VA-25 (1959) Air Group VI (6) 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. The Avengers drop three torpedoes. heaviest and most powerful battleship ever built, carrying the most formidable He considered it a waste of good men and ships. YAMATO stops zigzagging and increases speed to 24 knots. As Yamato and escorts were transiting the Bungo Strait between the Home Islands of Kyushu and Shikoku on 6 April 1945, submarine Threadfin (SS-410) sighted the force at about 1745 and issued a contact report in the clear that was intercepted by Yamato. (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.). John Carter, was in a perfect position to watch what unfolded. 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.". How many ships does a Yamato sink have? (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. Five Helldivers are damaged by AA fire. The Yomiuri Shimbun, one of several private companies sponsoring the search, reported that the wreck lay about 180 miles southwest of Kagoshima on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, in more than 1,100 feet of water. Also, accounts differ as to whether he was a captain or rear admiral. The second and third waves of the American attacks pummeled Yamato. Had Yamato ever encountered an Allied battleship group, she could have floated safely out of range, while destroying each ship in turn. The explosion was heard over 120 miles away. Operation Ten-Go never should have happened. [5] The smoke from the explosionover 4miles (6.4km) highwas seen 100miles (160km) away on Kysh. What are they doing to assist in defending Okinawa? What The Hell is Wrong with Steven Seagal? seven torpedo hits within two hours of battle. By dawn on April 7, Asashimo, one of the destroyers developed engine trouble and started heading back to port in Japan. Workers are gathered around the gaping opening that will house main turret #2. Yamato's remains were located and examined in 1985 and again examined, more precisely, in 1999. A near miss on Hamakaze disabled her starboard shaft and then, at 1247, torpedo hits amidships blew her in half. Vice Admiral Ito and YAMATOs skipper Captain Aruga and 3,055 of 3,332 crewmen are lost. Yamato fired her 18-inch guns at approaching American aircraft, AA guns and one hundred fifty-two 25-mm AA guns all open fire. One of the surviving destroyers did not have a bow. American aviators received orders to drop their Agroup of five low-flying Avengers (VT-17) from HORNET (CV-12) start a torpedo run from the port, bearing 70 degrees. Taffy 2 and Taffy 3 aircraft contributed to the sinking of the heavy cruisers Chokai, Chikuma, and Suzuya, all of which had received some degree of damage from surface action. At 1342, another Avenger was shot down, but four more torpedoes were inbound from the port side and two hit. Support Veteran Journalism . 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. 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. History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Vol. Thanks for your presentation of this event! 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. YAMATO starts a turn starboard to course 230 degrees. 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. 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,. In all, Yamato took 12 bomb and 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. . Spruance was informed of it only after the aircraft had taken off. He saw four Avengers go in low, dropping their torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam. It. [5] Shortly afterward, a second strike of 100 aircraft attacked Yamato and her remaining escorts. Twelve Helldivers claimed several hits in the bridge area in exchange for five Helldivers damaged by anti-aircraft fire. At 1322, an Essex Corsair hit Yamato in the port bow with a 1,000-pound general-purpose bomb. The massive air group circled just out of range of the anti-aircraft guns of the Japanese. Itos chief of staff, Rear Admiral Nobuei Morishita, was the senior survivor of Yamato. TG 58.1, commanded by Rear Admiral J. J. In viewing cite, this the first time I have seen any mention of the carrier Langley. This is a movie Yamato 2005. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ battleship's aft secondary magazine caused tons of ammunition to ignite almost simultaneously, The first attack wave retires. Musashi (? He had friends wounded and killed, but the small carriers were never given credit for anything that happened. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. The FIST of the FLEET where it began during WWII. 3s upper powder magazine. 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. They unanimously objected, most of them arguing instead to be allowed to conduct independent raiding of the over-extended U.S. supply lines. 1100 hour YAMATOs Type 13 air search radar operator reports contact with a large aircraft formation at his sets maximum range of 63 miles. She rolls slowly over her port side on her beam ends. The Attack Force turns to course 205, towards Okinawa. One of the final photographs of the supership shows her severely damaged hull Note the fire in one of the In 1945 Carrier Air Group 17 consisted of VF-17, VBF-17, VB-17, and VT-17. This time, all attacks concentrated on the battleship. With this contact information, Spruance ordered Deyo to ready the blocking force. Ito was posthumously promoted to full admiral. 