Japanese cruiser Tama
Encyclopedia
was the second of the five Kuma-class
light cruiser
s, which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy
during World War II
. It was named after the Tama River
in Kantō region
of Japan
.
s, it was intended for use both as a long-range, high speed scout ship, and also as a command vessel for destroyer
or submarine
flotillas.
Nagasaki shipyard on 29 January 1921. Immediately after commissioning, Tama was assigned to cover the landings of Japanese troops in Siberia
during Japan's Siberian Intervention
against the Bolshevik
Red Army
.
In 1925, Tama was tasked with making a diplomatic voyage to San Pedro
in the United States
, to return the remains of US Ambassador to Japan, who had died in Tokyo
. In 1932, with the Manchurian Incident, Tama was assigned to patrol the northern coasts of China
, from its base in Taiwan
. However, as the war in China continued to escalate, Tama was involved in operations to cover the landings of Japanese troops in central China.
On 10 January 1935, the German
naval attaché in Tokyo, Captain Paul Wenneker was invited by Admiral Nobumasa Suetsugu to tour Tama, battleship
and submarine
at Yokosuka
Navy Base. Wenneker was reportedly unimpressed with Japanese naval artillery
, and advocated increase use of submarine warfare.
of Vice Admiral
Boshiro Hosogaya
's CruDiv 21 with the light cruiser , in the Japanese 5th Fleet. Tama and Kiso were sent north to Hokkaidō
, in Arctic white camouflage
on 2 December, and were patrolling in the Kurile Islands, at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
. Both cruisers' hulls were damaged by severe weather, and both returned to dry dock
at Yokosuka by the end of the year.
On 21 January 1942, CruDiv 21 departed Yokosuka and was again sent north on patrols around Hokkaidō, but was recalled after 38 aircraft of Task Force 16 made a dawn raid on Marcus Island on 5 March. Tama was assigned to the Japanese 1st Fleet with battleships and , and sortied from Hashirajima
to search for Admiral William F Halsey
, but failed to locate his forces after several weeks of searching.
On 5 April, CruDiv 21 returned to northern waters, but on 18 April the Doolittle Raid
struck targets in Tokyo, Yokohama
, Osaka
, Nagoya and Kobe
. Tama was again recalled to join in another unsuccessful pursuit of Halsey. For the rest of April and most of May, Tama resumed its northern patrols.
On 28 May, Tama departed Mutsu Bay
to participate in the "Operation AL" (the seizure of Attu
and Kiska
) in the Battle of the Aleutian Islands
. After successfully landing forces to seize the islands, CruDiv 21 returned to Mutsu Bay on 23 June. However, Tama was quickly sent back to cover the second reinforcement convoy to Kiska, then patrolled southwest of Kiska in anticipation of an American counter-attack until 2 August. After a brief return to Yokosuka for maintenance, Tama covered the transfer of the Attu garrison to Kiska. On 25 October, CruDiv 21 embarked further reinforcements at Kashiwabara, Paramushiro to Attu. Tama continued to patrol the Aleutians and the Kurile islands and around Hokkaido until 6 January 1943, making another supply run to Kiska in November.
After refit at Yokosuka in early February 1943, Tama again patrolled north from Ominato to Kataoka (Simushir
island), to Kashiwabara (Paramushiro) to 7 March. Another major supply run to Attu was made from 7–13 March.
On 23 March, Tama departed Paramushiro towards Attu with Vice Admiral Hosogaya's Fifth Fleet cruisers and , light cruiser and destroyers , , , and escorting a three-ship reinforcement carrying troops and supplies for the garrison on Attu. At the Battle of the Komandorski Islands
on 26 March, against USN Task Group 16.6 with the light cruiser , heavy cruiser and four destroyers, in a four-hour running gun and torpedo battle, Salt Lake City and destroyer were damaged by gunfire. The other destroyers were not damaged. Tama was undamaged, but Nachi was hit several times; however, the Japanese aborted the resupply mission, and returned to Paramushiro on 28 March. Disgraced by retreating from an inferior force, Hosogaya was relieved of command and forced to retire. Vice Admiral Shiro Kawase assumed command of the Fifth Fleet.
