CHAPTER SIX
After a successful 1944, the American forces continued their operations in a similar vein during 1945. On 2 January TF.38 began operations in support of the Lingayen landings on the island of Luzon. Combat operations began the following day, and eleven Japanese vessels were sunk and a similar number damaged. Engaged in these missions was TG.38.2, commanded by Rear Admiral Bogan, whose assigned carriers were the Lexington, Hancock, Hornet and Cabot, these being supported by the battleships New Jersey, Wisconsin and Iowa, with five cruisers and twenty destroyers, all of which were operating off Pescador and Formosa. Night flying was becoming a requirement for US Navy operations, and so TG.38.5 was deployed with the carriers Enterprise and Independence and an escort of six destroyers. Two further carrier groups were also deployed. The first was TG.38.3, commanded by Rear Admiral Sherman, which was operating off central Formosa, Okinawa and Sakishima Gunto; the carriers assigned to this group included the Essex, Ticonderoga, Langley and San Jacinto, supported by the battleships Washington, North Carolina and South Dakota, together with four cruisers and eighteen destroyers. The second carrier group, TG.38.1, was under the command of Rear Admiral Radford, and was operating off north Formosa, using the carriers Yorktown, Wasp, Cowpens and Monterey,with cover supplied by the battleships Massachusetts and Alabama, plus four cruisers and eighteen destroyers.
The US Navy landing fleets departed from the Leyte Gulf, passing through the Surigao Strait, the Sulu Sea and the Mindoro Strait en route to the Lingayen Gulf. To the fore of the landing fleets was a minesweeping group and a destroyer escort, followed by the fire support group, TG.77.2, commanded by Vice-Admiral Oldendorf. This in turn was divided into two separate forces, these being designated Unit 1 and Unit 2. Unit 1 was commanded by Rear Admiral Weyler and was charged with supporting the landings off San Fabian. The battleships in this group included the Mississippi, West Virginia and New Mexico, plus three cruisers and eight destroyers. Unit 2 was commanded by Vice-Admiral Oldendorf and comprised the battleships California, Pennsylvania and Colorado, with an escort of three cruisers and eleven destroyers. Providing air support for the landings was carrier group TG.77.4 commanded by Rear Admiral Durgin, who also took charge of carrier Unit 1 and was charged with operating off Lingayen. The escort carriers in the group were the Makin Island, Lunga Point, Bismark Sea, Salamaua and the Hoggett Bay, these being covered by a force of nine destroyers. A second escort carrier group, Unit 2, was commanded by Rear Admiral Stump and included the Natoma Bay, Manila Bay, Wake Island, Steamer Bay, Savo Island and Ommmaney Bay,their target being San Fabian. This group was escorted by seven destroyers. One final carrier group was also deployed, this being the Hunter Killer Group, whose role was anti-submarine warfare. Commanded by Captain Cronin USN, the carrier was the Tulagi, with five escort and support vessels.
After repairs for its typhoon damage, the USS Wasp, the Mighty Stinger, would resume combat operations in the Pacific.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
As all the support groups were in position on 4 January, the San Fabian force began to depart from Leyte Gulf. The troops were commanded by Major-General Swift, the land force being designated I Corps. Escorting the troop ships were the carriers Kadashan Bay and Marcus Island and twelve destroyers. The Lingayen force departed the following day with the troops of XIV Corps aboard, being commanded by Major-General Grimshaw. The air escort for this force was provided by the escort carriers Kitkun Bay and Shamrock Bay, with nine destroyers. The Japanese forces had already detected the American forces on the move, and set in motion an attack plan that involved the IJN submarine force, this being followed by a kamikaze attack launched from Luzon on 5 January. These aircraft managed to damage the escort carrier Manila Bay, two cruisers and four other vessels. The following day the Japanese launched a further twenty-nine kamikaze fighters, which managed to sink the minesweeper USS Long, as well as causing damage to the battleships New Mexico and California, three destroyers and two other ships. At the end of these attacks the Americans had lost 156 killed and 452 wounded. Over the night of 6/7 January two other vessels were sunk by the Japanese. A further attack by kamikaze aircraft took place on 8 January when the escort cruisers Kadashan Bay and Kitkun Bay, and a cruiser, were damaged. These attacks resulted in seventeen dead and thirty-six wounded.
Seen overflying the task force is this Curtiss Helldiver assigned to VB-3 aboard the USS Yorktown in 1945.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
On 9 January Operation Mike I began utilising TG.77.2 and 77.4 to land the USA I Corps in Langayen Gulf, this force comprising 70,000 troops, who met little resistance from the Japanese as the majority of the defending force had withdrawn to the mountains. The major engagement would begin on 11 January as the American troops moved inshore. To support the landings and to suppress as much of the Japanese sea and air opposition as possible, the carrier groups of TF.38 launched missions against the airfields on Formosa and the Ryukyus and Pescadore Islands. During these raids fifteen IJN vessels were sunk and a similar number damaged. In retaliation the Japanese launched nine kamikaze aircraft against the US Navy fleets, causing damage to the battleship Mississippi, two cruisers and a destroyer.
Pictured just before touchdown is this Grumman F6F Hellcat of VF-6 from the USS Hancock.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
On 11 January Amphibious Group 3, commanded by Rear Admiral Conolly, arrived off Lingayen, the fleet consisting of more than fifty vessels. The air escort for this force was provided by the escort carriers Saginaw Bay and Petrof Bay, commanded by Rear Admiral Henderson. As before, the Japanese launched massive kamikaze attacks against the attacking naval forces, causing damage to the carrier Hoggett Bay, numerous other vessels also being damaged. Although the Japanese would put up a stout resistance, the US Army forces had made enough headway to allow the naval forces to withdraw and prepare for the next mission. During these landings the carriers had launched over 6,000 missions, of which 1,400 were close support sorties, during which only two American aircraft were shot down.
