“‘Sighted two enemy battleships. Seventy nautical miles southeast of Kuantan. Course south-southeast. 1145.’
“The enemy was right behind us. I watched closely for the signal to turn and reverse our course. Strangely, the 1st Squadron continued to fly southward. We waited and waited but no signal was received from the 1st Squadron to turn about and head for the enemy.
“Ten minutes went by, and I was becoming very anxious. Finally I relayed the message concerning the sighting of the battleships to the other planes and, at the same time, began gradually to reverse our course in order to take over the lead of the formation. Seeing my maneuver, the planes of the 1st Squadron also reversed their course and fell in behind my squadron.
“Our new heading was north-northwest. Anticipating the coming battle, all planes moved in and took up a close formation. We were flying just above eighty-three hundred feet. Clouds had begun to fill the sky, but they did not restrict our view of the ocean below us. In spite of repeated warnings to the crew members not to relax for a moment their vigilance to the rear and above our airplanes, everybody was straining to look ahead of our bomber to sight the enemy fleet. Everybody wanted the honor of being first to see the British warships.
“It was just past one o’clock. Low clouds were filling the sky ahead of us. Fully five hours had passed since we left Saigon that morning. The enemy fleet should become visible any moment. I became nervous and shaky and could not dismiss the sensation. I had the strangest urge to urinate. It was exactly like the sensation one feels before entering a contest in an athletic meet.
“At exactly 1:03 P.M., a black spot directly beneath the cloud ahead of us was sighted. It appeared to be the enemy vessels, about twenty-five miles away. Yes—it was the enemy! Soon we could distinguish the ships. The fleet was composed of two battleships, escorted by three destroyers, and one small merchant vessel. The battleships were the long-awaited Prince of Wales and the Repulse!
“The 1st Squadron picked up speed and moved ahead of my squadron. Lieutenant Commander Nakanishi ordered, ‘Form assault formation!’ A little later, ‘Go in!’
“The enemy fleet was now about eight miles away. We were still flying at eighty-three hundred feet and were in the ideal position to attack. As we had planned, Nakanishi’s bomber increased its speed and began to drop toward the enemy fleet. He was headed to the right and a little ahead of the warships. Trying to maintain the same distance and not be left behind, the bombers of my squadron also increased their speed as I started a gradual dive. I headed toward the left flank of the enemy formation. It was a standard practice among us for the 1st Squadron to attack the largest vessel, and the 2nd Squadron the next largest.
“All crew members searched the sky vigilantly for the enemy fighters which we expected would be diving in to attack us at any moment. Much to our surprise not a single enemy plane was in sight. This was all the more amazing since the scene of battle was well within the fighting range of the British fighters; less than one hundred nautical miles from both Singapore and Kuantan.
“Except for the planes which at this moment were screaming in to attack, no other aircraft could be seen. We learned later that the third reconnaissance plane, piloted by Ensign Hoashi, had first sighted the enemy battleships and alerted all the bombers. As soon as he had reported the presence of the enemy fleet and was informed that our bombers were rushing to the scene, Hoashi left the area to bomb the Kuantan air base, to prevent the enemy fighters from taking off.
“Without interference from enemy fighters we could make our attacks freely. Coordinating my movements with those of the 1st Squadron, I led my squadron to the attack so that the enemy ships would be torpedoed from both flanks. The 1st Squadron was circling about four miles to the left and forward of the enemy ships and was about ready to begin its torpedo run. Antiaircraft shells were exploding all around the circling bombers. The planes could be seen between the flashing patches of white smoke as the shells exploded.
“Not a single antiaircraft shell exploded near my squadron. Perhaps the clouds hid us from the enemy gunners.
“Through my binoculars I studied the enemy’s position. The large battleships were moving on a straight course, flanked by the three destroyers. The destroyers were just ahead of the battleships and making better than twenty-six knots. I could see clearly the long, white wakes of the ships as they cut through the water.
