Dogfights: Death of the Japanese Navy

Oct. 24, 1944. U.S. planes are searching for the Japanese Center Force fleet.

The Yamato is one of the ships in the Japanese force. It had 150 anti-aircraft guns. In this battle it's damaged, but not sunk.

The ship is hit by a U.S. dive bomber.

The Japanese plan to attack U.S. forces landing on the Philippines.

Oct.25th, the Japanese Center Force emerges off Samar, having retreated and then changed direction. Meanwhile, a Northern Force has lured Halsey's group in a decoy mission and gotten them out of the way of the battle.

They encounter Taffy 3, a small force of U.S. ships which were really there in a support role rather than a major fighting role.

The Yamato by itself weighed as much as all the Taffy 3 ships combined.

The Japanese commander thought Taffy 3 was actually Halsey's group. He ordered a general attack.

U.S. destroyers lay down a smokescreen while the carriers turn east to try and get away, although they launch their planes in the process.

The USS Johnston attacks the Japanese who guns outdistance the Johnston's.

The bow of the Kumano is blown off by torpedoes from the Johnston.

Since another Japanese cruiser gets near the Kumano to help it, that removes 2 of 6 Japanese cruisers from the fight in the first ten minutes of the battle.The Johnston begins to receive a series of hits which will doom the ship.

The Roberts kept fighting for sixty minutes with ships way bigger and more powerful than it was.

The Roberts ends up being sunk.

The Johnston is then sunk. Even though there are still twenty ships in the Japanese group, they break off the attack to return home.

Six months later the Yamato is given a suicide mission to attack the U.S. fleet at Okinawa.

What the Japanese planned on doing.

The Yamato is spotted just south of Kyushu island, and on April 7th, 300 U.S. planes attack.

The U.S. planes carried two 1000-pound bombs plus rockets.

Gradually, the Yamato's anti-aircraft guns are destroyed.

The Yamato sinks.

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