The landing on Luzon began on 27 January, when the 32nd Infantry Division and the 1st Cavalry Division were put ashore at Lingayen Gulf to support the US 6th Army. Two days later, Operation Mike VII saw Amphibious Group 9 under the command of Rear Admiral Struble landing the 38th Infantry Division near Subic Bay. During these operations approximately 30,000 troops were disembarked from fifty-five landing vessels. Air support was provided by the 5th AAF commanded by Lieutenant-General Kenney, while naval fire support was courtesy of TG.74.2, comprising a cruiser and fourteen destroyers. The next landings, Operation Mike VI, took place on 31 January, when Amphibious Group 8, commanded by Rear Admiral Fechteler, landed the 11th Airborne Division near Nasugbu, close to Manila Bay, using more than forty landing ships. Fire support was courtesy of a cruiser and six destroyers. During the fighting the Japanese resistance at Subic Bay was minimal, although it increased as the Americans forged inland. However, the deployment of tactical air power soon broke their opposition. A total of 175,000 men proceeded across the beachhead within a few days. With heavy air support the Army units pushed further inland, capturing Clark Field some forty miles north-west of Manila at the end of January. Two major landings followed, one to cut off the Bataan Peninsula, and the other including a parachute drop south of Manila. A pincer movement closed on the city, and so on 3 February 1945 elements of the 1st Cavalry Division entered the northern outskirts of Manila, and the 8th Cavalry passed through the suburbs. It took until 3 March to clear Manila of all Japanese troops, while Fort Drum, a fortified island in Manila Bay near Corregidor, resisted until 13 April. The Japanese forces based there were nullified when a team went ashore on the island and pumped 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the fort, and set charges that were then detonated. No Japanese survived the subsequent blast and fire. During the fighting over 13,000 Americans were killed, with more than 48,000 being wounded. Japanese losses were over 336,000 killed, with a further 12,000 being captured.
After the retaking of the Philippines, the Americans moved on to Iwo Jima. The opening gambit was a major carrier raid against Tokyo, using TF.58 under the command of Vice-Admiral Mitscher. On 10 February TF.58 departed from Ulithi, undertaking exercises off Tinian on 12 February, with a pre-strike refuel taking place two days later. The carrier groups included TG.58.1, commanded by Rear Admiral Clark, the carriers comprising the Hornet, Wasp, Bennington and Belleau Wood, with the battleships Massachusetts and Indiana, plus three cruisers and fifteen destroyers assigned for escort and defensive duties. The second carrier group consisted of the Lexington, Hancock and San Jacinto, with the battleships Wisconsin and Missouri (the ‘Mighty Mo’), plus two cruisers and nineteen destroyers, all commanded by Rear Admiral Davison. Rear Admiral Sherman was the commander of TG.58.3, whose carriers were the Essex, Bunker Hill and Cowpens, plus the battleships South Dakota and New Jersey, the battlecruiser Alaska, and four cruisers and fourteen destroyers. The fourth group was TG.58.4, commanded by Rear Admiral Radford. The carriers in this group were the Yorktown, Randolph, Langley and Cabot, with support being supplied by the battleships Washington and North Carolina, together with three cruisers and seventeen destroyers. TG.58.5, under the command of Rear Admiral Gardner, was deployed for night operations, and had the carriers Enterprise and Saratoga, with two cruisers and twelve destroyers for support purposes. A screen of destroyers proceeded the main fleet, their main task being to deter submarines and other IJN attack vessels. By 16 February the main fleet was 125 miles from Tokyo. The fighters were launched first by the carrier groups, their purpose being to eliminate any aerial resistance. They were followed by the bomber groups, whose designated targets were of an industrial nature, with aircraft manufacturing facilities being the highest priority. While some targets were destroyed, many of the attacks were unsuccessful as bad weather obscured the targets. A further attack took place against shipping off Yokohama, during which a freighter and two IJN vessels were sunk. Overall 2,761 sorties were flown during this period, with sixty aircraft being lost in combat and a further twenty-eight being lost to accidents.
Flying over the Philippines is this Grumman Avenger of VT-89 from the USS Antietam, complete with a radar pod under the wing.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
After the completion of the combined carrier operations, TG.58.4 was diverted to undertake raids on Hahajima and Chichi Jima in order to neutralise the Japanese forces based there. On 16 February preparations began for the invasion of Iwo Jima. The opening move was by TF.54 under the command of Rear Admiral Rodgers. This task force consisted of the battleships Tennessee, Idaho, Nevada, Texas, New York and Arkansas, plus five cruisers and sixteen destroyers, which arrived off the island to undertake a bombardment of the designated landing areas. Following the battleship group came TG.52.2, commanded by Rear Admiral Durgin. This was a carrier group that included Sargent Bay, Natoma Bay, Wake Island, Petrof Bay, Steamer Bay, Makin Island, Lunga Point, Bismark Sea, Saginaw Bay and Rudyerd Bay. In position, the carriers launched their first missions, eventually completing 158 sorties in this initial phase. The following day the carriers flew another 226 sorties, followed by a further 612 missions on 18 February.
At 02.00 hrs on 19 February 1945 the powerful 16-inch guns of the battleships USS North Carolina, Washington and West Virginia let loose the first salvoes that signalled the commencement of the invasion of Iwo Jima. Operation Detachment, the actual landings, would follow soon after when TF.51, commanded by Vice-Admiral Turner, disembarked V Amphibious Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General H.T. Smith. Overall, TF.51 consisted of 495 ships. Even as the guns fell silent, more than forty USAAF B-24 Liberators from the 7th AAF then attacked the island, this being followed by another intense volley from the naval guns. Interspersed with the USAAF bomber attacks and the naval bombardments, the pressure on the Japanese was increased by attacks from the carrier air groups. Overall the carrier groups flew more than 600 missions during this phase. While the bombing and shelling was mostly accurate, it did not greatly damage the Japanese defences, as the majority were well fortified and protected from shelling. Most were in the shelter of Mount Suribachi, as the Japanese defenders had spent the months prior to the invasion creating an elaborate system of tunnels and firing positions that ran throughout the entire mountain. Most of the Japanese heavy artillery was concealed behind reinforced steel doors in massive chambers built inside the mountain, and these were nearly impenetrable to bombs and shells from the American air and naval bombardment.
