how many japanese ships were sunk in ww2

[177] Osmus was slated for the same fate; however, he resisted and was murdered on the Arashi with a fire ax, and his body was thrown overboard. After winning a clear victory, and as pursuit became too hazardous near Wake,[157] American forces retired. Moreover, the Pearl Harbor assault had left the bases most vital onshore facilitiesoil storage depots, repair shops, shipyards and submarine docksintact. The United States was particularly unhappy with Japans increasingly belligerent attitude toward China. [30] The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard worked around the clock, and in 72 hours she was restored to a battle-ready state,[31] judged good enough for two or three weeks of operations, as Nimitz required. In all, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor crippled or destroyed nearly 20 American ships and more than 300 airplanes. After receiving medical care, at least one of these sailors cooperated during interrogation and provided intelligence. Similarly, most Americans feared that the occupied islands would be used as bases for Japanese bombers to attack strategic targets and population centers along the West Coast of the United States. [38], During the Battle of the Coral Sea one month earlier, the Japanese light carrier Shh had been sunk, while the fleet carrier Shkaku had been severely damaged by three bomb hits and was in drydock for months of repair. The four Japanese fleet carriersAkagi, Kaga, Sry, and Hiry, part of the six-carrier force that had attacked Pearl Harbor six months earlierwere sunk, as was the heavy cruiser Mikuma. These factors meant all carriers of the Kid Butai had fewer aircraft than their normal complement, with few spare aircraft or parts stored in the carriers' hangars. [116] Most of the Japanese CAP was directing its attention to the torpedo planes of VT-3 and was out of position; meanwhile, armed Japanese strike aircraft filled the hangar decks, fuel hoses snaked across the decks as refueling operations were hastily being completed, and the repeated change of ordnance meant that bombs and torpedoes were stacked around the hangars, rather than stowed safely in the magazines, making the Japanese carriers extraordinarily vulnerable.[117]. Planes stood tail up, belching livid flames and jet-black smoke, making it impossible to bring the fires under control. The Japanese surface forces failed to make contact with the Americans because Spruance had decided to briefly withdraw eastward, and Yamamoto ordered a general withdrawal to the west. [85], The few aircraft on the Japanese flight decks at the time of the attack were either defensive fighters or, in the case of Sry, fighters being spotted to augment the combat air patrol. The destroyers Arashio and Asashio were also bombed and strafed during the last of these attacks. While the U.S. would probably not have sought peace with Japan as Yamamoto hoped, his country might have revived Operation FS to invade and occupy Fiji and Samoa; attacked Australia, Alaska, and Ceylon; or even attempted to occupy Hawaii. [124] Kusaka was able to persuade him. [91] Furthermore, fueled and armed aircraft inside the ships presented a significant additional hazard in terms of damage to the carriers in an event of attack, and keeping them on the decks was much more dangerous than getting them airborne. Second, the poor control of the Japanese combat air patrol (CAP) meant they were out of position for subsequent attacks. Enterprise SBD Dauntless dive bomber pilot Norman "Dusty" Kleiss, who scored three hits on Japanese ships during the Battle of Midway (aircraft carriers Kaga and Hiry and heavy cruiser Mikuma), wrote: "From the experience in the Marshalls, at Wake and at Marcus, I thought our fleet learned its lessons. The torpedo bombers were armed with torpedoes should any American warships be located. [133] They attacked, crippling Yorktown with two torpedoes; she lost all power and developed a 23-degree list to port. For instance, cryptanalysis made possible the shooting down of Admiral Yamamoto's airplane in 1943. [131], Approximately one hour later, Hiry's second attack wave, consisting of ten B5Ns and six escorting A6Ms, arrived over Yorktown; the repair efforts had been so effective that the Japanese pilots assumed that Yorktown must be a different, undamaged carrier. [21], Yamamoto felt deception would be required to lure the U.S. fleet into a fatally compromised situation. [18], Typical of Japanese naval planning during World War II, Yamamoto's