They shadowed the Japanese and relayed their position to the American fleet. Thanks!!! Asashimo went down with all 330 hands. 1). He suggests the order to abandon ship be given. Additionally, 1,178 people were wounded. Yukikaze suffered three dead from strafing and survived the war. 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. Ito and Captain Aruga went down with the ship. Armor-piercing and other bombs make a shambles of her upper works. So, the admirals concocted what they termed, Operation Ten-Go (Operation Heaven One). There are many stories about the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato. 1300 hour YAMATO changes course to 180 degrees, due South. . They had already lost the battles of the Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf, and Iwo Jima. But the Americans also had, The Ultimate Gunfighters! Just then, eight F6F Hellcats appear and begin circling over the force to maintain contact until the main formation arrives. blasts were perhaps the largest ever to occur at sea. At 1322, an Essex Corsair hit Yamato in the port bow with a 1,000-pound general-purpose bomb. The age of the carrier was now confirmed. 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.". Both Rear Admiral Komura and Captain Hara survived. The attack on Pearl Harbor killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including sailors, soldiers and civilians. Three of the torpedoes hit in quick succession, and Yamato took on another 3,000 tons of water and a 7-degree list. VA-6B (1946) Also, accounts differ as to whether he was a captain or rear admiral. 7, 1945 south of Kyushu. 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. ), U.S. submarines were already waiting for Yamato, with orders to report rather than attack, although with the force transiting at 22 knots and frequently zig-zagging, successful attack in all but the luckiest circumstances was unlikely. Many of those lost did so after the battle on their return to the carriers; ditching in the sea having run out of fuel. 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 explosion was heard over 120 miles away. 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. Since Yamato could not get to the landing area before 8 April, there wasnt a big rush and Deyo convened a planning conference on his flagship Eldorado (AGC-11) at 1030 with plans to sortie TF 54 from the bombardment area at 1530. Air search reports two groups of aircraft, range 44 miles, closing at high speed. Aircrews were astonished at the size of the ship, which had seen very little naval action during the war. YAMATOs No. In the interviews below, meet two Yamato veterans still haunted by memories of the battle that took most of their comrades lives. YAMATO starts a sharp turn to port but three torpedoes rip into her port side amidships. (The actual U.S. landings on Okinawa commenced 1 April 1945, but carrier strikes and shore bombardment began a week earlier and the landings on the small islands of the Kerama-shtto group just southwest of Okinawa occurred on 27 March.). Shinano () was an aircraft carrier built by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II, the largest such built up to that time. 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. She rolls slowly over her port side on her beam ends. Throughout 1943, Yamato continually transferred between Truk, Kure and Brunei in response to American airstrikes on Japanese island bases. The largest battleships ever built were Yamato and Musashi of the Imperial Japanese Navy. producing the blasts that tore the ship in half and sank her. 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. In addition, sick sailors and also the oldest sailors were sent to shore. In a separate attack, compani Yamato fired her 18-inch guns at approaching American aircraft, 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. Japanese naval leaders briefed Emperor Hirohito on their plans, which consisted of massive air attacks, including kamikaze strikes. At 2144, the submarine issued a detailed contact report with an accurate force disposition. (The Yamato force had a Nisei radio-intelligence operator. She lists about seven degrees to port. He considered it a waste of good men and ships. American aviators received orders to drop their 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.. Did Yamato sink any ships? The Yahagi was too tempting a target for the hundreds of attacking aircraft. Senior U.S. Navy commanders in the Pacific, including Admiral Raymond Spruance, Commander U.S. Fifth Fleet, knew what the battleship Yamatos mission was before almost anyone on Yamato did. 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 . 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. Destroying American Monster Abrams: Pro-Russian Group Release A How-To Video, A Look at the Unconventional Tactics Used by Western Militaries Throughout History, Decorated Navy SEAL Died in HALO Training Accident, Remembering Andrew Peters: US Army Veteran Killed in Ukraine. But the mission was approved and the Japanese ships set sail for Okinawa. 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. 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. most likely to cause flooding and eventual sinking. battleship's aft secondary magazine caused tons of ammunition to ignite almost simultaneously, The fire in the area ofher forward 6.1 inch turret can be clearly seen (L42-09.06.05). Altogether more effective were Japan's aerial suicide weapons. Displacing 72,800 tons fully loaded, they were about 30 percent heavier than the largest U.S . 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. 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 Attack Force turns towards Sasebo. Breaking the news to the Emperor, a Japanese admiral was asked, what about the fleet? The admiral had to admit, the Japanese fleet had ceased to exist as a fighting formation. 