At 08.59 the first of 30,000 Marines of the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Divisions landed on the beach. This initial wave was not subject to Japanese defensive fire, as the plan by the Japanese commander was to hold fire until the beach was full of Marines and their equipment. Supporting the Marines were the carrier groups TG.58.1 and 58.4, the other two having pulled back for a much-needed refuel. It was only when the first wave of Marines reached the first line of Japanese bunkers that they took hostile fire. Many of the Japanese bunkers and firing positions were well concealed, and so the first wave of Marines suffered devastating losses from the Japanese machine-guns. Allied to the Japanese defences situated close to the beaches the Marines also faced heavy fire from the positions around Mount Suribachi to the south of the island. The Japanese defensive positions made it extremely difficult for the Marines to advance because of the inhospitable terrain, which consisted of volcanic ash. Close air support for the Marines was initially provided by fighters flying from the carriers cruising off the coast.
With the landing areas secured, more troops and heavy equipment were landed, and the invasion force proceeded north to capture the airfields and the remainder of the island. During the closing stages of the battle there was a kamikaze air attack by thirty-two aircraft on the ships anchored at sea on 21 February, which resulted in the sinking of the escort carrier USS Bismarck Sea, with the loss of 218 men. Severe damage was also caused to the USS Saratoga, which caused 123 deaths with 192 wounded, while slight damage was caused to the escort carrier USS Lunga Point, an LST and a transport vessel. The island was officially declared secure on 16 March, twenty-five days after the landings had begun, although the 5th Marine Division still faced some strong Japanese opposition from small pockets of troops and various stragglers. Of the 22,785 Japanese soldiers defending the island, 21,570 died, with only 216 being captured. The American forces suffered 26,038 casualties: 6,821 were killed in action, with the remainder being wounded.
Even as the fighting on Iwo Jima continued, the Americans gained control of the passage through the San Bernadino Strait between Samar and Luzon, allowing the Marine Corps to land on Samar and the smaller islands of Dalupiri, Capul and Buri. The capture of these islands was followed by those of Ticoa and Burias, these operations being completed by 3 April. Task Force 58 then switched its attention to mounting carrier aircraft attacks on airfields and other facilities around Tokyo in conjunction with the XXth AAF, which sent waves of Boeing B-29 bombers to the same destination. After two days of attempting to mount further raids, Vice-Admiral Mitscher decided to call off the attacks planned for 26 February against Nagoya and Kobe due to heavy seas, which made launching and recovery of aircraft impossible. Also, on the same date, the USAAF suffered a grievous loss when the aircraft carrying Lieutenant-General Millard F. Harmon disappeared while in the vicinity of the Marshall Islands, en route from Hawaii. General Harmon had been appointed Commanding General USAAF Pacific in late 1943.
Although the raids on Nagoya and Kobe had been cancelled, TF.58 turned its attention to the shore installations, airfields and shipping in the vicinity of Okinawa. These raids on 1 March succeeded in sinking fourteen Japanese vessels, although the carrier USS Biloxi was damaged by shore gunfire. TF.58 set out from Ulithi to undertake further raids on Japan, although the force would be without the carrier USS Randolph, which had been damaged by a Japanese kamikaze air raid on 11 March. As before, the carrier groups were the core of this task force, and so TG.58.1 consisted of the carriers Hornet, Wasp, Bennington, Belleau Wood and San Jacinto, the battleships Massachusetts, and Indiana, and six cruisers and twenty destroyers, all under the command of Rear Admiral Clark. Accompanying TG.58.1 was TG.58.2, whose carriers included Enterprise and Franklin, plus a single cruiser and eight destroyers, all commanded by Rear Admiral Davison. The second full carrier group was TG.58.3, commanded by Rear Admiral Sherman. The carriers assigned to the group included the Essex, Bunker Hill, Hancock, Cabot and Bataan, with the battleships Washington, North Carolina and South Dakota and five cruisers and sixteen destroyers. The final full carrier group was TG.58.4, under the command of Rear Admiral Radford. Included in this group were the carriers Yorktown, Intrepid, Langley and Independence, plus the battleships Wisconsin, Missouri and New Jersey, the battlecruisers Alaska and Guam, and four cruisers and eighteen destroyers.
After the war had ended, the USS Cabot would still remain in the operational fleet and would be operating Grumman aircraft.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Surrounded by launch crew, a Grumman Avenger of VT-8 aboard the USS Bunker Hill prepares to depart on another sortie. Of note are the radar antennae under the outer wing panels.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
The fleet refuelled on 16 March, and as the US Navy had developed an excellent logistics supply train this process did not take unduly long. The American fleet train stretched all the way from the United States across the Pacific, and included oilers, repair ships, ammunition ships and escort carriers that carried a supply of spare aircraft to replenish the carriers of TF.58. Two days later, the carrier groups launched an all-out attack on Kyushu, concentrating on the airfields. However, some of the attackers did attack shipping in the area successfully, sinking six ships and damaging three more. In response the Japanese 5th Air Fleet, commanded by Vice-Admiral Ugaki, launched forty-eight kamikazes against the American carrier forces. While eighteen failed to find the targets, the remainder attacked the carriers of TG.58.4, during which the USS Intrepid was struck. While this caused a serious fire aboard the carrier, the crew managed to control and extinguish the blaze. The Yorktown and Enterprise suffered minor damage, although both were able to continue operations. On 19 March the TF.58 carrier groups concentrated on the Japanese bases in the Inland Sea, Kure being the primary target. In this harbour were the IJN carriers Amagi, Katsuragi, Ryuho, Hosho, Kaiyo and Ikoma. Also at Kure were the battleships Yamato, Hyuga and Hurana, two cruisers and three other naval vessels. All of the ships were damaged to some degree during these raids. The 5th Air Fleet launched another kamikaze counter-attack, during which the USS Wasp was struck and set on fire. Although the fire was quickly brought under control, 101 naval personnel were killed and a further 269 were wounded. Two kamikazes also hit the USS Franklin, nicknamed ‘Big Ben’, which was badly damaged by internal ammunition and bomb explosions that left 724 dead and 265 injured. Although the Franklin was badly damaged in the attack, the fires were soon quenched and the ship brought back under full control, and so Captain Gehres, with a destroyer escort, managed to sail the carrier to a dockyard for repairs. Initially the carrier was towed clear by the cruiser USS Pittsburgh, although the tow was cast off once the carrier was able to reach 14 knots under its own power. Temporary repairs were carried out at Ulithi, these being improved upon at Pearl Harbor. The USS Franklin finally docked at Brooklyn Navy Yard on 28 April for a full repair after a safe transit via the Panama Canal.
