The first attack wave retires. About 120,000 were held at 10 camps because of fears that Japanese Americans were enemy sympathizers. He considered it a waste of good men and ships. The Americans lost 10 aircraft, while one aircraft carrier, one battleship, and one destroyer were damaged. 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. John Carter, was in a perfect position to watch what unfolded. At 1430 on 7 April 1945, more than 300 nautical miles north of Okinawa, Yamato blows up after capsizing. as she turns to avoid the onslaught from bombers. ), named after an ancient Japanese province, was one of two Yamato-class battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy, beginning in the late 1930s. Yamato (), named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. 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. 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. Weighing 72,800 tons. With this contact information, Spruance ordered Deyo to ready the blocking force. 1 magazine causing a huge explosion with a mushroom smoke cloud that was visible for 100 miles away. Two other destroyers were heavily damaged, one, the Hamakaze later sank. YAMATO, at 27 knots flank speed, heels to starboard in evasive action. 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. 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. most of the American pilots returned to their carriers, knowing Join SOFREP for insider access and analysis. 1,000 watertight compartments couldn't save her, and her lower decks rapidly The shocked emperor then asked, But what about the Navy? Kasumi, which had her steering disabled by two bomb hits, suffered 17 dead and 47 wounded, and was scuttled by two torpedoes from Fuyuzuki. My dads name is Ronald R. LeFebvre (Ding). Then radar reports the closing aircraft have turned towards the force. Thanks for watching. The age of the battleship was over forever. However, three-quarters of these (128 boats) were lost during the conflict, a proportion of loss similar that experienced by Germany's U-Boats. Being young, I took it all for granted. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! About 1,620 survivors of Yamato, Yahagi, Hamakaze, Isokaze, and Kasumi were rescued by the surviving Japanese destroyers. 1000 hour - The Attack Force sights two large Martin "Mariner" PBM flying boats. The destroyer Isokaze attempted to come to her aid but was heavily damaged and driven off. TG 58.4 had just finished refueling and would arrive just in time. The visibility was highly variable, but often not very good due to cloud cover. 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. YAMATOs list increases to about 15 degrees and her speed slows to 12 knots. Hit by at least 11 torpedoes and six bombs, Yamato was sunk, along with Yahagi and four of the destroyers. Listing heavily to port, YAMATOs exposed hull is hit by several more torpedoes. Her auxiliary rudder is jammed in position hard port. Did Yamato sink any ships? A bomb impact in the dispensary killed many of the wounded who had been gathered there, along with many of the medical personnel. None of the captains was afraid to diethey just objected to the sheer folly of attacking in daylight without air cover, believing that they wouldnt get anywhere close to Okinawa. Three Japanese destroyers are nearby (80-G-413914). Baka, essentially a piloted cruise missile, made its debut at Okinawa. The destroyers were Destroyer Division (DESDIV) 17 (Isokaze, Hamakaze, Yukikaze), DESDIV 21 (Asashimo, Kasumi, Hatsushimo), and DESDIV 41 (Fuyuzuki, Suzutsuki). 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. Musashi (? Another 110 aircraft from Task Group 58. Pearl harbor was attacked on December 7th, 1941,hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. 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. What sank the Yamato? In total, the U.S. lost 12 men. went down in the battle, with the loss of just 12 men. Cloud cover precluded accurate firing of the Both the U.S. Fifth Fleet commander, Admiral Spruance, and Vice Admiral Mitscher (commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force, TF 58), who had access to the Ultra communications intelligence and were expecting the sortie, immediately reacted to the submarine reports. One of her lookouts spots the tracks of four torpedoes approaching. Two eyewitness accounts of Yamato's last battle. The fighter issued a contact report at 0832. The aircraft are lost behind the clouds. Only 10 American aircraft 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). VA-65 (1948) Air Group II (2) World War II would see the aircraft carrier emerge as the key to naval supremacy, supplanting the battleship. Surrounding Japanese ships lost an additional 1,167 men. One-hundred aircraft were destroyed, and the Japanese death toll reached 4,137. Before getting underway, the Surface Special Attack Force put ashore 67 recently arrived midshipmen of the Etajima Naval Academy Class No. Destroyer SUZUTSUKI wreathed in black smoke, burns furiously. In a separate attack, compani torpedoes such that they would penetrate Yamato below the waterline near One Avenger is shot down. . 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. Aboard the TF 58 carriers, the strike packages were remaining ready on deck while the searches were underway. At 1017, Yahagi commenced jamming the Mariners communications, but by then it was too late. 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.". Twenty Avengers attacked from the port side (concentrating torpedo attacks from the port side was deliberate, with the intent to capsize the ship). 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. 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 A 500-pound general-purpose bomb hit Suzutsuki and blew off her bow. Rather than targeting specific vessels, Stump ordered his air group to attempt to cripple as many Japanese ships as possible. Yamato was commanded by Captain Kosaku Aruga (spelled Ariga in some accounts). the Japanese were aware of Yamato's poor anti-aircraft defense and . A torpedo stopped her dead in the water and killed the entire engine compartment crew. The light cruiser YAHAGI, without headway, drifts helplessly behind the main force. In viewing cite, this the first time I have seen any mention of the carrier Langley. She was blasted by 15 bomb hits and eight torpedoes. The Attack Force briefly sights seven "Hellcat" fighters, but they are not seen by the escorting Zekes. 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. 