As Yamato continued to list to port, her starboard armor belt came out of the water and her vulnerable underside became exposed. They truly were the Greatest Generation. The American planes release their bombs and torpedoes and strafe the bridge with machine-gun fire. Instead, Yamato was obsolete the day she was launched, as the Japanese themselves proved at Pearl Harbor and elsewhere by sinking Allied battleships with airpower. Her main guns were designed to attack at an unprecedented distance of 25 miles, well beyond the range of American battleships. In total, 97 combatants were killed and 122 wounded. 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. aircraft's overhead view of its target. Her auxiliary rudder is jammed in position hard port. In all, Yamato took 12 bomb and 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. At that point, the crews would go ashore to fight and die to the last man along with their army comrades. 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. Displacing 72,800 tons fully loaded, they were about 30 percent heavier than the largest U.S . 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. 1300 hour YAMATO changes course to 180 degrees, due South. On 19 March 1945 Yamato came under heavy attack when American carrier aircraft from Enterprise, Yorktown and Intrepid raided the major naval base of Kure where she was docked. ), named after an ancient Japanese province, was one of two Yamato-class battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy, beginning in the late 1930s. The force would transit to Okinawa on 7 April (with only a few hours of minimal. The result was arguably the largest suicide mission in history. American aviators received orders to drop their He considered it a waste of good men and ships. (Based on erroneous San Jacinto report, Samuel Eliot Morison misidentifies this ship as Hamakaze, but a photo shows a Yugumo-class destroyer, which would be Asashimo, and which was also the one lagging behind.). 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. naval action of the war, she took 2,747 men with herall but 269 of her crew. . The aircraft are lost behind the clouds. The Japanese fighters were unable to make contact before they left at 1000. 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. Her secondary armament . 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. Helldivers from BENNINGTON and HORNET attack from port. The massive air group circled just out of range of the anti-aircraft guns of the Japanese. Did Yamato sink any ships? The destroyer Isokaze rushed to aid Yahagi and take off Rear Admiral Komura, but got pummeled by bombs before she got close. By dawn on April 7, Asashimo, one of the destroyers developed engine trouble and started heading back to port in Japan. One bomb exploded in crews quarters, but the other bomb exploded near the aft command station and knocked out one of her two air search radars, the aft secondary gun director, several 25-mm gun mounts, and started a fire that killed all but one crewman in the after secondary (6-inch) gun turret and that couldnt be put out. 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. According to Morison, there were only 23 officers and 246 enlisted sailors who survived, which doesnt exactly match, but is close. Yahagi was a relatively small light cruiser (6,600 tons) completed in 1943 and intended for use as a destroyer flotilla leader. Still kicking but dont know why. The Americans lost 10 aircraft, while one aircraft carrier, one battleship, and one destroyer were damaged. Mitscher, CTF 58, was embarked on Bunker Hill. Having already counter-flooded to starboard, the only option Yamato had was to flood her starboard engine and boiler rooms. Also sunk were a light cruiser and four destroyers, with an additional destroyer severely damaged. Being young, I took it all for granted. Listing heavily to port, YAMATOs exposed hull is hit by several more torpedoes. I was a radioman on one of the VT23 Avengers participating in this strike flying off the Langley. Support Veteran Journalism . battleship's guns. The attack lasted just two hours, but it was devastating: The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and more than 300 airplanes. Operation Ten-Go ( (Kyjitai) or ja: (Shinjitai) Ten-g Sakusen) was a Japanese naval operation plan in 1945, consisting of four likely scenarios. This is the first wave of 280 aircraft (132 fighters, 50 bombers, 98 torpedo planes) from Task Group 58. Of the 3,332 crew members aboard the Yamato, only 276 survived the sinking. 1,187 crewmen of DesRon 2s light cruiser YAHAGI and the four destroyers are also lost. 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. 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 final phase of the Pacific war during World War II saw a terrible new tactic: massed kamikaze attacks on American ships by Japanese planes. A torpedo stopped her dead in the water and killed the entire engine compartment crew. The Imperial Japanese Navy ceases to exist as a fighting force. Read Next: The Ultimate Gunfighters! A near miss on Hamakaze disabled her starboard shaft and then, at 1247, torpedo hits amidships blew her in half. 