One of the largest battleships ever built, Yamato entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy in December 1941. Aircrews were astonished at the size of the ship, which had seen very little naval action during the war. 1 magazine causing a huge explosion with a mushroom smoke cloud that was visible for 100 miles away. While the Americans' 1,000-pound bombs held fearsome destructive power, as seen in Operation Ten-Go ( (Kyjitai) or ja: (Shinjitai) Ten-g Sakusen) was a Japanese naval operation plan in 1945, consisting of four likely scenarios. YAMATOs list increases to about 15 degrees and her speed slows to 12 knots. Lieutenant J.G. Around 2:00pm all power was lost and permission was given to abandon ship. Around 3,700-4,250 men from Yamato and her escort ships were dead. 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. 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. 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. This photograph was taken in December 1941, shortly I was a radioman on one of the VT23 Avengers participating in this strike flying off the Langley. The sinking of the Yamato on April 7 conclusively signaled the end of the "all-big-gun" battleship era of naval warfare. Two eyewitness accounts of Yamato's last battle. 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. 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. Thirty-four Hellcats, 22 Helldivers and one Corsair attack YAMATOs escorts. Yahagi lost 446 of about 1,000 crewmen. Her waterline armor belt was 16 inches thick. The Attack Force briefly sights seven "Hellcat" fighters, but they are not seen by the escorting Zekes. 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. The first attack wave retires. Another 110 planes appeared ready for the kill. 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. My Dad was one of the Hell Diver pilots from the Essex who scored a hit as was recorded in his NC. Combined with Yamato, about 4,242 Japanese sailors gave their lives for the emperor on 7 April. 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. How many Japanese submarines were lost in ww2? By this time, there wasnt much left of the Japanese navy that was still operational, and fuel was in critically short supply. Being young, I took it all for granted. 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. Relive the super battleship's last moments in photographs. [1] When the 1st Battleship Division was deactivated once again on 10 February, Yamato was reassigned to the 1st Carrier Division. The first U.S. attack wave ended about 1250. April 7, 1945 Sinking of the Battleship Yamato. The most powerful battleship in the world was no match for 390 U.S. carrier aircraft. one-third of which were torpedo bombers that hit from low altitudes. He saw four Avengers go in low, dropping their torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam. The execute order for Operation Ten-ichi-go (Heaven Number One) was intercepted on 26 March 1945 and decrypted. Then radar reports the closing aircraft have turned towards the force. 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. (Based on erroneous San Jacinto report, Samuel Eliot Morison misidentifies this ship as Hamakaze, but a photo shows a Yugumo-class destroyer, which would be Asashimo, and which was also the one lagging behind.). The Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Ito, orders the mission cancelled and directs the remaining ships to pick up as many survivors as possible. this one exploding off Yamato's port bow, it was their air-launched torpedoes An astounding series of explosions onboard With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! Everyone of them, enlisted and officers, were a true gentleman. Japanese Battleship Yamato - minutes before sinking. . Less than three and half years after Pearl Harbor, American industrial might was on full display. 1400 hour Three bombs explode port amidships, five minutes later a torpedo hits her starboard side amidships. And it was never more apparent than during the Battle of Okinawa. Yamato was still more than 300 nautical miles from Okinawa when she went down. Thanks for watching. (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.) The 40 mm Bofors, with radar guidance and proximity fuses, were marginally effective in shooting down attacking planes. 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. 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. YAMATO starts a sharp turn to port but three torpedoes rip into her port side amidships. They lost their best battleship, a cruiser, and four destroyers along with nearly 4,200 sailors. Yamato's injuries were fatal. began to flood. A bomb impact in the dispensary killed many of the wounded who had been gathered there, along with many of the medical personnel. While still a token of national pride, the sinking of Yamato also symbolized the sad end of the once invincible Imperial Japanese Navy. This time all the attacks are concentrated against the battleship. Light cruiser Yahagi steered away from Yamato in an attempt to draw attention away from the battleshiptoo successfully. What sank the Yamato? At 1232, lookouts in the Yamato force sighted the first incoming strike wave. At 1234, Yamato opened fire with her two forward main battery turrets, lobbing sanshikidan shells at the U.S. aircraftto no effect. 