A flight of Curtiss Helldivers from VB-7 based on the USS Hancock begin their turn towards the carrier prior to landing.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
With a few of its aircraft on the flight deck, the USS Natoma Bay heads towards the next target in the Pacific conflict.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
On 21 March the Japanese launched the greatest aerial attack to date when eighteen bombers carrying Ohkas–manned rocket-powered aircraft similar to the doodle bug–were dispatched. Also in this formation were fifty-five kamikazes with a fifteen-strong fighter escort. The radars aboard the task force quickly detected this incoming force, and launched 150 fighters to intercept them;, all bar one of the incoming aircraft were shot down. After this series of attacks, TF.58 withdrew for refuelling, and the carrier groups were redistributed to equalise each group for losses. The re-formed carrier groups were TG.58.1 with the Hornet, Bennington, Belleau Wood and San Jacinto, TG.58.3 with the Essex, Bunker Hill, Hancock (later replaced by the Shangri La) and Bataan, and TG.58.4 comprising the Yorktown, Intrepid, Enterprise and Langley. The damaged carriers, Wasp and Franklin, were accompanied to Ulithi by the carrier Independence and the battleships Washington and North Carolina, plus five cruisers.
On 23 March TF.58 began the preparatory phase for the invasion of Okinawa, when all three carrier groups undertook increased air attacks against the Japanese airfields and installations. These attacks continued over the next two days. Some of the carrier aircraft from TG.58.1 were diverted to attack a Japanese convoy, all of whose eight vessels were sunk in 112 sorties. TF.58 withdrew for refuelling over 27/28 March before returning to the combat zone, where the carriers launched further aerial attacks against Okinawa and the battleships resumed their bombardment duties against the same targets. These attacks continued relentlessly until the end of March. By this time Royal Navy carriers had joined the US Pacific Fleet as TF.57, their first task being to launch attacks against the Sakishima- Gunto group of islands at the southern end of the Ryukyus Islands.
Although it looks in really bad shape, the USS Hancock, hit by a bomb on 19 March 1945, will later be repaired and rejoin the US Navy for further service.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Okinawa would again be the target when TG.52.1 arrived off the island to provide cover for TF.58 while it refuelled. Commanded by Rear Admiral Durgin, this task group was subdivided into three separate groups. Group 1 consisted of the escort carriers Makin Island, Fanshaw Bay, Lunga Point, Sangamon, Natoma Bay, Savo Island and Anzio, plus an escort of seventeen destroyers. Group 2 was commanded by Rear Admiral Stump, the escort carriers being Saginaw Bay, Sargent Bay, Marcus Island, Petrof Bay, Tulagi and Wake Island, plus an escort of ten destroyers. The third group, commanded by Rear Admiral Sample, included the Suwanee, Chenango, Santee and Steamer Bay, the escort comprising two destroyers. On 26 March, TF.54, the fire support group commanded by Rear Admiral Deyo, started to lay down a heavy barrage across Okinawa. The task force was divided into five groups. Group 1 comprised the battleships Texas and Maryland, plus a cruiser and four destroyers. Group 2 had the battleships Arkansas and Colorado, plus two cruisers and five destroyers. Group 3 had the battleships Tennessee and Nevada assigned, plus two cruisers and five destroyers. Group 4 comprised the battleships Idaho and West Virginia, with three cruisers and five destroyers. The final battleship group, No. 5, consisted of the battleships New Mexico and New York, plus two cruisers and five destroyers for escort purposes.
Seen from overhead is the IJN battleship Yamato, surrounded by the explosions of its defensive fire as carrier attack aircraft move in for the kill. The ship was sunk on 7 April 1945.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
To counter the obvious goals of the Americans, the Japanese ordered the implementation of Operation Tengo–the defence of Okinawa and South Japan. Activated on 25 March, the air formations of the 3rd and 10th Naval Air Fleets were placed under the command of Vice-Admiral Ugaki, whose 5th Air Fleet was based on Kyushu. The first kamikaze attack was launched in the early hours of 25 March, during which four US Navy ships were damaged. The next attack took place in the evening of the following day, when eleven kamikazes managed to obtain hits on the battleships, a cruiser and three destroyers. Even with these interruptions, TF.54 continued to shell its assigned targets, although the fleet was subject to another kamikaze attack, during which two of the smaller US Navy vessels were damaged. In response to these attacks the Americans concentrated upon hitting the airfields and explosive boat bases. Further kamikazes were launched against the fleet on 30 March, during which the flagship of Admiral Spruance, the USS Indianapolis, was hit, which forced the Admiral to transfer his flag to the battleship USS New Mexico.
