ships about 3,000-tons of seawater. In total, the U.S. lost 12 men. At 0840, the Japanese reported seven Hellcats orbiting around the force. My dads name is Ronald R. LeFebvre (Ding). Additionally, aircraft damaged most of the . Though incredibly powerful, Yamato suffered from a relatively low top speed as its engines were . Yamato was lost Apr. One of the torpedo planes took a hit in the wing, pulled up in flames, then plunged into the sea. Baka, essentially a piloted cruise missile, made its debut at Okinawa. When Yamato sank, marking the last Japanese heaviest and most powerful battleship ever built, carrying the most formidable TG 58.2 was in the act of refueling and wouldnt get there in time. Yahagi capsized and sank shortly after 1400. With Yamato slowed, U.S. torpedo planes started to deliberately target her stern to knock out her steering, and she became stuck in a starboard turn. At 1210, destroyer Asashimo, lagging behind the force, reported that she was under air attack, and radio transmissions from her ceased. The Japanese also noted eight Hellcats circling the force with impunity because of no Japanese fighter cover, and remaining outside anti-aircraft range. Later that day, the battered destroyers ISOKAZE and KASUMI are scuttled and sink. Five Helldivers are damaged by AA fire. the Japanese were aware of Yamato's poor anti-aircraft defense and . TG 58.4 had just finished refueling and would arrive just in time. About 1,620 survivors of Yamato, Yahagi, Hamakaze, Isokaze, and Kasumi were rescued by the surviving Japanese destroyers. He had friends wounded and killed, but the small carriers were never given credit for anything that happened. The fighter issued a contact report at 0832. Eight Japanese destroyers and one cruiser, the Yahagi (left), tried to assist Yamato in fending off her attackers. He reports the formation at bearing 180, heading north, and splitting into two groups. In a separate attack, compani 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,. Timeline of Battleship Yamato sinking on 7 April 1945 0800 hour - The Attack Force is sighted by a searching Grumman F6F Hellcat from USS ESSEX (CV-9). 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. 129 Japanese soldiers were killed. 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. Half of the dead at . John Carter, was in a perfect position to watch what unfolded. She rolls slowly over her port side on her beam ends. Below are some of those stories and some links to other web sites with more stories about the ship and its final day, April 7, 1945. One of her junior designers tells NOVA he was completely in the dark about the scale of the vessel that he was helping to create: I was building the biggest ship in the world, and I didnt even know it until after the war.. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. They withheld the news from the public. 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. In viewing cite, this the first time I have seen any mention of the carrier Langley. Vice Admiral Ito retired to his stateroom to go down with the ship. This time, all attacks concentrated on the battleship. YAMATO has taken a total of four torpedo hits. The morale aboard Yamato was described as not being very good, especially after the crews were informed they were on a one-way mission. aircraft's overhead view of its target. When Yamato sank, marking the last Japanese naval action of the war, she took 2,747 men with herall but 269 of her crew. One strikes her port side near the forward windlass room. 3. 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. battleship's guns. Spruance was informed of it only after the aircraft had taken off. In the interviews below, meet two Yamato veterans still haunted by memories of the battle that took most of their comrades lives. 4: Factual error; Musashi was sunk on Oct. 23, 1944 in the Sibuyan Sea. By early 1945, the Japanese Empire was shrinking daily and the war had reached its home shores. The real story of the Yamato sinking March 06, 2008 On April 7, 1945, three southern boys were above the clouds north of Okinawa, 125 miles from the southernmost tip of the main Japanese islands searching for "the largest, heaviest and most powerful battleship ever constructed." Japanese reports claim U.S. aircraft strafed survivors in the water, but also report that attacks ceased on destroyers that were picking up survivors. Many of those lost did so after the battle on their return to the carriers; ditching in the sea having run out of fuel. At 1402, Yamato took three more bomb hits amidships, and Aruga gave the abandon-ship order. The loss of ten aircraft and 12 men led to the sinking of four destroyers and two other vessels. With this contact information, Spruance ordered Deyo to ready the blocking force. Her waterline armor belt was 16 inches thick. A bomb impact in the dispensary killed many of the wounded who had been gathered there, along with many of the medical personnel. They would not be needed. 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. sent to engage Yamato made it into position above her and soon began to Yamato carried only enough fuel to reach Okinawa, as the fuel stocks available were insufficient to provide enough fuel to reach Okinawa and return. The attack of hundreds of US air force against Japan made Japan's biggest battleship Yamato sink. 7. Deep sea explorers have found two Japanese aircraft carriers that were sunk in battle in World War Two. 