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{{Infobox Military Conflict
| conflict = Operation Ten-Go<br/>天號作戰 or 天号作戦
|
| image = [[File:Battleship Yamato sinking.jpg|300px|Yamato sinking from the aft]]
|caption = {{Ship|Japanese battleship|Yamato||2}} under attack. A large fire burns [[aft]] of her [[superstructure]] and she is low in the water from [[torpedo]] damage
|date = 7 April 1945
|place = [[Pacific Ocean]], between [[Kyūshū]], [[Japan]] and [[Ryūkyū Islands]]
|result = Decisive American victory
|combatant1 = {{flag|United States|1912}}
|combatant2 = {{flag|Empire of Japan}}
|commander1 = {{flagicon|USA|1912}} [[Marc A. Mitscher]]
|commander2 = {{flagicon|Japan|naval}} [[Seiichi Itō]]{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon|Japan|naval}} [[Keizō Komura]]<br/> {{flagicon|Japan|naval}}[[Kosaku Aruga]]{{KIA}}
|strength1 = [[Task Force 58]]:<br/>11 aircraft carriers<br/>376 aircraft<br/>6 battleships<br/>Several destroyers<br/>Several cruisers
|strength2 = [[Combined Fleet]]:<br/>1 battleship<br/>1 light cruiser<br/>8 destroyers<br/>115 aircraft, mostly ''[[kamikaze]]''
|casualties1 = Attack on ''Yamato'' task force: 12 aircrew dead<br/>10 aircraft destroyed
<br/>In ''kamikaze'' attacks: <br/>227 casualties incl. 65+ killed <br/>1 carrier moderately damaged <br/>1 battleship moderately damaged <br/>1 destroyer heavily damaged
|casualties2 = Yamato task force: 3,700–4,250 dead<ref>Jentshura and CombinedFleet.com. Abe, Saburo, ''Tokko Yamato Kantai'' (''The Special Attack Fleet Yamato'')", Kasumi Syuppan Co. 1995, a Japanese book which has apparently not been translated into English, gives the following breakdown in deaths for the Japanese in the operation: ''Yamato''- 3056 killed, 276 survivors; ''Yahagi''- 446 killed; ''Isokaze''- 20 killed; ''Hamakaze''- 100 killed; ''Yukikaze''- 3 killed; ''Kasumi''- 17 killed; ''Asashimo''- 326 killed (all hands); ''Fuyuzuki''- 12 killed; ''Suzutsuki''- 57 killed.</ref><br/>1 battleship sunk<br/>1 light cruiser sunk<br/>4 destroyers sunk
<br/> Kamikaze: 100 aircraft destroyed, 100+ dead
}}
{{Campaignbox Ryūkyūs}}
{{nihongo|'''Operation Ten-Go'''|天號作戰 ([[Kyūjitai]]) or 天号作戦 ([[Shinjitai]])|Ten-gō Sakusen}} was the last major [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] [[Imperial Japanese Navy|naval]] [[military operation|operation]] in the [[Pacific War|Pacific Theater]] of [[World War II]]. Other renderings of this operation's title in English include '''Operation Heaven One''' and '''Ten-ichi-gō'''.
In April 1945, the Japanese battleship {{Ship|Japanese battleship|Yamato||2}} (the largest battleship in the world)—along with nine other Japanese warships—embarked from Japan on a deliberate suicide attack upon [[Allies of World War II|Allied forces]] engaged in the [[Battle of Okinawa]]. The Japanese force was attacked, stopped, and almost completely destroyed by [[United States]] [[Aircraft carrier|carrier]]-borne aircraft before reaching [[Okinawa]]. ''Yamato'' and five other Japanese warships were sunk.
The battle demonstrated U.S. air supremacy in the [[Pacific Theater of Operations|Pacific theater]] by this stage in the war and the vulnerability of [[surface ship]]s without air cover to aerial attack. The battle also exhibited Japan's willingness to sacrifice large numbers of its people in desperate ''[[kamikaze]]'' attacks aimed at slowing the [[Operation Downfall|Allied advance on]] the [[Japanese Archipelago|Japanese home islands]].
