The Sinking of the Japanese Carrier Unryū

the unu known as heavenward bound Dragon riding the clouds and the lead ship of her class was an advanced hear you class carrier built following the losses at Midway commissioned on 6th of August 1944 Captain Konami konishi a seasoned leader from his time with the abukuma and two Destroyer divisions became her sole Commander although technically part of vice admiral ozawa's mobile Fleet during the Battle of Le Gulf the unu alongside her sister carrier aagi couldn't participate due to a lack of aircraft and trained Personnel the experienced carrier zuikaku and three light carriers were lost in the Battle of Cape andano after which The Battered mobile Fleet retreated to Japan in Japan the unu and aagi awaited in the Inland sea near gunin after ozawa's return to cure on 30 October 1944 the unu briefly hosted ozawa's flag at cure signifying her short-lived role as the mobile fleet's Flagship on 7th November Ozawa moved his flag to the ryuo and shortly thereafter the mobile fleet was disbanded in a reorganization with the dissolution of the mobile Fleet the unu aagi and later the katsuragi remained mostly inactive fuel shortages lack of trained pilots and aircraft scarcity exacerbated by the kamakazi campaign in the Philippines confin their movements to short trips within the Inland sea the unu captained by kame and the first to be completed at least managed to Embark some a6m and b6n for Patrols in late November there was some consideration to employ the unu and possibly the aagi as aircraft fairies and for limited Convoy protection however these plans were quickly abandoned following the sinking of the escort carrier Shino and the large new super carrier shinano in submarine attacks that November the threat from submarines was deemed too significant to risk even short Coastal Journeys for air crew training or Convoy protection consequently the unre and her sister ships seemed destined to spend the remainder of the war aimlessly in the Inland sea then on the morning of December 13th 1944 news arrived of Douglas MacArthur's Invasion Fleet sighting in the Sulu sea signaling the likely start of the Luzon Invasion this news sent Tokyo into a state of chaos and fatefully and tragically altered the course for the unrau to counter the anticipated Invasion the combine Fleet urgently ordered the delivery of new experimental rocket kamakazi known as okas to Manila via aircraft carriers the unrau and ryuo were assigned this mission on December 13th and a special shipment of 30 okas was swiftly L crated packed and loaded onto the unrau lower hanger Deck The Crew led by Captain Konami worked rapidly and were probably exhilarated by the prospect of finally seeing action this was the second attempt by the combine Fleet to transport okas by carrier the first being the ill- fated shinano it's unclear if this earlier event was considered on that day in December the departure was set for December 16th with the unu being escorted by two num Matsu class destroyers hinoi and Momi of desd 52 the former bearing the division leaders flag these destroyers were agile robust and well equipped for anti-submarine Warfare and anti-aircraft defense they were accompanied by a third Destroyer renowned throughout the Imperial Navy morale undoubtedly soared when on December 15th at noon the legendary shigui a veteran of several Fierce battles and known for its seeming indestructibility joined the task force at kuray the shur had a reputation for being the sole survivor in battles where all its counterparts were destroyed most recently in the late Gulf however this Mission would not follow the same fortunate path in hindsight historians note a paradoxical Catch 22 in the shor's luck its tendency to be the sole survivor of missions it embarked upon in August 1943 it was the only ship from desd 4 to survive the Battle of vulf and again at the Battle of suria straight during the late operation in October 1944 the shagor was the only survivor of the Knight engagement that decimated vatam nishim Mora's Battleship force in view of what ensued during the unu's mission it might have been prudent to recall the Japanese proverb a thing repeated will occur a third time such reflective musings were likely not on anyone's mind that day additionally shir's arrival brought a brief pause in the Frantic preparations for departure that Morning News came that the enemy forces were landing at mindoro not L on easing tension somewhat with a clearer situation there was time to load extra supplies and Personnel for Manila the departure was delayed by a day and the