Ten-gō sakusen

Infobox Military Conflict
conflict=Ten-gō sakusen
partof=the Pacific Theater of World War II


caption="Yamato" under attack. A large fire burns aft of her superstructure and she is low in the water from torpedo damage
date=April 7, 1945
place=Pacific Ocean, between Kyūshū, Japan and Ryūkyū Islands
result=American victory
combatant1=
flagicon|USA|1912|size=75px
Task Force 58 of the United States Navy
combatant2=
flagicon|Japan|naval|size=60px
Combined Fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy
commander1=flagicon|USA|1912 Marc A. Mitscher
commander2=flagicon|Japan|naval Seiichi ItoKIA flagicon|Japan|naval Keizō Komura
strength1=11 aircraft carriers 386 aircraft
strength2=1 battleship 1 light cruiser 8 destroyers
casualties1=10 aircraft destroyed 12 dead
casualties2=1 battleship sunk 1 light cruiser sunk 4 destroyers sunk 3,700 dead

Ten-gō sakusen (Kyūjitai: _ja. 天號作戰, Shinjitai: _ja. 天号作戦; "Operation Heaven One"), also known as Ten-ichi-go and Operation Ten-Go, was the last major Japanese naval operation in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

In April 1945, the Japanese battleship "Yamato", the largest battleship in the world, along with nine other Japanese warships, embarked from Japan on a deliberate suicide attack upon Allied forces engaged in the Battle of Okinawa. The Japanese force was attacked, stopped, and almost completely destroyed by United States (U.S.) carrier-borne aircraft before reaching Okinawa. "Yamato" and five other Japanese warships were sunk.

The battle demonstrated U.S. air supremacy in the Pacific theater by this stage in the war and the vulnerability of surface ships without air cover to aerial attack. The battle also exhibited Japan's willingness to sacrifice large numbers of its people in desperate attempts (see kamikaze) to slow the Allied advance on the Japanese home islands.

Background

By early 1945, following the Solomon Islands campaign, the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the once formidable Imperial Japanese Navy's Combined Fleet was reduced to just a handful of operational warships and a few remaining aircraft and aircrew. Most of the remaining Japanese warships in the Combined Fleet were stationed at ports in Japan, with most of the large ships at Kure, Hiroshima. [Hara, "Japanese Destroyer Captain", 274.]

With the invasions of Saipan and Iwo Jima, Allied forces began their campaign against the Japanese homeland. As the next step before a planned invasion of the Japanese mainland, Allied forces invaded Okinawa on April 1, 1945. In March, in briefing Emperor Hirohito on Japan's response to the expected Okinawan invasion, Japanese military leaders explained that the Japanese Imperial Army was planning extensive air attacks, including the use of kamikaze. The emperor then reportedly asked, "But what about the Navy? What are they doing to assist in defending Okinawa?" Now feeling pressured by the emperor to mount some kind of attack also, Japan's Navy commanders conceived a kamikaze-type mission for their remaining operational large ships, which included the battleship "Yamato".Feifer, "The Battle of Okinawa", 7.]

The resulting plan—drafted under the direction of the Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Toyoda Soemu, [Minear, "Requiem", xiii.] —called for "Yamato" and her escorts to attack the U.S. fleet supporting the U.S. troops landing on the west of the island. "Yamato" and her escorts were to fight their way to Okinawa and then beach themselves between Higashi and Yomitan and fight as shore batteries until they were destroyed. Once destroyed, the ship's surviving crewmembers were supposed to abandon the ships and fight U.S. forces on land. Very little, if any, air cover could be provided for the ships, which would render them almost helpless to concentrated U.S. air attacks. In preparation for executing the plan, the assigned ships left Kure for Tokuyama, off Mitajiri, Japan, on March 29. [Yoshida, "Requiem", 6–7.] However, despite obeying orders to prepare for the mission, Admiral Ito Seiichi, commander of the Ten-Go force, still refused to actually order his ships to carry it out, believing the plan to be futile and wasteful. [Yoshida, "Requiem", 62.]