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 Japanese also spot the HACKLEBACK trailing the Attack Force. Have we no more ships?. 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. How many US planes were lost sinking the Yamato? 276 men are rescued including Rear Admiral Morishita Nobuei, Chief of Staff, Second Fleet (and former YAMATO skipper). Yahagi capsized and sank shortly after 1400. 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. 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. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. The emperors question clinched it. At 0657, destroyer Asashimo, with Captain Kotaki, DESDIV 21, embarked, sent a signal that she was having engine trouble and began to fall behind. 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. Yamato was still more than 300 nautical miles from Okinawa when she went down. Torpedoes explode against Yamato's port side Now I know a little bit. Asashimo went down with all 330 hands. At 2:10pm Yamato rolled over and began to sink with fires from her aft 6.1" turret reaching her no. 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. Turret #1 can also be seen upfront. Less than three and half years after Pearl Harbor, American industrial might was on full display. All Rights Reserved. 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. Another 110 aircraft from Task Group 58. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. The Attack Force briefly sights seven "Hellcat" fighters, but they are not seen by the escorting Zekes. 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. On 1 January 1945, Yamato, Haruna and Nagato were all transferred to the newly reactivated 1st Battleship Division; Yamato left drydock two days later. Updated on July 03, 2019. Survivor Stories She quickly shipped 2,235 tons of water, but the list was soon corrected with effective counter-flooding. At 0840, the Japanese reported seven Hellcats orbiting around the force. Did Yamato sink any ships? They truly were the Greatest Generation. And it was never more apparent than during the Battle of Okinawa. Fifty aircraft from ESSEX and BATAAN are sighted approaching from the SSW, range 18.5 miles. Though many Japanese naval leaders considered Operation Ten-Go to be a waste of their remaining resources, it moved forward on April 6, 1945. Aboard the TF 58 carriers, the strike packages were remaining ready on deck while the searches were underway. Her main armament consisted of three triple 18.1-inch gun turrets that could hurl a 3,200-pound shell (compared to 2,700 pounds for the U.S. 16-inch shells) to a range of just over 22 miles. The light cruiser Yahagi was the first hit, less than fifteen minutes after the firing began. The engagement was an unmitigated disaster for the Japanese. YAMATO starts a sharp turn to port but three torpedoes rip into her port side amidships. The escorts cannot defend the flagship either. The first torpedoes pass by harmlessly, but the remaining two strike her port amidships. 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. Light cruiser Yahagi steered away from Yamato in an attempt to draw attention away from the battleshiptoo successfully. Around 2:00pm all power was lost and permission was given to abandon ship. 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. April 7, 1945 Sinking of the Battleship Yamato. It says that the Kikaigashima Island lookout station saw 150 carrier planes heading northwest. ), and when they were lost.the bu numbers listed as lost on 4.7.1945 is very extensive!!!!! The sky is still overcast and visibility is poor. US warplanes sank the Musashi on 24 October 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, believed to be. At 1830, destroyer Isokaze sighted Threadfin on the surface. U.S. losses were 10 aircraft and 12 pilots and aircrewmen. 3. her bow and stern where her armor was thinnest. It had been deployed on a Surface Special Attack Force suicide mission to drive back U.S. forces that had landed on Okinawa. While the Americans' 1,000-pound bombs held fearsome destructive power, as seen in Later that day, the battered destroyers ISOKAZE and KASUMI are scuttled and sink. of the battleship gives a sense of the 18-inch guns' enormous size (note sailors on deck). Air search reports two groups of aircraft, range 44 miles, closing at high speed. 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. 1,187 crewmen of DesRon 2s light cruiser YAHAGI and the four destroyers are also lost. 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. 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. Yamato produced the mushroom cloud seen here shortly before she sank. 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 . 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. 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. 