Also sunk were a light cruiser and four destroyers, with an additional destroyer severely damaged. On April 7, 1945, the Japanese battleship Yamato, one of the greatest battleships of its time, is sunk in Japan's first major counteroffensive in the struggle for Okinawa. H-044-3: Operation Heaven Number One (Ten-ichi-go)the Death of Yamato, 7 April 1945. John Carter, was in a perfect position to watch what unfolded. Join SOFREP for insider access and analysis. (They were right.) Yamato had been fitted with multiple air and surface search radars, as well as radio-intercept capability. A torpedo stopped her dead in the water and killed the entire engine compartment crew. All Rights Reserved. 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. The Americans lost 10 aircraft, while one aircraft carrier, one battleship, and one destroyer were damaged. At that point, the crews would go ashore to fight and die to the last man along with their army comrades. 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 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 sky is still overcast and visibility is poor. Destroying American Monster Abrams: Pro-Russian Group Release A How-To Video, A Look at the Unconventional Tactics Used by Western Militaries Throughout History, Decorated Navy SEAL Died in HALO Training Accident, Remembering Andrew Peters: US Army Veteran Killed in Ukraine. 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. 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. At 1243, five Hornet Avengers came in from port, while 14 F4U Corsairs from Bunker Hill were strafing and hitting Yamato with rockets that caused little damage to the ship, but were deadly to the gunners. Yamato was commanded by Captain Kosaku Aruga (spelled Ariga in some accounts). settled on the seafloor 1,200 feet down and about 50 Yamato avoided two, but the third hit her port side at 1245. Ito was posthumously promoted to full admiral. 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. 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. Instead, military leaders decided to build a secret weapon that could engage many enemy ships at once. He gave the go-ahead for the strike but ordered the battlewagons to proceed in the event the Japanese fleet got through the airstrike. 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. However, three-quarters of these (128 boats) were lost during the conflict, a proportion of loss similar that experienced by Germany's U-Boats. April 7, 1945 Sinking of the Battleship Yamato. ship's aft turrets. 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). At 1017, Yahagi commenced jamming the Mariners communications, but by then it was too late. 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. 1 magazine explodes and sends up a cloud of smoke seen 100 miles away. Surrounding Japanese ships lost an additional 1,167 men. In this program, NOVA joins an international team exploring the grave of this magnificent vessel to learn the secrets of her design, her final mission, and the violent events that brought her down. One strikes her port side near the forward windlass room. 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. A 500-pound general-purpose bomb hit Suzutsuki and blew off her bow. Finally some detail1st attack vb82 loses a helldiver (my uncleensign jack Carl fuller and chas. 3s USS ESSEX (CV-9), BUNKER HILL (CV-17), BATAAN (CVL-24) and CABOT (CVL-28). Smoke rises from the vicinity of the mainmast and a bomb explodes in the same area. YAMATO is hit by two AP bombs. With the steering locked to port and the ship doomed, Admiral Ito at 1402 hours ordered the crew to abandon ship. 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. One Helldiver is shot down, another is damaged badly. Submarine Hackleback (SS-295) then picked up surveillance, issuing four contact reports during the night as Yamato transited southwesterly along the coast of Kyushu. naval action of the war, she took 2,747 men with herall but 269 of her crew. At 0823, a Hellcat fighter off Essex (CV-9) sighted Yamato, a contact that the battleship reported at 0832. ), and when they were lost.the bu numbers listed as lost on 4.7.1945 is very extensive!!!!! Two dud rockets hit FUYUTSUKI. 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. of the battleship gives a sense of the 18-inch guns' enormous size (note sailors on deck). You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. Thanks for your presentation of this event! Mitscher correctly assumed that the Japanese were operating without air cover and would be sitting ducks for his huge airwing. The pride of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the Yamato was said to be the most powerful warship in history, but it was also beautiful, "like something in a tapestry.". VA-25 (1959) Air Group VI (6) Aruga would be posthumously promoted to vice admiral and Ito to full admiral. At 14:23, having taken 10 torpedo and 7 bomb hits, Yamatos forward ammunition magazines detonated. 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. 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 . At 0657, destroyer Asashimo, with Captain Kotaki, DESDIV 21, embarked, sent a signal that she was having engine trouble and began to fall behind. 