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. In addition, sick sailors and also the oldest sailors were sent to shore. U.S. losses were 10 aircraft and 12 pilots and aircrewmen. The Attack Force changes course due south to 180 degrees. Asashimo went down with all 330 hands. As Yamato continued to list to port, her starboard armor belt came out of the water and her vulnerable underside became exposed. Legendary Lost Japanese WWII Battleship Found by Billionaire Paul Allen.The search was funded by Paul Allen, the Microsoft co . The fighters attacked first, strafing the anti-aircraft guns on the decks with machine guns and rockets. 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). One Helldiver is shot down, another is damaged badly. The mission was given to Vice Admiral Seiichi Ito, commander of the Japanese Second Fleet (pretty much all that was left of the Combined Fleet), embarked on the super-battleship Yamato. Photographed from a USS Yorktown (CV-10) plane (NH 62581). This time all the attacks are concentrated against the battleship. Though many Japanese naval leaders considered Operation Ten-Go to be a waste of their remaining resources, it moved forward on April 6, 1945. Thank you to all our WWII vets. Armor-piercing and other bombs make a shambles of her upper works. Yukikaze suffered three dead from strafing and survived the war. 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. As soon as the Japanese fleet left port on April 6 at 1600 hours, and proceeded through the Bungo Strait, (many WWII film buffs will recall the strait from Run Silent, Run Deep), they were immediately picked up by two American submarines (Hackleback and Threadfin). Thanks!!! So, the admirals concocted what they termed, Operation Ten-Go (Operation Heaven One). This was taken by senior Japanese navy leaders as implicit criticism of their services inaction. Yamato (, lit. Thanks for your presentation of this event! In the interviews below, meet two Yamato veterans still haunted by memories of the battle that took most of their comrades lives. Ten minutes later, two more torpedoes strike her port side. These were 50 aircraft from Essex and Bataan. ship's aft turrets. YAMATO, despite hits by two bombs and one torpedo, maintains flank speed. 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,. I was a radioman on one of the VT23 Avengers participating in this strike flying off the Langley. this one exploding off Yamato's port bow, it was their air-launched torpedoes 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. My dad served on the Langley. The Hell Divers then plummeted straight down dropping armor-piercing bombs, clearing the way for the Avenger torpedo bombers that came in low and slow to try to put torpedoes on the target. 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. VA-6B (1946) This particular image was taken during an earlier battle with American carrier aircraft on October 24, 1944 as Yamato transited the Sibuyan Sea. Combined with Yamato, about 4,242 Japanese sailors gave their lives for the emperor on 7 April. As a Minnesota teenager when the war started,. Just then, eight F6F Hellcats appear and begin circling over the force to maintain contact until the main formation arrives. 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. Aruga receives a rare double promotion posthumously to Vice Admiral on the request of Admiral Toyoda. She sunk shortly after. All these years later I remember each one of those men fondly and with great respect. At 1234, Yamato opened fire with her two forward main battery turrets, lobbing sanshikidan shells at the U.S. aircraftto no effect. The ships were to sink as many troop transports as possible, then beach themselves and continue firing as long as they had ammunition. Williams)vt17 loses a torp.third attack a torp is lost.I know hornet lost a helldiver in that first attack alsostill trying to identify the 12 Americans lost (10 planes4 sb2c, 3 tbm, and 3 f6f. Some who were shot down were later picked up by seaplanes or submarines. John Carter, was in a perfect position to watch what unfolded. Yamato produced the mushroom cloud seen here shortly before she sank. 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. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. 129 Japanese soldiers were killed. One Helldiver was shot down. Living Conditions. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ USS Iowa Class Battleships Versus IJN Yamato Class, This slowed Yamato down to 10 knots and made her a sitting duck. One Avenger was shot down, but three torpedoes went into the water. They were also instructed to The Attack Force turns to course 205, towards Okinawa. VFA-25 (1983 and continuing). Twelve Helldivers claim several hits near the bridge and main gun turret No. He asked what the Japanese navy was doing. 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. The Attack Force turns towards Sasebo. 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. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. aircraft's overhead view of its target. A near miss on Hamakaze disabled her starboard shaft and then, at 1247, torpedo hits amidships blew her in half. YAMATOs No. Deyo had just received a cheery send-off from his immediate boss: "We hope you will bring back a nice fish for breakfast." At 1402, Yamato took three more bomb hits amidships, and Aruga gave the abandon-ship order. When the U.S. invaded Okinawa on April 1, 1945, the Japanese had no naval answer to the invasion force. [26] Heavy antiaircraft defensive fire and the heavy upper-deck armour plating on Yamato also prevented any significant damage to the vessel. But in 'one of history's greatest salvage jobs,' many of the sunken ships rose to fight the Axis. Eight Japanese destroyers and one cruiser, the Yahagi (left), tried to assist Yamato in fending off her attackers. 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. My Dad was one of the Hell Diver pilots from the Essex who scored a hit as was recorded in his NC. Almost all of the nearly 400 American fighters and bombers FRUPAC had the message that the air cover would end at 1000, which was also known to senior U.S. Navy commanders. Flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet, she was lead ship of the Yamato class. 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. 2 gun mount. 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. Was sunk, along with Yahagi and four of the Japanese combined Fleet, she was lead of. When the war started, then beach themselves and continue firing as as. Minnesota teenager when the U.S. aircraftto No effect were underway two Yamato veterans still haunted by of. 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