On 1 April 1945 Operation Iceberg began as 1,213 ships brought thousands of troops to begin the invasion of Okinawa. Even as this mighty armada approached, the battleship task forces continued to bombard the island. The landings went as planned, meeting little resistance, as the Japanese 2nd Army, commanded by Lieutenant-General Ushijama, had entrenched its forces in the southern mountain terrain. On the evening of the invasion the fleet was assaulted by kamikazes and rocket-powered Ohka powered bombs that damaged the battleship West Virginia and seven other vessels. The invasion of Okinawa had political ramifications in Japan, as the Premier, General Koiso, was forced to resign, being replaced by Admiral Suzuki, the former having promised to recapture Iwo Jima. Over 6/7 April the Japanese launched a kamikaze attack known as Operation Kikusui 1 against the invasion and fire support fleets. Other groups of aircraft attacked the carrier groups TG.58.1 and 58.3 situated north-east of Okinawa, and TF.57 south of the island, although the escort carriers of TG.52 to the east were not affected. The Japanese attack, consisting of 198 aircraft, damaged twenty-seven ships to some degree, while three destroyers and three ammunition supply vessels were sunk. The defending American fighters shot down fifty-five aircraft, while a further thirty-five were downed by the anti-aircraft barrage from the fleet. Of the ammunition vessels, the Logan Victory, hit by a kamikaze, and carrying 7,000 tons of ammunition, exploded after the hit, while the Hobbs Victory was abandoned, later exploding, on 7 April.
The Japanese subsequently launched an even larger kamikaze force, consisting of fifty-four naval and 125 army pilots, that attacked the American fleet. Although the majority of the attacking aircraft were downed by the fighter cover and a curtain of anti-aircraft fire, a few managed to slip through. The battleship Maryland and a destroyer were damaged, as was the carrier Hancock, while other smaller vessels were damaged to some extent. The damage to the Hancock was limited, and so the carrier was able to resume operations almost immediately. The Japanese would make one further naval effort to drive the Americans away from their shores. This force consisted of the battleship Yamato, a cruiser and an extensive array of destroyers, all running on fuel scavenged from various sources. Unfortunately for the IJN, its ships movements were quickly spotted by US submarines and Boeing B-29s. Further confirmation of the IJN movements were made by Catalina flying-boats and aircraft dispatched from carrier groups TG.58.1 and 58.3 to shadow the ships. By mid-morning the carrier attack groups struck at the Japanese ships, with the Yamato being struck by two bombs and a torpedo, while two destroyers were sunk. A further attack took place in mid-afternoon, when the Yamato was hit by further bombs and torpedoes, which caused the vessel to sink, with the loss of 2,498 lives. The aerial attack force also sank three destroyers, while the few remaining destroyers limped away, some badly damaged.
Surrounded by deck crews, these Grumman F6Fs of VF-45 are prepared for their next sorties aboard the USS San Jacinto.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
The USS Chenango played a prominent part in the Pacific campaign, although it would be quickly retired at the end of the war.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
TF.58 would return to the fray on 8 April, by now consisting of four carrier task groups, all under the command of Vice-Admiral Mitscher. TG.58.1, commanded by Rear Admiral Clark, consisted of the carriers Hornet, Bennington, Belleau Wood and San Jacinto, the battleships Massachusetts and Indiana, plus four cruisers and a dozen destroyers. TG.58.2 had the carriers Randolph, Enterprise and Independence assigned, plus the battleships Washington and North Carolina, while the escort was provided by four cruisers and a dozen or more destroyers, all commanded by Vice-Admiral Bogan. TG.58.3, commanded by Rear Admiral Sherman, had the carriers Essex, Bunker Hill and Bataan, with the battleships New Jersey and South Dakota, plus four cruisers and a large force of destroyers. The last task group, TG.58.4, consisted of the carriers Yorktown, Intrepid and Langley, with the battleships Wisconsin and Missouri and the battlecruisers Alaska and Guam, while the escort included a single cruiser and a large number of destroyers. In order to apply continuous pressure on the Japanese defenders, two carrier groups remained on station while another was refuelling and another was in transit. On 8 and 9 April an American carrier group, TG.52.1, under the command of Rear Admiral Sample and comprising the carriers Suwanee, Chenango, Santee and Rudyerd Bay, stood in for the Royal Navy Task Force 57, to continue its task of suppressing the Japanese on the Sakishima-Gunto Islands. TF.57 returned to station on 11 April, being replaced by TG.52.1 on 14 April. During much of May 1945, TF.57, commanded by Vice-Admiral Vian RN, alternated with TG.52.1.3 and its carriers Sangamon, Suwanee, Chenango and Santee, in mounting aerial attacks against the Sakishima-Gunto Islands. During this period the carrier USS Sangamon was badly damaged by a kamikaze hit. As the Sangamon was unable to continue in action, the escort carrier limped away from the combat zone, becoming one of the earliest strikes from the Navy List, as it was deemed too expensive to repair.
Fire crews fight the flames aboard the USS Intrepid after the carrier has been hit by a kamikaze. Once the fire had been dealt with the carrier was quickly made ready for operations again.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
On 11 April sixty-four kamikazes were dispatched to attack TF.58, and the carrier Enterprise, the battleship Missouri and two destroyers were hit. The following day a further 140 kamikazes were launched as Operation Kikusi 2. Flying with the attackers was a strong fighter escort, the kamikazes gaining their first success against three destroyers, which were sunk. Damage was caused to the Essex and the battleships Tennessee and Idaho, while another twenty-two smaller vessels were also damaged, although many of the attackers were shot down by the defending fighters. Two days later another kamikaze attack damaged the battleship New York and four smaller vessels. TF.58 and its four carrier groups continued their operations around Okinawa during 15 and 16 April. These missions involved fighter sweeps over Kyushu, followed by bombing raids on the same area. Over the next ten days the carrier groups continued a rolling assault on the island, with a minimum of two groups being in operation at any one time. These rolling sorties were disrupted on 16 April when the Japanese launched Operation Kikusi 3 with 126 aircraft, followed by a further forty-nine; they hit the carrier USS Intrepid, the battleship USS Missouri and a destroyer. The Intrepid suffered severe fire damage to the hangar deck and the flight deck, which saw the carrier withdrawn from the battle for major repair work. With the Intrepid withdrawn, the remaining carriers were redistributed, and so TG.58.2 was disbanded, leaving TG.58.1, 58.3 and 58.4.
