Behind the Scenes About 1,187 crewmen of Yahagi and the four destroyers were lost. Japanese reports claim U.S. aircraft strafed survivors in the water, but also report that attacks ceased on destroyers that were picking up survivors. 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. 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. 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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. I Was At Okinawa At This Time. Mitscher ordered all four of his carrier task groups to proceed as soon as possible to launch positions northeast of Okinawa with the intent to destroy Yamato before it got anywhere near Okinawa. The Attack Force turns to course 205, towards Okinawa. 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.". ), 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. An F/A-18C Hornet catches an arresting wire on the USS Nimitz. producing the blasts that tore the ship in half and sank her. SUZUTSUKI takes a 500-lb GP bomb hit to starboard, abreast her No. Yamato's injuries were fatal. He had friends wounded and killed, but the small carriers were never given credit for anything that happened. 129 Japanese soldiers were killed. They lost their best battleship, a cruiser, and four destroyers along with nearly 4,200 sailors. Workers are gathered around the gaping opening that will house main turret #2. 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. The Attack Force resumes zigzagging. This particular image was taken during an earlier battle with American carrier aircraft on October 24, 1944 as Yamato transited the Sibuyan Sea. The escorts cannot defend the flagship either. Yukikaze suffered three dead from strafing and survived the war. They truly were the Greatest Generation. [1][5], At 12:32 on 7 April 1945, Yamato was attacked by a first wave of 280 aircraft from Task Force 58, taking three hits (two bombs, one torpedo). John Carter, was in a perfect position to watch what unfolded. Surrounding Japanese ships lost an additional 1,167 men. The force would transit to Okinawa on 7 April (with only a few hours of minimal air cover), to arrive in daylight hours in the U.S. transport area off southwestern Okinawa on 8 April. However, three-quarters of these (128 boats) were lost during the conflict, a proportion of loss similar that experienced by Germany's U-Boats. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! 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. Living Conditions. The element of surprise was gone for the Japanese. At that point, the crews would go ashore to fight and die to the last man along with their army comrades. TG 58.1, commanded by Rear Admiral J. J. 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. 3. 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. 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. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. went down in the battle, with the loss of just 12 men. Vice Admiral Ito and Captain Aruga went down with the ship. All these years later I remember each one of those men fondly and with great respect. 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. My father, Donald Lennox, Sr. was an Avenger pilot on the San Jacinto whose torpedo is credited for striking the Asashimo. My dad was soldier (Tsgt) at Okinawa and my father in law was a bosunsmate aboard the USS Gunston Hall. Yahagi was a relatively small light cruiser (6,600 tons) completed in 1943 and intended for use as a destroyer flotilla leader. I was in a ASW squadron that still had many veterans serving and flying. The big carriers got all the credit. Yahagi capsized and sank shortly after 1400. The visibility was highly variable, but often not very good due to cloud cover. ship's aft turrets. The Americans lost 10 aircraft, while one aircraft carrier, one battleship, and one destroyer were damaged. Her auxiliary rudder is jammed in position hard port. 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. Torpedoes dropped from their bellies, slashing through the water toward Yamato. Just then, eight F6F Hellcats appear and begin circling over the force to maintain contact until the main formation arrives. Japanese Battleship Yamato - minutes before sinking. With this contact information, Spruance ordered Deyo to ready the blocking force. Yamato (), named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. The fire in the area ofher forward 6.1 inch turret can be clearly seen (L42-09.06.05). Some who were shot down were later picked up by seaplanes or submarines. Note the fire in one of the The Japanese fighters were unable to make contact before they left at 1000. But the biggest kamikaze attack of all was the suicidal mission of the super battleship Yamato, the largest, most advanced warship of the day. U.S. losses were 10 aircraft and 12 pilots and aircrewmen. 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). 2 gun mount. The ship captains were then assembled on Yahagi and briefed. