seven torpedo hits within two hours of battle. Of firing 3,220-lb shells over 26 miles pilots and eight aircrewmen were missing and presumed dead how many planes were lost sinking the yamato. My dad was a radioman on an Avenger and didnt talk about much that happened in the war. 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. Baka claimed its first victim, the destroyer USS Abele, in the seas off Okinawa on April 12. Captain Hara of Yahagi later said the mission would be like throwing an egg against a rock.. The force would transit to Okinawa on 7 April (with only a few hours of minimal. Vice Admiral Ito initially objected to the mission, viewing it as futile and wasteful. [5] Shortly afterward, a second strike of 100 aircraft attacked Yamato and her remaining escorts. 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. 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). began to flood. 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. About 120,000 were held at 10 camps because of fears that Japanese Americans were enemy sympathizers. . Vice Admiral Ito and YAMATOs skipper Captain Aruga and 3,055 of 3,332 crewmen are lost. Sources include: NHHC Dictionary of American Fighting Ships (DANFS) for U.S. ships and combinedfleet.com for Japanese ships. The fire in the area ofher forward 6.1 inch turret can be clearly seen (L42-09.06.05). 2 gun mount. Fifty aircraft from ESSEX and BATAAN are sighted approaching from the SSW, range 18.5 miles. 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. Three Japanese destroyers are nearby (80-G-413914). 1 magazine causing a huge explosion with a mushroom smoke cloud that was visible for 100 miles away. The Japanese also spot the HACKLEBACK trailing the Attack Force. The ship captains were then assembled on Yahagi and briefed. Orders to Commit Suicide The Yamato had unbelievable orders. It says that the Kikaigashima Island lookout station saw 150 carrier planes heading northwest. 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. I stumbled on this article and I finally know a little about this battle. Design and construction Main article: Yamato-class battleship The attack on Pearl Harbor killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including sailors, soldiers and civilians. Throughout 1943, Yamato continually transferred between Truk, Kure and Brunei in response to American airstrikes on Japanese island bases. She slips under followed by an underwater explosion. [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. And it was never more apparent than during the Battle of Okinawa. Agroup of five low-flying Avengers (VT-17) from HORNET (CV-12) start a torpedo run from the port, bearing 70 degrees. The first explodes in the crews quarters abaft the Type 13 radar shack. Her secondary armament was significantly altered during the war by removing two of her four triple 6.1-inch turrets in favor of increased anti-aircraft armament, which, by 1945, included 12 dual 5-inch gun mounts, 54 25-mm triple mounts (162 guns), and smaller machine guns. Six Yorktown Avengers attacked from the starboard side, with their Mark 13 torpedoes re-set for a 20-foot depthseveral hit. The visibility was highly variable, but often not very good due to cloud cover. The fighters attacked first, strafing the anti-aircraft guns on the decks with machine guns and rockets. 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. Still kicking but dont know why. YAMATO starts a sharp turn to port but three torpedoes rip into her port side amidships. Of the 3,332 crew members aboard the Yamato, only 276 survived the sinking. The carriers were among seven ships that went down in the Battle of Midway, a major air and . (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.) Ito was posthumously promoted to full admiral. By 1408, Yamato had clearly begun to capsize and the ship was being abandoned. The ship was split in two and was found resting at a depth of 1,120 feet (340 m). U.S. losses were 10 aircraft and 12 pilots and aircrewmen. 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. YAMATOs No. This image The others kept coming. VA-65 (1948) Air Group II (2) sent to engage Yamato made it into position above her and soon began to 4: Factual error; Musashi was sunk on Oct. 23, 1944 in the Sibuyan Sea. 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. At 14:23, having taken 10 torpedo and 7 bomb hits, Yamatos forward ammunition magazines detonated. At 1402, Yamato took three more bomb hits amidships, and Aruga gave the abandon-ship order. Another 110 aircraft from Task Group 58. Displacing 72,800 tons fully loaded, they were about 30 percent heavier than the largest U.S . SUZUTSUKI takes a 500-lb GP bomb hit to starboard, abreast her No. battleship's guns. Thus, its possible Aruga was selected, but not yet promoted. In keeping with Japanese practice of posthumous promotion for death in battle, he was promoted to vice admiral after Yamato was sunk, that much is fact. Though incredibly powerful, Yamato suffered from a relatively low top speed as its engines were . My father, Donald Lennox, Sr. was an Avenger pilot on the San Jacinto whose torpedo is credited for striking the Asashimo. The American planes release their bombs and torpedoes and strafe the bridge with machine-gun fire. Shinano () was an aircraft carrier built by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II, the largest such built up to that time. Kasumi, which had her steering disabled by two bomb hits, suffered 17 dead and 47 wounded, and was scuttled by two torpedoes from Fuyuzuki. Did anyone survive the Yamato sinking? after the Yamato first took to the sea. He considered it a waste of good men and ships. 