==Background==
By early 1945, following the [[Solomon Islands campaign]], the [[Battle of the Philippine Sea]] and the [[Battle of Leyte Gulf]], the once formidable [[Imperial Japanese Navy]]'s Combined Fleet was reduced to just a handful of operational warships and a few remaining aircraft and aircrew. Most of the remaining Japanese warships in the Combined Fleet were stationed at ports in Japan, with most of the large ships at [[Kure, Hiroshima]].<ref>Hara, ''Japanese Destroyer Captain'', 274.</ref>
With the invasions of [[Battle of Saipan|Saipan]] and [[Battle of Iwo Jima|Iwo Jima]], Allied forces began their campaign against the Japanese homeland. As the next step before a [[Operation Downfall|planned invasion]] of the Japanese [[Mainland Japan|mainland]], Allied forces [[Battle of Okinawa|invaded Okinawa]] on 1 April 1945. In March, in briefing [[Emperor of Japan|Emperor]] [[Hirohito]] on Japan's response to the expected Okinawan invasion, Japanese military leaders explained that the Japanese Imperial Army was planning extensive air attacks, including the use of ''[[kamikaze]]''. The emperor then reportedly asked, "But what about the Navy? What are they doing to assist in defending Okinawa? Have we no more ships?" Now feeling pressured by the emperor to mount some kind of attack also, Japan's Navy commanders conceived a ''kamikaze''-type mission for their remaining operational large ships, which included the battleship ''Yamato''.<ref name=Feifer-7>Feifer, ''The Battle of Okinawa'', 7.</ref>
The resulting plan—drafted under the direction of the Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet, Admiral [[Toyoda Soemu]]<ref>Minear, ''Requiem'', xiii.</ref>—called for ''Yamato'' and her escorts to attack the U.S. fleet supporting the U.S. troops landing on the west of the island. ''Yamato'' and her escorts were to fight their way to Okinawa and then beach themselves between [[Higashi, Okinawa|Higashi]] and [[Yomitan, Okinawa|Yomitan]] and fight as [[shore battery|shore batteries]] until they were destroyed. Once destroyed, the ship's surviving crewmembers were supposed to abandon the ships and fight U.S. forces on land. Very little, if any, air cover could be provided for the ships, which would render them almost helpless to concentrated attacks from US carrier-based aircraft.<ref name= Feifer-7/> In preparation for executing the plan, the assigned ships left Kure for [[Tokuyama, Yamaguchi]], off [[Mitajiri]], Japan, on 29 March.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 6–7.</ref> However, despite obeying orders to prepare for the mission, Vice-Admiral [[Seiichi Itō]]—commander of the ''Ten-Go'' force—still refused to actually order his ships to carry it out, believing the plan to be futile and wasteful.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 62.</ref>
Other commanders of the Imperial Japanese Navy also had very negative feelings about the operation, believing that it was a waste of human life and fuel. Captain Atsushi Ōi—who commanded escort fleets—was critical as fuel and resources were diverted from his operation. As he was told that the aim of this operation was "the tradition and the glory of Navy," he shouted:<ref> Atsushi Ōi, ''Kaijō Goeisen''.</ref>
<blockquote>This war is of our nation and why should the honor of our "surface fleet" be more respected? Who cares about their glory? Damn fools!
:("Surface fleet" refers to capital ships, especially battleships that "should have won the war".)
</blockquote>
Vice Admiral [[Ryūnosuke Kusaka]] flew from Tokyo on 5 April to Tokuyama in a final attempt to convince the assembled commanders of the Combined Fleet—including Admiral Itō—to accept the plan. Upon first hearing of the proposed operation (it had been kept secret from most of them), the Combined Fleet commanders and captains unanimously joined Admiral Itō in rejecting it for the same reasons that he had expressed. Admiral Kusaka then explained that the Navy's attack would help divert U.S. aircraft away from the Army's planned kamikaze attacks on the U.S. fleet at Okinawa. He also explained that Japan's national leadership, including the emperor, were expecting the Navy to make their best effort to support the defense of Okinawa.