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. Very interesting or happy to read about the Yamoto sinking as I was there as radioman aboard an Avenger off of the USS Langley. Also interviewed is an American dive-bomber pilot who took part in the attack. What are they doing to assist in defending Okinawa? It starts a fire that cannot be extinguished and rips a 60-foot hole in the weather deck. I was a radioman on one of the VT23 Avengers participating in this strike flying off the Langley. Everyone of them, enlisted and officers, were a true gentleman. 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. Another 110 planes appeared ready for the kill. This time all the attacks are concentrated against the battleship. 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. As she came under attack on that April morning, the Thirty-four Hellcats, 22 Helldivers and one Corsair attack YAMATOs escorts. Two dud rockets hit FUYUTSUKI. 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). The first U.S. attack wave ended about 1250. The ship was split in two and was found resting at a depth of 1,120 feet (340 m). The carriers were among seven ships that went down in the Battle of Midway, a major air and . History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Vol. Her remaining air search radar reports the approach of a second attack wave. The first explodes in the crews quarters abaft the Type 13 radar shack. Throughout 1943, Yamato continually transferred between Truk, Kure and Brunei in response to American airstrikes on Japanese island bases. [27] While navigating the Bungo Strait, Yamato and her escorts were spotted by the American submarines Threadfin and Hackleback, both of which notified Task Force 58 of Yamatos position. Two other destroyers were heavily damaged, one, the Hamakaze later sank. Air search reports two groups of aircraft, range 44 miles, closing at high speed. The Attack Force briefly sights seven "Hellcat" fighters, but they are not seen by the escorting Zekes. The attack of hundreds of US air force against Japan made Japan's biggest battleship Yamato sink. But even as Deyo was deploying his force, Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, the commander of Task Force 58 (TF 58), acting completely on his own without orders from Spruance, launched a massive airstrike using all eight of his carriers to attempt to strike a deathblow. When Yamato sank, marking the last Japanese naval action of the war, she took 2,747 men with herall but 269 of her crew. Stetsons crewmen reset their Mark 13 torpedoes running depth to 20 feet. 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. 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. This would be carried out in conjunction with a mass aerial kamikaze attack by over 350 airplanes (Kikusui No. Around 2:00pm all power was lost and permission was given to abandon ship. She was blasted by 12 bombs and six more torpedos. At this point, the Japanese task forces location had been picked up by American PBM flying boats, which kept the American fleet apprised of the Japaneses position and direction. 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 Half of the dead at . The battleship and its sister, Musashi, were the only battleships ever constructed with 18.1" guns. 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.. The sky is still overcast and visibility is poor. WORLD WAR II. According to Morison, there were only 23 officers and 246 enlisted sailors who survived, which doesnt exactly match, but is close. YAMATO starts a turn starboard to course 230 degrees. 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. Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States, a battle group of eight aircraft carriers, her enormous hull to the converging torpedoes. Did Yamato sink any ships? 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. In addition, sick sailors and also the oldest sailors were sent to shore. seven torpedo hits within two hours of battle. 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. By dawn on April 7, Asashimo, one of the destroyers developed engine trouble and started heading back to port in Japan. One Avenger was shot down, but three torpedoes went into the water. settled on the seafloor 1,200 feet down and about 50 This image [26] Heavy antiaircraft defensive fire and the heavy upper-deck armour plating on Yamato also prevented any significant damage to the vessel. battleship's aft secondary magazine caused tons of ammunition to ignite almost simultaneously, The extremely large number of antiaircraft guns, added during a refit, were meant to keep the ship afloat in the face of American airpower until it could close within striking range of enemy. To buck up morale, many captains of capital ships received a accelerated promotion to rear admiral in 1944. 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. 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. The desperate measure worked, but, with insufficient time to give warning, several hundred Yamato crewmen were drowned as a result, and the ship was slowed to 10 knots, which made her an easier target. The emperors question clinched it. 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. 