Aerial image of battleship Yamato discovered

NHK Online ^ | 03 Jul 06 | Unkn

[GATOR NAVY]

A Japanese museum has obtained a rare photo of Japan's World War Two battleship the Yamato shortly before it departed for the East China Sea, where it was sunk by US warplanes.

The aerial photo was taken by a US reconnaissance plane on April 6, 1945, off Tokuyama in Yamaguchi prefecture, western Japan, five hours before the Yamato made its final sortie.

The Yamato Museum in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, recently obtained a digital image of this photo, which is stored in the US National Archives in Washington.

The Yamato, the world's largest-ever battleship, sank on its way to Okinawa after being attacked by US naval aircraft on April 7, 1945.

The image shows the Yamato preparing for departure, and six other escort vessels, including the light cruiser Yahagi, which were anchored around the Yamato.

The Yamato was remodeled several times to counter US air attacks. A researcher says the picture is the first photo that clearly shows anti-aircraft guns installed near the Yamato's stern.

The Yamato Museum Director, Kazushige Todaka, says the photo is important since there is a lack of data on the battleship shortly before it sank.

[COEXERJ145]

The Shinano was a lousy aircraft carrier. Being build on a BB-hull she had little hangar space or aviation-fuel bunkerage for aircraft below deck compared to a purpose-built CV. If memory serves she could only handle about 1/3rd the air wing component of an Essex-class carrier.

Well, the Shinano was really designed as an aircraft transport to ferry replacements to the fleet carriers. Her own air wing was fairly small. But given the fact that the Japanese needed carriers and needed them desperately, she wasn't a bad idea at the time.

[COEXERJ145]

I believe the ships name was FUSO. Yamashiro also took a torpedo hit but continued on into the trap laid at Surigao Strait where she was pummeled by more destroyer torpedoes as well as gunfire from the Battleships that were resurrected from Pearl Harbor, they finally got their revenge that night!!!!

Historians are pretty sure it was Fuso that was knocked before the battleships engaged and Yamashiro was the one blown out of the water by the U.S. BB's.

It was the last time in history when battleship faced battleship.

[Doohickey]

We never got to find out, because she hadn't reached combat readiness when Archerfish found her.

[Tallguy]

Actually the slow battleships were guarding Surigao strait down south which they did to great effect, sinking two Japanese BB's. Some of the old Pearl Harbor battleships got a little payback for Dec 7th.

Yep. You're right, and thanks for the correction. It was SURIGAO that was the BB action. San Bernadino was the running battle with the Tin Cans & Baby Flattops.

I've never read a convincing reason as to why the Japanese admiral at San Benadino failed to press the attack. Any fair reading of his orders should have made it clear that his force to be sacrificed if necessary. The entire plan was to tie up as many US Fleet assets as possible in the hopes that 1 of 3 prongs would get a shot at the Leyte beaches. To me that's basically a Kamikaze mission with ships.

[Gator101]

Yep...that was her. I believe she might have been the only battleship sunk in WW2 with no survivors, only because any sailor who made it to shore was killed by the Filipinos.

[Aeronaut]

I went to a reunion of the Taylor (my dad's ship in WWII) in 2004. There were six Pearl Harbor survivors there.

[Tallguy]

We never got to find out, because she hadn't reached combat readiness when Archerfish found her.

IIRC, the Shinano was being shuttled to another navy yard to be fitted out, and the crew of the Archerfish were stunned that she went down so quickly. Some indication that her watertight compartments were not.

[Defender2]

It was nice to see that the Old Girls (U.S.S. West Virginia, U.S.S. Tennessee, U.S.S. Maryland, U.S.S. California among others that were damaged severely at Pearl Harbor)got their revenge that night.

[MrEdd]

I'm firing my Magna-flame gun now.

[wordsofearnest]

We'll be in Hawaii on the 29th. Pearl Harbor will be first on our list

[70times7]

I was very familiar w/ LPD 1 - USS Raleigh

[Gator101]

I have wondered that as well. If ever one of those overly complicated Japanese strategies managed to pay off...the sneak through San Bernadino Strait was it! Halsey fell for the decoy - hook, line, and sinker.

Some theories say that Kurita couldn't believe the amount of resistance that such a small force was giving him. Little destroyers were charging into the guns of battleships and every thing that could fly was going after his ships, even after they ran out of ammo, if only to fake a torpedo or strafing run and make somebody flinch. Maybe he was worried about what would happen when the big boys showed up? Still, it was a surprising move for a people who embraced suicide before dishonor to run like this. I doubt the men under Kurita were too happy with his decision.

[Robert A Cook PE]

It's about time the San Antonio was recognized.

SA (Texas) is top ten city (population) but had never been given a ship name: USS Alamo was closest. But Phoenix, Albuquerque, Denver, and hundreds of other cities got chosen.

Many cities have been recognized multiple times: Boston is the most frequent I can recall with 6 ships named after her.

[UCANSEE2]

bookmark

[Defender2]

:-)
Happy Fourth!!!!:-)

[roostercashews]

Memories of running home after school to watch Star Blazers... What a great show. Thanks for throwing that into the mix.

[Robert A Cook PE]

From WWII on, even ONE hit on a DD (or FF) sized ship has taken out that ship: After just one hit, EVERY destroyer (which are now cruiser-sized: CG-47 etc are on essentially Spruance hulls) has lost power, command & control, fire control, or propulsion.

Several that have been hit (even if the shell or missile doesn't explode) have sunk from secondary fires. Those that hit a mine or water-level blast have been lost for years of repair.

But EVERY one has lost the ability to keep fighting after only one hit. The list includes some 40-odd destroyers: only a few such as Sheffield, Stark, Cole are well known.

We had two DDG's off of Vietnam that got hit shrapnel from near-misses that lost their radar for example. No radar = no fight back.

[Doohickey]

I think you do recall correctly. The book Shinano! by Joseph Enright is a good read.

[Defender2]

I suggest for your reading, please read about San Bernadino Strait ad the Destroyers of Taffy 3.

[Defender2]

Also another impresive destroyer action in the Barents involving UK dstroyers versus Scharnhorst and Gneisanau.