Another 110 aircraft from Task Group 58. In the 1980s, shipwreck hunters found the Yamato 180 miles (290 kilometers) southwest of Kyushu, one of the main islands of Japan. Jocko Clark, embarked on Hornet (CV-12), included Hancock (CV-19), Bennington (CV-20), Belleau Wood (CVL-24) and San Jacinto (CVL-30). A Japanese destroyer peeled off three times to keep Hackleback at bay. 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. However, in order to keep up with Yamato, these forays were short-lived. More U.S. aircraft may have been knocked down by the magazine explosion than by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. U.S. losses were 10 aircraft and 12 pilots and aircrewmen. Thank you to all our WWII vets. 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. By this time, there wasnt much left of the Japanese navy that was still operational, and fuel was in critically short supply. She was blasted by 12 bombs and six more torpedos. YAMATO turns hard to port. According to the plan, Yamato, light cruiser Yahagi, and eight destroyers would form a Surface Special Attack Force (the term special attack was understood to mean suicide) and sortie on 6 April 1945. It would not be enough. (The Yamato force had a Nisei radio-intelligence operator. 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. YAMATO stops zigzagging and increases speed to 24 knots. The sky is still overcast and visibility is poor. This was taken as a yet another bad omen. 1300 hour YAMATO changes course to 180 degrees, due South. 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). To buck up morale, many captains of capital ships received a accelerated promotion to rear admiral in 1944. The result was arguably the largest suicide mission in history. 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. I was so fortunate to have had that experience!!! As a Minnesota teenager when the war started,. Posted August 23, 2013. this photo from 1941 shows the construction details of the Yamato's rear aircraft deck, side 6-inch guns that were replaced by AA guns later in the war, as well as the aft superstructure and main turret #3. YAMATO turns towards the planes and opens fire unsuccessfully as does cruiser YAHAGI. By this point, the uncorrected list was passing 15 degrees to port, and alarms were warning of critical temperatures in the forward main battery magazines, with no working pumps to flood them. Ito's last order was to cancel the operation and have the remaining destroyers rescue whoever they could before he joined the 3,055 of 3,332 crewmen who went down with Yamato. 1 magazine explodes and sends up a cloud of smoke seen 100 miles away. They were also instructed to YAMATOs No. But the biggest kamikaze attack of all was the suicidal mission of the super battleship Yamato, the largest, most advanced warship of the day. Musashi and her sister ship, Yamato, were by a wide margin the largest battleships ever built. Aruga would be posthumously promoted to vice admiral and Ito to full admiral. 1 magazine causing a huge explosion with a mushroom smoke cloud that was visible for 100 miles away. YAMATO opens fire with her two forward main turrets and AA guns. The 40 mm Bofors, with radar guidance and proximity fuses, were marginally effective in shooting down attacking planes. most of the American pilots returned to their carriers, knowing Two other destroyers were heavily damaged, one, the Hamakaze later sank. Finally some detail1st attack vb82 loses a helldiver (my uncleensign jack Carl fuller and chas. 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. [25][26] Damage to the battleship, however, was light,[25] due in part to the base being defended by elite veteran Japanese fighter instructors flying Kawanishi N1K Shiden or George fighters. Jan 6, 2019 Conan White, Guest Author. Deyo had just received a cheery send-off from his immediate boss: "We hope you will bring back a nice fish for breakfast." 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. 4s YORKTOWN (CV-10), INTREPID (CV-11), LANGLEY (CVL-27) engage the Attack Force. In total, the U.S. lost 12 men. This would be carried out in conjunction with a mass aerial kamikaze attack by over 350 airplanes (Kikusui No. 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. 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. [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. The American planes release their bombs and torpedoes and strafe the bridge with machine-gun fire. A torpedo stopped her dead in the water and killed the entire engine compartment crew. (Although U.S. carrier air groups complement had been changed to have a mix of about three quarters fighters to defend against kamikaze and only one quarter bombers and torpedo planes, the fighters had been trained and gotten pretty good at being used in a fighter-bomber role, and, with no Japanese air opposition, had the freedom to do so.) Both Rear Admiral Komura and Captain Hara survived. So, the admirals concocted what they termed, Operation Ten-Go (Operation Heaven One). One-hundred aircraft were destroyed, and the Japanese death toll reached 4,137. Thank you to all the brave men and women of the US armed forces! All these years later I remember each one of those men fondly and with great respect. Yamato was commanded by Captain Kosaku Aruga (spelled Ariga in some accounts). 