Attacks on Kure and the Seto Inland Sea

Last updated

Attacks on Kure and the Inland Sea
Part of the Pacific theatre of World War II
Japanese battleship Haruna attacked.jpg
Japanese battleship Haruna under attack on 28 July
Date24–28 July 1945
Location 34°14′N132°33′E / 34.23°N 132.55°E / 34.23; 132.55
Result Allied victory
Belligerents
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Merchant flag of Japan (1870).svg  Japan
Commanders and leaders
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg William Halsey Naval ensign of the Empire of Japan.svg Kanazawa Masao
Units involved

Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Third Fleet

Naval ensign of the Empire of Japan.svg Combined Fleet
Casualties and losses
102 killed
133 aircraft destroyed [1]
1 fleet carrier sunk
3 battleships sunk
1 ex-battleship sunk
2 heavy cruisers sunk
1 light cruiser sunk
2 armored cruisers sunk
1 destroyer sunk
2 escort ships sunk
1 escort carrier grounded
306 aircraft destroyed
392 aircraft damaged [1]

The attacks on Kure and the Inland Sea by United States and British naval aircraft in late July 1945 sank most of the surviving large warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The United States Third Fleet's attacks on Kure Naval Arsenal and nearby ports on 24, 25, and 28 July sank an aircraft carrier, three battleships, five cruisers, and several smaller warships. During the same period the British Pacific Fleet attacked other targets in the Inland Sea region and sank two escort ships and several smaller vessels as well as damaging an escort carrier.

Contents

Prelude

In July 1945 the IJN's remaining large warships were concentrated near the major naval base of Kure. The ships were immobilized by fuel shortages and were being used only as stationary anti-aircraft batteries. [2] Admiral John S. McCain Sr., the commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force, strongly opposed attacking Kure as he and his staff believed that the ships only posed a minor threat. [3]

In his memoirs Admiral Halsey gave four reasons for why he attacked Kure despite McCain's objections. First, he believed that the attack would boost US morale and retaliate for the Attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Second, it would ensure that the Japanese could not disrupt the planned Soviet invasion of Hokkaido. Third, it would prevent Japan from using its fleet as a bargaining point to secure better peace terms. Finally, he had been ordered to conduct the attack by his superior officer, Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. [3]

Despite operating as a task group of the US Third Fleet, the British Pacific Fleet (BPF) was excluded from the attack on Kure because the Americans did not want Britain to claim a part in destroying the Japanese fleet. The BPF was instead used to attack airfields and the port of Osaka. [2] [3]

Kure had been subjected to several major attacks prior to July 1945. On 19 March 1945, 321 US Navy aircraft attacked Japanese warships in and around the city. This attack was unsuccessful, with no Japanese ships being sunk, though an escort carrier and a light cruiser were badly damaged. [4] On 5 May B-29 Superfortress bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) successfully bombed the Hiro Naval Aircraft Factory. B-29s laid naval mines in the approaches to the port on 30 March and 5 May, and 40 percent of the city was destroyed in a major air raid conducted by Superfortresses on 1 July. [5]

Participating in the attacks were Task Force 38 for the Americans and Task Force 37 for the British. Task Force 37 included the aircraft carriers HMS Formidable, Indefatigable, and Victorious. [6]

Battle

Tone under intense aerial attack by aircraft of USS Shangri-La, 24 July ToneUnderAttack1945.jpg
Tone under intense aerial attack by aircraft of USS Shangri-La, 24 July

The Third Fleet's attack against Kure began on 24 July. [7] US carrier aircraft flew 1,747 sorties on this day against Japanese targets. [8] The attacks sank the aircraft carrier Amagi and the cruiser Ōyodo, which was acting as the Combined Fleet's flagship. The battleships Hyūga, Ise, and Haruna, the heavy cruisers Tone and Aoba, the outdated armored training cruisers Iwate and Izumo and the ex-battleship turned target ship Settsu were all heavily damaged and settled in shallow water. [6] The shallow anchorage precluded the use of torpedoes. The US aircraft attempted to reduce their losses from the large number of anti-aircraft guns in the area by the use of variable time-fused bombs. [2] [6]