battle plan for taking Midway (named Operation MI) was exceedingly complex. Ballard's subsequent search for the Japanese carriers was unsuccessful. The crew of Petrel confirmed the discovery of another Japanese carrier, the Akagi, on 21 October 2019. Floatplanes were lost from the cruisers Chikuma (3) and Tone (2). Later evidence suggests Nagumo did not receive the sighting report until 08:00. She was discovered early the next morning by an aircraft from the escort carrier Hsh, prompting hopes she could be saved, or at least towed back to Japan. St. Four Japanese and three U.S. aircraft carriers participated in the battle. To aid his aviators, who had launched at extreme range, he had continued to close with Nagumo during the day and persisted as night fell. [16], Instead, Yamamoto selected Midway, a tiny atoll at the extreme northwest end of the Hawaiian Island chain, approximately 1,300mi (1,100nmi; 2,100km) from Oahu. For other uses, see, The code names "Val", "Kate" and "Zeke", which are often applied to these aircraft, were not introduced until late 1943 by the Allied forces. Chichi Nagumo's detailed battle report was submitted to the high command on 15 June. This article is about the 1942 battle. six-carrier force that had attacked Pearl Harbor, shooting down of Admiral Yamamoto's airplane, discovery of another Japanese carrier, the, Papahnaumokukea Marine National Monument, Pacific Theater aircraft carrier operations during World War II, "A Brief History of Aircraft Carriers: Battle of Midway", "Oil and Japanese Strategy in the Solomons: A Postulate", "Battle of Midway: Repairing the Yorktown After the Battle of the Coral Sea", "U.S. National Park Service: The Battle of Midway: Turning the Tide in the Pacific 1. Within the first few minutes, two F4Fs and 13 F2As were destroyed, while most of the surviving U.S. planes were damaged, with only two remaining airworthy. The Japanese government believed that the only way to solve its economic and demographic problems was to expand into its neighbors territory and take over its import market. [143] It was fortunate for the U.S. that Spruance did not pursue, for had he come in contact with Yamamoto's heavy ships, including Yamato, in the dark, considering the Japanese Navy's superiority in night-attack tactics at the time, there is a very high probability his cruisers would have been overwhelmed and his carriers sunk. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. On December 7, 1941 the Japanese military launched a surprise attack on the US Naval base at Pearl Harbor. The strike from Hornet, led by Commander Stanhope C. Ring, followed an incorrect heading of 265 degrees rather than the 240 degrees indicated by the contact report. [39], Historians Jonathan Parshall and Anthony Tully believe that by combining the surviving aircraft and pilots from Shkaku and Zuikaku, it is likely that Zuikaku could have been equipped with almost a full composite air group. [103] Midway was the last time the TBD Devastator was used in combat. WebPassenger and cargo ship Japan: 9 April 1945: USS Tirante United States: 667: Taito Maru: Cargo ship serving as evacuation ship Japan: 22 August 1945: L-12 Soviet Union: 658: Tateyama Maru: Troopship Japan: 1 March 1945: USS Sterlet United States: 656: Sanka Maru: Troopship Japan: 10 March 1945: USS Kete United States: 654: Ceramic: Ocean Pre-war Japan was less mechanized than America and the highly trained aircraft mechanics, fitters, and technicians lost at Midway were all but impossible to replace and train to a similar level of efficiency. All Rights Reserved. On December 7, after months of planning and practice, the Japanese launched their attack. [164], The Japanese public and much of the military command structure were kept in the dark about the extent of the defeat: Japanese news announced a great victory. This was one of the carriers from Task Force 16. [7][8][9] The U.S. Navy under Admirals Chester W. Nimitz, Frank J. Fletcher, and Raymond A. Spruance defeated an attacking fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy under Admirals Isoroku Yamamoto, Chichi Nagumo, and Nobutake Kond north of Midway Atoll, inflicting devastating damage on the Japanese fleet. [137], As darkness fell, both sides took stock and made tentative plans for continuing the action. [90], Had Nagumo elected to launch the available aircraft around 07:45 and risked the ditching of Tomonaga's strike force, they would have formed a powerful and well-balanced strike package that had the potential to sink two