Shipbucket

I will post a diagram showing all of the boat stowage areas. Next to the hanger pit, on the lower deck of the fantail on both sides was a small overhang area that went underneath the aircraft handling deck separate from the Main boat storage hangers. From what I have read, all of the main service boats were left behind in that it was a planned one way journey for Yamato. I it possible that she did still have a few small whaleboats aboard, in which case they would be in the storage area I have just described and would have been there so that they were not cut to ribbons by the big guns and strafing fighters. The would have had to been lowered by the stern crane, but given her sinking, none would have been used. She also carried no aircraft on Ten Go, Her last E13A Jake was launched off Kyushu and returned to land.

A cutaway view of main boat hanger with secondary and aircraft hangers visible:


And the secondary hanger that I was describing:

If that's the secondary hangar, where's the primary one?

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These are. One on each side, ends about midway under the aft 15cm gun mount. The boats come out hanging off the rail seen at the top, and are then lowered into the water.

Oh, for some reason I read secondary aircraft hangar.

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“Close” only counts with horseshoes, hand grenades, and tactical nuclear weapons.
That which does not kill me has made a grave tactical error

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Source Materiel is always welcome.

By April 1945, Yamato was one of the last fully battle ready capitol ships left in the IJN's arsenal. Nagato, Haruna, Ise, and Hyuga all in various states of disrepair from previous USN air raids on Kure (most notably the March 19th raid). With Okinawa being invaded, the IJN reluctantly gave into wishes from the Emperor to put up a full force resistance, realizing that any further naval action would likely be suicidal for any ships that participated. Never the less, Naval command approved an attack, Operation Ten Ichi Go (heaven number 1). The operation called for whatever strike capable ships left (given the limit of fuel and ammunition available) would sail South towards the US invasion fleet and act as a distraction for US carrier aircraft, allowing kamikaze strikes to have a better window at attacking the US fleet. The IJN "Special attack" surface fleet, (namely Yamato) would then attack the US fleet and inflict as much damage as it could and perhaps even attempt to beach herself and be utilized as a sort of improvised "landed" battery to be used against US ground forces. Either or, the mission for the surface fleet itself was a kamikaze strike. Rear Admiral Ito was named the commander of the special attack force consisting of: Yamato as the primary attack vessel with cruiser Yahagi and 8 destroyers acting as anti air and sub protection. The small fleet left the Japanese Inland Sea on April 6, hugging the Southern coast of Kyushu and being safeguarded by small groups of sub chasers and fighters. As soon as the strike force left the inland sea, US submarines made visual/radar contact, and alert the US fleet off Okinawa. The strike force also is spotted and shadowed by numerous groups of US scout aircraft. The strike force continues on a westerly course until turning South on the morning of the 7th. By that afternoon, nearly 300 aircraft from Task Force 58 begin their assault on the Yamato and her escorts, 6 US battleships form a task force sailing north of the main fleet to meet Yamato should she survive. During the attack, Yamato takes numerous bomb and torpedo hits resulting in the failure of her fire control and counter flooding system. As a result, fires breakout through the ship and she begins a dangerous list to port. By 2:00 PM, Yamato's AA is largely silent and her list to port reaches near 30 degrees while only one of her four turbines is still running. A six torpedo attack aimed at her starboard side (to hit her now exposed underbelly) results in near immediate failure of her flooding control system. The order to abandon ship is given, with the majority of the crew trapped below deck. At 2:20, Yamato rolls over onto her port side and capsizes. A powerful explosion erupts as fires set off the contents of her No. 1 magazine which rips the ship in half. Of 3,055 crew, only 276 are recovered from the sea. Yahagi and four other destroyers were also sunk, claiming an additional 1,800 lives. The four remaining destroyers rescue survivors and return to Japan. American losses in the attack cost 10 aircraft and their 12 crews. As for the additional Kamikaze attacks, 100+ aircraft attack the US fleet, only damaging 1 carrier, battleship, and destroyer. For the IJN, it was their last action as an operable force. For more in depth history, look at: http://www.combinedfleet.com/yamato.htm

As for the punishment the Yamato sustained, figures run between 12 to 20+ torpedo hits with up to 18 bomb hits. Regardless, The damage was enough to destroy her fire control, flood two engine rooms and blast of the far starboard shaft, and hole her to the point that the complicated system of counter flooding and water tight compartments were useless. Her AA crews were all but eradicated by bombs, rockets, and strafing by fighters. Considering this, Yamato performed well given her situation and allotted protection. Had she a better AA suite or had a better escort, she may have survived to Okinawa. However, even then she would have been cut down by the superior fire control and numbers of the USS Wisconsin, USS Missouri and 4 other battleships that would have greeted her (would have been an interesting confrontation).

A little something extra a model of her wreck:
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/i7hizm20ymeuo1 ... re_L22.jpg
https://dl.dropbox.com/s/i18j9ywpy70822 ... ama_01.jpg

Note, the cylinder shaped objects are the under parts of the main turrets, which ripped free from their weight and smacked into the bottom when the ship capsized.

Some of her command structure at the time of her loss:

2nd Fleet
Commander-in-Chief: VADM Ito Seiichi (39) (KIA; ADM posthumously)
Chief-of-Staff: RADM Morishita Nobuei (45) (SURVIVED)
Chief Surgeon: Surgeon Capt. Terakado Masafumi (Commissioned 1921) (KIA; Surgeon RADM posthumously)
Senior Staff Officer: Capt. Yamamoto Yuji (51) (KIA; RADM posthumously)
Staff Officer: Cdr. Yamaguchi Hiroshi (52) (KIA; Capt. posthumously)
Staff Officer: LtCdr. Ozawa Nobuhiko (62) (KIA; Cdr. posthumously)

Yamato
Commanding Officer: Capt. Aruga Kosaku (45) (KIA; posthumous two-rank promotion to VADM)
Executive Officer: Capt. Nomura Jiro (50) (SURVIVED)
Chief Gunnery Officer: Capt. Kuroda Yoshio (52) (SURVIVED)
Chief Navigator: Cdr. Shigeki Shiro (53) (KIA; Capt. posthumously)
Chief Engineer: Capt. Takagi Tameyuki (KIA; RADM posthumously)
Chief Intelligence Officer: Capt. Hayashi Shiro (51) (KIA; RADM posthumously)
Chief Damage Control Officer: Cdr. Nakao Unekichi (KIA; Capt. posthumously)

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MS State Guard - 08 March 2014 - 28 January 2023

The Official IJN Ships & Planes List

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Some cheesy Japanese CGI of Yamato's final sortie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32yqoHCG ... 929AF51A1A

This is an updated version of the drawing based off the 1/10th scale model in the Kure Museum. Main guns, propellers, mast, and bow have been modified per closer study of that model. Some personal elements like light and window color have also been added.