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The battleship received a 30-minute time-late report from an observation post on a small Japanese island north of Okinawa that 150 U.S. planes were headed in Yamatos direction. In the interviews below, meet two Yamato veterans still haunted by memories of the battle that took most of their comrades lives. A report that had been delayed for 25 minutes by ransmission and decoding, is received finally. Design commenced in 1934, construction began in 1937 (in great secrecy) and Yamato was commissioned in December 1941 just after Pearl Harbor. this one exploding off Yamato's port bow, it was their air-launched torpedoes Did anyone survive the Yamato sinking? 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. This was taken by senior Japanese navy leaders as implicit criticism of their services inaction. The Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Ito, orders the mission cancelled and directs the remaining ships to pick up as many survivors as possible. One Helldiver is shot down, another is damaged badly. Surrounding Japanese ships lost an additional 1,167 men. She continues to throw up a screen of desperate flak fire. Smoke rises from the vicinity of the mainmast and a bomb explodes in the same area. Meanwhile, about 34 Hellcats and Corsairs and 22 Helldivers and Avengers worked over some of the other Japanese destroyers. Experts believe that a fire raging in 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. The result was arguably the largest suicide mission in history. The rest of the Surface Special Attack Force consisted of the light cruiser Yahagi, and eight destroyers. Still kicking but dont know why. Deyo had just received a cheery send-off from his immediate boss: "We hope you will bring back a nice fish for breakfast." The force would transit to Okinawa on 7 April (with only a few hours of minimal. 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. Listing heavily to port, YAMATOs exposed hull is hit by several more torpedoes. The battleship and its sister, Musashi, were the only battleships ever constructed with 18.1" guns. He asked what the Japanese navy was doing. 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. Hit by at least 11 torpedoes and six bombs, Yamato was sunk, along with Yahagi and four of the destroyers. 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. But the Americans also had, The Ultimate Gunfighters! On 29 March, Yamato was ordered to take on fuel and ammunition, and loaded 1,170 shells for her nine 18.1-inch guns (in three triple turrets), 1,629 shells for her six 6.1-inch guns (in two triple turrets), 13,500 anti-aircraft shells, and 11.5 million rounds of machine-gun ammunition. Submarine Hackleback (SS-295) then picked up surveillance, issuing four contact reports during the night as Yamato transited southwesterly along the coast of Kyushu. Yamato was lost Apr. The Yamato sank during a fierce battle for Okinawa on 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). In addition, sick sailors and also the oldest sailors were sent to shore. 7. Also interviewed is an American dive-bomber pilot who took part in the attack. 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. YAMATO increases speed to 22 knots. 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. Her secondary armament . Legendary Lost Japanese WWII Battleship Found by Billionaire Paul Allen.The search was funded by Paul Allen, the Microsoft co . ), named after an ancient Japanese province, was one of two Yamato-class battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy, beginning in the late 1930s. I Served On An LST During This Period Of Time & Locations Mentioned In This Article , But I Still Like Too Hear Of The Actual Events That Took Part That Day In April 1945. 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. A torpedo stopped her dead in the water and killed the entire engine compartment crew. 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 Yamato, completed in Kure in December 1941, was the largest battleship in the world at the time. Weighing 72,800 tons. After all, she was the VFA-25 (1983 and continuing). Baka claimed its first victim, the destroyer USS Abele, in the seas off Okinawa on April 12. YAMATO, despite hits by two bombs and one torpedo, maintains flank speed. Half of the dead at . Thanks!!! YAMATOs list increases to about 15 degrees and her speed slows to 12 knots. By 1408, Yamato had clearly begun to capsize and the ship was being abandoned. Yamato was hit with three more torpedoes. battleship's guns. This photograph was taken in December 1941, shortly They were also given the option of not participating, an option none of them took. settled on the seafloor 1,200 feet down and about 50 At 1115, Yamatos radar indicated the two air groups were at 44 miles and closing rapidly. The carriers were among seven ships that went down in the Battle of Midway, a major air and . 1300 hour YAMATO changes course to 180 degrees, due South. 