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. By this point, Yamato was firing main-battery beehive shells set to detonate after one second (about 3,000 yards) from the ship, which U.S. aircraft just blew through. Everyone of them, enlisted and officers, were a true gentleman. It would not be enough. 3s USS ESSEX (CV-9), BUNKER HILL (CV-17), BATAAN (CVL-24) and CABOT (CVL-28). Pearl harbor was attacked on December 7th, 1941,hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. Of Yamato's crew of 2,747, all but 23 officers and 246 enlisted men were lost. Lieutenant J.G. He saw four Avengers go in low, dropping their torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam. Jocko Clark, embarked on Hornet (CV-12), included Hancock (CV-19), Bennington (CV-20), Belleau Wood (CVL-24) and San Jacinto (CVL-30). However, in order to keep up with Yamato, these forays were short-lived. The American planes release their bombs and torpedoes and strafe the bridge with machine-gun fire. At 1232, lookouts in the Yamato force sighted the first incoming strike wave. The sinking of the Yamato on April 7 conclusively signaled the end of the "all-big-gun" battleship era of naval warfare. Although the battleship was in no danger of sinking at this point, the list meant that the main battery was unable to fire . The largest battleships ever built were Yamato and Musashi of the Imperial Japanese Navy. At 14:23, having taken 10 torpedo and 7 bomb hits, Yamatos forward ammunition magazines detonated. Stetsons crewmen reset their Mark 13 torpedoes running depth to 20 feet. I Was At Okinawa At This Time. 10 aircraft Yamato was still more than 300 nautical miles from Okinawa when she went down. The Yamato sank during a fierce battle for Okinawa on April, 7 1945. 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. An astounding series of explosions onboard The Imperial Japanese Navy ceases to exist as a fighting force. The attack lasted just two hours, but it was devastating: The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and more than 300 airplanes. Yamato was hit with three more torpedoes. At 1417, she took an eighth and ninth torpedo, both to port. Of the just over 3,000 men aboard the Yamato on the morning of April 7, 1945, fewer than 300 were alive at days end. He suggests the order to abandon ship be given. 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. Laid down in May 1940 as the third of the Yamato-class battleships, Shinano ' s partially complete hull was ordered to be converted to an aircraft carrier following Japan's disastrous loss of four of its original six fleet carriers at the Battle of . Taffy 2 and Taffy 3 aircraft contributed to the sinking of the heavy cruisers Chokai, Chikuma, and Suzuya, all of which had received some degree of damage from surface action. The Musashi and its sister vessel, the Yamato, were two of the largest battleships ever built. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Vol. Though many Japanese naval leaders considered Operation Ten-Go to be a waste of their remaining resources, it moved forward on April 6, 1945. Kasumi, which had her steering disabled by two bomb hits, suffered 17 dead and 47 wounded, and was scuttled by two torpedoes from Fuyuzuki. 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. Combined with Yamato, about 4,242 Japanese sailors gave their lives for the emperor on 7 April. . By this time, there wasnt much left of the Japanese navy that was still operational, and fuel was in critically short supply. My father, Donald Lennox, Sr. was an Avenger pilot on the San Jacinto whose torpedo is credited for striking the Asashimo. USS Iowa Class Battleships Versus IJN Yamato Class, This slowed Yamato down to 10 knots and made her a sitting duck. 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. The Japanese opened up with everything they had, which looked terrifying, but U.S. pilots quickly figured out that Japanese anti-aircraft fire was wildly inaccurate. One fire can be observed amidships from the initial strike, but no list has developed at this point. [1] When the 1st Battleship Division was deactivated once again on 10 February, Yamato was reassigned to the 1st Carrier Division. 1200 hour A lookout spots three Japanese troopships on bearing 0250 heading for Amami-Oshima. Yamato and her sister ship Musashi, sunk during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, were, at 65,000 tons displacement (72,000 tons fully loaded), the largest battleships ever built. She didn't even make it close to Okinawa. In the 1980s, shipwreck hunters found the Yamato 180 miles (290 kilometers) southwest of Kyushu, one of the main islands of Japan. 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. Ten minutes later, two more torpedoes strike her port side. The attack on Pearl Harbor killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including sailors, soldiers and civilians. 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 Yahagi lost 446 of about 1,000 crewmen. At 1115, Yamatos radar indicated the two air groups were at 44 miles and closing rapidly. 