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. At 1210, destroyer Asashimo, lagging behind the force, reported that she was under air attack, and radio transmissions from her ceased. As waves of kamikazes took to the sky to defend the island, Yamato was ordered to sea on a mission to emulate the suicide planes and take out as many American ships as possible. Itos chief of staff, Rear Admiral Nobuei Morishita, was the senior survivor of Yamato. Then radar reports the closing aircraft have turned towards the force. Of the 3,332 crew members aboard the Yamato, only 276 survived the sinking. Six Yorktown Avengers attacked from the starboard side, with their Mark 13 torpedoes re-set for a 20-foot depthseveral hit. Support Veteran Journalism . Fuyuzuki suffered light damage from dud rockets, suffered 12 dead and 12 injured, and was repaired, but had her stern blown off by a mine after the August cease-fire. They lost their best battleship, a cruiser, and four destroyers along with nearly 4,200 sailors. Twelve Helldivers claimed several hits in the bridge area in exchange for five Helldivers damaged by anti-aircraft fire. They had already lost the battles of the Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf, and Iwo Jima. Orders to Commit Suicide The Yamato had unbelievable orders. Cloud cover precluded accurate firing of the The most powerful battleship in the world was no match for 390 U.S. carrier aircraft. [26] Heavy antiaircraft defensive fire and the heavy upper-deck armour plating on Yamato also prevented any significant damage to the vessel. 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.. Who found battleship Yamato? 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. Only 10. 1). Agroup of five low-flying Avengers (VT-17) from HORNET (CV-12) start a torpedo run from the port, bearing 70 degrees. Not long after the Hellcat sighting, two PBM-3 Martin Mariner flying boats began shadowing Yamato, maintaining discreet contact for the next five hours while mostly hidden in the clouds. Between then and 1000, a total of 14 Zekes would provide cover. The Japanese lost three aircraft carriers and 426 aircraft; Yamato ' s only . Japanese naval leaders briefed Emperor Hirohito on their plans, which consisted of massive air attacks, including kamikaze strikes. 1200 hour A lookout spots three Japanese troopships on bearing 0250 heading for Amami-Oshima. They also mounted numerous smaller guns to . Being young, I took it all for granted. The battleship and its sister, Musashi, were the only battleships ever constructed with 18.1" guns. He reports the formation at bearing 180, heading north, and splitting into two groups. At 1014, the Yamato force sighted the two Martin Mariner PBM flying boats, and also noted that Hackleback was still trailing (the Japanese had made so many course changes during the night that the sub was able to cut the corner and maintain contact on the force). Yahagi lost 446; Asashimo lost 330; the seven destroyers, 391 officers and 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. Yamato fired her 18-inch guns at approaching American aircraft, Submarine Hackleback (SS-295) then picked up surveillance, issuing four contact reports during the night as Yamato transited southwesterly along the coast of Kyushu. On 29 March, Yamato was ordered to take on fuel and ammunition, and loaded 1,170 shells for her nine 18.1-inch guns (in three triple turrets), 1,629 shells for her six 6.1-inch guns (in two triple turrets), 13,500 anti-aircraft shells, and 11.5 million rounds of machine-gun ammunition. Thanks for watching. Join SOFREP for insider access and analysis. Three Japanese destroyers are nearby (80-G-413914). 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. This Is A Great Article Of An Historic Event. 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. The second and third waves of the American attacks pummeled Yamato. Instead, military leaders decided to build a secret weapon that could engage many enemy ships at once. At that point, the crews would go ashore to fight and die to the last man along with their army comrades. ), U.S. submarines were already waiting for Yamato, with orders to report rather than attack, although with the force transiting at 22 knots and frequently zig-zagging, successful attack in all but the luckiest circumstances was unlikely. I Was At Okinawa At This Time. YAMATO and YAHAGI open fire, increase speed to 24 knots and commence a series of sharp evasive maneuvers. She lists about seven degrees to port. A torpedo strikes HAMAKAZE starboard, aft of amidships and she jackknifes. Captain Hara of Yahagi later said the mission would be like throwing an egg against a rock.. Most of the battles in the Pacific dont mention anything about the small carriers that were involved. 