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. [1], Operation Ten-Go was a deliberate suicide attack against American forces off Okinawa by Yamato and nine escorts, beginning on 6 April 1945. YAMATO starts a turn starboard to course 230 degrees. While still a token of national pride, the sinking of Yamato also symbolized the sad end of the once invincible Imperial Japanese Navy. XIV: Victory in the Pacific by Samuel Eliot Morison, Boston: Little Brown and Co., 1969; Japanese Destroyer Captain by Tameichi Hara, New York: Ballantine Books, 1961; Combined Fleet Decoded: The Secret History of American Intelligence and the Japanese Navy in World War II by John Prados, New York: Random House, 1995. I was so fortunate to have had that experience!!! Being young, I took it all for granted. 1s USS HORNET (CV-12), HANCOCK (CV-19), BENNINGTON (CV-20), BELLEAU WOOD (CVL-24) and SAN JACINTO (CVL-30) and from Task Group 58. Although the battleship was in no danger of sinking at this point, the list meant that the main battery was unable to fire . 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 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. that ultimately led to the supership's demise. Everyone of them, enlisted and officers, were a true gentleman. Japanese naval leaders briefed Emperor Hirohito on their plans, which consisted of massive air attacks, including kamikaze strikes. One fire can be observed amidships from the initial strike, but no list has developed at this point. At 1322, an Essex Corsair hit Yamato in the port bow with a 1,000-pound general-purpose bomb. 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. At 1115, Yamatos radar indicated the two air groups were at 44 miles and closing rapidly. She lies in two main parts in some 1,000 feet of water. Before getting underway, the Surface Special Attack Force put ashore 67 recently arrived midshipmen of the Etajima Naval Academy Class No. To buck up morale, many captains of capital ships received a accelerated promotion to rear admiral in 1944. Torpedoes explode against Yamato's port side One of the largest battleships ever built, Yamato entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy in December 1941. The 40 mm Bofors, with radar guidance and proximity fuses, were marginally effective in shooting down attacking planes. She rolls slowly over her port side on her beam ends. [1] By 14:00, two of Yamatos escorts had been sunk. After all, she was the Turret #1 can also be seen upfront. 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. At 1017, Yahagi commenced jamming the Mariners communications, but by then it was too late. Hit by at least 11 torpedoes and six bombs, Yamato was sunk, along with Yahagi and four of the destroyers. 1,000 watertight compartments couldn't save her, and her lower decks rapidly 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. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the largest and heaviest battleships ever constructed, displacing 72,800tonnes at full load, and armed with nine 46cm (18.1inch) main guns. 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. They would not be needed. 276 men are rescued including Rear Admiral Morishita Nobuei, Chief of Staff, Second Fleet (and former YAMATO skipper). Anatomy of Yamato The Yamato group cranked up speed to 25 knots. 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. As luck would have it, he said, the big ship was turning to port, thereby exposing the full broadside expanse of, PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States, P.O. 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. Had Yamato ever encountered an Allied battleship group, she could have floated safely out of range, while destroying each ship in turn. 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. 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). At 1017, Yamato opened fire with several of her special main-battery anti-aircraft shells (sanshikidan or beehive shells, somewhat like a giant shotgun shell), at the Mariners, which was equally futile, although the Mariners ducked back in the clouds. She quickly shipped 2,235 tons of water, but the list was soon corrected with effective counter-flooding. Her nine 18.1-inch guns firing Sanshikidan beehive shells, twenty-four 127-mm. At 1830, destroyer Isokaze sighted Threadfin on the surface. Ten minutes later, two more torpedoes strike her port side. Her remaining air search radar reports the approach of a second attack wave. When the U.S. invaded Okinawa on April 1, 1945, the Japanese had no naval answer to the invasion force. I am fortunate to be living as long as I have , I know us WWII vets are living on borrowed time, but glad to be of sound mind yet and can remember incidents like this. The element of surprise was gone for the Japanese. Experts believe that a fire raging in the One strikes her port side near the forward windlass room. [5] The smoke from the explosionover 4miles (6.4km) highwas seen 100miles (160km) away on Kysh. Mitscher, CTF 58, was embarked on Bunker Hill. 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. One Helldiver was shot down. According to Morison, there were only 23 officers and 246 enlisted sailors who survived, which doesnt exactly match, but is close. Did Yamato sink any ships? (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. Damage Control counter-floods both starboard engine and boiler rooms and almost entirely corrects the list. 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. 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. The most powerful battleship in the world was no match for 390 U.S. carrier aircraft. Baka, essentially a piloted cruise missile, made its debut at Okinawa. 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