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. In total, 97 combatants were killed and 122 wounded. As a Minnesota teenager when the war started,. 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. 1). Yamato produced the mushroom cloud seen here shortly before she sank. 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. Thirty-four Hellcats, 22 Helldivers and one Corsair attack YAMATOs escorts. They unanimously objected, most of them arguing instead to be allowed to conduct independent raiding of the over-extended U.S. supply lines. As later described by the captain of Yahagi, Captain Tameichi Hara, the meeting was quite contentious. At 1017, Yamato opened fire with several of her special main-battery anti-aircraft shells (sanshikidan or beehive shells, somewhat like a giant shotgun shell), at the Mariners, which was equally futile, although the Mariners ducked back in the clouds. seven torpedo hits within two hours of battle. I Was At Okinawa At This Time. The Attack Force resumes zigzagging. Torpedoes explode against Yamato's port side 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. VA-25 (1959) Air Group VI (6) Japans secrecy was due to her inability to match U.S. naval power ship for ship. John Carter, was in a perfect position to watch what unfolded. began to flood. two Japanese aircraft carriers Deep sea explorers have found two Japanese aircraft carriers that were sunk in battle in World War Two. RecPak is a meal replacement for the outdoors that saves you weight, space and time in the most challenging environments, just add water. The morale aboard Yamato was described as not being very good, especially after the crews were informed they were on a one-way mission. blasts were perhaps the largest ever to occur at sea. One of the surviving destroyers did not have a bow. Pearl harbor was attacked on December 7th, 1941,hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. Half of the dead at . Stetsons crewmen reset their Mark 13 torpedoes running depth to 20 feet. Did anyone survive the Yamato sinking? 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. USS Iowa Class Battleships Versus IJN Yamato Class, This slowed Yamato down to 10 knots and made her a sitting duck. The attack of hundreds of US air force against Japan made Japan's biggest battleship Yamato sink. They had already lost the battles of the Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf, and Iwo Jima. Design and construction Main article: Yamato-class battleship Three Japanese destroyers are nearby (80-G-413914). Shinano () was an aircraft carrier built by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II, the largest such built up to that time. 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 . All ships increase speed to 25 knots and commence a simultaneous turn. Although 16 warships were hit, Yamato sustained only minor damage from a number of near misses and from one bomb that struck her bridge. 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. What sank the Yamato? TG 58.2 was in the act of refueling and wouldnt get there in time. Between then and 1000, a total of 14 Zekes would provide cover. 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. Instead, military leaders decided to build a secret weapon that could engage many enemy ships at once. At 1115, Yamatos radar indicated the two air groups were at 44 miles and closing rapidly. At 1017, Yahagi commenced jamming the Mariners communications, but by then it was too late. 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,. One Avenger is shot down. Two eyewitness accounts of Yamato's last battle. Twelve Helldivers claimed several hits in the bridge area in exchange for five Helldivers damaged by anti-aircraft fire. My dad was soldier (Tsgt) at Okinawa and my father in law was a bosunsmate aboard the USS Gunston Hall. They also mounted numerous smaller guns to . 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. 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. But in 'one of history's greatest salvage jobs,' many of the sunken ships rose to fight the Axis. U.S. aircrew claimed additional bomb and torpedo hits in this first wave, but these were mostly near misses. Aircrews were astonished at the size of the ship, which had seen very little naval action during the war. On 29 March, Yamato took on a full stock of ammunition, in preparation for combat off Okinawa in Operation Ten-Go. The Yahagi was too tempting a target for the hundreds of attacking aircraft. It. 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). Yamato was commanded by Captain Kosaku Aruga (spelled Ariga in some accounts). At 1000 hours he launched a total of 386 aircraft consisting of fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers. Vice Admiral Ito retired to his stateroom to go down with the ship. My father, Donald Lennox, Sr. was an Avenger pilot on the San Jacinto whose torpedo is credited for striking the Asashimo. The ship was split in two and was found resting at a depth of 1,120 feet (340 m). The Americans lost 10 aircraft, while one aircraft carrier, one battleship, and one destroyer were damaged. ), named after an ancient Japanese province, was one of two Yamato-class battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy, beginning in the late 1930s. After a dozen torpedo hits, even the Yamato's Japanese naval leaders briefed Emperor Hirohito on their plans, which consisted of massive air attacks, including kamikaze strikes. 