“A long, narrow plume of white smoke drifted upward from the second battleship. Later I discovered this was due to a direct hit scored by the level bombers of the Mihoro Air Corps which had made the first attack at 12:45 P.M.,
“There was no doubt that it was a battleship. However, when I studied carefully the details of the vessel, it resembled—it even appeared to be—our battleship Kongo! We were completely unaware of the whereabouts of our own surface forces in this area; it was not impossible that it was actually the Kongo below us. The narrow escape of the Chokai from our bombers last night was still fresh in my memory, and my blood ran cold at the thought that we might be attacking our own vessels.
“However, the 1st Squadron bombers were plunging into the attack, one after the other, and the enemy gunners (if it really was the enemy!) were filling the sky with bursting antiaircraft shells.
“I was still undecided about attacking. I called our observer and inquired as to the identity of the ship below us, stating that it greatly resembled the Kongo. I was shocked to hear the observer reply, ‘It looks like our Kongo to me, too.’
“It was a terrible situation to be in. I could not decide whether or not the vessel was a British battleship or actually the Kongo. I had been on the Kongo three years ago, and I was trying to remember details of the battleship. To confess, I had not studied to any extent the details of British warships, but had concentrated instead on American vessels. My knowledge of the British vessels was very meager.
“What further confused the situation was the repeated flag signal from the third plane of my squadron, ‘Is not the fleet ours?’ Both the second and third bombers were watching my plane as if asking for my decision.
“Even if the fleet now under attack was friendly, it would have no alternative but to open fire fiercely when some airplanes started action preparatory to an assault. And our level bombers had already attacked a short while ago. I could not assume the fleet to be hostile merely because it was defending itself and firing upon our planes.
“My squadron was requesting information again from me. I did not know what to do.
“Meanwhile our bombers had passed the ideal point to commence the torpedo attack. We were now flying at 1,700 feet.
“The clouds were increasing steadily, and visibility was already reduced. It would be to our disadvantage to attack from the sterns of the enemy ships. Boldly the formation circled out from the protection of the clouds, and checked once again the position of our targets. We were able to get a very good look at the battleship.
“I was greatly relieved. I was sure of it—the vessel below was not the Kongo.
“I was nervous and upset, and starting to shake from the excitement of the moment. We turned and flew into the clouds again. We changed course while in the clouds to confuse the enemy and came out from beneath the clouds in attack position. This was possible because of a stratum of scattered clouds between 1,000 and 1,700 feet.
“We began the attack at an altitude of 1,000 feet and about a mile and a half from the enemy. No sooner had we emerged from the protection of the clouds than the enemy gunners sighted our planes. The fleet opened up with a tremendous barrage of shells, trying to disrupt our attack before we could release our torpedoes. The sky was filled with bursting shells which made my plane reel and shake.
“The second battleship had already started evasive action and was making a hard turn to the right. The target angle was becoming smaller and smaller as the bow of the vessel swung gradually in my direction, making it difficult for me to release a torpedo against the ship. It was expected that
the lead torpedo bomber would be compelled to attack from the most unfavorable position. This was anticipated, and it enabled the other planes following me to torpedo the target under the best of conditions.
“The air was filled with white smoke, bursting shells, and the tracers of antiaircraft guns and machine guns. As if pushed down by the fierce barrage thrown up by the enemy, I descended to just above the water’s surface. The airspeed indicator registered more than two hundred knots. I do not remember at all how I was flying the airplane, how I was aiming, and what distance we were from the ship when I dropped the torpedo. In the excitement of the attack I pulled back on the torpedo release. I acted almost subconsciously, my long months of daily training taking over my actions.
“A giant battleship suddenly loomed before the plane. Passing very close to the towering stern I swung into a hard turn and sped away from the warship. I began a wide circling turn in a clockwise direction, hastily easing the complaining bomber out of its steep climbing turn.
“Not many shells appeared to be bursting about us. The engines were still roaring loudly and only moderate damage had been inflicted upon my airplane. I pulled up again in a steep climb and leveled off, once we were within the clouds. I took a deep breath, and forced my taut muscles to relax.