Upon hearing this, the Combined Fleet commanders relented and accepted the proposed plan. The ship's crews were briefed on the nature of the mission and given the opportunity to stay behind if desired—none did. However, approximately 80 crew members who were new, sick, or infirm, were ordered off the ships.<ref name= Hara-277>Hara, ''Japanese Destroyer Captain'', 277.</ref> The ships' crews now engaged in some last-minute intense drills to prepare for the mission, mostly practicing [[damage control|damage-control]] procedures.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 15.</ref> At midnight, the ships were fueled. Reportedly, in secret defiance of orders to provide the ships with only just enough fuel to reach Okinawa, the Tokuyama personnel actually gave ''Yamato'' and the other ships almost all of the remaining fuel in the port, although this probably still was not enough to allow the force to return to Japan from Okinawa.<ref>Spurr, ''A Glorious Way to Die'', 162–165.</ref>
==Battle==
[[File:Ten-goMap1.png|250 px|thumb|left|Routes of the Japanese force (black line) and U.S. carrier aircraft (red dash) to the battle area]]
At 16:00 on 6 April, ''Yamato'', with Admiral Ito on board, the [[light cruiser]] {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Yahagi|1942|2}} and eight [[destroyer]]s departed Tokuyama to begin the mission.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 30.</ref> Two [[submarine]]s—{{USS|Threadfin|SS-410|6}} and {{USS|Hackleback|SS-295|2}}—sighted the Japanese force as it proceeded south through [[Bungo Suido]]. Although they were unable to attack (due to the ships' speed), they did spend several hours shadowing the Japanese [[sortie]] and sending updates of its course to the U.S. fleet. The submarines' messages, which were reportedly not sent coded, were also picked up by radio operators on the Japanese ships.<ref>Skulski, ''The Battleship Yamato'', 12. The eight Japanese destroyers involved in the operation were: {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Isokaze||2}}, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Hamakaze||2}}, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Yukikaze||2}}, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Kasumi||2}}, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Hatsushimo||2}}, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Asashimo||2}}, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Fuyuzuki||2}} and {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Suzutsuki||2}}.</ref>
At dawn on 7 April, the Japanese force passed the [[Ōsumi Peninsula]] into the open ocean heading south from [[Kyūshū]] toward Okinawa. They shifted into a defensive [[formation (military)|formation]], with ''Yahagi'' leading ''Yamato'' and the eight destroyers deployed in a ring around the two larger ships, with each ship {{convert|1500|m|yd|abbr=on}} from each other and proceeding at {{convert|20|kn|mph km/h|lk=in|abbr=on}}.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 47–49.</ref> One of the Japanese destroyers—{{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Asashimo||2}}—developed engine trouble and turned back. U.S. [[reconnaissance]] aircraft began to [[surveillance|shadow]] the main force of ships. At 10:00, the Japanese force turned west to make it look like they were [[withdrawal (military)|withdrawing]], but at 11:30, after being detected by two American [[Martin PBM Mariner|PBM Mariner]] [[flying boat]]s (against which ''Yamato'' fired a salvo with her {{convert|460|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} bow guns using special [[Beehive (ammunition)#Sanshiki (anti-aircraft)|"beehive shells"]] ({{Nihongo|三式焼散弾|''san-shiki shōsan dan''}}, they turned back towards Okinawa.<ref name=Hara-277/>
Upon receiving contact reports early on 7 April, [[United States Fifth Fleet|U.S. 5th Fleet]] commander Admiral [[Raymond Spruance]] ordered the shore-bombardment support force under Admiral [[Morton Deyo]]—composed of battleships raised and repaired following the attack on Pearl Harbor—to intercept and destroy the Japanese task force. Deyo moved to execute his orders, but Vice Admiral [[Marc A. Mitscher]]'s [[Task Force 58]] (TF 58) preempted Deyo by launching air strikes without orders from Spruance. <ref>Triumph in the Pacific by E.B. Potter, also History of United States Operations in World War II by Samuel Elliot Morrison.</ref>
