I was so fortunate to have had that experience!!! Fuyutsuki was hit by two dud rockets. 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. John Carter, was in a perfect position to watch what unfolded. He considered it a waste of good men and ships. The light cruiser Yahagi was the first hit, less than fifteen minutes after the firing began. 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. Though many Japanese naval leaders considered Operation Ten-Go to be a waste of their remaining resources, it moved forward on April 6, 1945. Read Next: The Ultimate Gunfighters! However, in order to keep up with Yamato, these forays were short-lived. Yamato avoided two, but the third hit her port side at 1245. My Dad was one of the Hell Diver pilots from the Essex who scored a hit as was recorded in his NC. ), and when they were lost.the bu numbers listed as lost on 4.7.1945 is very extensive!!!!! 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. 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). 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. Hit by at least 11 torpedoes and six bombs, Yamato was sunk, along with Yahagi and four of the destroyers. Listing heavily to port, YAMATOs exposed hull is hit by several more torpedoes. The Americans lost a total of only 10 aircraft four Helldivers, three Avengers, and three Hellcats and 12 men. 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. Deep sea explorers have found two Japanese aircraft carriers that were sunk in battle in World War Two. This is a movie Yamato 2005. 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. photographed the destruction. Deyo had just received a cheery send-off from his immediate boss: "We hope you will bring back a nice fish for breakfast." Yamato (), named after the ancient Japanese Yamato Province, was a battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. I stumbled on this article and I finally know a little about this battle. When the U.S. invaded Okinawa on April 1, 1945, the Japanese had no naval answer to the invasion force. Then radar reports the closing aircraft have turned towards the force. Two other destroyers were heavily damaged, one, the Hamakaze later sank. At flank speed, YAMATO commences a right turn but two 1000-lb AP bombs hit her. guns ever mounted at sea. The Musashi and its sister vessel, the Yamato, were two of the largest battleships ever built. 1000 hour The Attack Force sights two large Martin Mariner PBM flying boats. LtCdr (later Captain) Herbert Houck, the leader of 43 TBM Avengers of VT-9 from YORKTOWN, detaches Lt Thomas Stetsons six Avengers in a final torpedo attack from the ships starboard side. 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. 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. 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. Her secondary armament . They shadowed the Japanese and relayed their position to the American fleet. In the 1980s, shipwreck hunters found the Yamato 180 miles (290 kilometers) southwest of Kyushu, one of the main islands of Japan. 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). 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 Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Ito, orders the mission cancelled and directs the remaining ships to pick up as many survivors as possible. Of the Japanese destroyers, Asashimo was sunk with all hands (about 330) and Hamakaze sank with a loss of 100 crewmen and 45 wounded (257 were rescued). Did Yamato sink any ships? >. One Avenger is shot down. The Attack Force turns to course 205, towards Okinawa. 1200 hour A lookout spots three Japanese troopships on bearing 0250 heading for Amami-Oshima. She lies in two main parts in some 1,000 feet of water. Sources include: NHHC Dictionary of American Fighting Ships (DANFS) for U.S. ships and combinedfleet.com for Japanese ships. Additionally, 1,178 people were wounded. Also interviewed is an American dive-bomber pilot who took part in the attack. 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. Armor-piercing and other bombs make a shambles of her upper works. The Americans lost 10 aircraft, while one aircraft carrier, one battleship, and one destroyer were damaged. To buck up morale, many captains of capital ships received a accelerated promotion to rear admiral in 1944. Of Yamato's crew of 2,747, all but 23 officers and 246 enlisted men were lost. The engagement was an unmitigated disaster for the Japanese. The second and third waves of the American attacks pummeled Yamato. 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. She slips under followed by an underwater explosion. 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. Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States, a battle group of eight aircraft carriers, her enormous hull to the converging torpedoes. With this contact information, Spruance ordered Deyo to ready the blocking force. Turret #1 can also be seen upfront. Later that day, the battered destroyers ISOKAZE and KASUMI are scuttled and sink. 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 fighter issued a contact report at 0832. Most of the battles in the Pacific dont mention anything about the small carriers that were involved. The light cruiser YAHAGI, without headway, drifts helplessly behind the main force. 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. Another 110 planes appeared ready for the kill. Pearl harbor was attacked on December 7th, 1941,hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. I joined the Navy in 1964. She was blasted by 12 bombs and six more torpedos. At 1210, destroyer Asashimo, lagging behind the force, reported that she was under air attack, and radio transmissions from her ceased. At 1014, the Yamato force sighted the two Martin Mariner PBM flying boats, and also noted that Hackleback was still trailing (the Japanese had made so many course changes during the night that the sub was able to cut the corner and maintain contact on the force). Adam Brown: A SEALs Life of Courage and Redemption, Complete List: Ticonderoga-class Missile Cruisers To Retire By 2027, Nuclear Close Calls That Nearly Caused World War III, Russian Sausage Millionaire and Putin Critic Falls to His Death in India, Deadly Russian Rifle Brigade Wiped Out During War in Ukraine. Yamato maneuvers while under attack by U.S. Navy carrier planes north of Okinawa, 7 April 1945, maneuvering evasively at a brisk 15 to 20 knots. 