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.. YAMATO starts a sharp turn to port but three torpedoes rip into her port side amidships. John Carter, was in a perfect position to watch what unfolded. YAMATO, despite hits by two bombs and one torpedo, maintains flank speed. How many Japanese submarines were lost in ww2? Cloud cover precluded accurate firing of the Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. battleship's aft secondary magazine caused tons of ammunition to ignite almost simultaneously, The aft secondary battery fire control, secondary gun turret and the air search radar are knocked out. one-third of which were torpedo bombers that hit from low altitudes. Both Rear Admiral Komura and Captain Hara survived. 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. (Video: Reuters) When the Japanese fleet approached Midway, the Americans were lying in wait. [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. Mitscher, CTF 58, was embarked on Bunker Hill. On 29 March, Yamato took on a full stock of ammunition, in preparation for combat off Okinawa in Operation Ten-Go. guns ever mounted at sea. 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. Most of her engineering drawings have disappeared and few photographs survive, making Yamatos exact dimensions and design a mystery. With the steering locked to port and the ship doomed, Admiral Ito at 1402 hours ordered the crew to abandon ship. My Dad was one of the Hell Diver pilots from the Essex who scored a hit as was recorded in his NC. YAMATO turns towards the planes and opens fire unsuccessfully as does cruiser YAHAGI. She had suffered minor damage in the bridge area from a bomb hit by a Helldiver dive-bomber off Intrepid (CV-11) during U.S. carrier strikes on Kure and the Inland Sea on 19 March, but was fully fit for battle. 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? Light cruiser YAHAGI, hit by 12 bombs and seven torpedoes sinks exactly one minute after the last bomb hits. Had Yamato ever encountered an Allied battleship group, she could have floated safely out of range, while destroying each ship in turn. Deyo had just received a cheery send-off from his immediate boss: "We hope you will bring back a nice fish for breakfast." In viewing cite, this the first time I have seen any mention of the carrier Langley. Shinano () was an aircraft carrier built by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II, the largest such built up to that time. Three of the torpedoes hit in quick succession, and Yamato took on another 3,000 tons of water and a 7-degree list. 1000 hour The Attack Force sights two large Martin Mariner PBM flying boats. Aruga receives a rare double promotion posthumously to Vice Admiral on the request of Admiral Toyoda. 4: Factual error; Musashi was sunk on Oct. 23, 1944 in the Sibuyan Sea. He suggests the order to abandon ship be given. Where is the wreck of the Yamato? 7, 1945 south of Kyushu. 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. VFA-25 (1983 and continuing). 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. These Though incredibly powerful, Yamato suffered from a relatively low top speed as its engines were . Then radar reports the closing aircraft have turned towards the force. How many US planes were lost sinking the Yamato? At 1322, an Essex Corsair hit Yamato in the port bow with a 1,000-pound general-purpose bomb. At 1210, destroyer Asashimo, lagging behind the force, reported that she was under air attack, and radio transmissions from her ceased. YAMATOs list increases to about 15 degrees and her speed slows to 12 knots. 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. 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. Although 16 warships were hit, Yamato sustained only minor damage from a number of near misses and from one bomb that struck her bridge. 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. Two dud rockets hit FUYUTSUKI. Meanwhile, about 34 Hellcats and Corsairs and 22 Helldivers and Avengers worked over some of the other Japanese destroyers. However, three-quarters of these (128 boats) were lost during the conflict, a proportion of loss similar that experienced by Germany's U-Boats. as she turns to avoid the onslaught from bombers. 1200 hour A lookout spots three Japanese troopships on bearing 0250 heading for Amami-Oshima. 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. 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. However, in order to keep up with Yamato, these forays were short-lived. Anatomy of Yamato But the biggest kamikaze attack of all was the suicidal mission of the super battleship Yamato, the largest, most advanced warship of the day. 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. Survivor Stories Vice Admiral Ito retired to his stateroom to go down with the ship. 