[[File:Yamato2.jpg|thumb|right|U.S. aircraft, such as this [[Curtiss SB2C Helldiver|Curtiss SB2C-3 Helldiver]], begin their attacks on {{Ship|Japanese battleship|Yamato||2}} (center left). A Japanese [[destroyer]] is in the center right of the picture.<ref name=Nova-tv>Nova: ''Sinking the Supership''.</ref>]]
Around 10:00 on 7 April, Task Groups 58.1 and 58.3 (TG 58.1 and 58.3) began launching almost 400 aircraft in several waves from eight carriers (TG 58.1: {{USS|Hornet|CV-12|6}}, {{USS|Bennington|CV-20|''Bennington''}}, {{USS|Belleau Wood|CVL-24|2}}, {{USS|San Jacinto|CVL-30|2}}; TG 58.3 {{USS|Essex|CV-9|6}}, {{USS|Bunker Hill|CV-17|2}}, {{USS|Hancock|CV-19|2}} and {{USS|Bataan|CVL-29|2}}) that were located just east of Okinawa. The aircraft consisted of [[Grumman F6F Hellcat|F6F Hellcat]] and [[Vought F4U Corsair|F4U Corsair]] [[fighter aircraft|fighter]]s, [[Curtiss SB2C Helldiver|SB2C Helldiver]] [[dive bomber]]s, and [[Grumman TBF Avenger|TBF Avenger]] [[torpedo bomber]]s. After learning of Mitscher's launches, Spruance agreed that the airstrikes could proceed. As a contigency, he ordered Admiral Deyo to assemble a force of six battleships ({{USS|Massachusetts|BB-59|6}}, {{USS|Indiana|BB-58|2}}, {{USS|New Jersey|BB-62|2}}, {{USS|South Dakota|BB-57|2}}, {{USS|Wisconsin|BB-64|2}}, and {{USS|Missouri|BB-63|2}}), seven cruisers (including {{USS|Alaska|CB-1|6}} and {{USS|Guam|CB-2|2}}) and 21 destroyers and prepare for surface action if the airstrikes were unsuccessful.<ref>[http://navweaps.com/index_oob/OOB_WWII_Pacific/OOB_WWII_Final_Sortie.htm Order of Battle - Final Sortie of the Imperial Japanese Navy - 7 April 1945]</ref>
Since the Japanese force did not have air cover, the U.S. aircraft were able to set up for their attacks without fear of opposition from Japanese aircraft. U.S. attack aircraft arriving over the ''Yamato'' group—after their two-hour flight from Okinawa—were thus able to circle the Japanese ship formation just out of [[Anti-aircraft warfare|anti-aircraft]] range, methodically setting up their attacks on the warships below.<ref name="Hara-277"/>
The first wave of U.S. carrier aircraft engaged the Japanese ships starting at 12:30. The Japanese ships increased speed to {{convert|25|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}, began evasive maneuvers, and opened fire with their anti-aircraft guns. ''Yamato'' carried almost 150 anti-aircraft guns, including her massive 460 mm guns which could fire special [[Beehive_(ammunition)#Sanshiki_.28anti-aircraft.29|"Common Type 3"]] anti-aircraft shells.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 62–64.</ref> The U.S. torpedo airplanes mainly attacked from the [[Port (nautical)|port]] side so that if the torpedoes mainly hit from that side, it would increase the likelihood of the target ship [[Capsize|capsizing]].<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 74.</ref>
[[File:Yahagi 02.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Light cruiser]] {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Yahagi|1942|2}} under intense bomb and torpedo attack<ref name=CF-web>CombinedFleet.com</ref>]]
At 12:46, a [[torpedo]] hit {{Ship|Japanese cruiser|Yahagi|1942|2}} directly in her engine room, killing the entire engineering room crew and bringing her to a complete stop. ''Yahagi'' was hit by at least six more torpedoes and 12 bombs by succeeding waves of air attacks. Japanese destroyer {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Isokaze||2}} attempted to come to ''Yahagi''{{'}}s aid but was attacked, heavily damaged, and sank sometime later. ''Yahagi'' capsized and sank at 14:05.<ref>Hara, ''Japanese Destroyer Captain'', 298.</ref>
During the first attack wave, despite intensive evasive maneuvers that caused most of the bombs and torpedoes aimed at her to miss, ''Yamato'' was hit by two [[Armor-piercing shot and shell|armor-piercing]] bombs and one torpedo.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 66.</ref> Her speed was not affected, but one of the bombs started a fire [[aft]] of the [[superstructure]] that was not extinguished. Also, during the first attack wave, Japanese destroyers {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Hamakaze||2}} and {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Suzutsuki||2}} were heavily damaged and taken out of the battle. ''Hamakaze'' sank later.<ref name="CF-web"/>
[[File:Yamato damaged 7 apr 1945.jpg|thumb|right|{{Ship|Japanese battleship|Yamato||2}} listing to port and on fire.]]