The British Pacific Fleet conducted a number of attacks against Osaka and targeted the Inland Sea. As a result the escort carrier Kaiyō was severely damaged and grounded, the escort ships No. 4 and No. 30 were also sunk for the loss of four aircraft. [2]

The upper hangar deck of Katsuragi, October 1945, after it was struck by a 2,000 lb bomb on 28 July 80-G-351745 Japanese Aircraft Carrier KATSURAGI.tif
The upper hangar deck of Katsuragi, October 1945, after it was struck by a 2,000 lb bomb on 28 July

US strikes against Kure resumed on 28 July, damaging the battleships Ise and Haruna and the heavy cruiser Aoba. [2] The aircraft carrier Katsuragi which had largely escaped attack in the earlier raid, and the unserviceable light aircraft carrier Ryūhō were attacked, with Katsuragi suffering heavy damage. [8] These air strikes were among the largest conducted by the US Navy during the war, and were the most destructive of shipping. [8]

On 28 July, the USAAF attacked Kure ships with 79 B-24 Liberator bombers from Okinawa. Four bomb hits were made upon the beached cruiser Aoba, breaking off her stern. Two B-24s were shot down and 14 others damaged. [9]

Allied losses included 102 aircrew and 133 planes lost in combat or accidents during the attacks. These losses were higher than those suffered by the Third Fleet in most of its operations, and were the result of the heavy anti-aircraft defences around Kure. [1]

Aftermath

The Allied attacks on Kure and the inland sea left Nagato at Yokosuka as the only remaining operational capital ship in Japan's inventory. The destruction of the battleships and heavy cruisers at Kure was seen by British official historian Stephen Roskill as avenging the losses suffered by the United States at Pearl Harbor. [10] The attacks allowed the Soviet Pacific Fleet to operate in the Sea of Japan without fear of attack by Japanese ships. [11]

Warships sunk or damaged

At Kure

Battleships

  • Haruna : Hit by a single bomb which caused light damage on 24 July, hit by eight bombs on 28 July, sunk at her moorings.
  • Hyūga : Hit by ten bombs on 24 July, sunk in shallow waters.
  • Ise : Damaged by bombs in an attack by 60 planes on 24 July, struck by sixteen bombs on 28 July, sunk in shallow waters.

Aircraft carriers

Damaged and inoperable Ryuho anchored at Kure, 1945 NH 111642 Japanese aircraft transport ship, RYUHO, ex-TAIGEI depot ship (cropped).tif
Damaged and inoperable Ryūhō anchored at Kure, 1945
  • Amagi : Hit by two bombs and received several near-misses on 24 July, hit several more times on 28 July, capsized.
  • Katsuragi : Hit by one bomb on 24 July which did little damage. Hit by one 2,000-pound bomb on 28 July which blew a large hole in the flight deck, moderately damaged.
  • Hōshō : Slightly damaged by a single bomb or aerial rocket hit on 24 July.
  • Ryūhō : Already severely damaged in the March air raid on Kure, attacked again on 24 and 28 July but remained afloat.

Cruisers

  • Iwate : Not hit by any bombs, but three near misses on 24 July caused Iwate to sink in shallow water the following day.
  • Izumo : Not hit by any bombs, but three near misses on 28 July caused Izumo to capsize.
  • Aoba : Bombed and sunk on 24 July, hit by four more bombs and caught fire on 28 July.
  • Tone : Hit by three bombs and sunk on 24 July, attacked again on 28 July by rockets and bombs.
  • Kitakami : Damaged by strafing on 24 July.
  • Ōyodo : Strafed and hit by five bombs on 24 July, near-missed by bombs on 28 July and capsized.
  • Yakumo : Damaged and re-designated as a transport ship.