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. The Mariners were subordinate to Patrol Bombing Squadron 21 (VPB-21), operating from the tender Chandeleur (AV-10), which had arrived at Kerama Rettoon 28 March. Though many Japanese naval leaders considered Operation Ten-Go to be a waste of their remaining resources, it moved forward on April 6, 1945. 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. Aircrews were astonished at the size of the ship, which had seen very little naval action during the war. Yamato 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. The emperors question clinched it. 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. 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. She didn't even make it close to Okinawa. Vice Admiral Ito and YAMATOs skipper Captain Aruga and 3,055 of 3,332 crewmen are lost. Only 10 American aircraft 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. While the Americans' 1,000-pound bombs held fearsome destructive power, as seen in Twenty Avengers attacked from the port side (concentrating torpedo attacks from the port side was deliberate, with the intent to capsize the ship). 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. With nearly all of her anti-aircraft guns out of action, the Avenger torpedo planes wreaked havoc. Baka, essentially a piloted cruise missile, made its debut at Okinawa. 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. The first wave of the attack resulted in two bomb and one torpedo hits on the Yamato which had increased her speed to flank in an attempt to make her a harder target to hit. 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. 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. Survivor Stories 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. Hancock for some reason launched her 53-plane strike late, and it never found Yamato in the murk, reducing the overall first strike to 227 aircraft. H-044-3: Operation Heaven Number One (Ten-ichi-go)the Death of Yamato, 7 April 1945. What sank the Yamato? 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. Vice Admiral Ito and Captain Aruga went down with the ship. 4: Factual error; Musashi was sunk on Oct. 23, 1944 in the Sibuyan Sea. Japanese Battleship Yamato - minutes before sinking. At 2:10pm Yamato rolled over and began to sink with fires from her aft 6.1" turret reaching her no. Yamato avoided two, but the third hit her port side at 1245. YAMATO starts a turn starboard to course 230 degrees. 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." Anatomy of Yamato most likely to cause flooding and eventual sinking. 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. She lies in two main parts in some 1,000 feet of water. 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. 7, 1945 south of Kyushu. The submarine radio traffic transmitted in the clear, reporting Yamato by name, and reported by Japanese radio intelligence, did nothing to improve the sense of foreboding felt by the senior officers on Yamato. producing the blasts that tore the ship in half and sank her. 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. 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. ship's aft turrets. Thanks!!! John Carter, was in a perfect position to watch what unfolded. began to flood. At 1430 on 7 April 1945, more than 300 nautical miles north of Okinawa, Yamato blows up after capsizing. One Helldiver is shot down, another is damaged badly. WORLD WAR II. 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. Of Yamato's crew of 2,747, all but 23 officers and 246 enlisted men were lost. The first U.S. attack wave ended about 1250. Turret #1 can also be seen upfront. aircraft's overhead view of its target. Yamato took at least four more bomb hits in the superstructure area, which wiped out many of the remaining 25-mm guns. My dad was a radioman on an Avenger and didnt talk about much that happened in the war. About 1,187 crewmen of Yahagi and the four destroyers were lost. heaviest and most powerful battleship ever built, carrying the most formidable 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. Now I know a little bit. Legendary Lost Japanese WWII Battleship Found by Billionaire Paul Allen.The search was funded by Paul Allen, the Microsoft co . 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. 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