American carriers. Fletcher, in overall command aboard Yorktown, and benefiting from PBY sighting reports from the early morning, ordered Spruance to launch against the Japanese as soon as was practical, while initially holding Yorktown in reserve in case any other Japanese carriers were found. American anti-aircraft fire was intense and accurate, destroying three additional Japanese aircraft and damaging many more. [194][nb 5] A few months after Midway, the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service sustained similar casualty rates in the Battle of the Eastern Solomons and Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands, and it was these battles, combined with the constant attrition of veterans during the Solomons campaign, which were the catalyst for the sharp downward spiral in operational capability. Consequently, even the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) continued to believe, for at least a short time, that the fleet was in good condition. Whereas many earlier historical accounts considered the Aleutians operation as a feint to draw American forces away, according to the original Japanese battle plan, AL was intended to be launched simultaneously with the attack on Midway. [209] Tinker Air Force Base, outside Oklahoma City, Oklahoma is named in honor of Major General Clarence L. Tinker, Commander, 7th Air Force, who personally led a bomber strike from Hawaii against the retreating Japanese forces on 7 June. The Akagi was found in the Papahnaumokukea Marine National Monument resting in nearly 18,010ft (5,490m) of water more than 1,300mi (2,090km) northwest of Pearl Harbor. [189] The Guadalcanal Campaign is also regarded by some as a turning point in the Pacific War. [63], At 04:30 on 4 June, Nagumo launched his initial attack on Midway itself, consisting of 36 Aichi D3A dive bombers and 36 Nakajima B5N torpedo bombers, escorted by 36 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters. [211][212][213] Ford, who was a Navy Reserve Commander at the time, was present on Midway Atoll's power plant at Sand Island during the Japanese attack and filmed it. Next, torpedoes pierced the shell of the battleship USS Oklahoma. With further salvage efforts deemed hopeless, the remaining repair crews were evacuated from Yorktown. [76] At 09:10, she launched a torpedo at a cruiser and again had to dive to evade the escorts, with destroyer Arashi spending considerable time chasing Nautilus. The Japanese, by contrast, remained largely unaware of their opponent's true strength and dispositions even after the battle began. [88], Japanese naval doctrine preferred the launching of fully constituted strikes rather than piecemeal attacks. They reasoned that without access to money and goods, and especially essential supplies like oil, Japan would have to rein in its expansionism. But since 1945, submarines have had a mostly dry spell. The Montevideo Maru was a Japanese POW ship carrying Prisoners of War from the Philippines to a transit camp in Formosa (Taiwan). They hoped to lure the U.S. aircraft carriers into a trap, clearing the seas for Japanese attacks on Midway, Fiji, Samoa, and Hawaii. [190], Some authors have stated that heavy losses in carriers and veteran aircrews at Midway permanently weakened the Imperial Japanese Navy. The few surviving aircraft were all recovered aboard Hiry. But unknown to the Allies at The IJA occupied these islands to place the Japanese home islands out of range of U.S. land-based bombers in Alaska. Parks, which included six F4Fs and 20 F2As,[65] intercepted the Japanese and suffered heavy losses, though they managed to destroy four B5Ns, as well as a single A6M. (Albion & Pope, Sea Lanes in Wartime) Between December 1941 and May 1942, the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard sank only two U-Boats. The USAAF contributed a squadron of 17 B-17 Flying Fortresses and four Martin B-26 Marauders equipped with torpedoes: in total 126 aircraft. Less than two hours later, the surprise attack was over, and every battleship in Pearl HarborUSS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, USS West Virginia, USS Utah, USS Maryland, USS Pennsylvania, USS Tennessee and USS Nevadahad sustained significant damage. [93], The Americans had already launched their carrier aircraft against the Japanese. The Japanese operations in the Aleutians (Operation AL) removed yet more ships that could otherwise have augmented the force striking Midway. [120], Although Akagi sustained only one direct hit (almost certainly