WI: Operation Ten-Go Never Attempted, Yamato survives WWII
- Thread starter TheMann
- Start date
She doesn't get killed of Okinawa? She without question gets killed in port. Unlike the Nagato, which had been progressively stripped of weapons and items like her funnels and mainmast, the Yamato represented a clear and present danger to any invasion of the Home Islands.
BTW: Saying the USN had to make a dozen airstrikes AND assembled a BB group in case the aircraft failed is something of an over statement. The Yamato wasn't that difficult of a target and the fleet knew it. Carrier planes had very nicely done away with her sister Musashi at Leyte Gulf.
Her destruction by carrier aircraft instead of BB gunfire was more an act of disdain by Spruance than anything else. He simply couldn't be bothered to send off a Surface Battle Group to wipe her off the map.
Yamato fate
I wouldn't call sinking her by aircraft an act of disdain, but of simple prudence...engage with surface ships, and many American lives and ships will likely be lost...with aircraft, the casualties could be expected to be low.
If she somehow survives the war in managable shape, then I'd expect her to be taken stateside for some serious evaluation. (The USN was seriously impressed by test firings against a piece of Shiano's never installed turret face, captured post-war)
The avaluation ends up including both gunfire and bombs, before sinking the wreck--if need be with torpedoes-in deep water.
Perhaps some mementoes would be saved--almost cedrtainly one of her guns, at least. (I believe one of Prinz Eugen's guns survives.)
As for using her, her slow speed kills that decision. She can't keep up with carriers at flank, but the Iowa's can.
There might be a war tropyhy displayed somewhere--perhaps Hawaii, perhaps a major naval base elsewhere. It might even get returned to Japan in the 1980's.
I wouldn't call sinking her by aircraft an act of disdain, but of simple prudence...engage with surface ships, and many American lives and ships will likely be lost...with aircraft, the casualties could be expected to be low.
If she somehow survives the war in managable shape, then I'd expect her to be taken stateside for some serious evaluation. (The USN was seriously impressed by test firings against a piece of Shiano's never installed turret face, captured post-war)
The avaluation ends up including both gunfire and bombs, before sinking the wreck--if need be with torpedoes-in deep water.
Perhaps some mementoes would be saved--almost cedrtainly one of her guns, at least. (I believe one of Prinz Eugen's guns survives.)
As for using her, her slow speed kills that decision. She can't keep up with carriers at flank, but the Iowa's can.
There might be a war tropyhy displayed somewhere--perhaps Hawaii, perhaps a major naval base elsewhere. It might even get returned to Japan in the 1980's.
Another idea--Yamato lives
I just had a different thought on keeping Yamato. Suppose that, just before the invasion of Okinawa, the Emperor decides to intervene, and manages to survive the decesion intact. His proposal: Japan renounces claims to all but the Home Islands, removes its troops, and accepts the following:
Small army, numbers and equipment limited by treaty..sufficient for a home guard, esentially. (This has the internal benefit of completing the removal of the army from its role running the country.)
Aircraft limited in quantity
Navy to consist of one battleship, 3 cruisers, and a small number of destroyers. No warships that can carry more than 6 aircraft, and no submarines. It's more a symbol than a real navy--just enough to say, "We're a real country still"
Japan to allow American troops to inspect, an occupation in all but name.
The whole idea on the part of the emperor (or some advisors) is to end the way with a token military, so they can save some face from a negotiated setlement, rather than be destroyed as a nation. Perhaps Japan could even pay some reparations for "The actions of criminals that subverted the government of Japan" publicly placing a lot of the blame on Togo and company.
Normally, that wou,ld be a no-go...but there have been setbacks in Europe. Either Stalin was killed, and Sovoet in-fighting has severely hindered the Soviet war effort--Germany is doing better there, or D-Day was a catastrophe, perhaps weather related. Peace in the Pacific would allow more forces to be deployed to Europe, and headlines like "JAPS SURRENDER!" would not do the allies any harm...
Now Japan has a token navy, including one impressive battleship that's turned into a symbol of Japanese pride.
I just had a different thought on keeping Yamato. Suppose that, just before the invasion of Okinawa, the Emperor decides to intervene, and manages to survive the decesion intact. His proposal: Japan renounces claims to all but the Home Islands, removes its troops, and accepts the following:
Small army, numbers and equipment limited by treaty..sufficient for a home guard, esentially. (This has the internal benefit of completing the removal of the army from its role running the country.)
Aircraft limited in quantity
Navy to consist of one battleship, 3 cruisers, and a small number of destroyers. No warships that can carry more than 6 aircraft, and no submarines. It's more a symbol than a real navy--just enough to say, "We're a real country still"
Japan to allow American troops to inspect, an occupation in all but name.
The whole idea on the part of the emperor (or some advisors) is to end the way with a token military, so they can save some face from a negotiated setlement, rather than be destroyed as a nation. Perhaps Japan could even pay some reparations for "The actions of criminals that subverted the government of Japan" publicly placing a lot of the blame on Togo and company.
Normally, that wou,ld be a no-go...but there have been setbacks in Europe. Either Stalin was killed, and Sovoet in-fighting has severely hindered the Soviet war effort--Germany is doing better there, or D-Day was a catastrophe, perhaps weather related. Peace in the Pacific would allow more forces to be deployed to Europe, and headlines like "JAPS SURRENDER!" would not do the allies any harm...
Now Japan has a token navy, including one impressive battleship that's turned into a symbol of Japanese pride.