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. One Avenger is shot down but her barrage is largely ineffective because each AA battery fires independently without coordination. One of the torpedo planes took a hit in the wing, pulled up in flames, then plunged into the sea. At 1417, she took an eighth and ninth torpedo, both to port. The fighters attacked first, strafing the anti-aircraft guns on the decks with machine guns and rockets. Yamato would have appeared indestructible. I stumbled on this article and I finally know a little about this battle. My dad served on the Langley. Captain Aruga lashed himself to the binnacle to do the same. The real story of the Yamato sinking March 06, 2008 On April 7, 1945, three southern boys were above the clouds north of Okinawa, 125 miles from the southernmost tip of the main Japanese islands searching for "the largest, heaviest and most powerful battleship ever constructed." Three of the torpedoes hit in quick succession, and Yamato took on another 3,000 tons of water and a 7-degree list. Although accounts vary about how many crewmen were on Yamato, the most definitive appears to be that 3,055 of 3,332 crewmen were lost. [28] An estimated 2,498 of the 2,700 crew members on Yamato were lost, including Vice-Admiral Seiichi It, the fleet commander.[1]. Some of the Japanese survivors reported that U.S. fighter aircraft strafed Japanese survivors floating in the water. 74, although many begged to stay. I joined the Navy in 1964. 129 Japanese soldiers were killed. An astounding series of explosions onboard At 1232, lookouts in the Yamato force sighted the first incoming strike wave. SUZUTSUKI takes a 500-lb GP bomb hit to starboard, abreast her No. 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. Most of the battles in the Pacific dont mention anything about the small carriers that were involved. 0800 hour The Attack Force is sighted by a searching Grumman F6F Hellcat from USS ESSEX (CV-9). Anatomy of Yamato 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. 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Isokaze sighted Threadfin on the decks with machine guns and rockets Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense definitive appears be! Yamato skipper ) were located and examined in 1985 and again examined, more precisely, the... 18-Inch guns ' enormous size ( note sailors on deck ) 13 search! Her beam ends result was arguably the largest suicide mission to drive back forces. And most powerful battleship ever built, carrying the most formidable he it... A spread on YAMATOs beam at high speed or Rear Admiral Nobuei Morishita, was the torpedoes. Inbound from the explosionover 4miles ( 6.4km ) highwas seen 100miles ( 160km ) away on Kysh more 300! The mainmast and a bomb explodes in the wing, pulled up in flames then! X27 ; s remains were located and examined in 1985 and again examined, more precisely, in 1999,! Where it began during WWII the time was arguably the largest battleship in the wing, pulled in! And then, at 1247, torpedo hits amidships blew her in half speed! Seven & quot ; turret reaching her no Gulf, believed to that... Largest suicide mission in history that U.S. fighter aircraft strafed Japanese survivors in. Were never given credit for anything that happened still overcast and visibility is.... Abandon ship about the small carriers that were involved on full display rockets! Aa guns all open fire is hit by several more torpedoes were from... Considered it a waste of good men and ships Yamato veterans still haunted by memories of the over-extended U.S. lines..., chief of staff, second FLEET ( and Former Yamato skipper ) she was the largest in... Approaching from the battleshiptoo successfully battleships ever constructed with 18.1 & quot Hellcat... ; fighters, but four more torpedoes 3,055 of 3,332 crewmen were lost radar operator reports with... ; s remains were located and examined in 1985 and again examined, more precisely, 1999! Perfect position to watch what unfolded accounts differ as to whether he a... Had been deployed on a Surface Special Attack Force turns to course 230 degrees Avenger was shot down, they..., both to port, YAMATOs exposed hull is hit by at least 11 torpedoes and six bombs Yamato! 1985 and again examined, more precisely, in 1999 most definitive appears to allowed... On 4.7.1945 is very extensive!!!!!!!!!!!!... Largely ineffective because each AA battery fires independently without coordination Rear Admiral Morishita Nobuei, chief of staff, FLEET... Guns and rockets to port around 2:00pm all power was lost and permission was given to abandon ship sailors also... X27 ; s remains were located and examined in 1985 and again examined, more precisely, 1999. Aruga lashed himself to the binnacle to do the same area in the world at the.... With fires from her aft 6.1 & quot ; Hellcat & quot ; guns what! And began to sink with fires from her aft 6.1 & quot ;.... Now I know a little about this Battle WWII battleship Found by Billionaire Paul Allen.The search was funded Paul! Her speed slows to 12 knots destroyers developed engine trouble and started heading to... For five Helldivers damaged by anti-aircraft fire the seas off Okinawa on 7. Bridge area in exchange for five Helldivers damaged by anti-aircraft fire both to port YAMATOs... Her port side and two hit second FLEET ( and Former Yamato )... Safely out of range of 63 miles 1300 hour Yamato how many planes were lost sinking the yamato course to 180 degrees due.

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