ryuo would wait another week for additional okas to be ready on the morning of 17th of December at at 08:30 unryu camouflaged with new zigzag patterns on her Hull and Flight Deck set sail from kuray she carried aircraft torpedo Warheads suicide boats soldiers passengers and crucially 30 Oka flying rocket Bombs all vital for luzon's defense lieutenant commander sugama of comdes 52 on the hinoi oversaw anti-submarine defenses but overall command of the small Squadron and its navigation rested with captain konam konishi of the UN Ryu ironically konam previously responsible for protecting carriers as comes div 7 now helmed one his orders were to deliver the cargo to Manila then await further instructions regarding counterattacks at mindoro and potentially providing air cover for vice ad shima's 2yb surface force from caman Bay Konami chose to bypass the bungo Straits avoiding submarine threats instead navigating the unu West Through The shimonoseki Straits then South towards the combat zone on 18th December in worsening weather the unu and her escorts headed south towards the China Sea they detected enemy radar twice and altered course at nightfall suspecting American forces had located them meanwhile the US Navy was engaged elsewhere as the severe seas that troubled the UN rayu were causing greater losses to H's TF 38 battling a typhoon on the 19th of December at 0900 Konami ordered heightened alertness and a speed of 18 knots narrowly avoiding a mine sighting by noon the unrau was east of the SI shut Islands under darkening skies and turbulent but easing Seas patrols were launch punched and soon after the course was altered Southward then quickly veered to avoid another mine with visibility worsening in high swells the lookout's ability to detect threats was limited and Konami drawing on his Destroyer experience emphasized the importance of sound detection at 1500 the escorts were in formation shigure at the Port bow Momi at the Port quarter and the hinoi flag of desd 52 at the starboard bow canamy along with his executive and navigation officers scanned the gloomy Horizon from the bridge at 1600 they altered course Southward again unknowingly heading straight into the path of a lurking submarine the submarine in question was the USS redfish SS 395 commanded by LD McGregor still booed by his recent engagement with Juno and Haruna on 8th December McGregor had successfully torpedoed Juno but was eager for another significant Target at 1624 prowling off the China Coast redfish received intelligence from Ultra via Pearl Harbor about a key enemy task force heading south during this Patrol a Japanese plane spotted redfish and dropped a depth charge McGregor anticipating the approach of the task force began his hunt spotting what seemed to be a patrol boat's Mast on the horizon and then another his excitement peaked at 1627 upon sighting a large carrier gripping the Periscope he gave the command Battle Stations torpedo this is a big baby closing in at top submerged speed McGregor was thrilled when at 1629 the Japanese carrier inadvertently steered directly towards redfish the carrier was flanked by three escorts one ahead and one on each side approaching at a 30° starbard angle the carrier presented redf fish with an almost perfect attack opportunity McGregor without needing to adjust his course positioned for the attack 8 minutes later he fired a salvo of six Torpedoes from 1,470 yard away meanwhile the unre used vigilance sound team had detected the submarine Captain Konami was immediately informed sound contact 30° starboard this was quickly followed by more more alarming reports of torpedo wakes and approaching torpedo noise the ship's guns instinctively opened fire on the wakes it was just past 1635 reacting swiftly Konami steered the unre into a sharp starboard turn at full speed trying to avoid the torpedo paths the carrier surprisingly agile pivoted starboard efficiently the crew tensely watched as the Torpedoes neared three Mist passing in front front but the fourth struck the unrau squarely beneath the forward part of the island the bridge crew felt the blast as the torpedo detonated right beneath them shaking the unrau despite continuing its turn the carrier started losing momentum the torpedo had hit the control center under the bridge flooding it the number one boiler room and the forward generator room it also damaged the bulkhead between the number one and number two two boiler rooms causing the ladder to flood and ignited a fire in the forward Cruise quarters and the flammable cargo on the hanger deck the most severe damage was to the