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. Yamato was lost Apr. Posted August 23, 2013. this photo from 1941 shows the construction details of the Yamato's rear aircraft deck, side 6-inch guns that were replaced by AA guns later in the war, as well as the aft superstructure and main turret #3. A Japanese destroyer peeled off three times to keep Hackleback at bay. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! Listing heavily to port, YAMATOs exposed hull is hit by several more torpedoes. 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). With this contact information, Spruance ordered Deyo to ready the blocking force. 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. They were also instructed to 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. The Attack Force resumes zigzagging. They were also given the option of not participating, an option none of them took. went down in the battle, with the loss of just 12 men. Read Next: The Ultimate Gunfighters! Most of the battles in the Pacific dont mention anything about the small carriers that were involved. 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. About 1,187 crewmen of Yahagi and the four destroyers were lost. Baka, essentially a piloted cruise missile, made its debut at Okinawa. Before getting underway, the Surface Special Attack Force put ashore 67 recently arrived midshipmen of the Etajima Naval Academy Class No. At 1234, Yamato opened fire with her two forward main battery turrets, lobbing sanshikidan shells at the U.S. aircraftto no effect. The second and third waves of the American attacks pummeled Yamato. her bow and stern where her armor was thinnest. YAMATO starts a turn starboard to course 230 degrees. And it was never more apparent than during the Battle of Okinawa. 1). Far more effective was the extraordinary skill of Japanese ship captains in making evasive maneuvers to throw off aim and avoid numerous bombs and torpedoes. According to Morison, there were only 23 officers and 246 enlisted sailors who survived, which doesnt exactly match, but is close. The Attack Force changes course due south to 180 degrees. She slips under followed by an underwater explosion. Relive the super battleship's last moments in photographs. The age of the carrier was now confirmed. At this point, after just a few hours of battle, But the Americans also had, The Ultimate Gunfighters! that ultimately led to the supership's demise. Ito was posthumously promoted to full admiral. 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. World War II would see the aircraft carrier emerge as the key to naval supremacy, supplanting the battleship. Yamato had been fitted with multiple air and surface search radars, as well as radio-intercept capability. after the Yamato first took to the sea. The Yamato sank during a fierce battle for Okinawa on April, 7 1945. With nearly all of her anti-aircraft guns out of action, the Avenger torpedo planes wreaked havoc. 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. Vice Admiral Ito initially objected to the mission, viewing it as futile and wasteful. They would not be needed. One of the largest battleships ever built, Yamato entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy in December 1941. Additionally, aircraft damaged most of the . With nearly all of her anti-aircraft guns out of action, the Avenger torpedo planes wreaked havoc. One Avenger was shot down, but three torpedoes went into the water. 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. The ship was split in two and was found resting at a depth of 1,120 feet (340 m). After all, she was the Yamato was commanded by Captain Kosaku Aruga (spelled Ariga in some accounts). 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. 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. Although born a U.S. citizen, he had been studying in Japan when the war broke out and had the choice of execution or serving in the Imperial Japanese Navy.). 1300 hour YAMATO changes course to 180 degrees, due South. Spruance was informed of it only after the aircraft had taken off. US warplanes sank the Musashi on 24 October 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, believed to be. One of the torpedo planes took a hit in the wing, pulled up in flames, then plunged into the sea. The battleship and its sister, Musashi, were the only battleships ever constructed with 18.1" guns. Jan 6, 2019 Conan White, Guest Author. 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. 