Tama remained on guard duty at Kataoka for over a month and then was sent to Maizuru for a refit on 4 May. It was thus absent during the "American Operation Landcrab" to retake the Aleutian Islands, and during Japanese evacuation of Kiska on 19 May. Returning to Kataoka only on 23 May, the Tama resumed guard duties until 5 July. During "Operation Ke-Go" (the evacuation of Kiska) on 7 July) Tamas engines were considered too unreliable for her to participate directly in the evacuation, and it remained behind at Paramushiro. In any event, the mission was aborted due to weather. Tama remained on guard duty in the Kuriles until 30 August.
, Caroline Islands
on 15 September. After stopping by Truk, and returning to Kure, the Tama was ordered to Shanghai
on 11 October, to ferry additional troops to Truk and Rabaul
, New Britain
. After disembarking the reinforcements at Rabaul, she was attacked by RAAF Bristol Beaufort
bombers from Guadalcanal
on 21 October. Tamas hull plates were damaged by near-misses and it was forced return to Rabaul for emergency repairs.
On 27 October, Tama returned to Yokosuka for a major refit; her Nos. 5 and No.7 140-mm guns were removed along, with her catapult and derrick. A twin 127-mm HA gun was fitted, as were four triple mount and six single mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns. This brought Tamas total number of 25-mm guns to 22 barrels (4x3, 2x2, 6x1). A type 21 air search radar
was also fitted. Repairs and modifications were completed on 9 December.
Tama departed Yokosuka on 24 December, again for northern waters and remained on patrol until 19 June 1944. Returning to Yokosuka by 22 June, Tama then starts to ferrying army reinforcements to the Ogasawara islands, making two runs to 12 August.
On 30 August, Tama was transferred from CruDiv 21, Fifth Fleet to become flagship of DesRon 11, Combined Fleet
, replacing the lost .
(20 October), Tama was assigned to Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa
Northern Mobile ("Decoy") Force. During the Battle off Cape Engano (25 October), Ozawa's force was attacked by Task Force 38, with USS Enterprise, , , , , , , , and . Tama was attacked by TBM Avenger torpedo bomber
s from VT-21 of the Belleau Wood and VT-51 from San Jacinto. A Mark 13 torpedo
hit Tama in her No. 2 boiler room. After emergency repairs, Tama retired from the battle, escorted by , but Isuzu was ordered to protect the damaged aircraft carrier . Tama was then escorted by destroyer Shimotsuki, but later Shimotsuki too was ordered to assist the damaged carrier . Tama proceeded alone at 14 kn (27.4 km/h; 17 mph) towards Okinawa.
Northeast of Luzon, Tamas luck ran out, as — on her first war patrol — picked up Tama on radar. Its attack of three bow torpedoes from 1000 yd (914.4 m) missed, but its second salvo of four stern torpedoes from 800 yd (731.5 m) was more successful. Three torpedoes hit Tama, breaking it in two, and sinking it within minutes, with all hands at 21°23′N 127°19′E.
Tama was removed from the Navy List on 20 December 1944.
Kuma class cruiser
-See also:*List of World War II ships...
light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
s, which served with the Imperial Japanese Navy
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1869 until 1947, when it was dissolved following Japan's constitutional renunciation of the use of force as a means of settling international disputes...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was named after the Tama River
Tama River
The is a major river in Yamanashi, Kanagawa and Tokyo Prefectures on Honshū, Japan. It is officially classified as a Class 1 river by the Japanese government....
in Kantō region
Kanto region
The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Background
Tama was the second of five vessels in the Kuma-class of light cruisers. As with its sister shipSister ship
A sister ship is a ship of the same class as, or of virtually identical design to, another ship. Such vessels share a near-identical hull and superstructure layout, similar displacement, and roughly comparable features and equipment...
s, it was intended for use both as a long-range, high speed scout ship, and also as a command vessel for destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
or submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
flotillas.