Vice Admiral Kusaka Ryunosuke flew from Tokyo on April 5 to Tokuyama in a final attempt to convince the assembled commanders of the Combined Fleet, including Admiral Ito, to accept the plan. Upon first hearing of the proposed operation (it had been kept secret from most of them), the Combined Fleet commanders and captains unanimously joined Admiral Ito in rejecting it for the same reasons that he had expressed. Admiral Kusaka then explained that the Navy's attack would help divert U.S. aircraft away from the Army's planned air attacks on the U.S. fleet at Okinawa. He also explained that Japan's national leadership, including the emperor, were expecting the Navy to make their best effort to support the defense of Okinawa. Upon hearing this, the Combined Fleet commanders relented and accepted the proposed plan. The ship's crews were briefed on the nature of the mission and given the opportunity to stay behind if desired—none did. However, new, sick, and infirm crew members were ordered off the ships.Hara, "Japanese Destroyer Captain", 277.] The ships' crews now engaged in some last-minute intense drills to prepare for the mission, mostly practicing damage-control procedures. [Yoshida, "Requiem", 15.] At midnight the ships were fueled. Reportedly, in secret defiance of orders to provide the ships with only just enough fuel to reach Okinawa, the Tokuyama personnel actually gave "Yamato" and the other ships almost all of the remaining fuel in the port, although this probably still was not enough to allow the force to return to Japan from Okinawa. [Spurr, "A Glorious Way to Die", 162–165.]

Battle

. [Skulski, "The Battleship Yamato", 12.]

At dawn on April 7, the Japanese force passed the Osumi Peninsula into the open ocean heading south from Kyūshū towards Okinawa. They shifted into a defensive formation, with "Yahagi" leading "Yamato" and the eight destroyers deployed in a ring around the two larger ships, with each ship 1,500 meters from each other and proceeding at 20 knots. [Yoshida, "Requiem", 47–49.] One of the Japanese destroyers, "Asashimo", developed engine trouble and turned back. U.S. reconnaissance aircraft began to shadow the main force of ships. At 10:00, the Japanese force turned west to make it look like they were withdrawing, but at 11:30, after being detected by two American PBY Catalina flying boats (against which Yamato fired a salvo with her 460 mm bow guns using special Nihongo|"beehive shells"|三式焼散弾|san-shiki shosan dan|), they turned back towards Okinawa.

s did not succeed. [ [http://navweaps.com/index_oob/OOB_WWII_Pacific/OOB_WWII_Final_Sortie.htm Order of Battle - Final Sortie of the Imperial Japanese Navy - 7 April 1945 ] ]

Since the Japanese force did not have air cover, the U.S. aircraft were able to set up for their attacks without fear of opposition from Japanese aircraft. U.S. attack aircraft arriving over the "Yamato" group, after their two-hour flight from Okinawa, were thus able to circle the Japanese ship formation just out of anti-aircraft range, methodically setting up their attacks on the warships below.

The first wave of U.S. carrier aircraft engaged the Japanese ships starting at 12:30. The Japanese ships increased speed to convert|25|kn|km/h, began evasive maneuvers, and opened fire with their anti-aircraft guns. "Yamato" carried almost 150 anti-aircraft guns, including her massive 460 mm guns which could fire special "Common Type 3" anti-aircraft shells. [Yoshida, "Requiem", 62–64.] The U.S. torpedo airplanes mainly attacked from the port side so that if the torpedoes mainly hit from that side, it would increase the likelihood of the target ship capsizing. [Yoshida, "Requiem", 74.]

attempted to come to "Yahagi"'s aid but was attacked, heavily damaged, and sank sometime later. "Yahagi" capsized and sank at 14:05. Her survivors, left floating in the water, could see the "Yamato" in the distance, still apparently steaming south and fighting attacking U.S. aircraft. However, in reality, "Yamato" was only minutes away from sinking. [Hara, "Japanese Destroyer Captain", 298.]