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. The Americans lost a total of only 10 aircraft four Helldivers, three Avengers, and three Hellcats and 12 men. 10 aircraft Yamato was still more than 300 nautical miles from Okinawa when she went down. There were few Japanese survivors. They truly were the Greatest Generation. It said the wreck was in two main pieces, a bow-to-midships section about 560 feet long, and a 264-foot-long stern section. Yamato was still more than 300 nautical miles from Okinawa when she went down. They withheld the news from the public. Yamato (, lit. How many Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk in ww2? VA-25 (1959) Air Group VI (6) The sky is still overcast and visibility is poor. [5] The smoke from the explosionover 4miles (6.4km) highwas seen 100miles (160km) away on Kysh. (Remember, the US lost 10 planes and 12 men sinking Yamato out of more than 300 aircraft) There is no logical reason to do this. Instead, military leaders decided to build a secret weapon that could engage many enemy ships at once. At 2144, the submarine issued a detailed contact report with an accurate force disposition. battleship's guns. The emperors question clinched it. 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. 1,000 watertight compartments couldn't save her, and her lower decks rapidly 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. But the Americans also had a battle group of eight aircraft carriers (Hornet, Bennington, Belleau Wood, San Jacinto; TG 58.3 Essex, Bunker Hill, Hancock, and Bataan) that were covering the landings. Weighing 72,800 tons. The fighters attacked first, strafing the anti-aircraft guns on the decks with machine guns and rockets. How many ships does a Yamato sink have? Yamato's remains were located and examined in 1985 and again examined, more precisely, in 1999. As later described by the captain of Yahagi, Captain Tameichi Hara, the meeting was quite contentious. Her waterline armor belt was 16 inches thick. 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. The first U.S. attack wave ended about 1250. At 1115, Yamatos radar indicated the two air groups were at 44 miles and closing rapidly. They also mounted numerous smaller guns to . 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. She rolls slowly over her port side on her beam ends. 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. A 500-pound general-purpose bomb hit Suzutsuki and blew off her bow. 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. 276 men are rescued including Rear Admiral Morishita Nobuei, Chief of Staff, Second Fleet (and former YAMATO skipper). I Was At Okinawa At This Time. The carriers were among seven ships that went down in the Battle of Midway, a major air and . The Japanese fighters were unable to make contact before they left at 1000. The Attack Force briefly sights seven Hellcat fighters, but they are not seen by the escorting Zekes. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. She quickly shipped 2,235 tons of water, but the list was soon corrected with effective counter-flooding. 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. Lieutenant J.G. The massive air group circled just out of range of the anti-aircraft guns of the Japanese. The Imperial Japanese Navy ceases to exist as a fighting force. He saw four Avengers go in low, dropping their torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam. YAMATO is hit by two AP bombs. seven torpedo hits within two hours of battle. 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. Smoke rises from the vicinity of the mainmast and a bomb explodes in the same area. 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. Japanese lookouts spotted the American air armada at 1232 hours and soon opened fire with Yamatos 18-inch guns firing San Shiki anti-aircraft shells that were wildly inaccurate. burning just prior to disappearing beneath the waves. miles southwest of Kyushu, Japan. But in 'one of history's greatest salvage jobs,' many of the sunken ships rose to fight the Axis. The Americans lost 10 aircraft, while one aircraft carrier, one battleship, and one destroyer were damaged. 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. The destroyer Isokaze rushed to aid Yahagi and take off Rear Admiral Komura, but got pummeled by bombs before she got close. The Yamato group cranked up speed to 25 knots. At 14:23, having taken 10 torpedo and 7 bomb hits, Yamatos forward ammunition magazines detonated. The Yahagi was too tempting a target for the hundreds of attacking aircraft. 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. Join SOFREP for insider access and analysis. 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). This would be carried out in conjunction with a mass aerial kamikaze attack by over 350 airplanes ( Kikusui No. USS Iowa Class Battleships Versus IJN Yamato Class, This slowed Yamato down to 10 knots and made her a sitting duck. She ships about 3,000-tons of seawater. 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. Then it was supposed to beach itself, run aground, and use the ship as a makeshift fort. 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. 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 . (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.) 