Between 13:20 and 14:15, the second and third waves of U.S. aircraft attacked, heavily concentrating on ''Yamato''. During this time, ''Yamato'' was hit by at least eight torpedoes and up to 15 bombs. The bombs did extensive damage to the topside of the ship, including knocking out power to the [[Director (military)|gun director]]s and forcing the anti-aircraft guns to be individually and manually aimed and fired, greatly reducing their effectiveness.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 78.</ref> The torpedo hits—almost all on the port side—caused ''Yamato'' to list enough that capsizing was now an imminent danger.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 80.</ref> The water damage-control station had been destroyed by a bomb hit making it impossible to counter-flood the specially designed spaces within the ship's [[Hull (watercraft)|hull]] to counteract hull damage. At 13:33, in a desperate attempt to keep the ship from capsizing, ''Yamato''{{'}}s damage control team counter-flooded both [[starboard]] engine and [[boiler]] rooms. This mitigated the danger but also [[Drowning|drowned]] the several hundred crewmen manning those stations, who were given no notice that their compartments were about to fill with water.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 82.</ref><ref>Feifer, ''The Battle of Okinawa'', 17–25.</ref> The loss of the starboard engines—plus the weight of the water—caused ''Yamato'' to slow to about {{convert|10|kn|mph km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 83.</ref>
With ''Yamato'' proceeding more slowly and therefore easier to target, U.S. torpedo aircraft concentrated on hitting her rudder and stern with torpedoes in order to affect her steering ability, which they succeeded in doing.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 95–96.</ref> At 14:02, after being informed that the ship could no longer steer and was unavoidably sinking, Admiral Ito ordered the mission canceled, the crew to abandon ship, and for the remaining ships to begin rescuing survivors.<ref name="CF-web"/> ''Yamato'' communicated this message to the other surviving ships by [[signal flag]] because her [[radio]]s had been destroyed.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 108.</ref>
[[File:Yamato4.jpg|thumb|left|The only known photo of the {{Ship|Japanese battleship|Yamato||2}} exploding. The ship capsized after numerous bomb and torpedo hits.<ref name=Nova-tv/>]]
At 14:05, ''Yamato'' was stopped dead in the water and began to capsize. Admiral Ito and the captain refused to abandon her with the rest of the survivors. At 14:20, ''Yamato'' capsized completely and began to sink ({{coord|30|22|N|128|04|E|type:event}}). At 14:23, she suddenly blew up with an [[explosion]] so large that it was reportedly heard and seen {{convert|200|km|nmi mi|abbr=on}} away in [[Kagoshima]] and sent up a [[Mushroom cloud|mushroom-shaped cloud]] almost {{convert|20000|ft|m|abbr=on}} into the air.<ref name=Yoshida-118>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 118.</ref> It is claimed that her large explosion downed several U.S planes observing her end.<ref name= Yoshida-118/> The explosion is believed to have occurred when the fires ignited by bomb hits reached the main [[Magazine (artillery)|magazines]].<ref>Skulski, ''The Battleship Yamato'', 13.</ref>
Attempting to make it back to port, Japanese destroyer {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Asashimo||2}} was bombed and sunk with all hands by U.S. aircraft. The Japanese destroyer {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Kasumi||2}} was also crippled by U.S. carrier aircraft attack during the battle and had to be scuttled by other, relatively undamaged Japanese destroyers. ''Suzutsuki''—despite her [[Bow (ship)|bow]] being blown off—was able to make it to [[Sasebo, Nagasaki|Sasebo]], Japan, by steaming in reverse the entire way.<ref name="CF-web"/>