While much of TF.58 was concentrating on Okinawa, an amphibious group commanded by Rear Admiral Reifsnider would land the 77th Infantry Division on the small island of Ie Shima. Although the defenders resisted strongly, they were defeated, and so the 77th was quickly redeployed to Okinawa. While the 77th waited its chance, the TF.58 carrier groups would undertake attacks on the Japanese Divisions defending the Shuri defensive line on Okinawa. Over the period 18/19 April, over 650 missions were flown against these positions. Assisting in the breaking of this line were the battleships Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico and New York, which laid down an intensive barrage, assisted by six cruisers and eight destroyers. By 23 April the Japanese had pulled back from this first line of defence after suffering heavy losses. Assisting the main fleet in destroying the Japanese strongholds was TG.52.1, which included the escort carriers Suwanee, Sangamon, Chenango and Santee, whose assigned task was to attack the Ryuku Islands and northern Formosa, after which they would switch their attention to the Olin, Diato and Shima Island group to the east of Okinawa.
With TG.58.2 no longer in action, only TG.58.3 and 58.4 continued their rolling attacks over Okinawa, relieving each other for refuelling. As for TG.58.1, it had returned to Ulithi for a period of rest and recuperation, arriving there on 28 April and remaining until 8 May. TG.52.1.3, operating off Sakishima-Gunto, was also relieved by TG.52.1.1, whose carriers were the Makin Island, Fanshaw Bay, Lunga Point and Salamaua. While the carrier groups were being reshuffled, the Japanese were still relying on the kamikaze attacks to get them out of trouble, and so on 28 April Operation Kikusui 4 was launched, utilising more than 120 aircraft. Although none of the capital ships were damaged, seventeen smaller vessels were put out of action.
TF.58 resumed operations against Okinawa between 3 and 29 May. Initially the assigned carrier groups were TG.58.3, with the carriers Essex, Bunker Hill, Shangri-La and Bataan, and TG.58.4, with the carriers Yorktown, Intrepid, Enterprise and Langley. Other carriers in the area were assigned to the 5th Fleet Supply Train, including the Attu, Admiralty Islands, Bougainville and Windham Bay, while air support was provided by the escort carriers Shamrock Bay and Makassar Strait, with thirty-five destroyers looking after the entire group. Departing Ulithi on 8 May, TG.58.1, with the carriers Hornet, Bennington, Randolph, Belleau Wood and San Jacinto, arrived two days later to relieve TG.58.4, which in turn sailed for Ulithi. Unfortunately for the USS Enterprise, it had to remain with TF.58, as it was the only carrier configured specially for night operations.
Fire crews spray vulnerable aircraft aboard the light carrier USS Belleau Wood after it had suffered a kamikaze strike.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
A large kamikaze attack on 11 May caused serious damage to the carrier Bunker Hill, one aircraft striking the after flight deck, where the parked aircraft created such an intense fire that it buckled the after lift, while the other crashed near the island, causing extensive fires throughout the ship. After much bravery by the crew, the fires were brought under control and the Bunker Hill was withdrawn from action, being escorted across the Pacific to be repaired. The loss of life was extensive, with 392 being killed and a further 264 being wounded. The repairs lasted until July, although the carrier would see no further service during the war. Those vessels that could be restored quickly were repaired by specialist vessels situated in the Kerama Roads, which enabled the task force to maintain its operational strength.
Towards the end of May TF.58 would concentrate on the greatest menace, the kamikaze airfields. Raids launched on 24 May were concentrated on the airfields at Kyushu, during which many aircraft were destroyed on the ground, while a flight of Ohka bombers were destroyed just as they were preparing to take off from Kanoya. TF.58 was also starting to send smaller units to attack lesser but important targets, and so on 17 May TU.12.5.3, commanded by Rear Admiral C.A.F. Sprague, was ordered to attack the Japanese-held islands of Taroa and Maloelap in the Marshalls group. To that end the carrier USS Ticonderoga with an escort of three destroyers launched aerial attacks against their designated targets without loss.
Over 27/28 May Admiral Spruance handed over command of the 5th Fleet to Admiral Halsey, the command being renamed the 3rd Fleet, and at the same time Vice-Admiral McCain replaced Vice-Admiral Mitscher, and so TF.58 became TF.38. This was intended to rest the senior commanders before they re-entered the fray at a later date. TF.38 continued the task started by TF.58, the aerial assault on Okinawa. Admiral Halsey had raised his flag on the ‘Mighty Mo’, while Vice-Admiral McCain had raised his on the Essex-class carrier USS Shangri La. As before, two carrier groups alternated in providing aerial defence over the fleet, plus attack aircraft when needed. As TG.38.2 had departed to Leyte for rest and repairs, the other two, TG.38.1 and TG.38.4, remained available. TG.38.1 had remained off Okinawa to support the fleet while TG.38.4 made a further attack on the kamikaze airfields on Kyushu over 2/3 June, using the carriers Shangri La, Ticonderoga, Yorktown, Langley and Independence, the missions being carried out with minimal losses. TG.38.1 was not so lucky, as a storm building up near the Philippines hit the ships of the task force on 5 June, after confused reporting had unfortunately failed to confirm the direction of the storm. All of the ships in this formation suffered damage to a greater or lesser extent, the worst being the cruiser USS Pittsburgh, which lost 100 feet of its bows. TG.38.4 was luckier, being able to retire to the north, although the Missouri suffered some light damage.
Once the storm had passed, the remaining ships undertook a refuel on 6 June before resuming operations the following day. TG.38.1 launched missions over Okinawa, with the new carrier USS Bon Homme Richard entering the fray instead of the Bennington, which had suffered some damage during the earlier storm. After leaving the combat zone, this Essex-class carrier would be withdrawn for repairs. At the completion of the Okinawa raids TG.38.1 launched an attack on Olin Adit Shima on 9 June, using napalm bombs. Assisting the aerial attack was a bombardment laid down by the battlecruisers Alaska and Guam and their five destroyer escorts. At the conclusion of these raids the entire TF.38 departed to its new forward operating base at Leyte, arriving on 13 June after three months of continuous operations.