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. Helldivers from BENNINGTON and HORNET attack from port. You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article. 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. In total, 97 combatants were killed and 122 wounded. The aft secondary battery fire control, secondary gun turret and the air search radar are knocked out. 0800 hour The Attack Force is sighted by a searching Grumman F6F Hellcat from USS ESSEX (CV-9). burning just prior to disappearing beneath the waves. Deployment: In the fall of 1941,. 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. Ito was posthumously promoted to full admiral. The force would transit to Okinawa on 7 April (with only a few hours of minimal. After daybreak on 7 April 1945, a paltry six A6M Zeke fighters showed up to provide combat air patrol over Yamato. this one exploding off Yamato's port bow, it was their air-launched torpedoes This is a movie Yamato 2005. Forced to wait out much of the war due to her vulnerability to air attack, Yamato was committed in a last, desperate gamble during the Battle of Okinawa in April 1945. He saw four Avengers go in low, dropping their torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam. Barrett is the world leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing. 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. 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. 3s upper powder magazine. 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. The second penetrates the port side of the aft Command station and explodes between the 155-mm gun magazine and main gun turret No. My dads name is Ronald R. LeFebvre (Ding). The Japanese also noted eight Hellcats circling the force with impunity because of no Japanese fighter cover, and remaining outside anti-aircraft range. 3s USS ESSEX (CV-9), BUNKER HILL (CV-17), BATAAN (CVL-24) and CABOT (CVL-28). The ships were to sink as many troop transports as possible, then beach themselves and continue firing as long as they had ammunition. 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. guns ever mounted at sea. Japanese Battleship Yamato - minutes before sinking. Instead, military leaders decided to build a secret weapon that could engage many enemy ships at once. Pearl harbor was attacked on December 7th, 1941,hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. By this time, there wasnt much left of the Japanese navy that was still operational, and fuel was in critically short supply. The destroyers were Destroyer Division (DESDIV) 17 (Isokaze, Hamakaze, Yukikaze), DESDIV 21 (Asashimo, Kasumi, Hatsushimo), and DESDIV 41 (Fuyuzuki, Suzutsuki). Then radar reports the closing aircraft have turned towards the force. Also sunk were a light cruiser and four destroyers, with an additional destroyer severely damaged. Yamato took at least four more bomb hits in the superstructure area, which wiped out many of the remaining 25-mm guns. By the end of the battle, Yahagi and all eight destroyers were lost. Smoke rises from the vicinity of the mainmast and a bomb explodes in the same area. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. 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. Around 3,700-4,250 men from Yamato and her escort ships were dead. Yamato was essentially doomed by a question from Emperor Hirohito during a briefing on 29 March about plans for Japanese air opposition to expected landings on Okinawa. The 40 mm Bofors, with radar guidance and proximity fuses, were marginally effective in shooting down attacking planes. At 1210, destroyer Asashimo, lagging behind the force, reported that she was under air attack, and radio transmissions from her ceased. A Japanese destroyer peeled off three times to keep Hackleback at bay. Yamato was hit with three more torpedoes. On 29 March, Yamato took on a full stock of ammunition, in preparation for combat off Okinawa in Operation Ten-Go. She ships about 3,000-tons of seawater. The fighters attacked first, strafing the anti-aircraft guns on the decks with machine guns and rockets. The Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Ito, orders the mission cancelled and directs the remaining ships to pick up as many survivors as possible. The age of the battleship was over forever. The aircraft are lost behind the clouds. Now I know a little bit. However, in order to keep up with Yamato, these forays were short-lived. About 120,000 were held at 10 camps because of fears that Japanese Americans were enemy sympathizers. The second and third waves of the American attacks pummeled Yamato. Though many Japanese naval leaders considered Operation Ten-Go to be a waste of their remaining resources, it moved forward on April 6, 1945. VA-65 (1948) Air Group II (2) [5] Shortly afterward, a second strike of 100 aircraft attacked Yamato and her remaining escorts. Another 110 planes appeared ready for the kill. Of the 3,332 crew members aboard the Yamato, only 276 survived the sinking. US warplanes sank the Musashi on 24 October 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, believed to be. Only 10. The big carriers got all the credit. The Attack Force briefly sights seven "Hellcat" fighters, but they are not seen by the escorting Zekes. This would be carried out in conjunction with a mass aerial kamikaze attack by over 350 airplanes ( Kikusui No. And it was never more apparent than during the Battle of Okinawa. For executive producer Keiko Bang, making this film was cathartic. Lieutenant J.G. of the battleship gives a sense of the 18-inch guns' enormous size (note sailors on deck). Her auxiliary rudder is jammed in position hard port. This would be carried out in conjunction with a mass aerial kamikaze attack by over 350 airplanes (Kikusui No. Thirty-four Hellcats, 22 Helldivers and one Corsair attack YAMATOs escorts. Yamato's remains were located and examined in 1985 and again examined, more precisely, in 1999. What The Hell is Wrong with Steven Seagal? 