dropped by Lieutenant Best), it proved to be a fatal blow: the bomb struck the edge of the mid-ship deck elevator and penetrated to the upper hangar deck, where it exploded among the armed and fueled aircraft in the vicinity. The main airfield at Guadalcanal was named after him in August 1942. [92] Whatever the case, at that point there was no way to stop the American strike against him, since Fletcher's carriers had launched their planes beginning at 07:00 (with Enterprise and Hornet having completed launching by 07:55, but Yorktown not until 09:08), so the aircraft that would deliver the crushing blow were already on their way. It was surrendered to the U.S. at Yokosuka Naval Base. WebUSS Liscome Bay (CVE-56) sunk after being torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-175 off Gilbert Islands, 24 November 1943. It was accepted that the lack of coordination would diminish the impact of the American attacks and increase their casualties, but Spruance calculated that this was worthwhile, since keeping the Japanese under aerial attack impaired their ability to launch a counterstrike (Japanese tactics preferred fully constituted attacks), and he gambled that he would find Nagumo with his flight decks at their most vulnerable. On December 8, Congress approved Roosevelts declaration of war on Japan. Shortly afterward, the ship turned onto her port side revealing the torpedo hole in her starboard bilge. [196] By 1942 the United States was already three years into a shipbuilding program mandated by the Second Vinson Act of 1938. Japanese pilots reported to Nagumo that a second aerial attack on Midway's defenses would be necessary if troops were to go ashore by 7 June. In the end, Nagumo decided to wait for his first strike force to land, and then launch the reserve, which would by then be properly armed with torpedoes. The plump silhouettes of the American Dauntless dive-bombers quickly grew larger, and then a number of black objects suddenly floated eerily from their wings. By contrast, Yamamoto and Kondo had between them two light carriers, five battleships, four heavy cruisers, and two light cruisers, none of which saw action at Midway. [41] Nonetheless, the First Carrier Strike Force sailed with 248 available aircraft on the four carriers (60 on Akagi, 74 on Kaga (B5N2 squadron oversized), 57 on Hiry and 57 on Sry). Despite a scuttling attempt by a Japanese destroyer that hit her with a torpedo and then departed quickly, Hiry stayed afloat for several more hours. "As a woman," she said, "I cant go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else.". As a result, Air Group Eight's dive bombers missed the Japanese carriers. [27], To do battle with an enemy expected to muster four or five carriers, Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, needed every available flight deck. First, they kept the Japanese carriers off balance and unable to prepare and launch their own counterstrike. Half of the dead at Pearl Harbor were on the USS Arizona. Despite the heavy losses, the Japanese believed that they could scrape together enough aircraft for one more strike against what they believed to be the only remaining American carrier. Commander William Brockman) found herself near the Japanese fleet, attracting attention from the escorts. These comprised two squadrons each of dive bombers and torpedo bombers. Coming under an onslaught of bombs from almost two full squadrons, Kaga sustained three to five direct hits, which caused heavy damage and started multiple fires. The attack on Pearl Harbor killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including sailors, soldiers and civilians. WebAfter the Battle of Port Arthur,[7]a number of Russian and Japanese vessels were struck by mines and either sank or were scuttled to prevent their capture. [58] This dispersal resulted in few fast ships being available to escort the Carrier Striking Force, thus reducing the number of anti-aircraft guns protecting the carriers. [32][33] Her flight deck was patched, and whole sections of internal frames were cut out and replaced. In September 1999, a joint expedition between Nauticos Corp. and the U.S. The Montevideo Maru was a Japanese war ship that was fired upon by the American submarine USS Sturgeon and sank near the Philippines The Yorktown squadron (VB-3) had flown just behind VT-3, but elected to attack from a different course. [82], Nagumo was now in a quandary. For a variety of reasons, production of the "Val" had been drastically reduced, while that of the "Kate" had