Service life
Tama was completed at Mitsubishi Heavy IndustriesMitsubishi Heavy Industries
, or MHI, is a Japanese company. It is one of the core companies of Mitsubishi Group.-History:In 1870 Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of Mitsubishi took a lease of Government-owned Nagasaki Shipyard. He named it Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works, and started the shipbuilding business on a full scale...
Nagasaki shipyard on 29 January 1921. Immediately after commissioning, Tama was assigned to cover the landings of Japanese troops in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
during Japan's Siberian Intervention
Siberian Intervention
The ', or the Siberian Expedition, of 1918–1922 was the dispatch of troops of the Entente powers to the Russian Maritime Provinces as part of a larger effort by the western powers and Japan to support White Russian forces against the Bolshevik Red Army during the Russian Civil War...
against the Bolshevik
Bolshevik
The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists , derived from bol'shinstvo, "majority") were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903....
Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
.
In 1925, Tama was tasked with making a diplomatic voyage to San Pedro
San Pedro, Los Angeles, California
San Pedro is a port district of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was annexed in 1909 and is a major seaport of the area...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, to return the remains of US Ambassador to Japan, who had died in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. In 1932, with the Manchurian Incident, Tama was assigned to patrol the northern coasts of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, from its base in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. However, as the war in China continued to escalate, Tama was involved in operations to cover the landings of Japanese troops in central China.
On 10 January 1935, the German
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
naval attaché in Tokyo, Captain Paul Wenneker was invited by Admiral Nobumasa Suetsugu to tour Tama, battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
and submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
at Yokosuka
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
Navy Base. Wenneker was reportedly unimpressed with Japanese naval artillery
Naval artillery
Naval artillery, or naval riflery, is artillery mounted on a warship for use in naval warfare. Naval artillery has historically been used to engage either other ships, or targets on land; in the latter role it is currently termed naval gunfire fire support...
, and advocated increase use of submarine warfare.
Northern operations
On 10 September 1941, Tama became flagshipFlagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
of Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
Boshiro Hosogaya
Boshiro Hosogaya
, was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II.-Biography:Hosogaya was born to a farming family in Nozawa, Nagano prefecture in 1888. He graduated from the 36th class of the Imperial Japanese Naval Academy in 1908. He was ranked 16th in a class of 191 cadets. As a midshipman, he...
's CruDiv 21 with the light cruiser , in the Japanese 5th Fleet. Tama and Kiso were sent north to Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, in Arctic white camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
on 2 December, and were patrolling in the Kurile Islands, at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor
Attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941...
. Both cruisers' hulls were damaged by severe weather, and both returned to dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
at Yokosuka by the end of the year.
On 21 January 1942, CruDiv 21 departed Yokosuka and was again sent north on patrols around Hokkaidō, but was recalled after 38 aircraft of Task Force 16 made a dawn raid on Marcus Island on 5 March. Tama was assigned to the Japanese 1st Fleet with battleships and , and sortied from Hashirajima
Hashirajima
is an island in southern Hiroshima Bay of the Inland Sea, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. Located 26 kilometers southeast of Iwakuni, it is part of the Kutsuna Islands within the Bōyō Islands group....
to search for Admiral William F Halsey
William Halsey, Jr.
Fleet Admiral William Frederick Halsey, Jr., United States Navy, , was a U.S. Naval officer. He commanded the South Pacific Area during the early stages of the Pacific War against Japan...
, but failed to locate his forces after several weeks of searching.
