DID THE YAMATO EVER DO ANYTHING???

According to the book Shinnano, she did have torpedo blisters. However, Cmdr Enright set his torpedo depth settings shallow, and all four hit the Shinnano right at the joint of the blister and hull, busting her open like a can opener.

 

That could be said with more respect to the sailors who died on them.

 

Why? Take a look at Savo Island, Kula Gulf, Kolombangara, or Tassafaronga. These battles attest all too well that Japanese warships were far from a complete failure. If anything doctrine and high command failed the IJN far more than the IJN failed the IGHQ.

 

I read somewhere that there was also a question of avalable bunker fuel. I have to look up the analysis, but a major IJN incursion into the Solomons with the Yamato and Musashi would have used up a lot of fuel, which would have impacted other vital operations.

 

The IJN had four BBs besides Yamato and Musashi (six if you count Ise and Hyuga but I believe they were undergoing a conversion to hybrids at the time) that were not committed to the Solomons battles. The IJN cruiser squadron at Savo was made up of Japan's four oldest CAs plus the modern Chokai and few modern CAs appear in most Solomon battles so we can't say they used everyhing available.
Don't know if fuel shortages or a desire to avoid possible attrition in non decisive battles was the motivation, Nagato, Mutsu and Yamato did sail for Midway.

 

I understand that a lack of bombardment ammunition, a shortage of fuel, and a perception that the two ships were too large to maneuver in the waters between Guadalcanal and Florida Islands were factors in the decision not to send them down to Guadalcanal. However, in the open ocean battles of the Eastern Solomons, Santa Cruz and the carrier battle that almost took place in mid-September 1942, the two battleships did not participate with the carrier screening forces, but were held back around Truk.

 

Here's an article that susggest it was oil. Although there was also a question of whether the Yamato could get in and out without being vulnerable to attack US airpower. Hiei and Kirishima were faster.

 

Here's that article.

Oil and Japanese Strategy in the Solomons: A Postulate

Seems that the availability of bunker oil and the consumption of, is one of those logistic's issue that rears its head from time to time.

 

Well, that article states that Yamato could have used san shiki anti-aircraft shells to bombard the airfield, so I guess, if true, that rules out a lack of proper ammunition as a reason. Willmott states in his books that the inability of the Japanese to leverage the Indies' oil fields to provide adequate fuel to support their empire was a key factor in Japan's defeat.

 

I have re-checked my notes, scanned through my books, and double checked the AAR's in my possession. I have nothing, other then the Nihon Kaigun TROM, that claims or indicates any hits for Yamato during the battle.

 

Yamato's sister ship, Musashi, was a tough one to sink. She took several bomb hits and something like 10 torpedos. Even then, it took her 4 hours to finally sink.

I don't recall Yamato being as hard to sink.

 

At 12:32 on 7 April 1945, Yamato was attacked by a first wave of 280 aircraft from Task Force 58, taking three hits (two bombs, one torpedo). Shortly afterward, a second strike of 100 aircraft attacked Yamato and her remaining escorts. At 14:23, having taken 10 torpedo and 7 bomb hits, Yamato's forward ammunition magazines detonated.

The Musashi suffered 17 bomb hits and 19 torpedos.

Tough ships anyway you slice it.

 

Thank you - I didn't realize the Yamato had gotten so many hits. My studies haven't taken me quite that far yet. My dad's former Yorktown roommate is credited with helping sink the Musashi and also got the first hit on the Yamato, although most book accounts don't mention him. His rear seat man took pictures of the hit. His family says he actually got the first TWO hits on the Yamato and had copies of the pictures taken.

 

It's thought that one of the reasons Musahi lasted so long is she took torpedos from both sides which resulted in inadvertnat counter flooding. I believe when they went after Yamato the plan was to try and only hit her on one side with torps.

 

Where did you get this specific information on Musashi and Yamato?

 

Wikipedia in that instance. It's backed up by several books I have at home concerning the Pacific theater and naval records.

 

In any of your sources, can you find LT Arthur L Downing receiving any recognition for the first hit on the Yamato? He was not supposed to be at the Yamato location - he was assigned to lead a scouting mission to/around a nearby island instead. He led his squadron towards his assigned area at first, found nothing and then headed out to where the action was at the Yamato.

 

Nancy -

I believe that Art Downing received the Navy Cross for an attack on Musashi, that would have been his third award; he'd also got one for the Lae-Salamaua raid (10 Mar 42) and his second was for the Tulagi raid & Coral Sea (4-8 May 42). The Musashi action was while he was assigned to VB-18. Somewhere around here I have the wording of his citation for the action.

The 1942 actions, as you know, were while he was in VS-5, there were brief write ups of these two awards in the Navy's Personnel bulletins of January and September 1943 (attached).

When Yamato sank on 7 April 45, VB-18 was reforming at NAS Astoria, WA, and was not scheduled to return to action until after 1 July 45. Had Downing been transferred to another squadron?

Rich

 

I'm currently reading H.P. Willmott's book on Leyte Gulf and he said exactly what you said here. I was one of the primary writers on the Wikipedia article about the sinking of Yamato and I remember the sources emphasizing that the US torpedo aircraft focused on launching their torpedoes from only one side of the battleship.