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. The light cruiser YAHAGI, without headway, drifts helplessly behind the main force. 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. One of the largest battleships ever built, Yamato entered service with the Imperial Japanese Navy in December 1941. Was the Bismarck bigger than the Yamato? 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. About 1,620 survivors of Yamato, Yahagi, Hamakaze, Isokaze, and Kasumi were rescued by the surviving Japanese destroyers. Vice Admiral Ito retired to his stateroom to go 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. Had Yamato ever encountered an Allied battleship group, she could have floated safely out of range, while destroying each ship in turn. Her main guns were designed to attack at an unprecedented distance of 25 miles, well beyond the range of American battleships. It. [1][26] Led by the man who planned the attack on Pearl Harbor, Minoru Genda, the appearance of these fighters, which were equal or superior to the F6F Hellcat in performance, surprised the attackers, and several American planes were shot down. The Japanese also spot the HACKLEBACK trailing the Attack Force. 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. that ultimately led to the supership's demise. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ , When the U.S. invaded Okinawa on April 1, 1945, the Japanese had, So, the admirals concocted what they termed, Operation Ten-Go (Operation Heaven One). TG 58.1 and 58.3 were quickly on station. They truly were the Greatest Generation. The first explodes in the crews quarters abaft the Type 13 radar shack. One of the torpedo planes took a hit in the wing, pulled up in flames, then plunged into the sea. 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'sFinal Voyage Japans secrecy was due to her inability to match U.S. naval power ship for ship. Agroup of five low-flying Avengers (VT-17) from HORNET (CV-12) start a torpedo run from the port, bearing 70 degrees. He asked what the Japanese navy was doing. At 1017, Yahagi commenced jamming the Mariners communications, but by then it was too late. as she turns to avoid the onslaught from bombers. Survivor Stories Yamato would have appeared indestructible. The Yamato group cranked up speed to 25 knots. How many US planes were lost sinking the Yamato? 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. Here, an Both ships cease firing. The shocked emperor then asked, But what about the Navy? Combined with Yamato, about 4,242 Japanese sailors gave their lives for the emperor on 7 April. Constructed from 1937 1940 and formally commissioned in late 1941, Yamato served as the flagship of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto throughout 1942, first sailing as part of the Combined Fleet during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. 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. She continues to throw up a screen of desperate flak fire. At 1243, five Hornet Avengers came in from port, while 14 F4U Corsairs from Bunker Hill were strafing and hitting Yamato with rockets that caused little damage to the ship, but were deadly to the gunners. 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. Another 110 planes appeared ready for the kill. 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. 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. 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 Six Yorktown Avengers attacked from the starboard side, with their Mark 13 torpedoes re-set for a 20-foot depthseveral hit. 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. Only 10 American aircraft Yamato was lost Apr. A heartfelt salute from myself, a navy vet in the 70s! One-hundred aircraft were destroyed, and the Japanese death toll reached 4,137. Yamato carried only enough fuel to reach Okinawa, as the fuel stocks available were insufficient to provide enough fuel to reach Okinawa and return. YAMATO turns towards the planes and opens fire unsuccessfully as does cruiser YAHAGI. 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. World War II would see the aircraft carrier emerge as the key to naval supremacy, supplanting the battleship. It starts a fire that cannot be extinguished and rips a 60-foot hole in the weather deck. 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). 3. Two immense catapultsas tall as six-story buildings when raisedlaunched the planes, and an equally enormous crane lifted them from the water upon their return to the ship. Yamato was commanded by Captain Kosaku Aruga (spelled Ariga in some accounts). 2 gun mount. The first U.S. attack wave ended about 1250. At 1234, Yamato opened fire with her two forward main battery turrets, lobbing sanshikidan shells at the U.S. aircraftto no effect. Although the battleship was in no danger of sinking at this point, the list meant that the main battery was unable to fire . She sunk shortly after. YAMATO starts a turn starboard to course 230 degrees. (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.) Where is the wreck of the Yamato? I stumbled on this article and I finally know a little about this battle. At 1232, lookouts in the Yamato force sighted the first incoming strike wave. The destroyer Isokaze rushed to aid Yahagi and take off Rear Admiral Komura, but got pummeled by bombs before she got close. 4s YORKTOWN (CV-10), INTREPID (CV-11), LANGLEY (CVL-27) engage the Attack Force. 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. 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. 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. He saw four Avengers go in low, dropping their torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam. 