On this day: IJN Yamato sunk

On this day April 7th in 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy super battleship Yamato was sunk by U.S. Navy aircraft of Task Force 58 while en route to Okinawa during Operation Ten-Go.

Yamato, the largest battleship ever constructed, displaced 72,000 tons and bristled with 3 triple-mounted 18.1 inch (46 cm) guns, and a shocking 162 anti-aircraft guns in addition to her other armaments. She carried a surprising 7 aircraft onboard. Each one of Yamato's turrets of 18.1 inch guns weighed more than one of the destroyers that escorted her. Yamato was the first of five planned ships of her class, and was laid down in secret at Kure Naval Arsenal on the 4th of November 1937. Her sisters Musashi and Shinano were laid down in 1938 and 1940 (respectively) although Musashi was the only other ship of the class to be completed. Shinano was later completed as an aircraft carrier. Another hull (No. 111) was broken up on the slipway immediately following the outbreak of the Second World War. The fifth was never begun.

Yamato was commissioned on the 16th of December 1941 in Kure. During the course of the war, she took part in the action of Midway, Guadalcanal, and the Philippine Sea, although she played a very small part in these battles In fact, Yamato only fired her guns at an enemy one time; this was at the Battle of the Leyte Gulf, when, as flagship to Vice Admiral Kurita Takeo, she fired on (and most likely hit) the USS Gambier Bay, sinking it. This was the first and only time an American aircraft carrier was sunk by naval surface gunfire in the Second World War. It is also thought, based on the damage to the ship, that a shell from Yamato also was the killing stroke on USS Johnston, at the same battle off Samar.

The mighty Imperial Japanese Navy had effectively ceased to exist as a combat force after Leyte Gulf. Still, with Imperial Japanese Army troops fighting to the last man on Okinawa, the decision was made to execute Operation Ten-Go. The plan for this 'special surface force' was to fight its way to Okinawa, then for Yamato to beach itself and fight the Americans until destroyed. While unpopular with the Admiralty, specifically Admiral Ito Seiichi, its commander executed the mission in order to fulfill his duty to the Emperor.

Yamato left Tokuyama in Yamaguchi Prefecture on the 6th of April 1945. She was escorted by the light cruiser Yahagi, and eight destroyers. The ships were sighted by an Cmerican Destroyer later that day, and were zig-zagging to avoid a submarine attack. On the morning of the 7th, around 0830 the force was located by American aircraft, and from 1237 to 1432, Yamato was under constant attack from all sides, absoring 6 direct bomb hits and 11 torpedoes. As the ship sank, capsizing to port, one of her her forward magazine exploded, blowing the front of the ship off and creating a cloud of debris and smoke visible for 100 miles. An estimated 3,000 of her crew went down with her. The wreck of the Yamato was discovered in 1985, with a digital scan of the wreck performed in 2016. She lays in two pieces in 1400 feet of water in the East China Sea. An approximate mark of the wreck has been placed on the PHG google map.

The cultural significance of Yamato and Musashi is difficult to overstate. Both ships are named after traditional capitals of old Japan (now Nara and Kanto, respectively) and the impact of these ships, in life and death, have an enormous impact on the Japanese people. That cultural importance has found an international following, and Yamato is now one of the most famous ships in naval history. Kure City, in Hiroshima Prefecture, built hundreds of ships aside from Yamato, both for military and civilian purposes. The city hosts region headquarters for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force as well as a shipyard and various industries, but the most famous ship in Japanese military history is unsurprisingly the centerpiece of the maritime museum there.

I first visited the Yamato Museum in 2008, when on port call in Kure. I was completely taken aback by the size of the ship, the enormous amount of engineering and technical know-how that went into such a design and its construction. When I got stationed in Iwakuni in 2017, the first place I took my family was to the Yamato Museum. I was fortunate enough to have one of the docents provide a tour for the wardroom of VFA-115 in English; one of the highlights of my time with the Eagles. I can't tell enough people about the museum; it has a A16M Zero, a human torpedo, a recording of a kamikaze pilot's voice, shells from various IJN ships, and the complete history of the port of Kure going all the way back.

This is a must-see if you're stationed in Iwakuni, or if you're passing through Hiroshima. While the museum is under renovation, there are many ways to take part in what the collection has to offer, and that is listed on the museum's website here. Like most folks, I was inspired by the story and presence of the Yamato, and incorporated it into the logo for Pacific History Guide. I encourage each and every one of you to visit this museum, read about the ship, and discover something about the history of it and Kure that resonates with you. I know I have.

Until next time,

Tony

1:10 scale model of the Battleship Yamato, photo taken by me in 2022.