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. Most of the battles in the Pacific dont mention anything about the small carriers that were involved. Though incredibly powerful, Yamato suffered from a relatively low top speed as its engines were . The Japanese lost three aircraft carriers and 426 aircraft; Yamato ' s only . The sinking of the Yamato on April 7 conclusively signaled the end of the "all-big-gun" battleship era of naval warfare. Very interesting or happy to read about the Yamoto sinking as I was there as radioman aboard an Avenger off of the USS Langley. About 1,187 crewmen of Yahagi and the four destroyers were lost. Jan 6, 2019 Conan White, Guest Author. With nearly all of her anti-aircraft guns out of action, the Avenger torpedo planes wreaked havoc. They would not be needed. She didn't even make it close to Okinawa. 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. While still a token of national pride, the sinking of Yamato also symbolized the sad end of the once invincible Imperial Japanese Navy. 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. YAMATO and YAHAGI open fire, increase speed to 24 knots and commence a series of sharp evasive maneuvers. 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. WORLD WAR II. VFA-25 (1983 and continuing). 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. . two Japanese aircraft carriers Deep sea explorers have found two Japanese aircraft carriers that were sunk in battle in World War Two. Now I know a little bit. 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. Her waterline armor belt was 16 inches thick. Kasumi, which had her steering disabled by two bomb hits, suffered 17 dead and 47 wounded, and was scuttled by two torpedoes from Fuyuzuki. At 14:23, having taken 10 torpedo and 7 bomb hits, Yamatos forward ammunition magazines detonated. Eight Japanese destroyers and one cruiser, the Yahagi (left), tried to assist Yamato in fending off her attackers. Captain Aruga lashed himself to the binnacle to do the same. torpedoes such that they would penetrate Yamato below the waterline near With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! 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. A report that had been delayed for 25 minutes by ransmission and decoding, is received finally. At 1210, destroyer Asashimo, lagging behind the force, reported that she was under air attack, and radio transmissions from her ceased. The Attack Force resumes zigzagging. VA-6B (1946) H-044-3: Operation Heaven Number One (Ten-ichi-go)the Death of Yamato, 7 April 1945. 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. At about 1237, U.S. aircraft commenced attack runs, with strafing and rockets from fighters (which quickly began decimating Japanese anti-aircraft gunners), and then bombs and torpedoes. Yamato was lost Apr. The first torpedoes pass by harmlessly, but the remaining two strike her port amidships. Thank you to all the brave men and women of the US armed forces! 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. VA-65 (1948) Air Group II (2) 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. What is not mentioned above is that this mission was considered a potential suicide mission for the American aviators due the distance they were required to fly. The Americans lose 10 aircraft and 12 crewmen. 7. The visibility was highly variable, but often not very good due to cloud cover. Had Yamato ever encountered an Allied battleship group, she could have floated safely out of range, while destroying each ship in turn. 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). The second and third waves of the American attacks pummeled Yamato. 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. 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. TG 58.1 and 58.3 were quickly on station. Aircrews were astonished at the size of the ship, which had seen very little naval action during the war. Thanks!!! This photograph was taken in December 1941, shortly Photographed from a USS Yorktown (CV-10) plane (NH 62581). As later described by the captain of Yahagi, Captain Tameichi Hara, the meeting was quite contentious. As a Minnesota teenager when the war started,. Torpedoes explode against Yamato's port side An astounding series of explosions onboard 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. 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 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. burning just prior to disappearing beneath the waves. The Attack Force changes course due south to 180 degrees. Altogether more effective were Japan's aerial suicide weapons. The fire in the area ofher forward 6.1 inch turret can be clearly seen (L42-09.06.05). 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. It starts a fire that cannot be extinguished and rips a 60-foot hole in the weather deck. Yamato carried only enough fuel to reach Okinawa, as the fuel stocks available were insufficient to provide enough fuel to reach Okinawa and return. Then it was supposed to beach itself, run aground, and use the ship as a makeshift fort. Later that day, the battered destroyers ISOKAZE and KASUMI are scuttled and sink. ), and when they were lost.the bu numbers listed as lost on 4.7.1945 is very extensive!!!!! . Her remaining air search radar reports the approach of a second attack wave. 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. By this time, there wasnt much left of the Japanese navy that was still operational, and fuel was in critically short supply. Lieutenant J.G. The carriers were among seven ships that went down in the Battle of Midway, a major air and . 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. heaviest and most powerful battleship ever built, carrying the most formidable Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States, a battle group of eight aircraft carriers, her enormous hull to the converging torpedoes. 