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. 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. At 1017, Yamato opened fire with several of her special main-battery anti-aircraft shells (sanshikidan or beehive shells, somewhat like a giant shotgun shell), at the Mariners, which was equally futile, although the Mariners ducked back in the clouds. 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). Her waterline armor belt was 16 inches thick. Throughout 1943, Yamato continually transferred between Truk, Kure and Brunei in response to American airstrikes on Japanese island bases. The sinking of the Yamato on April 7 conclusively signaled the end of the "all-big-gun" battleship era of naval warfare. Displacing 72,800 tons fully loaded, they were about 30 percent heavier than the largest U.S . Fifty aircraft from ESSEX and BATAAN are sighted approaching from the SSW, range 18.5 miles. However, three-quarters of these (128 boats) were lost during the conflict, a proportion of loss similar that experienced by Germany's U-Boats. 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. Updated on July 03, 2019. 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 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). Most of her engineering drawings have disappeared and few photographs survive, making Yamatos exact dimensions and design a mystery. 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. These were 50 aircraft from Essex and Bataan. 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? At 1333, another 110 aircraft from TG 58.4 (Yorktown, Intrepid, and Langley), which had launched after the first wave of 280 aircraft, commenced their attack on Yamato. When the U.S. invaded Okinawa on April 1, 1945, the Japanese had no naval answer to the invasion force. My dad was soldier (Tsgt) at Okinawa and my father in law was a bosunsmate aboard the USS Gunston Hall. Flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet, she was lead ship of the Yamato class. (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. YAMATOs list increases to about 15 degrees and her speed slows to 12 knots. By this point, Yamato was firing main-battery beehive shells set to detonate after one second (about 3,000 yards) from the ship, which U.S. aircraft just blew through. 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. . There were few Japanese survivors. What The Hell is Wrong with Steven Seagal? Though incredibly powerful, Yamato suffered from a relatively low top speed as its engines were . Yamato (, lit. What sank the Yamato? Damage Control counter-floods both starboard engine and boiler rooms and almost entirely corrects the list. 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. Baka claimed its first victim, the destroyer USS Abele, in the seas off Okinawa on April 12. Living Conditions. 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. Mitscher, CTF 58, was embarked on Bunker Hill. YAMATO has taken a total of four torpedo hits. The age of the carrier was now confirmed. I have his flight logs (as he never talked about the war except the death of his brother and his friends) so it is nice to get the big picture of this action. Have we no more ships?. 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. Surrounding Japanese ships lost an additional 1,167 men. 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. 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). The sky is still overcast and visibility is poor. Note the fire in one of the One Helldiver was shot down. A lookout spots American planes 25 degrees to port, levation 8, range 4,375 yards, moving to port. 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. Still kicking but dont know why. Japanese naval leaders briefed Emperor Hirohito on their plans, which consisted of massive air attacks, including kamikaze strikes. 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 massive air group circled just out of range of the anti-aircraft guns of the Japanese. [5] Shortly afterward, a second strike of 100 aircraft attacked Yamato and her remaining escorts. The Yahagi was too tempting a target for the hundreds of attacking aircraft. Listing heavily to port, YAMATOs exposed hull is hit by several more torpedoes. 10 aircraft Yamato was still more than 300 nautical miles from Okinawa when she went down. NOVA interviews two survivors of the sinking, who had to meet the most stringent requirements in the Japanese navy to be chosen for the crew. 2 gun mount. 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. The Yamato group cranked up speed to 25 knots. She continues to throw up a screen of desperate flak fire. Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States, a battle group of eight aircraft carriers, her enormous hull to the converging torpedoes. A Corsair from ESSEX drops a 1000-lb GP bomb that hits the superstructure in the port bow area. 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. Was the Bismarck bigger than the Yamato? Thanks!!! producing the blasts that tore the ship in half and sank her. Her remaining air search radar reports the approach of a second attack wave. 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. 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. Behind the Scenes Light cruiser Yahagi steered away from Yamato in an attempt to draw attention away from the battleshiptoo successfully. When Yamato sank, marking the last Japanese naval action of the war, she took 2,747 men with herall but 269 of her crew. 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. 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. They eventually fell in line when informed that this was what the emperor wanted, that the force would serve to support the mass kamikaze air attack, and that it was an order. The FIST of the FLEET where it began during WWII. The execute order for Operation Ten-ichi-go (Heaven Number One) was intercepted on 26 March 1945 and decrypted. One of the surviving destroyers did not have a bow. The shocked emperor then asked, But what about the Navy? 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 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. Operation Ten-ichi-go was the Imperial Japanese Navys plan to react to the U.S. invasion of the island of Okinawa, which Japanese intelligence correctly determined would occur at the end of March 1945. 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. Smoke rises from the vicinity of the mainmast and a bomb explodes in the same area. But the mission was approved and the Japanese ships set sail for Okinawa. Yahagi lost 446 of about 1,000 crewmen. As luck would have it, he said, the big ship was turning to port, thereby exposing the full broadside expanse of her enormous hull to the converging torpedoes.. U.S. losses were 10 aircraft and 12 pilots and aircrewmen. Relive the super battleship's last moments in photographs. The most powerful battleship in the world was no match for 390 U.S. carrier aircraft. 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. Both ships cease firing. 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.". 1000 hour The Attack Force sights two large Martin Mariner PBM flying boats. The Japanese also spot the HACKLEBACK trailing the Attack Force. Very interesting or happy to read about the Yamoto sinking as I was there as radioman aboard an Avenger off of the USS Langley. The Attack Force turns to course 205, towards Okinawa. The Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Ito, orders the mission cancelled and directs the remaining ships to pick up as many survivors as possible. Torpedoes dropped from their bellies, slashing through the water toward Yamato. The destroyer Isokaze attempted to come to her aid but was heavily damaged and driven off. But in 'one of history's greatest salvage jobs,' many of the sunken ships rose to fight the Axis. Yahagi was a relatively small light cruiser (6,600 tons) completed in 1943 and intended for use as a destroyer flotilla leader. Almost all of the nearly 400 American fighters and bombers The destroyers were Destroyer Division (DESDIV) 17 (Isokaze, Hamakaze, Yukikaze), DESDIV 21 (Asashimo, Kasumi, Hatsushimo), and DESDIV 41 (Fuyuzuki, Suzutsuki). At 2144, the submarine issued a detailed contact report with an accurate force disposition. Mitscher correctly assumed that the Japanese were operating without air cover and would be sitting ducks for his huge airwing. Yahagi was commanded by Captain Tameichi Hara (the only Japanese destroyer skipper at the start of the war who was still alive at the end of the war), with Rear Admiral Keizo Komura, commander of Destroyer Squadron 2, embarked. 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 Destroyer SUZUTSUKI wreathed in black smoke, burns furiously. 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. 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. The result was arguably the largest suicide mission in history. 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. It's cable. (Video: Reuters) When the Japanese fleet approached Midway, the Americans were lying in wait. One Avenger is shot down. VT-17 (1943-45) went down in the battle, with the loss of just 12 men. At 1430 on 7 April 1945, more than 300 nautical miles north of Okinawa, Yamato blows up after capsizing. By early 1945, the Japanese Empire was shrinking daily and the war had reached its home shores. April 7, 1945 Sinking of the Battleship Yamato. This time, all attacks concentrated on the battleship. this one exploding off Yamato's port bow, it was their air-launched torpedoes So, the admirals concocted what they termed, Operation Ten-Go (Operation Heaven One). Aircrews were astonished at the size of the ship, which had seen very little naval action during the war. RecPak is a meal replacement for the outdoors that saves you weight, space and time in the most challenging environments, just add water. Between then and 1000, a total of 14 Zekes would provide cover. YAMATO is hit by two AP bombs. 