Once the brave Captains of Heaven ran into the same reckless Saviors of the Galaxies. A plot worthy of the best samurai legends! The sky captains themselves prefer not to remember the events of that day. Just think, a super-AUG from 9 aircraft carriers received such a non-illusory thrashing that she was forced to flee!
This story tells about the events of March 19, 1945, which promised to be the end of the Imperial Navy, but ended in nothing.
Hornet, Yorktown, Wasp, Bennington, Franklin, Bunker Hill, San Jacinto, Bello Wood and Bataan moved forward, in a dense ring of cruisers' security, battleships and fifty destroyers. The super squadron "Compound 58" became the most numerous formation of warships in history, whose strike potential surpassed all the fleets of the world put together. The purpose of the campaign is the Japanese naval base Kure.
At dawn on the 19th, the first units of carrier-based aviation took off. And it rushed …
The Yankees realized that the matter was amiss when the "Corsairs" from the VBF-10 squadron faced an unknown enemy. The pilots did not immediately understand who they were dealing with. Unknown aircraft of a new type with red circles on the wings and a short, laconic "343" on the tail. Moreover, they were in no way inferior in their characteristics to American fighters.
The mighty Corsairs fought back, but were forced to return to their Bunker Hill. In their reports, the pilots noted "high discipline, excellent tactics and flight skills of the enemy." At this time, it was reported that the same 343 planes were tearing up the VBF-17 squadron. Despite the fact that the VBF-17 consisted of aces of naval aviation, who flew the Hellcat fighters, which were considered one of the strongest in their class. As a result, unknown Japanese aces destroyed 8 Hellcats, at the cost of losing six of their fighters. The exchange is more than fair. And for the US Navy aircraft of 1945, it is simply offensive. By that time, the Yankees had considered heaven their rightful possession for two years.
VFM-123 fell next to the distribution. The half-hour duel ended with the defeat of the squadron, three "Corsairs" were shot down, five damaged, the captains of heaven put to flight. Three of those who returned due to their damage posed a threat to other aircraft on the deck of the aircraft carrier. The Yankees immediately threw them overboard.
Meanwhile, the squadron headquarters on the Missouri received a radiogram: “We have lost the Franklin.
That morning, the Franklin was 50 miles off the coast of Japan, cheerfully releasing strike teams when a Japanese bomber fell out of the clouds and congratulated the Americans with half a ton of morning freshness.
Of course, this could not have happened. After all, everyone knows what the layered defense of an aircraft carrier group looks like. A dense curtain of air patrols, behind which there are air defense ships bristling with radars and anti-aircraft guns. However, it is a historical fact. An unknown Japanese pilot broke through the defenses and dropped two 250 kg bombs. And flew away into the clouds with impunity. The exact type of bomber has not yet been established.
At that moment, on the deck of the "Franklin" there were 30 fully fueled and ready for departure aircraft, and in the hangar, in a crowded state, there were another 22 units of aircraft, some of which also had suspended weapons. As a result, everything that could have burned down on the aircraft carrier, incl.700 sailors (according to other data 807). Cruel statistics. As a result of the fire out of control, "Franklin" received a dangerous 13 ° roll in the PB, lost its course, the entire wing and a third of its crew. Seeing perfectly his condition, the survivors gathered on the flight deck and prepared to evacuate. At this time, the issue was being decided on the Missouri: to give the destroyers the order to finish off the Franklin with torpedoes or to try to save him. After assessing the situation, the command came to the conclusion that the likelihood of a second attack is small, the ships of "Compound 58" sufficiently control the situation at sea and in the air. The heavy cruiser Pittsburgh tensed and dragged the wounded animal across the ocean.
This was not the end of his misadventures. Upon returning to Pearl Harbor, the commander will smash the already damaged aircraft carrier against the dock gate. And then it turns out that all the shipyards on the west coast of the United States are filled with ships damaged by kamikaze. And Franklin will have to go through the Panama Canal to New York. Its renovation will be completed after the war, but it will never go to sea.
Arrival in New York
Together with "Franklin" during that operation, the same type of "Wasp" was damaged. The resulting fires were brought under control, but the aircraft carrier was forced to immediately return to the United States for repairs. The super-squadron has lost two aircraft-carrying ships in a day!
And in the evening sky, the silhouettes of the carriers of the "Oka" projectiles appeared. The kamikaze went into battle …
Not daring to tempt fate any longer, the Yankees withdrew to the south in order to bombard objects on the southern tip of the island. Kyushu (in fact, they fled without completing their main mission, the defeat of the Kure naval base). Two weeks later, "Compound 58" will sink the "Yamato" with the same composition. And all because it did not work to sink it in the parking lot in Kura.
The Yankees didn't do much that day. From the air wave of 300 aircraft, only a few managed to break through to the target. Which immediately came under a hurricane of air defense fire.
As a result, the battle cruiser "Haruna" received cosmetic damage (one hit). Two more bombs hit “Hyuga” and “Ise” (which had been put into reserve long before the raid). The light cruiser "Oyodo" was badly damaged (nevertheless, it was brought into combat-ready condition in 12 days). The stern lift of the aircraft carrier "Amagi" was also damaged by the bomb. Everything.
In fact, the objectives of the operation were not achieved. None of the targets sank. Most of the Japanese ships did not receive any damage at all (like the one in the Yamato harbor). The reciprocal Pearl Harbor was a waste of time. Subject to the costs of equipping the squadron, and fuel consumption for the transoceanic transition of a squadron of hundreds of ships.
Taking into account the loss of "Franklin" and its air wing, we can safely speak of a tactical victory for the Japanese. The disrupted strike on the Kura also had its strategic consequences, postponing the defeat of Japan in the war.
All this became possible thanks to an air barrier that stood in the way of the air wings of nine American aircraft carriers. Elite unit "343rd Kokutai" under the command of experienced naval pilot Minoru Genda (direct organizer of the raid on Pearl Harbor). Where were collected the best aces of Japan, who flew on interceptors Kawanishi N1K "Siden-Kai" ("purple lightning"). The Star Squadron was based at Matsuyama Air Base, covering the Kure naval base from raids.
Genda-san opposed the kamikaze tactics, believing that a group of well-trained pilots was more effective defensively than a crowd of one-off suicides. However, this conclusion is not obvious: the kamikaze also achieved impressive results. Striking the advancing squadrons, the man-controlled "RCC" killed 90% of the US Pacific Fleet.
The Syden-Kai fighter was considered one of the best interceptors of the Second World War. Equipped with the most powerful cannon armament and an engine with a takeoff power of 2000 hp, it could fight on an equal footing with any Corsair or Mustang. There is a known case when one of the pilots of the 343rd Fighter Group of Naval Aviation, Kaneyoshi Muto, while flying on the Shiden, shot down four American fighters in one battle. Another ace, one-eyed Saburo Sakai, left the 15 Hellkets, saving the plane and his life. The only problem was the assault on the heights. Until the end of the war, the Japanese did not manage to start production of turbocharged engines. As a result, the "Superfortresses" sailing at high altitude remained invulnerable to the "Sidens" as before.
The Kure naval base will be destroyed on July 24, 1945. By then, Japan will have run out of fuel. Only a few will rise to intercept, among them Kaneyoshi Muto. Attacked by dozens of Hellcats, his fighter will disappear amid the bursts of sea waves.