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. FRUPAC had the message that the air cover would end at 1000, which was also known to senior U.S. Navy commanders. 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). Deyo had just received a cheery send-off from his immediate boss: "We hope you will bring back a nice fish for breakfast." The Yahagi was too tempting a target for the hundreds of attacking aircraft. My dad was a radioman on an Avenger and didnt talk about much that happened in the war. began to flood. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. DesDiv 17s HAMAKAZE takes a near miss on her starboard quarter that disables her starboard shaft. 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. (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.) My dads name is Ronald R. LeFebvre (Ding). He had friends wounded and killed, but the small carriers were never given credit for anything that happened. seven torpedo hits within two hours of battle. He reports the formation at bearing 180, heading north, and splitting into two groups. How many Japanese aircraft carriers were sunk in ww2? Though many Japanese naval leaders considered Operation Ten-Go to be a waste of their remaining resources, it moved forward on April 6, 1945. U.S. aircrew claimed additional bomb and torpedo hits in this first wave, but these were mostly near misses. Living Conditions. 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. It. But the mission was approved and the Japanese ships set sail for Okinawa. (They were right.) By the end of the battle, Yahagi and all eight destroyers were lost. She sunk shortly after. 10 aircraft Yamato was still more than 300 nautical miles from Okinawa when she went down. At 1342, another Avenger was shot down, but four more torpedoes were inbound from the port side and two hit. She was blasted by 12 bombs and six more torpedos. 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 . concentrate their torpedoes on just one of Yamato's sides, an approach Twelve Helldivers claimed several hits in the bridge area in exchange for five Helldivers damaged by anti-aircraft fire. 1000 hour - The Attack Force sights two large Martin "Mariner" PBM flying boats. At 0657, destroyer Asashimo, with Captain Kotaki, DESDIV 21, embarked, sent a signal that she was having engine trouble and began to fall behind. At 1232, lookouts in the Yamato force sighted the first incoming strike wave. 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. The real story of the Yamato sinking March 06, 2008 On April 7, 1945, three southern boys were above the clouds north of Okinawa, 125 miles from the southernmost tip of the main Japanese islands searching for "the largest, heaviest and most powerful battleship ever constructed." They lost their best battleship, a cruiser, and four destroyers along with nearly 4,200 sailors. They were also instructed to The ships were to sink as many troop transports as possible, then beach themselves and continue firing as long as they had ammunition. With the steering locked to port and the ship doomed, Admiral Ito at 1402 hours ordered the crew to abandon ship. 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. Anatomy of Yamato The first explodes in the crews quarters abaft the Type 13 radar shack. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. It's cable. Design and construction Main article: Yamato-class battleship Hit by at least 11 torpedoes and six bombs, Yamato was sunk, along with Yahagi and four of the destroyers. 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. On April 7, 1945, the Japanese battleship Yamato, one of the greatest battleships of its time, is sunk in Japan's first major counteroffensive in the struggle for Okinawa. TG 58.4 had just finished refueling and would arrive just in time. While the Americans' 1,000-pound bombs held fearsome destructive power, as seen in 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 Japanese also spot the HACKLEBACK trailing the Attack Force. All ships increase speed to 25 knots and commence a simultaneous turn. 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. 1). Twelve Helldivers claim several hits near the bridge and main gun turret No. The sky is still overcast and visibility is poor. A Japanese destroyer peeled off three times to keep Hackleback at bay. Mitscher ordered all four of his carrier task groups to proceed as soon as possible to launch positions northeast of Okinawa with the intent to destroy Yamato before it got anywhere near Okinawa. (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. 1400 hour Three bombs explode port amidships, five minutes later a torpedo hits her starboard side amidships. Ito was posthumously promoted to full admiral. Three of the torpedoes hit in quick succession, and Yamato took on another 3,000 tons of water and a 7-degree list. At flank speed, YAMATO commences a right turn but two 1000-lb AP bombs hit her. Japanese Battleship Yamato - minutes before sinking. Also interviewed is an American dive-bomber pilot who took part in the attack. Everyone of them, enlisted and officers, were a true gentleman. The Attack Force briefly sights seven Hellcat fighters, but they are not seen by the escorting Zekes. This is a movie Yamato 2005. At 1000 hours he launched a total of 386 aircraft consisting of fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers. YAMATO increases speed to 22 knots. I hope you enjoy the video! the Japanese were aware of Yamato's poor anti-aircraft defense and . 