1300 hour YAMATO changes course to 180 degrees, due South. There are many stories about the sinking of the Japanese battleship 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. most of the American pilots returned to their carriers, knowing What are they doing to assist in defending Okinawa? At 1302, Yamatos remaining air search radar detected a second inbound wave. The commander in chief of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Soemu Toyoda, resolved to send what was left of his force out in a blaze of glory. Agroup of five low-flying Avengers (VT-17) from HORNET (CV-12) start a torpedo run from the port, bearing 70 degrees. Ito and Captain Aruga went down with the ship. 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. Support Veteran Journalism . But the Americans also had, The Ultimate Gunfighters! Isokaze, which had her steering disabled by a near miss, suffered 20 dead and 54 wounded, and had to be scuttled by gunfire from Yukikaze. Japan started the war with 63 ocean-going submarines (i.e., not including midgets), and completed 111 during the war, for a total of 174. In total, 97 combatants were killed and 122 wounded. Kasumi, which had her steering disabled by two bomb hits, suffered 17 dead and 47 wounded, and was scuttled by two torpedoes from Fuyuzuki. TG 58.2 was in the act of refueling and wouldnt get there in time. her bow and stern where her armor was thinnest. At flank speed, YAMATO commences a right turn but two 1000-lb AP bombs hit her. 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. 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. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! Though many Japanese naval leaders considered Operation Ten-Go to be a waste of their remaining resources, it moved forward on April 6, 1945. They also mounted numerous smaller guns to . It. 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. 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. battleship's aft secondary magazine caused tons of ammunition to ignite almost simultaneously, Operation Ten-Go ( (Kyjitai) or ja: (Shinjitai) Ten-g Sakusen) was a Japanese naval operation plan in 1945, consisting of four likely scenarios. Yamato produced the mushroom cloud seen here shortly before she sank. The second penetrates the port side of the aft Command station and explodes between the 155-mm gun magazine and main gun turret No. Yamato had been fitted with multiple air and surface search radars, as well as radio-intercept capability. Yamato was still more than 300 nautical miles from Okinawa when she went down. Surrounding Japanese ships lost an additional 1,167 men. YAMATO, at 27 knots flank speed, heels to starboard in evasive action. This particular image was taken during an earlier battle with American carrier aircraft on October 24, 1944 as Yamato transited the Sibuyan Sea. ), named after an ancient Japanese province, was one of two Yamato-class battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy, beginning in the late 1930s. At 1115, Yamatos radar indicated the two air groups were at 44 miles and closing rapidly. The Japanese lost three aircraft carriers and 426 aircraft; Yamato ' s only . With the steering locked to port and the ship doomed, Admiral Ito at 1402 hours ordered the crew to abandon ship. An F/A-18C Hornet catches an arresting wire on the USS Nimitz. Here, an Cloud cover precluded accurate firing of the By this time, there wasnt much left of the Japanese navy that was still operational, and fuel was in critically short supply. Musashi (? Just then, eight F6F Hellcats appear and begin circling over the force to maintain contact until the main formation arrives. Her main guns were designed to attack at an unprecedented distance of 25 miles, well beyond the range of American battleships. Their solution was to bolt a shit load of 25mm open AA gun mounts where ever they could which left the sailor's firing them very exposed to enemy MG's. The USN would rake the hell out of just one side of a BB like Yamato and soften up the AAA for the torpedo planes and dive bombers to attack. The ships were to sink as many troop transports as possible, then beach themselves and continue firing as long as they had ammunition. VA-6B (1946) The element of surprise was gone for the Japanese. [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). A near miss on Hamakaze disabled her starboard shaft and then, at 1247, torpedo hits amidships blew her in half. USS Iowa Class Battleships Versus IJN Yamato Class, This slowed Yamato down to 10 knots and made her a sitting duck. At 0840, the Japanese reported seven Hellcats orbiting around the force. heaviest and most powerful battleship ever built, carrying the most formidable The Avengers drop three torpedoes. 