Destroyers

  • Yoizuki : Slightly damaged on 24 July.
  • Nashi : Sunk on 28 July 1945.
  • Kaba : Damaged on 24 July.
  • Asagao : Damaged on 28 July.

Unfinished ships

  • Aso : Unryū-class aircraft carrier, attacked on 24 July, caught fire.
  • I-404 : I-400-class submarine, severely damaged on 28 July, scuttled.

Warships attacked outside of Kure Naval Port

Grounded hulk of Kaiyo being scrapped in Beppu Bay, 1946-1947 Japanese escort carrier Kaiyo beached in Beppu Bay, Japan, while being scrapped, circa in 1946-1947 (NH 85386).jpg
Grounded hulk of Kaiyō being scrapped in Beppu Bay, 1946-1947
  • Settsu : Ex-battleship, grounded after one bomb hit and five near-misses on 24 July, hit by two bombs on 28 July. (Hiroshima Bay, Etajimacho Ozu)
  • Kaiyō : Escort carrier, attacked on 24 and 28 July, damaged and grounded. (Beppu Bay, Oita)
  • Komahashi : Submarine tender, attacked on 27 July and sunk in shallow water. (Owase Port, Mie)
  • I-205: Unfinished I-201-class submarine, sunk on 28 July. (Kurahashi Island)
  • Hagi : Matsu-class destroyer, damaged on 28 July. (south of Iwaishima, Yamaguchi)
  • Tsubaki : Moderately damaged on 24 July. (off the coast of Okayama)
  • Escort ship No. 4: Sunk on 28 July. (off the coast of Toba, Mie)
  • Escort ship No. 30: Sunk on 28 July. (off the coast of Yura, Wakayama)

Related Research Articles

Japanese aircraft carrier <i>Zuikaku</i> Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier

Zuikaku was the second and last Shōkaku-class aircraft carrier built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) shortly before the beginning of the Pacific War. Zuikaku was one of the most capable Japanese aircraft carriers of the entire war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Leyte Gulf</span> Largest naval battle of World War II

The Battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle of World War II and by some criteria the largest naval battle in history, with over 200,000 naval personnel involved.

Japanese battleship <i>Yamato</i> Imperial Japanese Navy ship

Yamato was the lead ship of her class of battleships built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) shortly before World War II. She and her sister ship, Musashi, were the heaviest and most powerfully armed battleships ever constructed, displacing nearly 72,000 tonnes at full load and armed with nine 46 cm (18.1 in) Type 94 main guns, which were the largest guns ever mounted on a warship.

Japanese battleship <i>Haruna</i> Japanese Kongō-class battlecruiser

Haruna was a warship of the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War I and World War II. Designed by the British naval engineer George Thurston, she was the fourth and last battlecruiser of the Kongō class, amongst the most heavily armed ships in any navy when built. Laid down in 1912 at the Kawasaki Shipyards in Kobe, Haruna was formally commissioned in 1915 on the same day as her sister ship, Kirishima. Haruna patrolled off the Chinese coast during World War I. During gunnery drills in 1920, an explosion destroyed one of her guns, damaged the gun turret, and killed seven men.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle off Samar</span> Part of the Battle of Leyte Gulf

The Battle off Samar was the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, which took place in the Philippine Sea off Samar Island, in the Philippines on October 25, 1944. It was the only major action in the larger battle in which the Americans were largely unprepared. After the previous day's fighting, the Imperial Japanese Navy's First Mobile Striking Force, under the command of Takeo Kurita, had suffered significant damage and appeared to be retreating westward. However, by the next morning, the Japanese force had turned around and resumed its advance toward Leyte Gulf. With Admiral William Halsey Jr. lured into taking his powerful Third Fleet north after a decoy fleet and the Seventh Fleet engaged to the south, the recently-landed 130,000 men of the Sixth Army were left vulnerable to Japanese attack on Leyte.