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. At 1830, destroyer Isokaze sighted Threadfin on the surface. Some who were shot down were later picked up by seaplanes or submarines. The Japanese also noted eight Hellcats circling the force with impunity because of no Japanese fighter cover, and remaining outside anti-aircraft range. US warplanes sank the Musashi on 24 October 1944 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, believed to be. This Is A Great Article Of An Historic Event. Yamato was still more than 300 nautical miles from Okinawa when she went down. But the Americans also had, The Ultimate Gunfighters! 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. In a separate attack, compani TG 58.1, commanded by Rear Admiral J. J. Behind the Scenes In the interviews below, meet two Yamato veterans still haunted by memories of the battle that took most of their comrades lives. Fifty aircraft from ESSEX and BATAAN are sighted approaching from the SSW, range 18.5 miles. The Yamato group cranked up speed to 25 knots. Legendary Lost Japanese WWII Battleship Found by Billionaire Paul Allen.The search was funded by Paul Allen, the Microsoft co . (The Yamato force had a Nisei radio-intelligence operator. There are many stories about the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato. (Video: Reuters) When the Japanese fleet approached Midway, the Americans were lying in wait. Her nine 18.1-inch guns firing Sanshikidan beehive shells, twenty-four 127-mm. 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. 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. Deep sea explorers have found two Japanese aircraft carriers that were sunk in battle in World War Two. Yahagi lost 446 of about 1,000 crewmen. Fourteen F4U Chance-Vought Corsairs from BUNKER HILL strafe and rocket YAMATO but cause only minor damage. Twenty Avengers attacked from the port side (concentrating torpedo attacks from the port side was deliberate, with the intent to capsize the ship). Turret #1 can also be seen upfront. AA guns and one hundred fifty-two 25-mm AA guns all open fire. Built in total secrecy and launched just after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Yamato may have been almost twice the size of her American counterparts, with the largest guns ever mounted on a warship. [28] An estimated 2,498 of the 2,700 crew members on Yamato were lost, including Vice-Admiral Seiichi It, the fleet commander.[1]. The Musashi and its sister vessel, the Yamato, were two of the largest battleships ever built. Vice Admiral Ito and YAMATOs skipper Captain Aruga and 3,055 of 3,332 crewmen are lost. 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. She slips under followed by an underwater explosion. 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. He suggests the order to abandon ship be given. 7, 1945 south of Kyushu. Yamato would have appeared indestructible. ), 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. Around 2:00pm all power was lost and permission was given to abandon ship. How many US planes were lost sinking the Yamato? At 1234, Yamato opened fire with her two forward main battery turrets, lobbing sanshikidan shells at the U.S. aircraftto no effect. [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. Asashimo went down with all 330 hands. What are they doing to assist in defending Okinawa? 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. 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. [1], Operation Ten-Go was a deliberate suicide attack against American forces off Okinawa by Yamato and nine escorts, beginning on 6 April 1945. The Fleet Commander, Vice Admiral Ito, orders the mission cancelled and directs the remaining ships to pick up as many survivors as possible. 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. At 2144, the submarine issued a detailed contact report with an accurate force disposition. The Yamato-class ships were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing 72,800 long tons (74,000 t) fully loaded and armed with nine 46-centimetre (18.1 in) main guns. Yukikaze suffered three dead from strafing and survived the war. All Rights Reserved. The Yamato sank during a fierce battle for Okinawa on April, 7 1945. 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. one-third of which were torpedo bombers that hit from low altitudes. This would be carried out in conjunction with a mass aerial kamikaze attack by over 350 airplanes (Kikusui No. Jocko Clark, embarked on Hornet (CV-12), included Hancock (CV-19), Bennington (CV-20), Belleau Wood (CVL-24) and San Jacinto (CVL-30). Japans secrecy was due to her inability to match U.S. naval power ship for ship. What The Hell is Wrong with Steven Seagal? YAMATO starts a turn starboard to course 230 degrees. most of the American pilots returned to their carriers, knowing YAMATO opens fire with her two forward main turrets and AA guns. 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. 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. 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. 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. At 1000, Task Group 58.1 and Task Group 58.3 commence launching a 280-plane strike wave (132 fighters, 50 bombers, and 98 torpedo planes). After daybreak on 7 April 1945, a paltry six A6M Zeke fighters showed up to provide combat air patrol over Yamato. He saw four Avengers go in low, dropping their torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam. The port side and two hit the captain of Yahagi, captain Tameichi Hara, crews... Variable, but the Americans also had, the only option Yamato had to. 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