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). Destroyer SUZUTSUKI wreathed in black smoke, burns furiously. Yamato (), named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. one-third of which were torpedo bombers that hit from low altitudes. Anatomy of Yamato 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. Just then, eight F6F Hellcats appear and begin circling over the force to maintain contact until the main formation arrives. Did anyone survive the Yamato sinking? 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. He saw four Avengers go in low, dropping their torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam. Another 110 planes appeared ready for the kill. Itos chief of staff, Rear Admiral Nobuei Morishita, was the senior survivor of Yamato. 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. Lieutenant J.G. All ships increase speed to 25 knots and commence a simultaneous turn. US warplanes sank the Musashi on 24 October 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, believed to be. as she turns to avoid the onslaught from bombers. The arresting wire system can stop a 54,000-pound aircraft travelling 150 miles per hour in only two seconds, in a 315-foot landing area (a 24,500-kg aircraft travelling at 241 kph in a 96-meter landing area). Stetsons crewmen reset their Mark 13 torpedoes running depth to 20 feet. In a separate attack, compani photographed the destruction. It would not be enough. 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. The Imperial Japanese Navy ceases to exist as a fighting force. 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. The final phase of the Pacific war during World War II saw a terrible new tactic: massed kamikaze attacks on American ships by Japanese planes. Two more destroyers were lost: the Asashimo, which was raked by bomb hits as it was returning to Japan and sank killing its entire crew; and the Kasumi that was heavily damaged and later scuttled. SUZUTSUKI takes a 500-lb GP bomb hit to starboard, abreast her No. Operation Ten-Go ( (Kyjitai) or ja: (Shinjitai) Ten-g Sakusen) was a Japanese naval operation plan in 1945, consisting of four likely scenarios. She continues to throw up a screen of desperate flak fire. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. It. Around 3,700-4,250 men from Yamato and her escort ships were dead. They pounced on her like sharks in the water. torpedoes such that they would penetrate Yamato below the waterline near YAMATO and YAHAGI open fire, increase speed to 24 knots and commence a series of sharp evasive maneuvers. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! 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. Though many Japanese naval leaders considered Operation Ten-Go to be a waste of their remaining resources, it moved forward on April 6, 1945. Here, an Vice Admiral Ito retired to his stateroom to go down with the ship. 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. The shocked emperor then asked, But what about the Navy? At 1830, destroyer Isokaze sighted Threadfin on the surface. Although 16 warships were hit, Yamato sustained only minor damage from a number of near misses and from one bomb that struck her bridge. 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,. They would not be needed. Throughout 1943, Yamato continually transferred between Truk, Kure and Brunei in response to American airstrikes on Japanese island bases. Weighing 72,800 tons. The loss of ten aircraft and 12 men led to the sinking of four destroyers and two other vessels. The Attack Force changes course to 100 degrees. 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. 1400 hour Three bombs explode port amidships, five minutes later a torpedo hits her starboard side amidships. 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). THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ The attack on Pearl Harbor killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including sailors, soldiers and civilians. This was taken by senior Japanese navy leaders as implicit criticism of their services inaction. (The Yamato force had a Nisei radio-intelligence operator. How many planes were lost attacking the Yamato? Cloud cover precluded accurate firing of the 3. The fighters attacked first, strafing the anti-aircraft guns on the decks with machine guns and rockets. A lookout spots American planes 25 degrees to port, levation 8, range 4,375 yards, moving to port. The light cruiser YAHAGI, without headway, drifts helplessly behind the main force. Yamato's remains were located and examined in 1985 and again examined, more precisely, in 1999. 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. This was taken as a yet another bad omen. Support Veteran Journalism . Baka claimed its first victim, the destroyer USS Abele, in the seas off Okinawa on April 12. When Yamato sank, marking the last Japanese naval action of the war, she took 2,747 men with herall but 269 of her crew. 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. One of the surviving destroyers did not have a bow. An F/A-18C Hornet catches an arresting wire on the USS Nimitz. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. Meanwhile, the dead-in-the-water Yahagi had soaked up at least 12 bombs and seven torpedo hits before she finally capsized and sank at 1405. Yamato would have appeared indestructible. 