main steam pipe with both number one and two boiler rooms flooded steam pressure plummeted leaving only boiler number eight operational consequently the unrau speed drastically reduced and it soon came to a terrifying stop electrical power was lost casting the ship into Darkness although listing 3° starboard the unryu did not seem to be at immediate risk of sinking McGregor fixated through the Periscope of the redf fish concurred with his assessment he had tensely observed the carrier's Gunner's spot and fire at his Periscope moments before his torpedo struck the carrier's AF the carrier halted abruptly listed starboard and Flames erupted at its rear despite its list the carrier appeared stable and not sinking McGregor knew a second torpedo barrage was needed to ensure its destruction however at that moment had one of the pursuing destroyers perfectly aligned with red fish's rear tubes presented an irresistible opportunity at 1642 McGregor launched four Torpedoes from the stern tubes at the Destroyer hinoi the commander of Comm Des 52 however was Vigilant the Japanese Flagship skillfully dodged the Torpedoes leaving McGregor without any loaded Torpedoes and a still intact carrier Within Reach he regretted his impulsive decision to Target hinoi fearing it may have cost him the chance to finish off the main target determined to rectify his mistake McGregor bravely stayed at Periscope depth amidst the circling destroyers waiting anxiously for the reloading of the AF tubes the Destroyers were unaware of his close proximity but time was slipping away once a mark 23 steam torpedo was loaded McGregor unable to delay any further closed into 1,100 yard at 1650 and fired aiming just behind the carrier's Island the intense 45sec wait felt like an eternity to the anxious and perspiring McGregor on the unrau the crew was enduring similarly fraught moments striving to avert further Calamity they had successfully sealed the fire in the crews quarters and restored power using the operational generator room a fire in number eight Boiler Room forced its shutdown but boilers number 5 6 and 7even were ignited gradually restoring steam pressure the emergency diesel was also started and the list was controlled by jettisoning heavy items from the flight deck the unre triumphantly began to move again but this success was fleeting at 1645 just as the carrier gained momentum Lookout spotted a torpedo wake at 100 13° starboard directly targeting them Gunners fired frantically but to no avail the torpedo struck the starboard side near the bridge close to the forward elevator and the ammunition AV gas and material storage rooms the initial explosion was quickly followed by more devastating blasts as the stored Oka bombs detonated ripping apart the carrier's bow tragically the UN Ryu was being destroyed by the very weapons it was carrying on the bridge of the carrier captain kame and his officers instinctively ducked as a massive explosion erupted in front of the bridge Windows consuming the bow in a tremendous eruption suddenly the deck tilted sharply forward and simultaneously threw them sideways as the unu began listing severely to starboard the Swift and drastic change in Balance indicated an unmistakable re reality the ship was sinking the blast had torn open the ship's side allowing seawater to flood all boiler rooms trapping the dedicated crewmen who had just moments ago thought they had saved their vessel within minutes the unryu was tilting more than 30° starboard with aircraft sliding into the sea recognizing the inevitability captain caname ordered an evacuation resigned to his fate he observed his crew proud of their compos Ure in their final moments gathering on the slanted Flight Deck they chanted bansai long live the emperor three times before attempting to escape some Gunners remained at their stations firing at the enemy Periscope Until the End while some guns continued to fire at 1657 the unrau now nearly vertical on her starboard side sank rapidly those struggling in the water witnessed the stern and Port quarter anti-aircraft guns as the last parts of the ship to disappear beneath the East China sea captain Konami his senior officers and 1,238 crew members and passengers perished with the ship while hinoi aggressively patrolled the area seeking retribution Momi and shagu focused on rescuing survivors only 146 people were saved one officer 87 crew members and 57 passengers marking the unre used demise as a significant Maritime tragedy of the war the ship had only been in service for 6 months and her loss was mourned universally the catastrophe mirrored