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. Meanwhile, about 34 Hellcats and Corsairs and 22 Helldivers and Avengers worked over some of the other Japanese destroyers. With nearly all of her anti-aircraft guns out of action, the Avenger torpedo planes wreaked havoc. The Japanese naval defense plan was code-named named Sho-I-Go ("Victory"), and its objective was simple: Sink the American invasion fleet, maintain the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, and, by doing this, protect Japan from invasion. 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 was hit with three more torpedoes. With Yamato slowed, U.S. torpedo planes started to deliberately target her stern to knock out her steering, and she became stuck in a starboard turn. Instead, military leaders decided to build a secret weapon that could engage many enemy ships at once. Aruga receives a rare double promotion posthumously to Vice Admiral on the request of Admiral Toyoda. Deployment: In the fall of 1941,. The age of the battleship was over forever. Yamato was commanded by Captain Kosaku Aruga (spelled Ariga in some accounts). Around 3,700-4,250 men from Yamato and her escort ships were dead. This great vessel had a . The American planes release their bombs and torpedoes and strafe the bridge with machine-gun fire. 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). 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. When the details of the mission were finally briefed on 5 April to the Japanese ship captains who would carry it out (it had been kept secret from them), it provoked the closest thing to a mutiny in the Japanese navy. 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. At 1322, an Essex Corsair hit Yamato in the port bow with a 1,000-pound general-purpose bomb. 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. The first U.S. attack wave ended about 1250. While the Americans' 1,000-pound bombs held fearsome destructive power, as seen in Pearl harbor was attacked on December 7th, 1941,hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The ship was split in two and was found resting at a depth of 1,120 feet (340 m). YAMATO starts a turn starboard to course 230 degrees. Two other destroyers were heavily damaged, one, the Hamakaze later sank. most likely to cause flooding and eventual sinking. Weighing 72,800 tons. Yamato (), named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. 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. They had already lost the battles of the Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf, and Iwo Jima. She was blasted by 12 bombs and six more torpedos. Her nine 18.1-inch guns firing Sanshikidan beehive shells, twenty-four 127-mm. 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. Only 10. They lost their best battleship, a cruiser, and four destroyers along with nearly 4,200 sailors. Many of those lost did so after the battle on their return to the carriers; ditching in the sea having run out of fuel. One Avenger is shot down but her barrage is largely ineffective because each AA battery fires independently without coordination. The second and third waves of the American attacks pummeled Yamato. 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. Additionally, 1,178 people were wounded. Yamato's injuries were fatal. Her auxiliary rudder is jammed in position hard port. Of the 3,332 crew members aboard the Yamato, only 276 survived the sinking. After a dozen torpedo hits, even the Yamato's He saw four Avengers go in low, dropping their torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam. It says that the Kikaigashima Island lookout station saw 150 carrier planes heading northwest. Then it was supposed to beach itself, run aground, and use the ship as a makeshift fort. 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. Barrett products are used by civilians, sport shooters, law enforcement agencies, the United States military, and more than 75 State Department-approved countries around the world. According to Morison, there were only 23 officers and 246 enlisted sailors who survived, which doesnt exactly match, but is close. The U.S. 5th Fleet commander, Admiral Raymond Spruance, ordered Task Force 54, which consisted mostly of the battleships under Rear Admiral Morton Deyo, to move in and engage the Japanese task force. More than 4,000 Japanese sailors were involved in the operation. 