been stopped completely and, as a consequence, there were none available to replace losses. [168] A possible reason Nagumo wasn't relieved of command was that he reported two American carriers had been sunk, not one actually sunk. [123][nb 3] While Kaga was burning, Nautilus showed up again and launched three torpedoes at her, scoring one dud hit. They were intended to come up and destroy whatever elements of the U.S. fleet might come to Midway's defense once Nagumo's carriers had weakened them sufficiently for a daylight gun battle. I saw [my] 500lb[230kg] bomb hit right abreast of the [carrier's] island. Midway allowed this to occur before the first of the new Essex-class fleet carriers became available at the end of 1942. Bombs and bullets rained onto the vessels moored below. Japanese plans were not changed; Yamamoto, at sea in Yamato, assumed Nagumo had received the same signal from Tokyo, and did not communicate with him by radio, so as not to reveal his position. If the other parts of the invasion force needed more defense, the Kid Butai would make best speed to defend them. [95] Fletcher, upon completing his own scouting flights, followed suit at 08:00 from Yorktown. USS Ommaney Bay (CVE-79) sunk by Kamikaze attack south of Mindoro, Philippine Islands, 4 January 1945. The single vote against Congress's declaration of war against Japan came from Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana. A few TBDs managed to get within a few ship-lengths range of their targets before dropping their torpedoesclose enough to be able to strafe the enemy ships and force the Japanese carriers to make sharp evasive maneuversbut all of their torpedoes either missed or failed to explode. The less severely damaged Mikuma slowed to 12kn (22km/h; 14mph) to keep pace. No one believed that the Japanese would start a war with an attack on the distant islands of Hawaii. [26], In order to obtain support from the Imperial Japanese Army for the Midway operation, the Imperial Japanese Navy agreed to support their invasion of the United States through the Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska, part of the organized incorporated Alaska Territory. Gasoline ignited, creating an "inferno", while stacked bombs and ammunition detonated. [146][147], Over the next two days, several strikes were launched against the stragglers, first from Midway, then from Spruance's carriers. The dive bombers were as yet unarmed (this was doctrinal: dive bombers were to be armed on the flight deck). [179] The execution of Osmus in this manner was apparently ordered by Arashi's captain, Watanabe Yasumasa. This was partly due to fatigue; Japanese carriers had been constantly on operations since 7 December 1941, including raids on Darwin and Colombo. For the remainder of that day and then 9 June, Fletcher continued to launch search missions from the three carriers to ensure the Japanese were no longer advancing on Midway. Naval Oceanographic Office searched for the Japanese aircraft carriers. WebThere were 733 Merchant Marine ships sunk due to enemy attacks, and the Japanese captured 609 mariners as prisoners of war. Many ships were also claimed damaged or sunk by multiple pilots/crews. [158], Historian Samuel E. Morison noted in 1949 that Spruance was subjected to much criticism for not pursuing the retreating Japanese, thus allowing their surface fleet to escape. The 10 F4Fs from Hornet ran out of fuel and had to ditch. Unescorted bombers headed off to attack the Japanese carriers, their fighter escorts remaining behind to defend Midway. Because of strategic disagreements between the Imperial Army (IJA) and Imperial Navy (IJN), and infighting between the Navy's GHQ and Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's Combined Fleet, a follow-up strategy was not formed until April 1942. Uncertain of whether they were friendly or not and unwilling to approach any closer to verify their heading or type, Murphy decided to send a vague report of "four large ships" to Admiral Robert English, Commander, Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC). At 8:10, a 1,800-pound bomb smashed through the deck of the battleship USS Arizona and landed in her forward ammunition magazine. Although the F2As and SB2Us were already obsolete, they were the only aircraft available to the Marine Corps at the time. Pearl Harbor is a U.S. naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii, that was the scene of a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. [13], Yamamoto's primary strategic goal was the elimination of America's carrier forces, which he regarded as the principal threat to the overall Pacific campaign. Towards the end of the day, he launched a search-and-destroy mission to seek out any remnants of Nagumo's carrier force. Midway-based Marine fighters led by Major Floyd B. At 02:55, these ships received Yamamoto's order to retire and changed course to comply. Despite initial hopes that Akagi could be saved or at least towed back to Japan, all three carriers were eventually abandoned and scuttled. Japanese casualty figures for the battle were compiled by Sawaichi Hisae for her book. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. [37] The Marine Corps stationed 19 Douglas SBD Dauntless, seven F4F-3 Wildcats, 17 Vought SB2U Vindicators, and 21 Brewster F2A Buffalos. [47], Japanese strategic scouting arrangements prior to the battle were also in disarray. A picket line of Japanese submarines was late getting into position (partly because of Yamamoto's haste), which let the American carriers reach their assembly point northeast of Midway (known as "Point Luck") without being detected. Journey through the "day that will live in infamy" by exploring the details that still surprise us 75 years later, including accounts from experts, military minds, and even those who lived through it. Around 08:20, she made an unsuccessful torpedo attack on a battleship and then had to dive to evade the escorts. [70], One B-26, piloted by Lieutenant James Muri, after dropping his torpedo and searching for a safer escape route, flew directly down the length of Akagi while being fired upon by fighters and anti-aircraft fire, which had to hold their fire to avoid hitting their own flagship. [97] Spruance ordered the striking aircraft to proceed to target immediately, rather than waste time waiting for the strike force to assemble, since neutralizing enemy carriers was the key to the survival of his own task force. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [175] The report filed by Nagumo tersely states that Osmus, "died on 6 June and was buried at sea";[178] O'Flaherty and Gaido's fates were not mentioned in Nagumo's report. The attack was unsuccessful and around 06:00 he finally reported two westbound Mogami-class cruisers, before diving again and playing no further role in the battle. [195] In the time it took Japan to build three carriers, the U.S. Navy commissioned more than two dozen fleet and light fleet carriers, and numerous escort carriers. During the Battle of the Coral Sea one month earlier, USSLexington had been sunk and USSYorktown suffered so much damage that the Japanese believed she too had been lost. On its first war patrol around the Caroline and Mariana islands, Tang sank six Japanese ships, amounting to 18,000 tons of shipping, with 16 of its 24 torpedoes hitting their targets. Despite Hiry being defended by a strong cover of more than a dozen Zero fighters, the attack by Enterprise and orphaned Yorktown aircraft launched from Enterprise was successful: four bombs (possibly five) hit Hiry, leaving her ablaze and unable to operate aircraft. [20] However, following hasty repairs at Pearl Harbor, Yorktown sortied and ultimately played a critical role in the discovery and eventual destruction of the Japanese fleet carriers at Midway. During months of negotiations between Tokyo and Washington, D.C., neither side would budge. [94], Spruance judged that, though the range was extreme, a strike could succeed and gave the order to launch the attack. [75], While the air strikes from Midway were going on, the American submarine USSNautilus(SS-168) (Lt. There were few casualties aboard since most of the crew had already been evacuated, but a third torpedo from this salvo struck the destroyer USSHammann, which had been providing auxiliary power to Yorktown. [181] Another 35 crewmen from Hiry were taken from a lifeboat by USSBallard on 19 June after being spotted by an American search plane. The Dutch East Indies, with its vital oil resources, was particularly important to Japan. [157] Furthermore, the American air groups had suffered considerable losses, including most of their torpedo bombers. (Some had returned to the mainland and others were delivering planes to troops on Midway and Wake Islands.). [138][139], After futile attempts at controlling the blaze, most of the crew remaining on Hiry were evacuated and the remainder of the fleet continued sailing northeast in an attempt to intercept the American carriers.

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