“Suddenly my observer came stumbling forward through the narrow passageway, crying ‘Sir! Sir! A terrible thing has happened!’ When I looked at him in surprise, he shouted, ‘The torpedo failed to release!’
“I felt as though cold water had been dashed over my head and entire body. We were still carrying the torpedo! I forced myself to be calm and reversed our course at once. I passed on my new orders to the men. ‘We will go in again at once.’
“I began to lower our altitude as we flew through the clouds. The second torpedo run on the battleship would be very dangerous; the enemy gunners were fully alert and would be waiting for us. I did not like the idea of flying once again through a storm of antiaircraft fire which would be even worse than before.
“We dropped below cloud level. We were on the side of the enemy battleship, which was just swinging into a wide turn. Our luck was good—no better chance would come!
“I pushed the throttles forward to reach maximum speed and flew just above the water. This time I yanked hard on the torpedo release. Over the thudding impact of bullets and shrapnel smashing into the airplane, I felt the strong shock through the bomber as the torpedo dropped free and plummeted into the water. It was inexcusable that we did not notice the absence of this shock during the first torpedo run.
“The 1st Squadron commander was sending out the attack reports by radio. ‘Many torpedoes made direct hits,’ and ‘The lead battleship is listing heavily but is returning to normal position,’ etc.
“As the outcome of my squadron’s attack was impossible for me to determine, I merely radioed, ‘The 2nd Squadron has finished its torpedo runs.’
“I waited for the bombers of my squadron to assemble.
“All through the attack we had concentrated only on scoring direct hits on the enemy vessels. We had ignored everything but the release of our torpedoes into the British battleships. We had even forgotten to worry about our own safety. Once we had released the torpedoes, however, we were able to study the situation about us. Tracer bullets and antiaircraft shells filled the sky all about the airplanes, and we could feel the thud and shock vibrating all through the fuselage and wings as bullets and shrapnel ripped through the plane metal. It seemed to each of us that all the guns were aimed at our own plane. We became afraid of losing our own lives.
“Might this not be considered a normal reaction of human nature, this anxiety for one’s own life? Pilots fare better in this respect than the crew members because they are so preoccupied with the many things necessary to fly their airplanes. It seems that the other crew members are unable to sit idly by as the bomber thunders in toward the enemy, flying right into the spitting orange and red flashes of his gun muzzles. They must have something to do, to occupy themselves, or their fear may become overpowering.
“The machine gunners later told me they could not help but open fire against the enemy battleships, to sweep the decks with their bullets. In past days when our missions over the China continent were to bomb Chungking and Chengtu, it was the time spent between reaching the target and releasing the bombs that was most uncomfortable for the pilot. When our bombers were bracketed by enemy antiaircraft and a shell would explode ahead and above the airplane, the acrid smell of the powder would fill the cockpit. It penetrated our nostrils and brought fear to our hearts; the shells were so close that we might be hit next. Only after we released our bombs and sped away from the city could we relax. In this respect torpedo bombing and level bombing are the exact opposite of each other.
“I banked my airplane and studied the battle scene below us. White smoke poured from the second large battleship. This was due to a direct torpedo strike scored about twenty minutes before we attacked; the hit had been made by Lieutenant Yoshimi Shirai’s bomber squadron of the Mihoro Air Corps. The level bombers had made their attack from a height of 11,700 feet, and in the first bombing run a 550-pound bomb scored a direct hit. In the second attack two 550-pound bombs scored near misses.
“Commanded by Lieutenant Hachiro Shoji, the wing of the Mihoro Air Corps had actually left the French Indochina bases after we had taken off. Lieutenant Shirai’s squadron of the Mihoro Air Corps wing, which had first bombed the enemy battleships, took off about thirty minutes after we left. Its course, however, was in a direct line with the enemy fleet and it arrived on the scene first, immediately attacking the enemy.
