IJN Yamato: Difference between revisions
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'''IJN ''Yamato''''' was the lead ship of the [[Yamato-class]] of the [[Imperial Japanese Navy]], the largest [[battleship]]s ever built. She was unlucky to have gone to sea after independent battleship operations, without adequate aircraft escort, became completely obsolete. ''Yamato'' did fight, with little effect, in the [[Battle of Leyte Gulf]] in October 1944, and then was sunk during an essentially symbolic mission to protect Navy honor, Operation TEN-GO, in April 1945. | |||
The last mission was triggered by a discussion between Admiral [[Koshiro Okawa]], [[Commander-in-Chief, Combined Fleet]], and [[Hirohito|Emperor Hirohito]]. Admiral [[Ryunosuke Kusaka]], Okawa's chief of staff, stated its essence to Vice Admiral Seiichi Ito, commanding Second Fleet, who would lead the final and futile mission.<blockquote>...we want you to die. Sooner or later, it will come to a special attack by the entire nation, the hundred million of them. We want you to die admirably as a model for the nation.<ref>{{citation | |||
| author = Denis Warner, Peggy Warner, Sadao Seno | |||
| title = The Sacred Warriors: Japan's Suicide Legions | |||
| publisher = Avon | year = 1984 | isbn =0380676788 | |||
| contribution = Chapter 12, the Tide at Sunset}}, p. 199</ref> | |||
==The ship== | |||
{{main|Yamato-class}} | |||
==Battle of Leyte Gulf== | |||
{{main|Battle of Leyte Gulf}} | |||
{{seealso|Action off Samar}} | |||
In the sub-battles of Leyte Gulf, ''Yamato'' first fought in the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, which was between a Japanese surface force and U.S. carrier aircraft. Her sister ship, [[IJN Musashi]], was sunk in that battle, and the only Japanese success was shooting down fewer than 20 aircraft. Early in the morning of the 24th, U.S. search aircraft spotted ''IJN Yamato'', near the southern cape of Mindonoro, entering Tablas Strait, and presumably intending to break into San Bernadino Strait.<ref name=Ibiblio-Sibuyan-Lee>{{citation | |||
| url = http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/rep/Leyte/TF-34-Leyte.html | |||
| title = Report of Operations of Task Force THIRTY-FOUR During the Period 6 October 1944 to 3 December 1944. | |||
| author = [[Willis Lee]] | date = 14 December 1944 | |||
| publisher = [[U.S. Navy]]}}</ref> The U.S. assumed San Bernadino Strait was [[mine (naval warfare)|mined]] in patterns known only to the Japanese, and Nimitz had told Halsey that no Third Fleet ships should enter that strait without his permission. The alternative, therefore, was air strikes against Kurita. | |||
Admiral [[Matome Ugaki]] commanding the battleship division, wrote in his diary <blockquote>This is like losing a part of myself. ''Musashi'', however, was the substitute victim for ''Yamato''. Today it was ''Musashi's'' day of misfortune, but tomorrow it will be ''Yamato's'' turn. Sooner or later both of thes ships were destined to come under concentrated enemy attack. My sorrow over Musashi's loss knows no end, but when one conducts an unreasonable battle, such losses are inevitable. Should ''Yamato'' tomorrow meet with the same fate as ''Musashi'', I will still have ''Nagato'' but there will no longer be a unit and my existence as division commander will be meaningless. As I had already made up my mind that ''Yamato'' should be my place of death, I firmly resolve to share the fate of the ship.<ref>Richardson, p. 151</ref></blockquote> | |||
Later, in the [[Action off Samar]], she and other vessels had an opportunity to break through and devastate the transports supporting troops who had invaded at Leyte, but she took evasive action to avoid [[torpedo]] attacks from U.S. destroyers and took no effective role in the action. | |||
==The last sortie of the Imperial Japanese Navy== | |||
A task force centered around ''Yamato'', essentially the remnants of Second Fleet, was formed in April 1945. <ref>{{citation | |||
| url = http://www.navweaps.com/index_oob/OOB_WWII_Pacific/OOB_WWII_Final_Sortie.htm | |||
| title = Order of Battle, Final Sortie of the Imperial Japanese Navy,(Operation TEN-GO), 7 April 1945 | |||
| author = Dan Muir }}</ref> | |||
==References== | |||
{{reflist|2|| | |||
Revision as of 03:49, 20 September 2010
IJN Yamato was the lead ship of the Yamato-class of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the largest battleships ever built. She was unlucky to have gone to sea after independent battleship operations, without adequate aircraft escort, became completely obsolete. Yamato did fight, with little effect, in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944, and then was sunk during an essentially symbolic mission to protect Navy honor, Operation TEN-GO, in April 1945.
The last mission was triggered by a discussion between Admiral Koshiro Okawa, Commander-in-Chief, Combined Fleet, and Emperor Hirohito. Admiral Ryunosuke Kusaka, Okawa's chief of staff, stated its essence to Vice Admiral Seiichi Ito, commanding Second Fleet, who would lead the final and futile mission.
...we want you to die. Sooner or later, it will come to a special attack by the entire nation, the hundred million of them. We want you to die admirably as a model for the nation.[1]
The ship
Battle of Leyte Gulf
- See also: Action off Samar
In the sub-battles of Leyte Gulf, Yamato first fought in the Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, which was between a Japanese surface force and U.S. carrier aircraft. Her sister ship, IJN Musashi, was sunk in that battle, and the only Japanese success was shooting down fewer than 20 aircraft. Early in the morning of the 24th, U.S. search aircraft spotted IJN Yamato, near the southern cape of Mindonoro, entering Tablas Strait, and presumably intending to break into San Bernadino Strait.[2] The U.S. assumed San Bernadino Strait was mined in patterns known only to the Japanese, and Nimitz had told Halsey that no Third Fleet ships should enter that strait without his permission. The alternative, therefore, was air strikes against Kurita.
Admiral Matome Ugaki commanding the battleship division, wrote in his diary
This is like losing a part of myself. Musashi, however, was the substitute victim for Yamato. Today it was Musashi's day of misfortune, but tomorrow it will be Yamato's turn. Sooner or later both of thes ships were destined to come under concentrated enemy attack. My sorrow over Musashi's loss knows no end, but when one conducts an unreasonable battle, such losses are inevitable. Should Yamato tomorrow meet with the same fate as Musashi, I will still have Nagato but there will no longer be a unit and my existence as division commander will be meaningless. As I had already made up my mind that Yamato should be my place of death, I firmly resolve to share the fate of the ship.[3]
Later, in the Action off Samar, she and other vessels had an opportunity to break through and devastate the transports supporting troops who had invaded at Leyte, but she took evasive action to avoid torpedo attacks from U.S. destroyers and took no effective role in the action.
A task force centered around Yamato, essentially the remnants of Second Fleet, was formed in April 1945. [4]
References
{{reflist|2||
- ↑ Denis Warner, Peggy Warner, Sadao Seno (1984), Chapter 12, the Tide at Sunset, The Sacred Warriors: Japan's Suicide Legions, Avon, ISBN 0380676788, p. 199
- ↑ Willis Lee (14 December 1944), Report of Operations of Task Force THIRTY-FOUR During the Period 6 October 1944 to 3 December 1944., U.S. Navy
- ↑ Richardson, p. 151
- ↑ Dan Muir, Order of Battle, Final Sortie of the Imperial Japanese Navy,(Operation TEN-GO), 7 April 1945