Japanese cruiser <i>Chikuma</i> (1938) Second ship of the Tone-class of Japanese heavy cruisers

Chikuma (筑摩) was the second and last vessel in the Tone class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. The ship was named after the Chikuma River in Nagano Prefecture. Entering service in 1939, Chikuma saw battle during World War II in the Pacific, hunting small allied ships in the Indian Ocean and serving in many escorting missions throughout many large-scale aircraft carrier battles between Japan and the United States. On the 25 of October 1944, she served in the Battle off Samar where she possibly sank the escort carrier USS Gambier Bay and damaged the destroyer USS Heermann, before being crippled by gunfire from the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts and sunk by air attacks.

Japanese destroyer <i>Yukikaze</i> (1939) Kagerō-class destroyer

Yukikaze was a Kagerō-class destroyer in service with the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. She was the only member of her class to survive the war, and did so without suffering any major damage. She participated in the battles of the Java Sea, Midway, and Santa Cruz, helping to sink the submarine USS Perch, and saw her first major surface action at the Naval battle of Guadalcanal, sinking the destroyer USS Laffey and helping to sink the destroyer USS Cushing, alongside crippling the destroyer USS Sterett and lightly damaging the destroyer USS O'Bannon. She survived the devastating naval defeat that was the Battle of the Bismarck Sea undamaged, and led a Japanese counter attack at the Battle of Kolombangara, where she likely directly torpedoed the light cruiser HMNZS Leander and took part in a mass torpedo spread that sank the destroyer USS Gwin and torpedoed the light cruisers USS Honolulu and USS Saint Louis.

Tone (利根) was the lead ship in the two-vessel Tone class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. The ship was named after the Tone River, in the Kantō region of Japan and was completed on 20 November 1938 at Mitsubishi's Nagasaki shipyards. Tone was designed for long-range scouting missions and had a large seaplane capacity. She was extensively employed during World War II usually providing scouting services to their aircraft carrier task forces. She almost always operated in this capacity in conjunction with her sister ship Chikuma.

Japanese cruiser <i>Ōyodo</i> Imperial Japanese Navys light cruiser

Ōyodo (大淀) was a light cruiser built for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) during World War II, and was the only ship of her class completed before the end of the war. Designed to command submarine operations, she was obsolete upon completion in 1943. The ship was used as a transport and to escort the navy's capital ships for the rest of the year. Ōyodo was lightly damaged by American aircraft in early January 1944 during one transport mission and returned home several months later to begin conversion to serve as the flagship of the Combined Fleet.

Japanese destroyer <i>Uranami</i> (1928) Fubuki-class destroyer

Uranami was the tenth of twenty-four Fubuki-class destroyers, built for the Imperial Japanese Navy following World War I. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world. They served as first-line destroyers through the 1930s, and remained formidable weapons systems well into the Pacific War.

Japanese cruiser <i>Kumano</i> One of the four Mogami class cruisers

Kumano (熊野) was one of four Mogami class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy, serving in World War II. She was named after the Kumano River Kii Peninsula on the island of Honshu in central Japan. The Mogami-class ships were constructed as "light cruisers" with five triple 6.1-inch dual purpose guns. They were exceptionally large for light cruisers, and the barbettes for the main battery were designed for quick refitting with twin 8-inch guns. In 1937 all four ships were "converted" to heavy cruisers in this fashion. Kumano served in numerous combat engagements in the Pacific War, until she was eventually sunk by carrier aircraft from Task Force 38 while she was undergoing repairs at Santa Cruz, Zambales, Philippines, in November 1944.

Japanese cruiser <i>Kinugasa</i> Aoba-class cruiser

Kinugasa (衣笠) was the second vessel in the two-vessel Aoba class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. The ship was named after Mount Kinugasa, located in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan.