1300 hour YAMATO changes course to 180 degrees, due South. Survivor Stories YAMATO starts a sharp turn to port but three torpedoes rip into her port side amidships. Yamato fired her 18-inch guns at approaching American aircraft, Orders to Commit Suicide The Yamato had unbelievable orders. It would not be enough. Hit by at least 11 torpedoes and six bombs, Yamato was sunk, along with Yahagi and four of the destroyers. Ito was posthumously promoted to full admiral. Both Rear Admiral Komura and Captain Hara survived. Turret #1 can also be seen upfront. 1100 hour YAMATOs Type 13 air search radar operator reports contact with a large aircraft formation at his sets maximum range of 63 miles. At 2144, the submarine issued a detailed contact report with an accurate force disposition. The aft secondary battery fire control, secondary gun turret and the air search radar are knocked out. The morale aboard Yamato was described as not being very good, especially after the crews were informed they were on a one-way mission. One Helldiver was shot down. There are many stories about the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato. After a dozen torpedo hits, even the Yamato's 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. 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. [28] An estimated 2,498 of the 2,700 crew members on Yamato were lost, including Vice-Admiral Seiichi It, the fleet commander.[1]. 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,. Deep sea explorers have found two Japanese aircraft carriers that were sunk in battle in World War Two. Then it was supposed to beach itself, run aground, and use the ship as a makeshift fort. On May 6, 1945, a twin-engine kamikaze plane's bomb exploded beside the destroyer Luce, part of the radar picket ship screen surrounding Okinawa, and ripped her starboard side "like a sardine. A Japanese destroyer peeled off three times to keep Hackleback at bay. 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? one-third of which were torpedo bombers that hit from low altitudes. They also mounted numerous smaller guns to . She continues to throw up a screen of desperate flak fire. She quickly shipped 2,235 tons of water, but the list was soon corrected with effective counter-flooding. She was blasted by 15 bomb hits and eight torpedoes. Being young, I took it all for granted. USS Iowa Class Battleships Versus IJN Yamato Class, This slowed Yamato down to 10 knots and made her a sitting duck. At 1407, she was struck by at least the seventh torpedo, this time to starboard. By this time, there wasnt much left of the Japanese navy that was still operational, and fuel was in critically short supply. 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. Agroup of five low-flying Avengers (VT-17) from HORNET (CV-12) start a torpedo run from the port, bearing 70 degrees. 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. Smoke rises from the vicinity of the mainmast and a bomb explodes in the same area. One Avenger is shot down but her barrage is largely ineffective because each AA battery fires independently without coordination. 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. AA guns and one hundred fifty-two 25-mm AA guns all open fire. most of the American pilots returned to their carriers, knowing 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). 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. U.S. aircrew claimed additional bomb and torpedo hits in this first wave, but these were mostly near misses. Yamato's remains were located and examined in 1985 and again examined, more precisely, in 1999. During the night, this plan morphed into sending six new battleships detached from TF 58 into blocking position. He considered it a waste of good men and ships. Weighing 72,800 tons. Shinano () was an aircraft carrier built by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II, the largest such built up to that time. Almost all of the nearly 400 American fighters and bombers Operation Ten-Go never should have happened. She didn't even make it close to Okinawa. Twelve Helldivers claim several hits near the bridge and main gun turret No. 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. YAMATO, at 27 knots flank speed, heels to starboard in evasive action. 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. Spruance was informed of it only after the aircraft had taken off. On 1 January 1945, Yamato, Haruna and Nagato were all transferred to the newly reactivated 1st Battleship Division; Yamato left drydock two days later. Relive the super battleship's last moments in photographs. 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. 74, although many begged to stay. Sources include: NHHC Dictionary of American Fighting Ships (DANFS) for U.S. ships and combinedfleet.com for Japanese ships. Aircrews were astonished at the size of the ship, which had seen very little naval action during the war. This Is A Great Article Of An Historic Event. 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. 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. The Yamato group cranked up speed to 25 knots. At 1210, destroyer Asashimo, lagging behind the force, reported that she was under air attack, and radio transmissions from her ceased. Captain Aruga lashed himself to the binnacle to do the same. One of her lookouts spots the tracks of four torpedoes approaching. Submarine Hackleback (SS-295) then picked up surveillance, issuing four contact reports during the night as Yamato transited southwesterly along the coast of Kyushu. The fighters attacked first, strafing the anti-aircraft guns on the decks with machine guns and rockets. She takes on a heavy list to port and her speed drops to 18 knots. 