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. It starts a fire that cannot be extinguished and rips a 60-foot hole in the weather deck. She didn't even make it close to Okinawa. The Attack Force turns to course 205, towards Okinawa. The visibility was highly variable, but often not very good due to cloud cover. Listing heavily to port, YAMATOs exposed hull is hit by several more torpedoes. 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. ), 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. On 1 January 1945, Yamato, Haruna and Nagato were all transferred to the newly reactivated 1st Battleship Division; Yamato left drydock two days later. I was so fortunate to have had that experience!!! Her auxiliary rudder is jammed in position hard port. 1300 hour YAMATO changes course to 180 degrees, due South. 4s YORKTOWN (CV-10), INTREPID (CV-11), LANGLEY (CVL-27) engage the Attack Force. producing the blasts that tore the ship in half and sank her. Hit by at least 11 torpedoes and six bombs, Yamato was sunk, along with Yahagi and four of the destroyers. Many of those lost did so after the battle on their return to the carriers; ditching in the sea having run out of fuel. 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. Twelve Helldivers claim several hits near the bridge and main gun turret No. They also mounted numerous smaller guns to . 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. Japanese Battleship Yamato - minutes before sinking. Then it was supposed to beach itself, run aground, and use the ship as a makeshift fort. 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. About a year before he died he told us about this battle against the Yamato and that he was involved in the attack, but no details. 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. Thirty-four Hellcats, 22 Helldivers and one Corsair attack YAMATOs escorts. YAMATOs No. 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. Agroup of five low-flying Avengers (VT-17) from HORNET (CV-12) start a torpedo run from the port, bearing 70 degrees. 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. Note the fire in one of the 2 gun mount. YAMATO starts a sharp turn to port but three torpedoes rip into her port side amidships. With nearly all of her anti-aircraft guns out of action, the Avenger torpedo planes wreaked havoc. He suggests the order to abandon ship be given. Sieber was officially credited with two bomb hits on the Yamato and received the Navy Cross for his part in helping sink the huge ship that day. The Americans bloody island-hopping campaign, which had begun in the southern Solomon Islands in 1942, had grown as the Americans swept across the Gilberts, the Solomons, and, after the battles in Leyte Gulf and the Philippine Sea, were on the cusp of Japan herself. By 1420, the main deck was vertical and, at 1430, Yamato had rolled over and just gone under when the No.1 forward magazine detonated in a massive explosion that killed almost all of Yamatos crew who had survived to that point and raised a pall of smoke that could be seen for 100 miles. Of the Japanese destroyers, Asashimo was sunk with all hands (about 330) and Hamakaze sank with a loss of 100 crewmen and 45 wounded (257 were rescued). Now I know a little bit. The ship was split in two and was found resting at a depth of 1,120 feet (340 m). Lieutenant J.G. Japanese reports claim U.S. aircraft strafed survivors in the water, but also report that attacks ceased on destroyers that were picking up survivors. Had Yamato ever encountered an Allied battleship group, she could have floated safely out of range, while destroying each ship in turn. The others kept coming. She lists about seven degrees to port. The American planes release their bombs and torpedoes and strafe the bridge with machine-gun fire. Yamato was still more than 300 nautical miles from Okinawa when she went down. Yukikaze suffered three dead from strafing and survived the war. Hatsushimo suffered only three wounded on 6 April, but, on 20 July, struck a mine and was the last Japanese destroyer sunk in the war. 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. One-hundred aircraft were destroyed, and the Japanese death toll reached 4,137. Her main guns were designed to attack at an unprecedented distance of 25 miles, well beyond the range of American battleships. It had been deployed on a Surface Special Attack Force suicide mission to drive back U.S. forces that had landed on Okinawa. . Torpedoes explode against Yamato's port side Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. Damage Control counter-floods both starboard engine and boiler rooms and almost entirely corrects the list. Mitscher, CTF 58, was embarked on Bunker Hill. 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). 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. A Japanese destroyer peeled off three times to keep Hackleback at bay. Helldivers from BENNINGTON and HORNET attack from port. But the mission was approved and the Japanese ships set sail for Okinawa. But the biggest kamikaze attack of all was the suicidal mission of the super battleship Yamato, the largest, most advanced warship of the day. 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