Superbattleship Yamato: the movie (1 Viewer)

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Gents I've scanned some pages from a book I own titled "Requiem for the Battleship yamato" by Yoshida Mitsuru. The author served on the Yamato as a junior naval officer and survived the attack.
I think these few pages written by someone who was there, gives us an insight into why the Yamato's AA guns were so ineffective.
 

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Great information Wildcat, thanks!

Reading on wikipedia, regarding the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HSM Repulse is that i can see the Japanese sent a relatively small number of land-based aircraft to attack the British force sent to interdict some japanese landings. Very small when compared with the ~350 US Navy planes that attacked Yamato and her smaller companions.

Apparently there were several attacks carried out by no more than 25 Japanese planes at a time. The attacks happened in intervals of 20 to 30 minutes each.

Fisrst attack:
At 1113 hours, the fleet was attacked by three waves of Japanese planes the first being the high-level bombers from the Mihoro Air Corps which was made up of 17 Nell bombers with 500 kg (1,102 lb) bombs, as well as eight Nells with two 225 kg (500 lb) bombs...

25 planes made the first attack.

Second attack:
Then at about 1140 hours came the first of the torpedo bombers making up of 16 Nells from the Genzan Air Corps.

16 planes during the second attack, and:

A second attack by eight torpedo bombers from the Mihoro Air Corps attacked the Repulse from two directions.

Third attack:
The third and final attack by 26 'Betty' torpedo bombers from the Kanoya Air Corps, a detachment from the 21st Air Flotilla also based near Saigon, struck from several directions.

So, as it is commented at wikipedia, only 65 japanese aircraft attacked the British force. (88 Japanese planes being mentioned on the "strenght" table shown on the webpage). The AA fire of the British ships brought down only 3 japanese planes (27 damaged; are there any numbers regarding damaged planes for the US Navy in the action against Yamato?).

I find it fascinating to dig further into details, that can certainly seem meaningless, but if Yamato shot down only 2 of the 10 planes the Navy lost during the attack, then chances are one -or both- of the British capital ships shot down zero attacking planes.

HMS Repulse was not on the sea surface anymore a little more than an hour after the first attack -which scored only one bomb hit on Repulse, as pointed out in this source-, while HMS Prince of Wales dissappeared about 2 hours after the initial attack. Even faster than Yamato, acknowledged being the differences in size and tonnage.

As we have commented, a fleet without air cover has little if any chances against aerial attack.

Still, the number of planes shot down by Yamato´s AA guns (2, as pointed out by delcyros) seems low beyond understanding; i wonder if this could be another case of allied distortions...we sank the mightiest and most powerful battleship ever almost for free.

Yup, it is just a little detail on Yamato´s last battle. I will repeat what i said in my first posting: i do not believe Yamato could have fought off such kind of aerial attack, sailing without air cover, not at all. Even if the training given to the men in charge of manning the AA batteries proved inadequate, when one sees the layout of Yamato´s AA batteries -a true fortress- one could certainly expect a higher cost from the part of the attackers.

Can anyone confirm if what is commented on wikipedia is accurate?
 
More...

Found an excellent website (in spanish), where a true in-depth analysis of the end of Yamato is made. My apologies for my naval terminology is poor.

These guys seem to really know what they talk about; of course -getting repetitive- they are aware of the fact a fleet without air cover coming under aerial attack has little chances if any.

Now, they make a question: how come Yamato went down after receiving less damage than her twin Musashi as it happened in the Sibuyan Sea of the Phillipines?

It is interesting to note i had not found the information on this spanish website in any other source:

It is possible that Yamato had a somewhat sooner end due to the insane amount of ammunition of all calibers she carried during her last mission? The numbers shown are the following:

1,170- 18 in. shells;
1,620- 6.1 in shells;
13,500- 5 in. shells; and (more importantly)
~11,000,000- 25 mm shells. (!)

Such amount of ammo was not carried under "ordinary" circumstances but in view of the nature of the mission in April 1945 (Ten-Ichi-Go) which the naval high command knew would be final was that they decided to load the number of ammo therein mentioned.

The important thing comes when they say such a number of ammunition (especially the 25mm rouds) could not be properly stored and handled in well protected compartments.

So as the battle raged, a great amount of 25 mm shells had to be placed near the AA batteries. They say that chances are a bomb hit near the forward triple 6 in. turret may have caused a "chain explosion" of unproperly stored and handled 25 mm rounds, that in addition to a prior torpedo hit on the left side of the ship, under the area of main turret (B) that had weakened internal structures where the 16. in shells were stored, may have caused a huge number of exploding 25 mm rounds into the area, causing a huge fire, leading to her dimise.

1939-1945 - La Segunda Guerra Mundial

http://www.de1939a1945.bravepages.com/descargas/findelyamato.pdf
 
And Udet, the movie snippet also shows Yamato using her large turret mounted guns too. Lanc noted that this was not only possible, but of fairly common occurrence. Not the shoot the water to make water spouts to deter torpedo runs, but shoot fused shells for airburst effect.

Anyone ever heard of this for 16in and 18in guns? That just seems ludicrous to me for some reason. [No offense, Lanc]

Just finished watching the movie...it's exciting and must watch it again...abt the main battery used for AA, did a search and this is what I have found:-\
San Shiki" (the Beehive) Model 13 - Japan's Most Unusual Anti-Aircraft Shell
This remarkable anti-aircraft shell was designed to be fired from the 18-inch guns of the super battleship Yammamoto. The idea was pursued as Japanese capital ships could almost never count on friendly air cover and were forced to provide their own defense against allied aircraft. Called "San Shiki" (the Beehive) Model 13 the round weighed 2,998lb (kg) and was filled with 900 incendiary tubes (of rubber thermite) and 600 steel stays. A time fuze was set before firing that went off at a predetermined altitude causing the explosive and metal contents to burst in a cone extending 20 degrees forward, towards the oncoming aircraft. Instantly after detonating, the shell itself was destroyed by a bursting charge, increasing the quantity of steel splinters. The incendiary tubes ignited about half a second later and burned for five seconds at 3000 degrees C, producing a flame about 16ft (m) long.
Although quite impressive the weapon when used was a failure ruining several of the battleship's main guns and barely effecting the swarm of attacking allied aircraft.
(from World War II Guide to Air Power)

Regards,
Tai
 
Tai (much easier than your nickname):

Thanks for the input but if you read a few postings above you might notice Herr Delcyros had already commented on the Japanese special AA heavy shell fired by the main battery.
 

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