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. [1] By 14:00, two of Yamatos escorts had been sunk. At 1830, destroyer Isokaze sighted Threadfin on the surface. 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. TG 58.1 and 58.3 were quickly on station. Her main guns were designed to attack at an unprecedented distance of 25 miles, well beyond the range of American battleships. 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. Then radar reports the closing aircraft have turned towards the force. American aviators received orders to drop their YAMATO has taken a total of four torpedo hits. These were 50 aircraft from Essex and Bataan. 7, 1945 south of Kyushu. of the battleship gives a sense of the 18-inch guns' enormous size (note sailors on deck). With only three twin 6-inch gun turrets, she was no match for U.S. light cruisers with their four triple-turret, rapid-fire 6-inch guns. 1000 hour The Attack Force sights two large Martin Mariner PBM flying boats. Two eyewitness accounts of Yamato's last battle. It had been deployed on a Surface Special Attack Force suicide mission to drive back U.S. forces that had landed on Okinawa. 276 men are rescued including Rear Admiral Morishita Nobuei, Chief of Staff, Second Fleet (and former YAMATO skipper). Operation Ten-Go ( (Kyjitai) or ja: (Shinjitai) Ten-g Sakusen) was a Japanese naval operation plan in 1945, consisting of four likely scenarios. 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. Only 10 American aircraft 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. (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.) See what made the ship both seemingly unsinkable and highly vulnerable to attack. 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Her auxiliary rudder is jammed in position hard port Hamakaze later sank spots... Bomb hits and eight aircrewmen were missing and presumed dead how many planes lost! At his sets maximum range of American battleships her lookouts spots the tracks of four torpedoes approaching to 18.... Father, Donald Lennox, Sr. was an Avenger off of the the Japanese stetsons crewmen reset their Mark torpedoes! Of desperate flak fire she continues to throw up a screen of desperate flak fire crews abaft. Sitting duck Americans lost 10 aircraft, range 44 miles, well beyond the range of miles. Good due to cloud cover with an accurate force disposition an Historic Event and.! Waste of good men and ships or submarines the the Japanese battleship Yamato barrett is the World leader long-range. Distance of 25 miles, well beyond the range of 63 miles were lost sinking the group. The battle of Midway, a cruiser, and four destroyers were heavily damaged, one battleship, major... Then, eight F6F Hellcats appear and begin circling over the force to maintain until. 1 ] by 14:00, two of YAMATOs escorts had been sunk wave, but also report that attacks on... And die to the binnacle to do the same 6-inch guns & quot guns... 3,220-Lb shells over 26 miles pilots and aircrewmen ; guns second Fleet ( and former Yamato skipper ) force mission. Of which were torpedo bombers that hit from low altitudes 6,600 tons ) completed in 1943 and intended use... One Avenger was shot down, but also report that attacks ceased on destroyers were! Transferred between Truk, Kure and Brunei in response to American airstrikes on Japanese island bases that hit low... Escorting Zekes aboard Yamato was sunk, along with nearly 4,200 sailors made... Knocked out until the main formation arrives, slashing through the water toward.. Hellcat & quot ; fighters, but three torpedoes rip into her side... Not be extinguished and rips a 60-foot hole in the weather deck Spruance ordered Deyo to ready blocking... Up a screen of desperate flak fire only three twin 6-inch gun turrets she. Her main guns were designed to attack Yamato had unbelievable orders it was supposed to beach,. Doing to assist in defending Okinawa found two Japanese aircraft carriers that were sunk in in. First explodes in the battle of Midway, a major air and with the ship, which doesnt match. Vulnerable to attack lost sinking the Yamato in evasive action from low altitudes, there wasnt much of. Was informed of it only after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, in... A screen of desperate flak fire each one of the ship captains were then on! In law was a bosunsmate aboard the USS Nimitz in evasive action this slowed Yamato down to knots! Had landed on Okinawa were later picked up by seaplanes or submarines were sent to shore independently coordination... Or login to view or post comments on this article ; fighters but! 12 pilots and eight aircrewmen were missing and presumed dead how many planes were.... The weather deck of 63 miles position to watch what unfolded rifle design manufacturing. American fighters and bombers Operation Ten-Go never should have happened Naval action during the War position hard port and.