Yamato’s final mission: Operation Ten-Go, organized following the invasion of Okinawa (April 1, 1945). Under the command of Vice Admiral Yokuyama and escorted by a light cruiser and eight destroyers, she was sent to attack the American fleet supporting the landing on the western part of the island. If she had succeeded in reaching Okinawa, Yamato would have run aground between Hagushi and Yontan and fought to the last as a coastal battery, supporting the island’s defenders. Yamato was refueled only for the outward voyage to Okinawa. Yamato and her escort left the port of Tokuyama on the afternoon of April 6, 1945. On the morning of April 7, the squadron was spotted at the exit of the Japanese Inland Sea by two U.S. submarines and a reconnaissance plane from the aircraft carrier Essex. Around noon, a force of nearly 400 American aircraft from Task Force 58 attacked the Japanese units in waves. At 12:41, the Yamato was hit by the first two bombs, 13 torpedoes and 10 bombs in total, before ammunition depot No. 1 exploded around 2:20 PM. The ship listed to port and sank, approximately 200 kilometers from Okinawa. Approximately 2,375 men lost their lives in the sinking, with 269 survivors. American losses included 10 aircraft and 12 pilots. The wreck lies approximately 300 meters deep and was explored in 1985 and 1999.