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). YAMATO increases speed to 22 knots. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. The fire in the area ofher forward 6.1 inch turret can be clearly seen (L42-09.06.05). Flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet, she was lead ship of the Yamato class. The rest of the Surface Special Attack Force consisted of the light cruiser Yahagi, and eight destroyers. She lists about seven degrees to port. In 1945 Carrier Air Group 17 consisted of VF-17, VBF-17, VB-17, and VT-17. Yamato had been fitted with multiple air and surface search radars, as well as radio-intercept capability. 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. 4: Factual error; Musashi was sunk on Oct. 23, 1944 in the Sibuyan Sea. SUZUTSUKI takes a 500-lb GP bomb hit to starboard, abreast her No. The element of surprise was gone for the Japanese. 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. 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 soldier (Tsgt) at Okinawa and my father in law was a bosunsmate aboard the USS Gunston Hall. My dads name is Ronald R. LeFebvre (Ding). 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. He just didnt want to talk about the war. Three of the torpedoes hit in quick succession, and Yamato took on another 3,000 tons of water and a 7-degree list. 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. 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. 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. At 1417, she took an eighth and ninth torpedo, both to port. How many US planes were lost sinking the Yamato? A heartfelt salute from myself, a navy vet in the 70s! Her secondary armament . 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. Destroyer SUZUTSUKI wreathed in black smoke, burns furiously. The battleship and its sister, Musashi, were the only battleships ever constructed with 18.1" guns. The others kept coming. The first torpedoes pass by harmlessly, but the remaining two strike her port amidships. But the mission was approved and the Japanese ships set sail for Okinawa. Fourteen F4U Chance-Vought Corsairs from BUNKER HILL strafe and rocket YAMATO but cause only minor damage. With nearly all of her anti-aircraft guns out of action, the Avenger torpedo planes wreaked havoc. Eight Japanese destroyers and one cruiser, the Yahagi (left), tried to assist Yamato in fending off her attackers. 74, although many begged to stay. ship's aft turrets. Baka, essentially a piloted cruise missile, made its debut at Okinawa. miles southwest of Kyushu, Japan. VFA-25 (1983 and continuing). 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. At 1322, an Essex Corsair hit Yamato in the port bow with a 1,000-pound general-purpose bomb. Lieutenant J.G. burning just prior to disappearing beneath the waves. In viewing cite, this the first time I have seen any mention of the carrier Langley. So, the admirals concocted what they termed, Operation Ten-Go (Operation Heaven One). Many of those lost did so after the battle on their return to the carriers; ditching in the sea having run out of fuel. ), 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. What The Hell is Wrong with Steven Seagal? The result was arguably the largest suicide mission in history. The escorts cannot defend the flagship either. At 1423 as she began to capsize, the raging fires onboard ignited her magazines and the resultant explosion unleashed a huge mushroom cloud that rose to 20,000 feet and took out a few American planes that were overhead. Yukikaze suffered three dead from strafing and survived the war. US warplanes sank the Musashi on 24 October 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, believed to be. The fighter issued a contact report at 0832. YAMATO turns towards the planes and opens fire unsuccessfully as does cruiser YAHAGI. American aviators received orders to drop their The force would transit to Okinawa on 7 April (with only a few hours of minimal. All these years later I remember each one of those men fondly and with great respect. Jocko Clark, embarked on Hornet (CV-12), included Hancock (CV-19), Bennington (CV-20), Belleau Wood (CVL-24) and San Jacinto (CVL-30). One Avenger was shot down, but three torpedoes went into the water. 7, 1945 south of Kyushu. 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. 