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. Twenty Avengers attacked from the port side (concentrating torpedo attacks from the port side was deliberate, with the intent to capsize the ship). The Yamato group cranked up speed to 25 knots. Aruga would be posthumously promoted to vice admiral and Ito to full admiral. The only time Yamato fired her main guns at enemy targets was in October 1944, but was ordered to turn back after attacks by destroyers and aircraft of the Taffy light escort carrier task groups managed to sink three heavy cruisers during the Battle off Samar. Numerous Helldivers from Bennington and Hornet attacked from Yamatos port side and numerous near misses splashed all around the battleship, which was moving at flank speed (27 knots), before she was finally hit by two 1,000-pound armor-piercing bombs at 1240. At that point, the crews would go ashore to fight and die to the last man along with their army comrades. Breaking the news to the Emperor, a Japanese admiral was asked, what about the fleet? The admiral had to admit, the Japanese fleet had ceased to exist as a fighting formation. Japanese lookouts spotted the American air armada at 1232 hours and soon opened fire with Yamatos 18-inch guns firing San Shiki anti-aircraft shells that were wildly inaccurate. Damage Control counter-floods both starboard engine and boiler rooms and almost entirely corrects the list. Musashi and her sister ship, Yamato, were by a wide margin the largest battleships ever built. 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. She was blasted by 15 bomb hits and eight torpedoes. 276 men are rescued including Rear Admiral Morishita Nobuei, Chief of Staff, Second Fleet (and former YAMATO skipper). 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. 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. 74, although many begged to stay. To buck up morale, many captains of capital ships received a accelerated promotion to rear admiral in 1944. Captain Aruga lashed himself to the binnacle to do the same. In total, 97 combatants were killed and 122 wounded. Shinano () was an aircraft carrier built by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II, the largest such built up to that time. 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. When the U.S. invaded Okinawa on April 1, 1945, the Japanese had no naval answer to the invasion force. Lieutenant J.G. At this point, after just a few hours of battle, YAMATO and YAHAGI open fire, increase speed to 24 knots and commence a series of sharp evasive maneuvers. Jan 6, 2019 Conan White, Guest Author. She lies in two main parts in some 1,000 feet of water. producing the blasts that tore the ship in half and sank her. Japans secrecy was due to her inability to match U.S. naval power ship for ship. Thanks for watching. World War II would see the aircraft carrier emerge as the key to naval supremacy, supplanting the battleship. 1,187 crewmen of DesRon 2s light cruiser YAHAGI and the four destroyers are also lost. torpedoes such that they would penetrate Yamato below the waterline near The result was arguably the largest suicide mission in history. How many US planes were lost sinking the Yamato? 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. Mitscher correctly assumed that the Japanese were operating without air cover and would be sitting ducks for his huge airwing. One Avenger was shot down, but three torpedoes went into the water. Also interviewed is an American dive-bomber pilot who took part in the attack. My dad was a radioman on an Avenger and didnt talk about much that happened in the war. YAMATO, despite hits by two bombs and one torpedo, maintains flank speed. The Attack Force turns towards Sasebo. 3s upper powder magazine. 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. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. 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. concentrate their torpedoes on just one of Yamato's sides, an approach The fighters attacked first, strafing the anti-aircraft guns on the decks with machine guns and rockets. The visibility was highly variable, but often not very good due to cloud cover. 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). Vice Admiral Ito initially objected to the mission, viewing it as futile and wasteful. Another 110 aircraft from Task Group 58. An attack of 36 Japanese dive bombers and torpedo planes against the heavily protected USS Hornet with her escorts took down over 20 Japanese planes. 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. Although accounts vary about how many crewmen were on Yamato, the most definitive appears to be that 3,055 of 3,332 crewmen were lost. 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. Support Veteran Journalism . In addition, sick sailors and also the oldest sailors were sent to shore. 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. 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. [26] Heavy antiaircraft defensive fire and the heavy upper-deck armour plating on Yamato also prevented any significant damage to the vessel. I was a radioman on one of the VT23 Avengers participating in this strike flying off the Langley. It's cable. Light cruiser Yahagi steered away from Yamato in an attempt to draw attention away from the battleshiptoo successfully. The engagement was an unmitigated disaster for the Japanese. At 2144, the submarine issued a detailed contact report with an accurate force disposition. The wreck lies 290 kilometres (180 mi) southwest of Kyushu under 340 metres (1,120 ft) of water in two main pieces; a bow section comprising the front two thirds of the ship, and a separate stern section.. 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