Also called Operation Heaven One and Ten-ichi-gō.

This was the final large scale operation of the IJN during World War II. After a string of defeats going back to Midway the Japanese Navy had few remaining operation warships and few trained aircrews. The allied advance had reached Iwo Jima and Okinawa. The homeland was now under air attack from American bases on Guam, Saipan, and Tinian.

The decision was made to send the final Combined Fleet on a suicide mission against the American fleet around Okinawa. The Battle ship Yamato, cruiser Yahagi, and eight destroyers set out on their mission with enough fuel for a one way mission to Okinawa.

On April 6, 1945 the force left Japan and headed toward the American fleet. Soon afterward US submarines operating in the area spotted the ships and radioed their position to the American fleet.

April 7 saw the fleet heading out into open sea and turning south toward Okinawa. US planes took the air in an effort to stop the ships from reaching their targets. 400 planes headed toward the warships in an all out effort to stop them. The attack began at roughly 12:30. With no air corved over the target the US planes could take their time and coordinate their attacks for the fullest effect. The main target was the Yamato, thus was attacked by the most aircraft during the battle.

The cruiser Yahagi was also a prime target and soon was hit. She went dead in the water and finally sunk around 2:25 that afternoon. Yamato has hit by both armor piercing bombs and torpedoes. All of the torpedo attacks were done from the port side. This was to make sure the hits were all on one side and increase the chances of capsizing the target.

During the resulting fight the Yamato sustained enough damage to cause her to slow down and eventually sink. Of the 10 ships sent on this one way mission 6 were sunk and estimated 4200 Japanese sailors lost their lives. Some survivors after the battle made conflicting reports about US planes attacking the men in the water. Others claim the US planes broke off their attack to allow the 4 surviving ships to pick up sailors in the water.

None the less the operation proved the allied commanders that the Japanese were going to go down with a fight. This helped to lead to the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945.

The operation today in Japan is looked at with as a brave selfless patriotic event. The sailors on this mission had to of known they would not return, yet they went anyway. In Japan the word Yamato is often used as a poetic word for the Japanese themselves. The sinking of the Yamato can be seen a poetic end to the Japanese Empire itself.


Pictures from Wikipedia.

This wraps up the IJN, next up, RN.