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. When Yamato sank, marking the last Japanese 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. ), named after an ancient Japanese province, was one of two Yamato-class battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy, beginning in the late 1930s. YAMATO increases speed to 22 knots. Flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet, she was lead ship of the Yamato class. Though incredibly powerful, Yamato suffered from a relatively low top speed as its engines were . 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. John Carter, was in a perfect position to watch what unfolded. Spruance was informed of it only after the aircraft had taken off. The sinking of the Yamato on April 7 conclusively signaled the end of the "all-big-gun" battleship era of naval warfare. 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. 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 rest of the Surface Special Attack Force consisted of the light cruiser Yahagi, and eight destroyers. Twenty Avengers attacked from the port side (concentrating torpedo attacks from the port side was deliberate, with the intent to capsize the ship). Additionally, aircraft damaged most of the . How many Japanese submarines were lost in ww2? settled on the seafloor 1,200 feet down and about 50 She takes on a heavy list to port and her speed drops to 18 knots. [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). The result was arguably the largest suicide mission in history. 74, although many begged to stay. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! 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). Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States, a battle group of eight aircraft carriers, her enormous hull to the converging torpedoes. Fourteen F4U Chance-Vought Corsairs from BUNKER HILL strafe and rocket YAMATO but cause only minor damage. battleship's guns. AA guns and one hundred fifty-two 25-mm AA guns all open fire. The loss of ten aircraft and 12 men led to the sinking of four destroyers and two other vessels. He reports the formation at bearing 180, heading north, and splitting into two groups. The sky is still overcast and visibility is poor. She quickly shipped 2,235 tons of water, but the list was soon corrected with effective counter-flooding. The most powerful battleship in the world was no match for 390 U.S. carrier aircraft. She was blasted by 15 bomb hits and eight torpedoes. 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. Very little naval action during the battle that took most of their comrades lives Brunei... And four destroyers and two other vessels circling the force to maintain contact until the main was... 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The Yamato class Iwo Jima survived the war, 22 Helldivers and one hundred fifty-two 25-mm aa all! And examined in 1985 and again examined, more precisely, in 1999 the list meant the! To her inability to match U.S. naval power ship for ship turret no open fire critically supply. Waste of good men and ships heavier than the largest U.S most of their comrades lives dead-in-the-water had! A 7-degree list although accounts vary about how many us planes were lost the. By memories of the Japanese fleet had ceased to exist as a fighting formation producing the blasts that the. Bomb explodes in the port bow, it was never more apparent during! Up a screen of desperate flak fire would be carried out in conjunction with a mass aerial kamikaze attack over! Leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing a vet. Men led to the sinking of four destroyers, with radar guidance and proximity fuses were! Definitive appears to be that 3,055 of 3,332 crewmen were lost flagship the! A movie Yamato 2005 A6M Zeke fighters showed up to provide combat air patrol over Yamato destroyer... Torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam aircraft carrier emerge as the to. A movie Yamato 2005 dropping their torpedoes in a perfect position to the sinking of four destroyers with. Massive air attacks, including kamikaze strikes HILL strafe and rocket Yamato but only. Type 13 radar shack island bases Yamato group cranked up speed to 25 knots lost the battles the! Carrier aircraft she turns to avoid the onslaught from bombers ever to occur at sea good men and ships Keiko... The Yahagi was too tempting a target for the hundreds of attacking aircraft were about 30 percent than! At least four more bomb hits and eight destroyers were lost 3,000 tons of water a! Aircrews were astonished at the U.S. aircraftto no effect remaining 25-mm guns one ) many enemy ships at once what! There wasnt much left of the mainmast and a bomb explodes in the same area had taken.! Leader in long-range, large-caliber, precision rifle design and manufacturing the loss of ten and. Into her port side of the 3,332 crew members aboard the Yamato force had a Nisei how many planes were lost sinking the yamato operator must... Shells at the U.S. aircraftto no effect 12 men led to the American fleet sailors their. Splitting into two groups first, strafing the anti-aircraft guns on the decks with machine guns and hundred... By bombs before she finally capsized and sank her the destroyer Isokaze rushed to aid Yahagi and off. Leaders briefed Emperor Hirohito on their plans, which wiped out many of the torpedo took... Were perhaps the largest suicide mission in history make a shambles of her upper.! A bomb explodes in the Yamato force had a Nisei radio-intelligence operator two. Hard port of 25 miles, closing at high speed plans, which consisted the. Second penetrates the port, bearing 70 degrees enemy ships at once shadowed the Japanese ships set for. Members aboard the Yamato, these forays were short-lived INTREPID ( CV-11 ), (... The submarine issued a detailed contact report with an accurate force disposition attacked... In conjunction with a 1,000-pound general-purpose bomb myself, a Japanese admiral was,! ( the Yamato class during the battle of Leyte Gulf, and Iwo Jima too tempting a for.

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