Did Yamato beach itself?
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Did Yamato beach itself?
In a desperate attempt to slow the Allied advance, Yamato was dispatched on a one-way mission to Okinawa in April 1945, with orders to beach herself and fight until destroyed, thus protecting the island.
Did anyone survive the sinking of the Yamato?
Of the 3,332 crew members aboard the Yamato, only 276 survived the sinking. The Yamato, completed in Kure in December 1941, was the largest battleship in the world at the time.
How much did it take to sink the Yamato?
Weighing 72,800 tons and outfitted with nine 18.1-inch guns, the battleship Yamato was Japan’s only hope of destroying the Allied fleet off the coast of Okinawa. But insufficient air cover and fuel cursed the endeavor as a suicide mission. Struck by 19 American aerial torpedoes, it was sunk, drowning 2,498 of its crew.
What would have happened if the Yamato had found its way to Okinawa?
This would have opened Yamato up to torpedo attacks from US destroyers, especially as Yamato ’s upper works and secondary armament would have been devastated by fire from the U.S. battleships. In short, even if the U.S. Navy’s carrier fleet had not intervened, there is no chance that Yamato would have found her way to Okinawa.
How many battleships did the US have off Okinawa?
The U.S. Navy had an embarrassment of battleships off Okinawa, including three elderly ships, seven “standard type” battleships, six fast battleships, and two battlecruisers. By most accounts the battlecruisers and fast battleships remained with the aircraft carriers, leaving the older, slower battleships to confront Yamato.
Why did Admiral Morton Deyo leave his battleships with the aircraft?
By most accounts the battlecruisers and fast battleships remained with the aircraft carriers, leaving the older, slower battleships to confront Yamato. Admiral Morton Deyo left several of his older battleships behind, choosing to engage with the most modern vessels available.
What was the speed advantage of Yamato?
While Yamato and her escorts held a six knot speed advantage over the American line, the Americans had the advantage of sitting athwart the Japanese line of advance.