During the first attack wave, despite intensive evasive maneuvers that caused most of the bombs and torpedoes aimed at her to miss, "Yamato" was hit by two armor-piercing bombs and one torpedo. [Yoshida, "Requiem", 66.] Her speed was not affected, but one of the bombs started a fire aft of the superstructure that was not extinguished. Also, during the first attack wave, Japanese destroyers "Hamakaze" and "Suzutsuki" were heavily damaged and taken out of the battle. "Hamakaze" sank later.

the several hundred crewmen manning those stations, who were given no notice that their compartments were about to fill with water. [Yoshida, "Requiem", 82.] The lives of those crewmen bought "Yamato" about 30 more minutes afloat. [Feifer, "The Battle of Okinawa", 17–25.] The loss of the starboard engines, plus the weight of the water, caused "Yamato" to slow to about 10 knots. [Yoshida, "Requiem", 83.]

With "Yamato" proceeding more slowly and therefore easier to target, U.S. torpedo aircraft concentrated on hitting her rudder and stern with torpedoes in order to affect her steering ability, which they succeeded in doing. [Yoshida, "Requiem", 95–96.] At 14:02, after being informed that the ship could no longer steer and was unavoidably sinking, Admiral Ito ordered the mission canceled, the crew to abandon ship, and for the remaining ships to begin rescuing survivors. "Yamato" communicated this message to the other surviving ships by signal flag since her radios had been destroyed. [Yoshida, "Requiem", 108.]

. [Skulski, "The Battleship Yamato", 13.]

Attempting to make it back to port, Japanese destroyer "Asashimo" was bombed and sunk with all hands by U.S. aircraft. The Japanese destroyer "Kasumi" was also sunk by U.S. carrier aircraft attack during the battle. "Suzutsuki", despite her bow being blown off, was able to make it to Sasebo, Japan, by steaming in reverse the entire way.

The remaining three less-damaged Japanese destroyers ("Fuyuzuki", "Yukikaze", and "Hatsushimo") were able to rescue 280 survivors from "Yamato" (out of a crew of 2,700), plus 555 survivors from "Yahagi" (out of a crew of 1,000) and just over 800 survivors from "Isokaze", "Hamakaze", and "Kasumi". However, 3,700 Japanese naval personnel perished in the battle. The ships took the survivors to Sasebo. [Yoshida, "Requiem", 140.]

] [Hara, "Japanese Destroyer Captain", 301.] Japanese survivors also reported that U.S. aircraft temporarily halted their attacks on the Japanese destroyers during the time that the destroyers were busy picking up survivors from the water. [Yoshida, "Requiem", 144.]

During the battle, the Japanese Army conducted an air attack on the U.S. naval fleet at Okinawa as promised, but they failed to sink any ships. Around 115 aircraft, many of them kamikaze, attacked the U.S. ships throughout the day of April 7. Kamikaze aircraft hit "Hancock", battleship "Maryland", and destroyer "Bennett", causing moderate damage to "Hancock" and "Maryland" and heavy damage to "Bennett". About 100 of the Japanese aircraft were lost in the attack. [Hara, "Japanese Destroyer Captain", 304.]

Aftermath

Ten-Go was the last major Japanese naval operation of the war, and the remaining Japanese warships had little involvement in combat operations for the rest of the conflict. "Suzutsuki" was never repaired. "Fuyuzuki" was repaired but hit a U.S. air-dropped mine at Moji, Japan, on August 20, 1945, and was not subsequently repaired. "Yukikaze" survived the war almost undamaged. "Hatsushimo" hit a U.S. air-dropped mine on July 30, 1945, near Maizuru, Japan, and was the 129th, and last, Japanese destroyer sunk in the war. [Hara, "Japanese Destroyer Captain", 281.]

Okinawa was declared secure by Allied forces on June 21, 1945, [Minear, "Requiem", xiv.] after an intense and costly battle. Japan surrendered in August 1945, after being bombed twice with atomic weapons. The apparent willingness of Japan to sacrifice so many of its people using suicidal tactics such as Operation Ten-Go and in the Battle of Okinawa reportedly was a factor in the Allied decision to employ atomic weapons against Japan. [Feifer, "The Battle of Okinawa", 410–430.]