The remaining three less-damaged Japanese destroyers ({{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Fuyuzuki||2}}, {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Yukikaze||2}}, and {{Ship|Japanese destroyer|Hatsushimo||2}}) were able to rescue 280 survivors from ''Yamato'' (sources differ on the size of ''Yamato''{{'}}s crew, giving it as between 2,750 and 3,300 men), plus 555 survivors from ''Yahagi'' (out of a crew of 1,000) and just over 800 survivors from ''Isokaze'', ''Hamakaze'', and ''Kasumi''. Between 3,700 and 4,250 Japanese naval personnel perished in the battle.<ref name="CF-web"/><ref>Jentshura, p. 39 says that 2,498 ''Yamato'' crewmen died. CombinedFleet.com says 3,063 on ''Yamato'' died. One possible reason for part of the discrepancy in the numbers is that Admiral Itō's staff may not have been included in the total ship's complement. Abe, Saburo, ''Tokko Yamato Kantai'' (''The Special Attack Fleet Yamato'')", Kasumi Syuppan Co. 1995, a Japanese book which has apparently not been translated into English, gives the following breakdown in deaths for the Japanese in the operation: ''Yamato''- 3056 killed, 276 survivors; ''Yahagi''- 446 killed; ''Isokaze''- 20 killed; ''Hamakaze''- 100 killed; ''Yukikaze''- 3 killed; ''Kasumi''- 17 killed; ''Asashimo''- 326 killed (all hands); ''Fuyuzuki''- 12 killed; ''Suzutsuki''- 57 killed.</ref> The ships took the survivors to Sasebo.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 140.</ref>
[[File:Yamato battleship explosion.jpg|thumb|right|{{Ship|Japanese battleship|Yamato||2}} moments after exploding.<ref name=Nova-tv/>]]
A total of 10 U.S. aircraft were shot down by anti-aircraft fire from the Japanese ships; some of the aircrews were rescued by [[seaplane]] or submarine. In total, the U.S. lost 12 men. Some of the Japanese survivors reported that U.S. fighter aircraft [[Machine gun|machine-gunned]] Japanese survivors floating in the water.<ref>"Then the Americans started to shoot with machine guns at the people who were floating, so we all had to dive under." {{cite web | url=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/supership/surv-ishida.html | title=Survivor Stories: Ishida | author=Naoyoshi Ishida | coauthors=Keiko Bang | month=September | year=2005 | work=Sinking the Supership | publisher=[[NOVA (TV series)|NOVA]] }}</ref><ref>Hara, ''Japanese Destroyer Captain'', 301.</ref> Japanese survivors also reported that U.S. aircraft temporarily halted their attacks on the Japanese destroyers during the time that the destroyers were busy picking up survivors from the water.<ref>Yoshida, ''Requiem'', 144.</ref>
During the battle, the Japanese Army conducted an air attack on the U.S. naval fleet at Okinawa as promised, but they failed to sink any ships. Around 115 aircraft—many of them ''kamikaze''—attacked the U.S. ships throughout the day of 7 April. ''Kamikaze'' aircraft hit {{USS|Hancock|CV-19|6}}, battleship {{USS|Maryland|BB-46|6}}, and destroyer {{USS|Bennett|DD-473|6}}, causing moderate damage to ''Hancock'' and ''Maryland'' and heavy damage to ''Bennett''. About 100 of the Japanese aircraft were lost in the attack.<ref>Hara, ''Japanese Destroyer Captain'', 304.</ref>
==Aftermath==
''Ten-Go'' was the last major Japanese naval operation of the war, and the remaining Japanese warships had little involvement in combat operations for the rest of the conflict. ''Suzutsuki'' was never repaired. ''Fuyuzuki'' was repaired but hit a U.S. air-dropped mine at [[Moji-ku, Kitakyūshū|Moji]], Japan, on 20 August 1945, and was not subsequently repaired. ''Yukikaze'' survived the war almost undamaged. ''Hatsushimo'' hit a U.S. air-dropped mine on 30 July 1945, near [[Maizuru, Kyoto|Maizuru]], Japan, and was the 129th, and last, Japanese destroyer sunk in the war.<ref>Hara, ''Japanese Destroyer Captain'', 281.</ref> ''Maryland'' was kept out of the war following the ''kamikaze'' attacks.