With the destroyers USS Charles S. Perry and Wilkes-Barre alongside, providing support, the crew of the USS Bunker Hill fight the fires caused by a kamikaze hit.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Now experiencing quieter times, the flight deck of the USS Essex has a full complement of Vought F4Us undergoing maintenance.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Over 21/22 June the ground fighting on Okinawa came to an end with the suicides of the Japanese commander, Lieutenant-General Ushijama, Commander 32nd Army, and his Chief of Staff Major-General Ho. During the fighting more than 130,000 Japanese soldiers and 42,000 civilians were killed, while nearly 11,000 were captured. On the American side the US Army lost more than 7,500, with more than 31,000 wounded, while the US Navy suffered nearly 5,000 dead and a similar number wounded. Ship losses for the US Navy totalled thirty-six sunk and 368 damaged. Aircraft losses were 763 for the US forces, while Japanese losses were nearly 8,000.
After a short period in Leyte, TF.38 would depart on 1 July, its primary task being to mount aerial attacks on the Japanese home islands. Only three carrier task groups were available, the first being TG.38.1, under the command of Rear Admiral T.L. Sprague. The ships in this group included the carriers Bennington, Lexington, Hancock, Belleau Wood and San Jacinto, the battleships Indiana, Massachusetts and Alabama, plus five cruisers and eighteen destroyers. The second group, TG.38.3, commanded by Rear Admiral Bogan, consisted of the carriers Ticonderoga, Randolph, Essex, Monterey and Bataan, with the battleships South Dakota and North Carolina, and five cruisers and seventeen destroyers. The final group was TG.38.4, commanded by Rear Admiral Radford, in whose force were the carriers Yorktown, Shangri La, Bon Homme Richard, Independence and Cowpens, while the assigned battleships were the Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin, with five cruisers and nineteen destroyers. After a pre-strike replenishment over 7/8 July, the carrier groups launched over 1,000 missions to attack the airfields around Tokyo on 10 July. A refuelling break took place on 12 July, although the attacks scheduled for the following day were cancelled due to bad weather. A further attack was launched on 14 July, involving over 1,300 sorties, the targets being in the Honshu and Hokkaido areas, together with shipping traffic in the Tsugaru Strait. During the attacks on shipping, six naval ships and thirty-seven merchant vessels were sunk and a further forty-one ships were damaged. A further raid took place on 17/18 July, using a combined force of USN and RN carriers. The fighter suppression force completely negated the Japanese air defences and the anti-aircraft guns. This allowed the bombers from the USS Yorktown to attack the battleship Nagato and put it out of action, while a further three ships were sunk and a further five were damaged. While the aircraft carriers were undertaking their raids, the major naval units were shelling targets around Tokyo and other areas, this being followed up by further aerial attacks on 19 July, when aircraft from TF.38 badly damaged the new IJN carriers Amagi and Katsuragi and the battleship Haruna. The entire task force withdrew out to sea on 19 July due to the threat of an incoming typhoon.
Another swarm of Grumman F6F Hellcats assigned to VF-1 aboard the USS Yorktown are prepared for another sortie.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Captured during a more peaceful moment, the fighters of VF-1 are prepared for their next mission aboard the USS Yorktown.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
While TF.38 was attacking the Japanese home islands, TF.95, commanded by Vice-Admiral Oldendorf, was operating in the vicinity of Okinawa, providing radar pickets to counter sorties being mounted by enemy aircraft and ships. The first major operation by this force took place over 26–28 July against Japanese forces in the Yangtse estuary off Shanghai. Within this task force were the battlecruisers Alaska and Guam, the battleships Nevada, Tennessee and California, the escort carriers Makin Island, Lunga Point and Cape Gloucester, and four cruisers and eighteen destroyers. A further raid between 1 and 7 August was mounted against shipping in the East China Sea and against targets in the Tinghai region.
A VF-8 Grumman F6F Hellcat is cleared for take-off from the USS Intrepid by the deck crew. Note the lack of tail insignia that would be applied during a lull in operations.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
While major operations against Japan and Germany continued, the Potsdam conference, Terminal, involving President Truman, Josef Stalin and Winston Churchill took place. Not only did the leaders discuss the future of Germany and the further prosecution of the war against Japan, but the upshot of this meeting was the issuing of a declaration on 27 July requiring Japan to surrender unconditionally. However, the Japanese government decided to ignore this request, and so President Truman authorised the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Japan.
While the Allied leaders were at Potsdam, the US Navy was carrying out raids on the few remaining enemy strongholds in the Pacific outside Japan. Many of these were carried out by ships returning for active service with TF.38. The first target was the Wake Island garrison, which was attacked by the carrier USS Wasp on 18 July as it was proceeding in company with four cruisers and seven destroyers to the Pacific war zone. All these vessels joined TF.38 on 22 July. This initial raid was followed by another on 1 August by the USS Cabot, while the USS Intrepid did the same on 8 August.
The fate of many a Japanese Navy aircraft carrier close to the end of the war: the stricken Amagi lies heeled right over after being hit by American bombers while docked at Kure.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
To support the US Navy attacks against China and Japan, one of the largest fleet trains was assembled as Task Group 30.8 commanded by Rear Admiral Beatty aboard the command cruiser USS Detroit, this being supported by the escort carriers Chenango, Thetis Bay, Hollandia, Roi, Munda and Gilbert Islands, plus fifteen tankers, five ammunition ships and four supply freighters. During the period between the end of July and the end of the second week in August this group dispensed 60,000 tons of fuel oil, a similar amount of aviation fuel, over 6,000 tons of ammunition, nearly 2,000 tons of supplies, ninety-nine replacement aircraft and 412 replacement personnel to both TF.38 and TF.37 of the Royal Navy.