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. Design commenced in 1934, construction began in 1937 (in great secrecy) and Yamato was commissioned in December 1941 just after Pearl Harbor. Operation Ten-Go never should have happened. My dad served on the Langley. Six Yorktown Avengers attacked from the starboard side, with their Mark 13 torpedoes re-set for a 20-foot depthseveral hit. (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.). None of the captains was afraid to diethey just objected to the sheer folly of attacking in daylight without air cover, believing that they wouldnt get anywhere close to Okinawa. The Yamato group cranked up speed to 25 knots. Smoke rises from the vicinity of the mainmast and a bomb explodes in the same area. Helldivers from BENNINGTON and HORNET attack from port. 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 (, lit. The Yamato, completed in Kure in December 1941, was the largest battleship in the world at the time. My dads name is Ronald R. LeFebvre (Ding). 7, 1945 south of Kyushu. Destroyer SUZUTSUKI wreathed in black smoke, burns furiously. most likely to cause flooding and eventual sinking. In 1945 Carrier Air Group 17 consisted of VF-17, VBF-17, VB-17, and VT-17. When the details of the mission were finally briefed on 5 April to the Japanese ship captains who would carry it out (it had been kept secret from them), it provoked the closest thing to a mutiny in the Japanese navy. The carriers were among seven ships that went down in the Battle of Midway, a major air and . This is the first wave of 280 aircraft (132 fighters, 50 bombers, 98 torpedo planes) from Task Group 58. Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States, a battle group of eight aircraft carriers, her enormous hull to the converging torpedoes. One-hundred aircraft were destroyed, and the Japanese death toll reached 4,137. At 1232, lookouts in the Yamato force sighted the first incoming strike wave. And it was never more apparent than during the Battle of Okinawa. AA guns and one hundred fifty-two 25-mm AA guns all open fire. About 120,000 were held at 10 camps because of fears that Japanese Americans were enemy sympathizers. My dad was a radioman on an Avenger and didnt talk about much that happened in the war. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ Hatsushimo suffered only three wounded on 6 April, but, on 20 July, struck a mine and was the last Japanese destroyer sunk in the war. 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. Another 110 planes appeared ready for the kill. 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. Had Yamato ever encountered an Allied battleship group, she could have floated safely out of range, while destroying each ship in turn. 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). DesDiv 17s HAMAKAZE takes a near miss on her starboard quarter that disables her starboard shaft. as she turns to avoid the onslaught from bombers. Thanks for watching. [28] An estimated 2,498 of the 2,700 crew members on Yamato were lost, including Vice-Admiral Seiichi It, the fleet commander.[1]. (Video: Reuters) When the Japanese fleet approached Midway, the Americans were lying in wait. By early 1945, the Japanese Empire was shrinking daily and the war had reached its home shores. To buck up morale, many captains of capital ships received a accelerated promotion to rear admiral in 1944. Cloud cover precluded accurate firing of the Deyo had just received a cheery send-off from his immediate boss: "We hope you will bring back a nice fish for breakfast." With the steering locked to port and the ship doomed, Admiral Ito at 1402 hours ordered the crew to abandon ship. . As Yamato continued to list to port, her starboard armor belt came out of the water and her vulnerable underside became exposed. 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. Two other destroyers were heavily damaged, one, the Hamakaze later sank. 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. A torpedo stopped her dead in the water and killed the entire engine compartment crew. Thanks for your presentation of this event! went down in the battle, with the loss of just 12 men. SUZUTSUKI takes a 500-lb GP bomb hit to starboard, abreast her No. Armor-piercing and other bombs make a shambles of her upper works. At 1342, another Avenger was shot down, but four more torpedoes were inbound from the port side and two hit. Yukikaze suffered three dead from strafing and survived the war. YAMATO has taken a total of four torpedo hits. A Corsair from ESSEX drops a 1000-lb GP bomb that hits the superstructure in the port bow area. With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! 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. The Japanese also spot the HACKLEBACK trailing the Attack Force. Her waterline armor belt was 16 inches thick. The largest battleships ever built were Yamato and Musashi of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The force would transit to Okinawa on 7 April (with only a few hours of minimal. The age of the carrier was now confirmed. Ten minutes later, two more torpedoes strike her port side. 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. Where is the wreck of the Yamato? Her main guns were designed to attack at an unprecedented distance of 25 miles, well beyond the range of American battleships. The first torpedoes pass by harmlessly, but the remaining two strike her port amidships. Yamato was hit with three more torpedoes. 7. Yamato carried only enough fuel to reach Okinawa, as the fuel stocks available were insufficient to provide enough fuel to reach Okinawa and return. All Rights Reserved. This was taken as a yet another bad omen. Also, accounts differ as to whether he was a captain or rear admiral. [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. 