Okinawa was declared secure by Allied forces on 21 June 1945,<ref>Minear, ''Requiem'', xiv.</ref> after an intense and costly battle. [[Surrender of Japan|Japan surrendered]] in August 1945, after being [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|bombed twice with atomic weapons]]. The apparent willingness of Japan to sacrifice so many of its people using suicidal tactics such as Operation ''Ten-Go'' and in the Battle of Okinawa, which began since the [[Battle of Leyte Gulf]] reportedly was a factor in the American decision to employ atomic weapons against Japan.<ref>Feifer, ''The Battle of Okinawa'', 410–430.</ref>
The story of Operation ''Ten-Go'' is revered to some degree in modern Japan as evidenced by appearances of the story in popular [[Culture of Japan|Japanese culture]] which usually portray the event as a brave, selfless, but futile, symbolic effort by the participating Japanese sailors to defend their homeland.<ref>{{cite web | last = IMDB.com | year = 1990–2009 | authorlink = IMDB | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140644/ | title = Uchû senkan Yamato | work = [[Internet Movie Database]] | accessdate = 26 March 2009}}; {{cite web | last = IMDB.com | year = 2005 | authorlink = IMDB | url = http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451845/ | title = Otoko-tachi no Yamato | work = [[Internet Movie Database]] | accessdate = 26 March 2009}}</ref> One of the reasons the event may have such significance in Japanese culture is that the word ''Yamato'' was often used as a poetic name for Japan. Thus, the end of battleship ''Yamato'' could serve as a metaphor for the end of the Japanese empire.<ref>Minear, ''Requiem'', xvii.</ref>
==See also==
* [[Jun Henmi]]
==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}
==References==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book | last = Feifer | first = George | year = 2001 | chapter = Operation Heaven Number One | title = The Battle of Okinawa: The Blood and the Bomb | publisher = The Lyons Press | location =
| isbn = 1-58574-215-5 }}
*{{cite book | last = Hara | first = Tameichi | authorlink = Tameichi Hara | year = 1961 | chapter = The Last Sortie | title = Japanese Destroyer Captain | publisher = [[Ballantine Books]] | location = New York & Toronto | isbn = 0-345-27894-1 }} A first-hand account of the battle by the captain of the Japanese cruiser ''Yahagi''.
*{{cite book | last = Jentschura | first = Hansgeorg | coauthors = Dieter Jung and Peter Mickel | year = 1977 | title = Warships of the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1869-1945 | publisher = United States Naval Institute | location = [[Annapolis, Maryland]] | isbn = 0-87021-893-X }}
*{{cite book | last = Ōi | first = Atsushi | year = 1992 | title = Kaijo Goeisen | publisher = Asahi Sonorama | location = | isbn = 4-05-901040-5 }}
*{{cite book | last = Skulski | first = Janusz | year = 1989 | title = The Battleship Yamato | publisher = Naval Institute Press | location = [[Annapolis]], [[Maryland]] | isbn = 0-87021-019-X }}
*{{cite book | last = Spurr | first = Russell | year = 1995 | title = [[A Glorious Way to Die|A Glorious Way to Die: The Kamikaze Mission of the Battleship Yamato, April 1945]] | publisher = Newmarket Press | location = | isbn = 1-55704-248-9 }}
*{{cite book | last = Yoshida | first = Mitsuru | authorlink = Mitsuru Yoshida | coauthors = Richard H. Minear | year = 1999 | title = Requiem for Battleship Yamato | publisher = Naval Institute Press | location = Annapolis, Maryland | isbn = 1-55750-544-6 }} A first-hand account of the battle by ''Yamato''{{'}}s only surviving bridge officer.
{{refend}}
==External links==
{{Commonscat}}
*{{cite web | url = http://www.navweaps.com/index_oob/OOB_WWII_Pacific/OOB_WWII_Final_Sortie.htm | title = navweaps.com: Order of Battle | accessdate = 2006-04-22 }}
*{{cite web | url = http://www.combinedfleet.com/yamato.htm | title = CombinedFleet.com: Chronological history of Yamato and actions during Ten-Go | accessdate = 2006-05-13 }}
*{{cite web | url = http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/supership/ | title = NOVA documentary: Sinking the Supership | accessdate = 2006-04-23 }} The official site of the NOVA documentary with additional information on the subject.
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[[el:Επιχείρηση Τεν Γκο]]
[[es:Operación Ten-Gō]]
[[fr:Opération Ten-Gō]]
[[id:Operasi Ten-Go]]
[[it:Operazione Ten-Go]]
[[he:מבצע טן-גו]]
[[
[[ja:坊ノ岬沖海戦]]
[[pl:Operacja Ten-gō]]
[[pt:Operação Ten-Go]]
[[ru:Последний поход «Ямато»]]
[[fi:Operaatio Ten-Gō]]
[[sv:Operation Ten-Go]]
[[ta:தென்கோ நடவடிக்கை]]
[[th:ปฏิบัติการเท็งโง]]
[[vi:Cuộc hành quân Ten-Go]]
[[zh:天號作戰]]
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