Japanese cruiser <i>Kinu</i> Nagara-class light cruiser

Kinu (鬼怒) was the fifth of the six ships completed Nagara-class light cruiser in the Imperial Japanese Navy, named after the Kinu River in Tochigi prefecture Japan. She was active in World War II in various campaigns in Malaya, the Dutch East Indies and New Guinea before being sunk by United States Navy carrier-based aircraft in the Philippines in 1944.

Japanese destroyer <i>Isokaze</i> (1939) Kagerō-class destroyer

Isokaze(磯風, "Wind on the Beach") was one of 19 Kagerō-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the 1930s.

Japanese destroyer <i>Tanikaze</i> (1940) Kagerō-class destroyer

Tanikaze(谷風, Valley Wind) was one of 19 Kagerō-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy during the 1930s, which saw extensive action throughout WW2, spending her early war career operating alongside Japanese aircraft carriers. Tanikaze was damaged by American dive bombers during the battle of Midway, June 6 1942, and helped to sink the light cruiser USS Helena at the battle of Kula Gulf, July 6 1943. Tanikaze was eventually torpedoed and sunk by the submarine USS Harder on June 9 1944.

Japanese destroyer <i>Suzutsuki</i> (1942) Akizuki-class destroyer

Suzutsuki (涼月) was an Akizuki-class destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Her name means "Clear Moon ". Suzutsuki is best known for her participation in Operation Ten-Go as one of the battleship Yamato's eight escort ships, where her bow was blown off by an American torpedo. Suzutsuki survived the battle, and escaped American forces by reversing all the way back to port. She was used as a breakwater until 20 November 1945, when her name was struck from the naval register and she was sold for scrap soon after. Suzutsuki was the longest serving member of her class.

Japanese destroyer <i>Kasumi</i> (1937) Asashio-class destroyer

Kasumi was the ninth of ten Asashio-class destroyers built for the Imperial Japanese Navy in the mid-1930s under the Circle Two Supplementary Naval Expansion Program.

Japanese cruiser <i>Aoba</i> Aoba-class cruiser

Aoba (青葉) was the lead ship in the two-vessel Aoba class of heavy cruisers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. Launched in 1926 and heavily modernized in 1938-40, Aoba initially served as a patrol craft, largely along the China coast, and saw extensive service during World War II. Repeatedly heavily damaged and repaired, she was finally crippled by bombing and settled on the bottom of shallow Kure harbor in April 1945; two raids in late July reduced her to an unsalvageable hulk. During the attack on 24 July 1945, future Vice admiral Dick H. Guinn dropped the 2,000 lb (910 kg) bomb which contributed to her sinking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attack on Yokosuka</span> Part of Pacific War, World War II

The attack on Yokosuka was an air raid conducted by the United States Navy on 18 July 1945 during the last weeks of the Pacific War. The Japanese battleship Nagato was the raid's main target, though anti-aircraft positions and other warships at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal were also attacked. Other U.S. Navy and Royal Navy aircraft struck airfields in the Tokyo area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attack on Kure (March 1945)</span>

The attack on Kure was an air raid conducted during the Pacific War by the United States Navy on 19 March 1945. It targeted the remnants of the Japanese Combined Fleet located in and near the Japanese city of Kure. The attack by 321 aircraft was unsuccessful, as no Japanese warships were sunk though several were damaged. Japanese forces struck the American fleet on the morning of 19 March, and crippled one aircraft carrier and badly damaged another.

References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Halsey (1947). Admiral Halsey's Story. p. 264.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Royal Navy 1995 , p. 223
  3. 1 2 3 Halsey 1947 , p. 265
  4. Tillman 2010, pp. 128–132.
  5. Craven & Cate 1953 , pp. 649, 668–669, 675
  6. 1 2 3 Rohwer 2005 , p. 424
  7. Potter 1985 , p. 345
  8. 1 2 3 Morison 2002 , p. 331
  9. Craven & Cate 1953 , p. 698
  10. Roskill 1961 , p. 374
  11. Frank 1999 , p. 158

Bibliography