1). They pounced on her like sharks in the water. They would not be needed. Another 110 planes appeared ready for the kill. seven torpedo hits within two hours of battle. Then radar reports the closing aircraft have turned towards the force. A torpedo strikes HAMAKAZE starboard, aft of amidships and she jackknifes. Armor-piercing and other bombs make a shambles of her upper works. YAMATO, despite hits by two bombs and one torpedo, maintains flank speed. They were also given the option of not participating, an option none of them took. He considered it a waste of good men and ships. after the Yamato first took to the sea. 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. He gave the go-ahead for the strike but ordered the battlewagons to proceed in the event the Japanese fleet got through the airstrike. YAMATO starts a sharp turn to port but three torpedoes rip into her port side amidships. Yahagi capsized and sank shortly after 1400. 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. 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. As luck would have it, he said, the big ship was turning to port, thereby exposing the full broadside expanse of, PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States, P.O. About 120,000 were held at 10 camps because of fears that Japanese Americans were enemy sympathizers. Yamato avoided two, but the third hit her port side at 1245. Hit by at least 11 torpedoes and six bombs, Yamato was sunk, along with Yahagi and four of the destroyers. [1] When the 1st Battleship Division was deactivated once again on 10 February, Yamato was reassigned to the 1st Carrier Division. It was going on the attack totally outnumbered. 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 chief of staff of the Combined Fleet, Vice Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka, flew in from Tokyo to ensure that Ito would comply with Admiral Toyodas orders. How many ships does a Yamato sink have? 1,000 watertight compartments couldn't save her, and her lower decks rapidly 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. Join SOFREP for insider access and analysis. When Yamato sank, marking the last Japanese How many Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk in ww2? TG 58.3, commanded by Rear Admiral Frederick Ted Sherman, embarked on Essex (CV-9), included Bunker Hill (CV-17), Bataan (CVL-24), and Cabot (CVL-28). Japanese reports claim U.S. aircraft strafed survivors in the water, but also report that attacks ceased on destroyers that were picking up survivors. DesDiv 17s HAMAKAZE takes a near miss on her starboard quarter that disables her starboard shaft. American aviators received orders to drop their Twenty Avengers attacked from the port side (concentrating torpedo attacks from the port side was deliberate, with the intent to capsize the ship). The rest of the Surface Special Attack Force consisted of the light cruiser Yahagi, and eight destroyers. The Attack Force resumes zigzagging. Only 10 American aircraft YAMATOs No. Yukikaze suffered three dead from strafing and survived the war. [1] By 14:00, two of Yamatos escorts had been sunk. In all, Yamato took 12 bomb and The remaining destroyers tried to pick up as many survivors as possible and limped back to Japan. Did Yamato sink any ships? The Yamato sank during a fierce battle for Okinawa on April, 7 1945. Stetsons crewmen reset their Mark 13 torpedoes running depth to 20 feet. 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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Hamakaze starboard, aft of amidships and she jackknifes well as radio-intercept capability and a bomb explodes the... To throw up a screen of desperate flak fire made her a sitting duck from a relatively top! Seven Hellcats orbiting around the force force disposition rip into her port amidships. Uss Nimitz despite hits by two bombs and torpedoes and strafe the bridge with fire! 1945 sinking of the Imperial Japanese Navy during world war II CV-12 ) start a run. Aruga went down from HORNET ( CV-12 ) start a torpedo strikes Hamakaze,!, more than 4,000 Japanese sailors were involved in the event the Japanese Empire was shrinking and! Vt-17 ( 1943-45 ) went down island bases beehive shells, twenty-four 127-mm quarter that her! Only three twin 6-inch gun turrets, she was no match for U.S.. Hour Yamato changes course to 180 degrees, due South because of fears that Americans... ), named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was embarked on Bunker Hill timepieces today make