Other commanders of the Imperial Japanese Navy had very negative feelings about the operation, believing that it was a waste of human life and fuel. Captain Atsushi Ōi, who commanded escort fleets, was critical as fuel and resources were diverted from his operation. As he was told that the aim of this operation was "the tradition and the glory of Navy," he shouted: [ Atsushi Ōi, "Kaijo Goeisen".]

This war is of our nation and why should the honor of our "surface fleet" be more respected? Who cares about their glory? Bakayaroh! (Damn fools!):("Surface fleet" refers to capital ships, especially battleships that "should have won the war".)

The story of Operation Ten-Go is revered to some degree in modern Japan as evidenced by appearances of the story in popular Japanese culture which usually portray the event as a brave, selfless, but futile, symbolic effort by the participating Japanese sailors to defend their homeland . [Matsumoto, "Uchu senkan Yamato"; Sato, "Otoko-tachi no Yamato".] One of the reasons the event may have such significance in Japanese culture is that the word "Yamato" was often used as a poetic name for Japan. Thus, the end of battleship "Yamato" could serve as a metaphor for the end of the Japanese empire. [Minear, "Requiem", xvii.]

Ten-gō in audio/visual media

*cite visual
crew = Axelrod, David (Writer and director)
year = 2005
url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/supership/
title = NOVA, Sinking the Supership
medium = Video documentary
location = Boston
distributor = WGBH Educational Foundation and Bang Singapore Private Limited A one-hour documentary on Operation Ten-Gō.

*cite visual
director = Sato, Junya
year = 2005
url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451845/
title = Otoko-tachi no Yamato (Men's "Yamato")
medium = Movie
location = Japan
distributor = Toei Co. Ltd. A Japanese movie that dramatizes Operation Ten-Go from the perspective of "Yamato"'s crew.

See also

Notes

References

*cite book
last = Feifer
first = George
year = 2001
chapter = Operation Heaven Number One
title = The Battle of Okinawa: The Blood and the Bomb
publisher = The Lyons Press
location =
id = ISBN 1-58574-215-5
*cite book
last = Hara
first = Tameichi
authorlink = Tameichi Hara
year = 1961
chapter = The Last Sortie
title = Japanese Destroyer Captain
publisher = Ballantine Books
location = New York & Toronto
id = ISBN 0-345-27894-1 A first-hand account of the battle by the captain of the Japanese cruiser "Yahagi".
*cite book
last = Ōi
first = Atsushi
year = 1992
title = Kaijo Goeisen
publisher = Asahi Sonorama
location =
id = ISBN 4-05-901040-5
*cite book
last = Skulski
first = Janusz
year = 1989
title = The Battleship Yamato
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location = Annapolis, Maryland
id = ISBN 0-87021-019-X
*cite book
last = Spurr
first = Russell
year = 1995
title = A Glorious Way to Die: The Kamikaze Mission of the Battleship Yamato, April 1945
publisher = Newmarket Press
location =
id = ISBN 1-55704-248-9
*cite book
last = Yoshida
first = Mitsuru
authorlink = Mitsuru Yoshida
coauthors = Richard H. Minear
year = 1999
title = Requiem for Battleship Yamato
publisher = Naval Institute Press
location = Annapolis, Maryland
id = ISBN 1-55750-544-6 A first-hand account of the battle by "Yamato"'s only surviving bridge officer.

External links

*cite web
url = http://www.navweaps.com/index_oob/OOB_WWII_Pacific/OOB_WWII_Final_Sortie.htm
title = navweaps.com: Order of Battle
accessdate = 2006-04-22
*cite web
url = http://www.combinedfleet.com/yamato.htm
title = CombinedFleet.com: Chronological history of Yamato and actions during Ten-Go
accessdate = 2006-05-13
*cite web
url = http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/supership/
title = NOVA documentary: Sinking the Supership
accessdate = 2006-04-23 The official site of the NOVA documentary with additional information on the subject.