Much of the supply material dispensed by TG.30.8 was utilised against targets around the Inland Sea. The first raids were launched against the harbours at Kobe and Kure. During the 1,700+ sorties launched on 24 July, the carrier aircraft sank the IJN carrier Amagi and a cruiser, while three battleships were badly damaged, as were the carriers Katsuragi, Ryuho and Hosho. Further damage was caused to six destroyers and five other naval vessels, while fifteen merchant vessels were also sunk. After this attack the Allied forces refuelled from TG.30.8, resuming their raids on 28 July. These finished off many of the ships previously damaged, and a further three vessels were sunk. Kobe was the next target for the Allies on 30 July, when ten vessels were sunk and a further eight were damaged. On 1 August the combined task forces withdrew for refuelling, this break lasting for seven days.
Although TF.38 had withdrawn for refuelling, TG.95.2 was in the East China Sea to undertake anti-shipping strikes off Shanghai. The primary force consisted of the battlecruisers Alaska and Guam, plus four cruisers and nine destroyers, while the covering force was provided by TG.95.3, with three battleships, three escort carriers, two cruisers and nine destroyers. TG.38 was back in action on 9 August in company with TG.37 of the Royal Navy, and the first targets for all four groups were northern Honshu and Hokkaido, where 251 Japanese aircraft were destroyed. A further carrier raid took place the following day against the airfields and railways of northern Honshu, and other aircraft sank fifteen ships and damaged a further three. A replenishment break took place over 11/12 August for both task forces, this being followed by further attacks against airfields in the Tokyo area, during which 254 Japanese aircraft were destroyed on the ground and a further eighteen were destroyed in the air.
On 6 August 1945 the Boeing B-29 Superfortress ‘Enola Gay’, commanded by Colonel Paul Tibbets, assigned to the 509th Composite Group of the XXth AAF, dropped the first usable atom bomb ‘Little Boy’ on Hiroshima, resulting in widespread devastation of the city and causing over 92,000 deaths and 37,500 injured from the population. A second weapon, ‘Fat Man’, was dropped by the B-29 ‘Bockscar’, commanded by Major Sweeney USAAF, on 9 August on the city of Nagasaki. This bomb caused the deaths of at least 40,000 persons, with another 60,000 injured. The final death toll, including those caused by radioactive fall-out and radiation, would approach 200,000. While the use of such weapons has always raised controversy, the American decision to use such bombs was approved by the President and the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a rapid way of ending a war that would have probably caused greater Japanese casualties had the Allies been forced to invade or bomb the Japanese into a surrender posture. Also, by this time the IJN was either sunk or so badly damaged as to be ineffective, while the Army losses and the inability to mount effective aerial attacks had rendered the Japanese forces almost useless. At long last the Japanese would accept the terms of the Potsdam declaration. In response the Allies would appoint General of the Army Douglas MacArthur to accept the surrender and to oversee the subsequent occupation of Japan. Although the official war on Japan was declared over on 15 August, TF.38 still mounted a last carrier strike against the Tokyo area, meeting heavy opposition in the process. A second strike planned for that afternoon was later cancelled. Two days after the surrender, General Prince Higashikuni was named as the new Prime Minister of Japan.
The battleship Haruna sits sunk up to its gunnels at Kure after being hit by American bombers. Although the vessel was incapable of putting to sea, enough worked for the ship to be used as an anti-aircraft platform.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Although the main Japanese forces had surrendered, their forces in China remained active until 19 August before officially surrendering. Two days later Captain Grow USN accepted the surrender of Japanese forces on Mille Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Meanwhile, in Japan, TF.38 was fully occupied in supplying aerial patrols over the home islands, their purpose being to control shipping, road and rail movements, and where possible locate any prisoner-of-war camps. The first aircraft to land on Japanese soil touched down at Atsugi on 28 August, the airfield being declared safe two days later, and so General MacArthur arrived to assume his new role. On 27 August the US 3rd Fleet under the command of Admiral Halsey sailed into Sagami Bay off Tokyo. This was a massive force, which comprised twenty-three fleet and escort carriers, twenty-four battleships, twenty-five cruisers, over a hundred destroyers and numerous other vessels. Further Japanese surrenders took place at the end of August, including Truk, the Marcus Islands and Ominato on the northern tip of Honshu. The formal surrender of all Japanese forces was signed aboard the USS Missouri, ‘The Mighty Mo’, on 2 September. The signatories were the foreign affairs minister Mamoru Shigemitsu for Japan, and General Richard K. Sutherland US Army for the Allies.
The USS Missouri steams towards Tokyo Bay in company with the biggest naval fleet ever assembled, prior to accepting the Japanese surrender.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
With its deck lined by interested personnel, the Japanese surrender is signed in accordance with the Potsdam Directive.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)
Further surrenders followed: on 2 September the forces on the Palau Islands officially downed their weapons, being followed by the Carolines and the Marianas on 4 September, while the remaining forces would finally acknowledge the official cease-fire by the end of October. The official occupation of Japan, Operation Blacklist, began on 2 September, being fully in place by 22 October. With the cessation of hostilities there was a need to return the American servicemen and women to the United States, and so Operation Magic Carpet was activated. Prior to this starting, a priority return sailing was initiated using TF.11 commanded by Vice-Admiral Sherman, utilising the battleships New Mexico, Idaho, Mississippi and North Carolina, plus the carriers Monterey and Bataan, supplemented by a dozen destroyers. The vessels involved in Magic Carpet were designated TG.16.12, under the command of Rear Admiral Kendall, and originally consisted of eight escort carriers, although this soon expanded to a total of 369 ships, which included six battleships, eleven fleet carriers, forty-six escort carriers and twelve hospital ships. By March 1946 over one million personnel had been returned home by ship, while further troops had been flown home. The largest single quota of personnel carried by a single vessel was that of the carrier USS Saratoga, which managed to ship over 29,000 servicemen home. Although most of the US forces would return home, a sufficient number would remain on Japanese soil to administer the surrender. The ending of the war in the Pacific would also see great changes applied to the US Navy, which was at its greatest strength by the end of the war.
The USS Tarawa was one of the last of the Essex class to be commissioned. Seen on its flight deck are the Curtiss Helldivers of VB-4, complete with immediate post-war markings.
(US Navy/NARA via Dennis R. Jenkins)