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. Altogether more effective were Japan's aerial suicide weapons. The result was arguably the largest suicide mission in history. It says that the Kikaigashima Island lookout station saw 150 carrier planes heading northwest. Only 10. ), named after an ancient Japanese province, was one of two Yamato-class battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy, beginning in the late 1930s. Two other destroyers were heavily damaged, one, the Hamakaze later sank. the Japanese were aware of Yamato's poor anti-aircraft defense and . More U.S. aircraft may have been knocked down by the magazine explosion than by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. The light cruiser YAHAGI, without headway, drifts helplessly behind the main force. One-hundred aircraft were destroyed, and the Japanese death toll reached 4,137. 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). Additionally, 1,178 people were wounded. The fire in the area ofher forward 6.1 inch turret can be clearly seen (L42-09.06.05). 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. U.S. losses were 10 aircraft and 12 pilots and aircrewmen. Less than three and half years after Pearl Harbor, American industrial might was on full display. Just then, eight F6F Hellcats appear and begin circling over the force to maintain contact until the main formation arrives. Vice Admiral Ito and Captain Aruga went down with the ship. Two eyewitness accounts of Yamato's last battle. 74, although many begged to stay. Yamato took at least four more bomb hits in the superstructure area, which wiped out many of the remaining 25-mm guns. She lies in two main parts in some 1,000 feet of water. Have we no more ships?. 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. The task force was spotted south of Kyushu by US submarines and aircraft, and on 7 April 1945 she was sunk by American carrier-based bombers and torpedo bombers with the loss of most of her crew. 3s USS ESSEX (CV-9), BUNKER HILL (CV-17), BATAAN (CVL-24) and CABOT (CVL-28). Damage Control counter-floods both starboard engine and boiler rooms and almost entirely corrects the list. The light cruiser Yahagi was the first hit, less than fifteen minutes after the firing began. At 1302, Yamatos remaining air search radar detected a second inbound wave. The debate up to that point was whether to keep the fleet in home waters as a last-ditch defense or to send it on what everyone knew would be a one-way mission to attack the overwhelming U.S. forces expected to be at Okinawa. Design and construction Main article: Yamato-class battleship In 1945 Carrier Air Group 17 consisted of VF-17, VBF-17, VB-17, and VT-17. >. Although the battleship was in no danger of sinking at this point, the list meant that the main battery was unable to fire . 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. Executive Officer Nomura Jiro reports to Captain Aruga that his damage control officers are all dead and that counter-flooding can no longer correct the list. There are many stories about the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato. YAMATO has taken a total of four torpedo hits. Agroup of five low-flying Avengers (VT-17) from HORNET (CV-12) start a torpedo run from the port, bearing 70 degrees. Of the 3,332 crew members aboard the Yamato, only 276 survived the sinking. By noon, the Corsair and Hellcat fighters arrived over the Yamato group, looking for fighters protecting the Japanese, and finding none waited for the dive bombers and torpedo planes to arrive. 3. After a dozen torpedo hits, even the Yamato's 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. FRUPAC had the message that the air cover would end at 1000, which was also known to senior U.S. Navy commanders. Thanks for watching. This was taken by senior Japanese navy leaders as implicit criticism of their services inaction. All these years later I remember each one of those men fondly and with great respect. Very interesting or happy to read about the Yamoto sinking as I was there as radioman aboard an Avenger off of the USS Langley. 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. Twelve Helldivers claimed several hits in the bridge area in exchange for five Helldivers damaged by anti-aircraft fire. A Corsair from ESSEX drops a 1000-lb GP bomb that hits the superstructure in the port bow area. Asashimo went down with all 330 hands. The Mariners were subordinate to Patrol Bombing Squadron 21 (VPB-21), operating from the tender Chandeleur (AV-10), which had arrived at Kerama Rettoon 28 March. Yamato fired her 18-inch guns at approaching American aircraft, Hit by at least 11 torpedoes and six bombs, Yamato was sunk, along with Yahagi and four of the destroyers. Half of the dead at . 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. He asked what the Japanese navy was doing. Sources include: NHHC Dictionary of American Fighting Ships (DANFS) for U.S. ships and combinedfleet.com for Japanese ships. 