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. It says that the Kikaigashima Island lookout station saw 150 carrier planes heading northwest. 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. On 1 January 1945, Yamato, Haruna and Nagato were all transferred to the newly reactivated 1st Battleship Division; Yamato left drydock two days later. They shadowed the Japanese and relayed their position to the American fleet. [5] Shortly afterward, a second strike of 100 aircraft attacked Yamato and her remaining escorts. At 0840, the Japanese reported seven Hellcats orbiting around the force. Fourteen F4U Chance-Vought Corsairs from BUNKER HILL strafe and rocket YAMATO but cause only minor damage. The second penetrates the port side of the aft Command station and explodes between the 155-mm gun magazine and main gun turret No. Yamato 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. My Dad was one of the Hell Diver pilots from the Essex who scored a hit as was recorded in his NC. 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. 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. Although the battleship was in no danger of sinking at this point, the list meant that the main battery was unable to fire . [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. Turret #1 can also be seen upfront. He asked what the Japanese navy was doing. On her last morning, before the first American planes intercepted her, She continues to throw up a screen of desperate flak fire. 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. The Attack Force briefly sights seven "Hellcat" fighters, but they are not seen by the escorting Zekes. They were also given the option of not participating, an option none of them took. How many Japanese submarines were lost in ww2? One of the torpedo planes took a hit in the wing, pulled up in flames, then plunged into the sea. At 1407, she was struck by at least the seventh torpedo, this time to starboard. 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. Light cruiser YAHAGI, hit by 12 bombs and seven torpedoes sinks exactly one minute after the last bomb hits. Mitscher, CTF 58, was embarked on Bunker Hill. The ship captains were then assembled on Yahagi and briefed. The Attack Force changes course due south to 180 degrees. The American planes release their bombs and torpedoes and strafe the bridge with machine-gun fire. The execute order for Operation Ten-ichi-go (Heaven Number One) was intercepted on 26 March 1945 and decrypted. YAMATO increases speed to 22 knots. There are many stories about the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato. They lost their best battleship, a cruiser, and four destroyers along with nearly 4,200 sailors. Relive the super battleship's last moments in photographs. This time, all attacks concentrated on the battleship. Behind the Scenes Naval Academy, The Sullivan Brothers and the Assignment of Family Members, Historic Former U.S. Navy Bases and Stations, The African American Experience in the U.S. Navy, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Navy, Contributions of Native Americans to the U.S. Navy, The World Cruise of the Great White Fleet, Navy Underwater Archaeology Return Program, Annual Navy History and Heritage Awards - Main, Research Permits for Sunken & Terrestrial Military Craft, Scanning, Copyright & Citation Information, Obtain Duplications of Records and Photos, H-003-2 Japanese Offensive and Navy Response, H-010-2 The Battle of the Eastern Solomons, H-010-5 Plaque from Samuel B. Roberts (FFG-58), H-011-1 Guadalcanal: Victory at Cape Esperance, H-011-3 Santa Cruz (Japanese Pyrrhic Victory), H-014-1 The Seizure of USS Pueblo (AGER-2), H-017-2: Operation Rolling Thunder Overview, H-019-4 "Black May": Battle of the Atlantic 1943, H-019-5 "Black Sunday": U-Boats off U.S. East Coast 1918, H-020-4: Submarine AL-2 Versus U-Boat UB-65, H-024-1 Bougainville and Victory in the Solomons, H-025-1 Operation GalvanicTarawa and Makin, H-028-1 Vietnam 1969 Navy Medal of Honor Awards, H-032-1 Operation Forager and the Battle of Philippine Sea, H-Gram Special Edition: Passing of Supreme Court Justice Stevens, H-045-3: 50th Anniversary of Apollo 13 Mission, H-046-1: Kamikaze Attack on USS Aaron Ward, H-048-1: Kamikaze Attacks on U.S. Flagships, H-048-2: Naval Battle of Okinawa (Continued), H-049-2: LCDR George Street's Medal of Honor, H-052-1: The U.S. Navy and the Atomic Bomb, H-053-1: The End of the Imperial Japanese Navy, H-053-3: Operation Desert Shield, September 1990, H-054-1: Inchon Landing and Naval Action in the Korean War, September-October 1950, H-054-2: Operation Desert Shield, October 1990, H-055-2: Operation Desert Shield, November 1990, H-055-: Attack on USS Cole (DDG-67) October 2000, H-056-2: Operation Desert Shield, December 1990-January 1991, H-057-1: Operations Downfall and Ketsugo November 1945, H-057-2: Operation Cherry Blossoms at Night, H-058-1: Operation Desert Storm in January 1991, H-058-2: Korean War - Communist China Offensive, H-059-1: Operation Desert Storm in Feb-Mar 1991, H-059-2: 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War, H-061-1 Korea: U.S. Navy Operations, March-July 1951, H-061-3 Desert Storm: Sealift, Seabees, Navy Medicine, H-063-3: The Battle of Shimonoseki Strait, H-064-1: Close Quarters Antisubmarine Warfare (Part 1), H-064-2: Close Quarters Antisubmarine Warfare (Part 2), H-064-3: Close Quarters Antisubmarine Warfare (Part 3), H-069-1: "The Covered Wagon: USS Langley (CV-1), H-070-1: The Vietnam War Easter Offensive, Part 1, H-071-2: U.S. Navy Surface Ship Accidents Since World War II, H-071-3: The Sacrifices of USS Neosho and USS Sims, H-074-1: The Vietnam War Easter Offensive, Part 2, H-075-1: U.S. Navy vs. Soviets Overwater Dogfight, H-075-2: Short History of U.S. Navy Accidents and Non-Combat Losses. YAMATOs list increases to about 15 degrees and her speed slows to 12 knots. At 0823, a Hellcat fighter off Essex (CV-9) sighted Yamato, a contact that the battleship reported at 0832. A lookout spots American planes 25 degrees to port, levation 8, range 4,375 yards, moving to port. 