end of the biggest Battleship

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Tanaka
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end of the biggest Battleship

Post by Tanaka »

To coincide with the first Kamikaze assualts on the American Fifth fleet off Okinawa, the Japanese sent the pitiful remnats of its combined fleet on what amounted to a suicide mission. All that could be mustered were 8 destroyers, the light cruiser Yahagi and the giant Yamato, the largest battleship ever built with only enough fuel for a one way trip. Their task was to smash through the American offshore armada and mop up any remaining ships.
'The fate of our Empire depends upon this one action,' Combined fleet commander in chief Admiral Soemu Toyoda told his sailors. 'i order the special sea attack force to carry out on Okinawa the most tragic and heroic act of the war,' It set sail on April 6.
Just after 10am the next day, 2 US air strikes, of 280 and 106 aircraft, from Vice admiral Marc A. Mitschers Fast carrier Task force, were airbourne ready to take on the Japanese. Fifth fleets Admiral Spruance had told Mitscher to steer clear of the Yamato, but Mitscher was determined to have ago. Once his aircraft were in the air, he asked Spruance's permission to attack and was told 'you take them'.
the Japanese ships stood little chance as the American planes bore down on them; all available japanese fighters were providing Kamikaze escorts and the force had no air cover. The first attack wave sealed the fate of the Japanese force in a raid which lasted barely 25 minutes. Yamato was struck by 2 bombs and 2 torpedoes; Yahagi suffered 2 torpedoe hits, which stopped it dead. The destroyers Asahimo and Hamakaze were quickly sunk.
with scarcely a let up, the next attack wave of planes scored 2 more bomb hits and no fewer than 5 torpedoes on Yamato. Its hull ripped open, the huge battleship lost speed and developed a dangerous port-side list, until another torpedoe hit to starboard caused counter-flooding and the giant levelled off. yahagi suffered another pounding and lay shattered and smoking, while the destroyers Kasumi and Isokaze were badly hit - and later scuttled.
The third American attack came half an hour later and swiftly sank the wallowing Yahagi. 3 more bomb hits slowed the Yamato and set it listing again to port. After yet more bomb and torpedo hits it finally blew up in a vast fireball that could be seen on the coast of Kyushu 100 miles away. Apart from one minor battle a month later, the imperial Navy's war was over.
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Steve Das Reich
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Post by Steve Das Reich »

Unfortunately this goes to show that by the start of WWII the battleship had well and truly had its day.
SS Unterscharfurer Stefan Klein
2Kp. SS Aufklärungs Abt. Das Reich
"Wir gehen voran"
http://www.wars.uk.net/

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