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. naval action of the war, she took 2,747 men with herall but 269 of her crew. They lost their best battleship, a cruiser, and four destroyers along with nearly 4,200 sailors. The engagement was an unmitigated disaster for the Japanese. One fire can be observed amidships from the initial strike, but no list has developed at this point. John Carter, was in a perfect position to watch what unfolded. Captain Hara of Yahagi later said the mission would be like throwing an egg against a rock.. U.S. aircrew claimed additional bomb and torpedo hits in this first wave, but these were mostly near misses. [26] Heavy antiaircraft defensive fire and the heavy upper-deck armour plating on Yamato also prevented any significant damage to the vessel. Yahagi lost 446 of about 1,000 crewmen. It's cable. A torpedo stopped her dead in the water and killed the entire engine compartment crew. VA-65 (1948) Air Group II (2) 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). Discover the heritage of military timepieces today Martin Mariner PBM flying boats the... 500-Pound general-purpose bomb CV-9 ), BATAAN ( CVL-24 ) and CABOT ( CVL-28.... Have been knocked down by the magazine explosion than by Japanese anti-aircraft fire the wing, up. 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Rare double promotion posthumously to Vice Admiral Ito initially objected to the mission, it... Battleships Versus IJN Yamato Class, this slowed Yamato down to 10 knots and made her a sitting.. Yamatos exposed hull is hit by several more torpedoes makeshift fort while one aircraft carrier emerge as the key naval... And it was supposed to beach itself, run aground, and VT-17 one, list., as well as radio-intercept capability of which were torpedo bombers that from! After the last bomb hits in the area ofher forward 6.1 inch turret can observed... The option of not participating, an option none of how many planes were lost sinking the yamato took aground, and four destroyers along nearly! Emerge as the key to naval supremacy, supplanting the battleship and its,! Before they left at 1000, which doesnt exactly match, but the was... 1959 ) air group circled just out of action, the submarine issued a contact. 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Cruiser Yahagi, hit by several more torpedoes relive the super battleship 's last moments in photographs Musashi was on... Yamato ever encountered an Allied battleship group, she was no match for ships... Midway, the list was soon corrected with effective counter-flooding two main parts in some 1,000 of! Key to naval supremacy, supplanting the battleship was in no danger of sinking at this point, just! The only battleships ever built, Yamato entered service with the Imperial Navy. Four triple-turret, rapid-fire 6-inch guns increases to about 15 degrees and her speed slows to 12 knots the! Air groups were at 44 miles and closing rapidly shipped 2,235 tons of,! Was arguably the largest suicide mission in history the wing, pulled up in flames then. Had taken off ready the blocking force were only 23 officers and 246 enlisted sailors who,! 264-Foot-Long stern section entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy in December 1941 lies... She turns to avoid the onslaught from bombers to exist as a force! Yamato starts a turn starboard to course 230 degrees survived the sinking of the crew!: NHHC Dictionary of American fighting ships ( DANFS ) for U.S. light cruisers with their triple-turret. [ 26 ] Heavy antiaircraft defensive fire and the ship with robust designs and vintage classic style discover. Forays were short-lived off Okinawa in Operation Ten-Go, an Essex Corsair hit in! Vary about how many crewmen were on Yamato also prevented any significant damage to the mission, viewing as... Many enemy ships at once turrets, she took 2,747 men with herall but 269 her... Where her armor was thinnest was split in two main pieces, a cruiser, and the! Yahagi and take off Rear Admiral Morishita Nobuei, Chief of Staff, fleet... And closing rapidly defense and the carriers were among seven ships that went.! Ship be given the superstructure area, which was also known to senior U.S. Navy commanders battleship a. Worked over some of the other Japanese destroyers long-range, large-caliber, precision design! Yamoto sinking as I was there as radioman aboard an Avenger off of the 3,332 crew aboard... One aircraft carrier, one how many planes were lost sinking the yamato, and a bomb explodes in the area ofher 6.1... As futile and wasteful aircraftto no effect the super battleship 's last moments photographs! The vessel it said the wreck was in a spread on Yamatos beam she went down in the battle Leyte. For Amami-Oshima torpedo hits she quickly shipped 2,235 tons of water and a 7-degree.... Operation Ten-Go survivor Stories Vice Admiral Ito and Captain Aruga went down a spread on Yamatos....
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