“Sixteen bombers of the Genzan Air Corps torpedo squadrons had torpedoed the British fleet for about nine minutes. One of the 1st Squadron planes was hit immediately after releasing its torpedo; somehow the pilot managed to keep control of the bomber and finally made a suicide crash with his crippled plane into the enemy.
“About four minutes later eight bombers of the Mihoro Air Corps torpedo squadron sent their torpedoes toward the second large battleship. Lieutenant Katsusaku Takahashi of the 2nd Squadron could not release his torpedo in the first attack. Once beyond the range of the enemy guns he turned and hurtled once again into the deadly barrage thrown up by the enemy ships. Again the torpedo failed to release. Somehow Lieutenant Takahashi’s bomber managed to survive the gantlet of antiaircraft fire. It was discovered later that the torpedo release mechanism had been hit by shrapnel and had jammed.
“Immediately behind the Mihoro Air Corps torpedo squadron twenty-six Type 1 bombers of the Kanoya wing attacked the two battleships. They were led by Lieutenant Commander Shichizo Miyauchi. The Kanoya wing carried out their attacks over a period of twenty minutes. Two of the bombers made suicide dives into the enemy ships after releasing their torpedoes.
“During a period of slightly less than one hour, fifty land-based attack bombers assaulted the two battleships, roaring in one after the other to release their torpedoes. The cumulative effect of the torpedo strikes was evident in the gradual loss of speed and control of the two battleships.
“When the Kanoya torpedo squadrons had completed their torpedo runs, two level-bomber squadrons of the Mihoro Air Corps arrived at a position directly above the enemy fleet, which was trying desperately to evade the constant torpedo attacks. The Mihoro Air Corps bombers were flying at 8,400 feet when they moved in to make their bombing runs.
“By now the Repulse was a shattered hulk. It was still moving, but slowly, and was gradually losing speed. It had completely lost all fighting power and was no longer considered a worth-while target. It was only a matter of minutes before the battle cruiser went down.
“To all appearances, the Prince of Wales was intact, and defending herself furiously with an intense antiaircraft barrage. She was selected as the next bombing target. Fourteen 1,110-pound bombs were dropped; several scored direct hits on the enemy warship. The bombs struck directly in the center of the battleship.
“All the bombs of one squadron were wasted. While attempting to obtain an accurate bombing fix on the Prince of Wales, the squadron leader accidentally tripped his bomb release. He was still far from the enemy battleship when his bombs dropped; the other planes in the squadron, when they saw the bombs falling from the lead aircraft, immediately released their own bombs, which fell harmlessly into the sea.
“Ensign Hoashi’s plane caught the dramatic last moments of the two battleships. Minute by minute, as he circled above the stricken warships, he radioed back a vivid report of what was happening far below him. Twenty minutes after being hit by torpedoes, the Repulse began to sink beneath the waves. By 2:20 P.M., the great ship was gone.
“A few minutes later a tremendous explosion ripped through the Prince of Wales. Twenty minutes after the Repulse had sunk, the Prince of Wales started her last plunge and disappeared quickly.
“All pilots and crew members in the bombers returning to their bases were jubilant and flushed with victory. We happily listened to each of Ensign Hoashi’s radio reports as he told how the burning and exploding enemy ships were sinking.
“Back at the airfields in French Indochina, a second wave of bombers was being readied for another assault on the enemy battleships. The base had not been able to obtain accurate information on the progress of the battle, and was prepared to launch another mass attack. However, as soon as it received the reports from Ensign Hoashi’s plane as he circled the area, the attack was called off.
“While he observed the sinking Prince of Wales, Hoashi sighted eight enemy fighters racing to the scene. Their belated appearance was of no avail, for the Repulse and the Prince of Wales had already disappeared beneath the waves.
“Hoashi immediately fled to the protection of nearby clouds. As the enemy fighters searched vainly for his reconnaissance plane, he skillfully eluded his pursuers and returned safely to base.
Zero Page 11