that of the shinano with another aircraft carrier sinking with its cargo of okas not to LZ on but to the ocean's depths all this transpired in just 12 minutes since the Fatal explosion meanwhile inoi was Desperately Seeking Vengeance for the unryu although claiming success she narrowly missed achieving it McGregor observed in astonishment as the shock wave from his second torpedo blended with the Colossal blast that doomed the unre boldly he remained to photograph the sinking ship's Stern as it disappeared beneath the waves a risk that almost cost him his life spotting redf fish's Periscope hinoi aggressively pursued prompting McGregor to dive as quickly as possible depth charges cascaded after him detonating as the submarine reached 150 ft a cluster of seven exploded close to the starboard bow tossing red fish violently to the left the impact wreaked havoc inside the submarine sonar was disabled the helm stuck hard left and the diving planes were set to rise cracks appeared causing leaks in the forward torpedo room and a sailor sustained serious injuries when a steel door slammed against his head nearly severing an ear adding to the chaos a loaded torpedo in tube number8 activated despite the turmoil the submarine hit the seabed at 1712 hours slightly over 200 ft deep McGregor then initiated a silent protocol enduring the dep charge Onslaught for 2 hours meanwhile desd 52 departed towards China leaving shigar behind shigure's Lieutenant Commander manabu haiar having joined on 1st December was deter determined to capture the submarine that disrupted his Maiden assignment however despite searching through the night and the following day they found nothing red fish eventually surfaced after Sunset and sped away on the surface to worsen Shar situation the next morning its steering motor valves failed a recurrence of a problem it had faced at lady 2 months PRI Lieutenant Commander manabu having had enough rerouted to cebo arriving there at 0700 on the 22nd of December unbeknownst to Captain manabu this change of course inadvertently saved shigure hinoi and Momi continuing South met their fate stopping at camran Bay on 26th December they escorted the utagawa Maru to Manila arriving on 4 January 1945 this coincided with Mac Arthur's Invasion forces approaching Manila desd 52 attempted to escaped to Formosa but was detected by Luzon Invasion forces on 5 January a Relentless chase by surface and Air Forces ensued despite kamakazi support hinoi was bombed at 1717 resulting in 21 deaths and 45 injuries rendering it inoperable Momi was destroyed by an aerial torpedo at 1910 sinking with all 210 on board hinoi narrowly avoided destruction due to night fall managed to get underway at 2300 and limped back to Manila by dawn on 6th January this reprieve was short lived on 7th January hinoi made a feudal attempt to reach St James intercepted by American destroyers it engaged in a brief but intense battle ultimately sinking at 2257 with the loss of commes div 52 and All crew marking the last surface engagement of the US Navy with the Japanese Navy as hin noi's bow tilted towards the heavens before descending beneath the waves that night it marked the completion of shar's eerie cycle of survival and loss the proverb a thing repeated will occur a third time had manifested again leaving shigar as the sole survivor of the Squadron it had departed K with on December 17th the rest of the Squadron had been annihilated almost entirely claiming their Crews intertwining unri and desv 52's Fateful Journey with shigure's legendary Saga this repeated phenomenon of shigure's isolated survival seemingly exhausted its run of luck on its subsequent Mission as part of ryuo's Convoy h87 departing Moji on the final day of the year shigure's storied existence met its end on January 24 1945 the renowned shigure finally succumbed to the ocean's depths however the fullest account of that last Voyage remains another Untold chapter awaiting its time to be told

Channel: Hidden History

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Keywords: hidden history, Sinking the Japanese Carrier Shokaku, shokaku, Japanese navy, ww2, wwii, world war 2, mark felton, dark seas, warships, warship, imperial Japanese navy, shokaku class, navy, us navy, us navy ww2, silent service, submarine, submarines, ww2 submarines, submarine documentary, uboat documentary, us submarines ww2, american submarine, pacific theater, submarines ww2, The Crippling of Japan's Carrier Air Power, unryu, uss redfish, unryu sinking, Ohka, ijn

Id: bdZ3ENccQkY

Length: 21min 35sec (1295 seconds)

Published: Thu Feb 01 2024