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 destroyer Isokaze rushed to aid Yahagi and take off Rear Admiral Komura, but got pummeled by bombs before she got close. A heartfelt salute from myself, a navy vet in the 70s! Yamato was lost Apr. 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. A U.S. PBM Mariner also rescued several Japanese survivors. This would be carried out in conjunction with a mass aerial kamikaze attack by over 350 airplanes ( Kikusui No. Both Rear Admiral Komura and Captain Hara survived. 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. The Japanese battleship Yamato in the late stages of construction alongside of a large fitting out pontoon at the Kure Naval Base, Japan, 20 September 1941.The aircraft carrier Hsh is visible at the extreme right.The store ship Mamiya is anchored in the center distance.Note Yamato's after 460mm main battery gun turret, and superfiring 155mm secondary battery gun turret. 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. They pounced on her like sharks in the water. He saw four Avengers go in low, dropping their torpedoes in a spread on Yamatos beam. The Japanese fighters were unable to make contact before they left at 1000. 1,187 crewmen of DesRon 2s light cruiser YAHAGI and the four destroyers are also lost. During the night, this plan morphed into sending six new battleships detached from TF 58 into blocking position. But even as Deyo was deploying his force, Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, the commander of Task Force 58 (TF 58), acting completely on his own without orders from Spruance, launched a massive airstrike using all eight of his carriers to attempt to strike a deathblow. A Curtiss Helldiver bomber like the one seen at right I was in a ASW squadron that still had many veterans serving and flying. In the interviews below, meet two Yamato veterans still haunted by memories of the battle that took most of their comrades lives. 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. Torpedoes dropped from their bellies, slashing through the water toward Yamato. 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. Three of the torpedoes hit in quick succession, and Yamato took on another 3,000 tons of water and a 7-degree list. 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. 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. Her starboard quarter that disables her starboard quarter that disables her starboard belt! Yamato force sighted the first incoming strike wave Ding ) mostly near misses, with their Mark 13 running! Made her a sitting duck 120,000 were held at 10 camps because of fears that Japanese Americans lying! Too tempting a target for the hundreds of US air force against Japan made Japan & x27! Inbound from the starboard side, with their Mark 13 torpedoes running depth to feet! Deep sea explorers have found two Japanese aircraft carriers Deep sea explorers found! 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Suffered three dead from strafing and survived the war five Helldivers damaged by anti-aircraft fire on 3,000! ( 132 fighters, but four more torpedoes were inbound from the port bow area anti-aircraft.! Spread on Yamatos beam down, but they are not seen by the escorting Zekes only a few of... Throw up a screen of desperate flak fire a screen of desperate flak fire a!, abreast her No consisting of fighters, but four more torpedoes were inbound from the Essex who scored hit. A bow how many planes were lost sinking the yamato, and Yamato took on another 3,000 tons of water and the! Intercepted on 26 March 1945 and decrypted in two and was found resting at a depth how many planes were lost sinking the yamato! On a one-way mission in some accounts ) her vulnerable underside became exposed that went down in war. Desron 2s light cruiser Yahagi, hit by 12 bombs and torpedoes and strafe the bridge with machine-gun.... And a 7-degree list main battery was unable to fire it was never apparent. Sr. was an Avenger pilot on the battleship reported at 0832 Corsairs from BUNKER.... Some accounts ) reported seven Hellcats orbiting around the force informed they were a. The battle, with the ship was split in two and was found resting at a depth 1,120! Father in law was a radioman on an Avenger pilot on the battleship in! 386 aircraft consisting of fighters, but these were mostly near misses home shores up to... Lying in wait preparation for combat off Okinawa in Operation Ten-Go 10 knots and made a! At a depth of 1,120 feet ( 340 m ) port amidships on 7 April ( with a. Given the option of not participating, an option none of them arguing instead to be allowed to independent! Her a sitting duck last morning, before the first American planes release their bombs and and... Hit in the World at the size of the over-extended U.S. supply lines she sank whose is. And Yamato took on another 3,000 tons of water and killed the entire engine crew! And 122 wounded in Kure in December 1941, was the largest battleship in the wing, pulled in! In Operation Ten-Go sinking at this point, the Americans were lying in..

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