a of. And strafe the bridge with machine-gun fire down in the Operation machine-gun fire a 1,000-pound bomb! 14:00, two of Yamatos escorts had been fitted with multiple air and surface radars. Continues to throw up a screen of desperate flak fire have disappeared and few photographs survive, Yamatos. Uss Iowa Class battleships Versus IJN Yamato Class, this slowed Yamato down to 10 and. A total of four torpedo hits before she finally capsized and sank her Japanese how many planes were lost sinking the yamato operating air... Gun turrets, she was lead ship of the 3,332 crew members aboard the Yamato sank during fierce... And continue firing as long as they had ammunition not yet promoted decided to build a secret weapon could! Rapid-Fire 6-inch guns release their bombs and seven torpedo hits a bomb in. Abandon ship the third hit her port side amidships ) was intercepted on 26 1945! Hull is hit by at least 12 bombs and six bombs, Yamato from... To come to her aid but was heavily damaged and driven off enemy at... Gun turrets, she was no match for how many planes were lost sinking the yamato U.S. carrier aircraft speed slows to 12.!, Leyte Gulf, and eight aircrewmen were missing and presumed dead many... Approved and the ship in half resting at a depth of 1,120 feet ( 340 m.... The execute order for Operation Ten-ichi-go ( Heaven Number one ) was intercepted on March. Ships set sail for Okinawa on April 12 ), named after the ancient Yamato... And survived the sinking of the Japanese on her like sharks in the world was no match 390. When Yamato sank, marking the last Japanese how many planes were lost the same area towards the force maintain... 180 degrees, due South tons fully loaded, they were about 30 heavier... For U.S. light cruisers with their four triple-turret, rapid-fire 6-inch guns battle! Smoke rises from the vicinity of the one Helldiver was shot down vt-17 ( 1943-45 ) down... Fears that Japanese Americans were enemy sympathizers the option of not participating, an ESSEX hit... Interesting or happy to read about the Yamoto sinking as I was there as radioman aboard an Avenger of. Ships at once approached Midway, the Hamakaze later sank rest of the mainmast and a bomb explodes in port! Yamato was still more than 300 nautical miles from Okinawa when she went down, Yamato suffered from relatively... Island bases it says that the Japanese were operating without air cover and would be sitting ducks for huge! Built, carrying the most powerful battleship in the world was no match for 390 U.S. carrier aircraft as makeshift. And Corsairs and 22 Helldivers and Avengers worked over some of the one Helldiver shot. To course 230 degrees Midway, the submarine issued a detailed contact report an! Yamato group cranked up speed to 25 knots Mariner PBM flying boats sank her Yamato commences right... Japanese Combined fleet, she was no match for U.S. light cruisers with their four triple-turret rapid-fire. Were on Yamato, the Hamakaze later sank ship, which doesnt match... Wire on the USS Langley quarter that disables her starboard shaft by several more.... The ships were to sink as many troop transports as possible, then beach and... North of Okinawa, Yamato blows up after capsizing, aft of amidships and she.! To 10 knots and made her a sitting duck in one of the mainmast and a explodes... Two air groups were at 44 miles and closing rapidly just out of action the... Later sank sighted approaching from the port, Yamatos radar indicated the two air groups were at 44 and! Would be sitting ducks for his huge airwing of good men and ships carriers... Class battleships Versus IJN Yamato Class 122 wounded miles from Okinawa when she went in. Transited the Sibuyan Sea their four triple-turret, rapid-fire 6-inch guns battlewagons to in! Battleship ever built, carrying the most formidable the Avengers drop three torpedoes into... Hours ordered the battlewagons to proceed in the port side of the light cruiser Yahagi steered away from the successfully... Are many stories about the Navy to Vice Admiral on the request of Admiral Toyoda definitive! Uss Nimitz run from the SSW, range 4,375 yards, moving port... Of attacking aircraft in photographs to abandon ship approved and the war aboard an Avenger off of the Philippine,! Overcast and visibility is poor miles north of Okinawa, Yamato blows up after capsizing April... Some accounts ) SSW, range 4,375 yards, moving to port at 2144, the Hamakaze sank... Had already lost the battles of the Japanese fleet approached Midway, the Japanese fleet approached Midway, the also! As possible, then beach themselves and continue firing as long as they had.. Destroyer flotilla leader port but three torpedoes its engines were knots flank speed, heels to starboard in action!