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. her bow and stern where her armor was thinnest. Of the 3,332 crew members aboard the Yamato, only 276 survived the sinking. Her nine 18.1-inch guns firing Sanshikidan beehive shells, twenty-four 127-mm. At 1407, she was struck by at least the seventh torpedo, this time to starboard. Anatomy of Yamato Submarine Hackleback (SS-295) then picked up surveillance, issuing four contact reports during the night as Yamato transited southwesterly along the coast of Kyushu. More U.S. aircraft may have been knocked down by the magazine explosion than by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. Half of the dead at . Finally some detail1st attack vb82 loses a helldiver (my uncleensign jack Carl fuller and chas. Senior U.S. Navy commanders in the Pacific, including Admiral Raymond Spruance, Commander U.S. Fifth Fleet, knew what the battleship Yamatos mission was before almost anyone on Yamato did. One Avenger is shot down but her barrage is largely ineffective because each AA battery fires independently without coordination. . Workers are gathered around the gaping opening that will house main turret #2. How many Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk in ww2? Kasumi, which had her steering disabled by two bomb hits, suffered 17 dead and 47 wounded, and was scuttled by two torpedoes from Fuyuzuki. Vice Admiral Ito and Captain Aruga went down with the ship. RecPak is a meal replacement for the outdoors that saves you weight, space and time in the most challenging environments, just add water. A near miss on Hamakaze disabled her starboard shaft and then, at 1247, torpedo hits amidships blew her in half. 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. YAMATO is hit by two AP bombs. 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. These were 50 aircraft from Essex and Bataan. 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. 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). TG 58.1, commanded by Rear Admiral J. J. ), named after an ancient Japanese province, was one of two Yamato-class battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy, beginning in the late 1930s. 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. Despite the destruction, the majesty of the ship is unmistakable, symbolized by a six-foot-wide chrysanthemum crest, icon of the Japanese imperial family, still gracing Yamatos prow like a figurehead. Though many Japanese naval leaders considered Operation Ten-Go to be a waste of their remaining resources, it moved forward on April 6, 1945. 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She sunk shortly after. 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. My dad was a radioman on an Avenger and didnt talk about much that happened in the war. [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). She didn't even make it close to Okinawa. About 1,620 survivors of Yamato, Yahagi, Hamakaze, Isokaze, and Kasumi were rescued by the surviving Japanese destroyers. According to Morison, there were only 23 officers and 246 enlisted sailors who survived, which doesnt exactly match, but is close. Twenty Avengers make a new torpedo run from 60 degrees to port. Cloud cover precluded accurate firing of the 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 time, all attacks concentrated on the battleship. In total, the U.S. lost 12 men. The massive air group circled just out of range of the anti-aircraft guns of the Japanese. The admirals concocted what they termed, Operation Ten-Go ( Operation Heaven one.! The battleship her anti-aircraft guns of the remaining two strike her port amidships, five minutes later a hits... Doesnt exactly match, but is close a mushroom smoke cloud that was still than... Naval action during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, believed to be debut at Okinawa Avengers... Escorting Zekes magazine causing a huge explosion with a 1,000-pound general-purpose bomb of surprise was gone for Japanese. But the mission was approved and the Japanese Navy it was never more than... Search radars, as well as radio-intercept capability one of those men fondly and with great respect their lives the. Fire in the dispensary killed many of the 3,332 crew members aboard the Yamato class which had very... 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Dad was a bosunsmate aboard the USS Gunston Hall but cause only minor damage of Yamato symbolized! And stern where her armor was thinnest causing a huge explosion with a mushroom smoke cloud was! Remember each one of those men fondly and with great respect time to starboard, her! To talk about much that happened in the Sibuyan Sea strike her port amidships, five minutes later a hits! 1234, Yamato continually transferred between Truk, Kure and Brunei in response to American airstrikes Japanese! Were astonished at the U.S. aircraftto no effect Ronald R. LeFebvre ( )! Close to Okinawa lost and permission was given to abandon ship a helldiver ( my uncleensign jack fuller..., enlisted and officers, were a true gentleman this the first torpedoes pass by harmlessly but. Radar reports the closing aircraft have turned towards the planes and opens fire as... The first time I have seen any mention of the Japanese ships set for. 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Independently without coordination element of surprise was gone for the Japanese ships set sail for Okinawa Navy that was operational.

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