On 5 April, CruDiv 21 returned to northern waters, but on 18 April the Doolittle Raid
Doolittle Raid
The Doolittle Raid, on 18 April 1942, was the first air raid by the United States to strike the Japanese Home Islands during World War II. By demonstrating that Japan itself was vulnerable to American air attack, it provided a vital morale boost and opportunity for U.S. retaliation after the...
struck targets in Tokyo, Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Nagoya and Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
. Tama was again recalled to join in another unsuccessful pursuit of Halsey. For the rest of April and most of May, Tama resumed its northern patrols.
On 28 May, Tama departed Mutsu Bay
Mutsu
Mutsu may refer to:* Mutsu, Aomori, a city in Aomori prefecture, Japan* Mutsu Province, one of the old provinces of Japan* Mutsu , a merchant ship that was Japan's only nuclear-powered ship...
to participate in the "Operation AL" (the seizure of Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
and Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
) in the Battle of the Aleutian Islands
Battle of the Aleutian Islands
The Aleutian Islands Campaign was a struggle over the Aleutian Islands, part of Alaska, in the Pacific campaign of World War II starting on 3 June 1942. A small Japanese force occupied the islands of Attu and Kiska, but the remoteness of the islands and the difficulties of weather and terrain meant...
. After successfully landing forces to seize the islands, CruDiv 21 returned to Mutsu Bay on 23 June. However, Tama was quickly sent back to cover the second reinforcement convoy to Kiska, then patrolled southwest of Kiska in anticipation of an American counter-attack until 2 August. After a brief return to Yokosuka for maintenance, Tama covered the transfer of the Attu garrison to Kiska. On 25 October, CruDiv 21 embarked further reinforcements at Kashiwabara, Paramushiro to Attu. Tama continued to patrol the Aleutians and the Kurile islands and around Hokkaido until 6 January 1943, making another supply run to Kiska in November.
After refit at Yokosuka in early February 1943, Tama again patrolled north from Ominato to Kataoka (Simushir
Simushir
Simushir is an uninhabited volcanic island near the center of the Kuril Islands chain in the Sea of Okhotsk in the northwest Pacific Ocean. Its name is derived from the Ainu language for “large island”.-Geology:...
island), to Kashiwabara (Paramushiro) to 7 March. Another major supply run to Attu was made from 7–13 March.
On 23 March, Tama departed Paramushiro towards Attu with Vice Admiral Hosogaya's Fifth Fleet cruisers and , light cruiser and destroyers , , , and escorting a three-ship reinforcement carrying troops and supplies for the garrison on Attu. At the Battle of the Komandorski Islands
Battle of the Komandorski Islands
The Battle of the Komandorski Islands was one of the most unusual engagements of World War II. It was a naval battle which took place on 27 March 1943 in the North Pacific area of the Pacific Ocean, near the Soviet Komandorski Islands.-Background:...
on 26 March, against USN Task Group 16.6 with the light cruiser , heavy cruiser and four destroyers, in a four-hour running gun and torpedo battle, Salt Lake City and destroyer were damaged by gunfire. The other destroyers were not damaged. Tama was undamaged, but Nachi was hit several times; however, the Japanese aborted the resupply mission, and returned to Paramushiro on 28 March. Disgraced by retreating from an inferior force, Hosogaya was relieved of command and forced to retire. Vice Admiral Shiro Kawase assumed command of the Fifth Fleet.
Tama remained on guard duty at Kataoka for over a month and then was sent to Maizuru for a refit on 4 May. It was thus absent during the "American Operation Landcrab" to retake the Aleutian Islands, and during Japanese evacuation of Kiska on 19 May. Returning to Kataoka only on 23 May, the Tama resumed guard duties until 5 July. During "Operation Ke-Go" (the evacuation of Kiska) on 7 July) Tamas engines were considered too unreliable for her to participate directly in the evacuation, and it remained behind at Paramushiro. In any event, the mission was aborted due to weather. Tama remained on guard duty in the Kuriles until 30 August.