276 men are rescued including Rear Admiral Morishita Nobuei, Chief of Staff, Second Fleet (and former YAMATO skipper). 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. The executive officer reported to Captain Aruga that the damage control officers were dead and that counter-flooding could no longer correct the list, and recommended the ship be abandoned. At 1232, lookouts in the Yamato force sighted the first incoming strike wave. This would be carried out in conjunction with a mass aerial kamikaze attack by over 350 airplanes ( Kikusui No. Was the Bismarck bigger than the Yamato? This Is A Great Article Of An Historic Event. The attack on Pearl Harbor 71 years ago left a tangled mess of burning and shattered warships. 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. One Helldiver is shot down, another is damaged badly. As Yamato continued to list to port, her starboard armor belt came out of the water and her vulnerable underside became exposed. VA-6B (1946) Yahagi was a relatively small light cruiser (6,600 tons) completed in 1943 and intended for use as a destroyer flotilla leader. This great vessel had a . They would not be needed. At 1017, Yahagi commenced jamming the Mariners communications, but by then it was too late. In 1945 Carrier Air Group 17 consisted of VF-17, VBF-17, VB-17, and VT-17. Captain Hara of Yahagi later said the mission would be like throwing an egg against a rock.. Asashimo went down with all 330 hands. 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. These [1] When the 1st Battleship Division was deactivated once again on 10 February, Yamato was reassigned to the 1st Carrier Division. Half of the dead at . By the end of the battle, Yahagi and all eight destroyers were lost. The FIST of the FLEET where it began during WWII. They were also given the option of not participating, an option none of them took. Throughout 1943, Yamato continually transferred between Truk, Kure and Brunei in response to American airstrikes on Japanese island bases. She ships about 3,000-tons of seawater. I was a radioman on one of the VT23 Avengers participating in this strike flying off the Langley. VFA-25 (1983 and continuing). At 1322, an Essex Corsair hit Yamato in the port bow with a 1,000-pound general-purpose bomb. The destroyers were Destroyer Division (DESDIV) 17 (Isokaze, Hamakaze, Yukikaze), DESDIV 21 (Asashimo, Kasumi, Hatsushimo), and DESDIV 41 (Fuyuzuki, Suzutsuki). Mitscher, CTF 58, was embarked on Bunker Hill. He saw four Avengers go in low, dropping their torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam. 4s YORKTOWN (CV-10), INTREPID (CV-11), LANGLEY (CVL-27) engage the Attack Force. 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. At 1115, Yamatos radar indicated the two air groups were at 44 miles and closing rapidly. Operation Ten-Go ( (Kyjitai) or ja: (Shinjitai) Ten-g Sakusen) was a Japanese naval operation plan in 1945, consisting of four likely scenarios. 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,. 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 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. YAMATO stops zigzagging and increases speed to 24 knots. Her secondary armament was significantly altered during the war by removing two of her four triple 6.1-inch turrets in favor of increased anti-aircraft armament, which, by 1945, included 12 dual 5-inch gun mounts, 54 25-mm triple mounts (162 guns), and smaller machine guns. In total, the U.S. lost 12 men. I hope you enjoy the video! A U.S. PBM Mariner also rescued several Japanese survivors. Legendary Lost Japanese WWII Battleship Found by Billionaire Paul Allen.The search was funded by Paul Allen, the Microsoft co . . The Attack Force resumes zigzagging. The escorts cannot defend the flagship either. This was taken by senior Japanese navy leaders as implicit criticism of their services inaction. The most powerful battleship in the world was no match for 390 U.S. carrier aircraft. Before getting underway, the Surface Special Attack Force put ashore 67 recently arrived midshipmen of the Etajima Naval Academy Class No. two Japanese aircraft carriers Deep sea explorers have found two Japanese aircraft carriers that were sunk in battle in World War Two. The rest of the Surface Special Attack Force consisted of the light cruiser Yahagi, and eight destroyers. Yamato took at least four more bomb hits in the superstructure area, which wiped out many of the remaining 25-mm guns. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ The remaining destroyers tried to pick up as many survivors as possible and limped back to Japan. An astounding series of explosions onboard Lieutenant J.G. 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. As she came under attack on that April morning, the Combined with Yamato, about 4,242 Japanese sailors gave their lives for the emperor on 7 April. 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? What are they doing to assist in defending Okinawa? In a separate attack, compani Of the 3,332 crew members aboard the Yamato, only 276 survived the sinking. miles southwest of Kyushu, Japan. 4: Factual error; Musashi was sunk on Oct. 23, 1944 in the Sibuyan Sea. He gave the go-ahead for the strike but ordered the battlewagons to proceed in the event the Japanese fleet got through the airstrike. While the Americans' 1,000-pound bombs held fearsome destructive power, as seen in 1 magazine explodes and sends up a cloud of smoke seen 100 miles away. 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. 74, although many begged to stay. 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. How many planes were lost attacking the Yamato? 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. I was a radioman on one of the light cruiser Yahagi was the first hit, less than minutes... 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