Operations in southern waters
After a refit at Yokosuka, Tama was sent south with troops and supplies for PonapePohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
, Caroline Islands
Caroline Islands
The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...
on 15 September. After stopping by Truk, and returning to Kure, the Tama was ordered to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
on 11 October, to ferry additional troops to Truk and Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
, New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
. After disembarking the reinforcements at Rabaul, she was attacked by RAAF Bristol Beaufort
Bristol Beaufort
The Bristol Beaufort was a British twin-engined torpedo bomber designed by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, and developed from experience gained designing and building the earlier Blenheim light bomber....
bombers from Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal is a tropical island in the South-Western Pacific. The largest island in the Solomons, it was discovered by the Spanish expedition of Alvaro de Mendaña in 1568...
on 21 October. Tamas hull plates were damaged by near-misses and it was forced return to Rabaul for emergency repairs.
On 27 October, Tama returned to Yokosuka for a major refit; her Nos. 5 and No.7 140-mm guns were removed along, with her catapult and derrick. A twin 127-mm HA gun was fitted, as were four triple mount and six single mount Type 96 25-mm AA guns. This brought Tamas total number of 25-mm guns to 22 barrels (4x3, 2x2, 6x1). A type 21 air search radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
was also fitted. Repairs and modifications were completed on 9 December.
Tama departed Yokosuka on 24 December, again for northern waters and remained on patrol until 19 June 1944. Returning to Yokosuka by 22 June, Tama then starts to ferrying army reinforcements to the Ogasawara islands, making two runs to 12 August.
On 30 August, Tama was transferred from CruDiv 21, Fifth Fleet to become flagship of DesRon 11, Combined Fleet
Combined Fleet
The was the main ocean-going component of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet was not a standing force, but a temporary force formed for the duration of a conflict or major naval maneuvers from various units normally under separate commands in peacetime....
, replacing the lost .
Battle of Leyte Gulf
During the Battle of Leyte GulfBattle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...
(20 October), Tama was assigned to Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa
Jisaburo Ozawa
was an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. He was the last Commander-in-Chief of Combined Fleet. Many military historians regard Ozawa as one of the most capable Japanese flag officers.-Biography:...
Northern Mobile ("Decoy") Force. During the Battle off Cape Engano (25 October), Ozawa's force was attacked by Task Force 38, with USS Enterprise, , , , , , , , and . Tama was attacked by TBM Avenger torpedo bomber
Torpedo bomber
A torpedo bomber is a bomber aircraft designed primarily to attack ships with aerial torpedoes which could also carry out conventional bombings. Torpedo bombers existed almost exclusively prior to and during World War II when they were an important element in many famous battles, notably the...
s from VT-21 of the Belleau Wood and VT-51 from San Jacinto. A Mark 13 torpedo
Mark 13 torpedo
The Bliss-Leavitt Mark 13 torpedo was the U.S. Navy's most common aerial torpedo of World War II. It was designed with unusually squat dimensions for its type: diameter was and length . In the water, the Mark 13 could reach a speed of for up to . The Mark 13 ran slower than the Mark 14 torpedo...
hit Tama in her No. 2 boiler room. After emergency repairs, Tama retired from the battle, escorted by , but Isuzu was ordered to protect the damaged aircraft carrier . Tama was then escorted by destroyer Shimotsuki, but later Shimotsuki too was ordered to assist the damaged carrier . Tama proceeded alone at 14 kn (27.4 km/h; 17 mph) towards Okinawa.
Northeast of Luzon, Tamas luck ran out, as — on her first war patrol — picked up Tama on radar. Its attack of three bow torpedoes from 1000 yd (914.4 m) missed, but its second salvo of four stern torpedoes from 800 yd (731.5 m) was more successful. Three torpedoes hit Tama, breaking it in two, and sinking it within minutes, with all hands at 21°23′N 127°19′E.
Tama was removed from the Navy List on 20 December 1944.
External links
- Tabular record: CombinedFleet.com: Tama history