Final Destruction | Nihon Kaigun
Final Destruction of the Imperial Japanese Navy
(July 24 & 28, 1945)

Well, you know what they say: "What Goes Around, Comes Around." By July, 1945, Nihon Kaigun had been reduced to such a state of impotence that American and British surface forces ranged at will off the coasts of the Home Islands. The pitiful remnants of the once-proud Japanese fleet were confined to harbor; damaged and bereft of fuel. In late July, Task Force 38, under Admiral Halsey, came to administer the coup de grace. The results were so one-sided as to be hardly worth being called a battle (most of the Japanese vessels couldn't even get under way). Still, for the US Navy, it was a fitting close to a war that had begun for them at Pearl Harbor. This was truly the end of the road for the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Final DestructionJapanAllied
Starting Forces Pretty much whatever had survived the fighting in the Phillipines. x very, very many
Losses July 24
x1 sunk (Amagi)
x1 damaged (Katsuragi)
x1 sunk (Kaiyo)
x1 sunk (Hyuga)
x1 sunk (Tone)
+ Other vessels damaged

July 28
x2 sunk (Haruna, Ise)
x1 sunk (Aoba)
x1 sunk (Oyodo)
+ Other vessels damaged

x? destroyed

Links From Related Partner Sites
WW2DB article on Preparations for Invasion of Japan


TBM Avenger and SB2C Helldiver bombers dropped their load on the Japanese city of Hakodate, Jul 1945Estimated Japanese troop depositions in Kyushu, Japan, 9 Jul 1945Battleship Indiana, battleship Massachusetts, and cruiser Quincy bombarding Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan, 14 Jul 1945B-29 Superfortress bombers dropping bombs on Japan, circa Jul-Aug 1945Map depicting the proposed invasion routes of Operation Downfall; Japanese defensive positions were as of Aug 1945
TBM Avenger and SB2C Helldiver bombers dropped their load on the Japanese city of Hakodate, Jul 1945Estimated Japanese troop depositions in Kyushu, Japan, 9 Jul 1945Battleship Indiana, battleship Massachusetts, and cruiser Quincy bombarding Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan, 14 Jul 1945B-29 Superfortress bombers dropping bombs on Japan, circa Jul-Aug 1945Map depicting the proposed invasion routes of Operation Downfall; Japanese defensive positions were as of Aug 1945
Map depicting the proposed invasion routes of Operation OlympicEstimated Japanese troop depositions in Kyushu, Japan, 2 Aug 1945Map depicting the proposed invasion routes of Operation CoronetBattleship Massachusetts bombarding Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan, 9 Aug 1945Battleship Massachusetts firing a full main battery salvo at Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan, 9 Aug 1945; note projectiles in flight at upper left
Map depicting the proposed invasion routes of Operation OlympicEstimated Japanese troop depositions in Kyushu, Japan, 2 Aug 1945Map depicting the proposed invasion routes of Operation CoronetBattleship Massachusetts bombarding Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan, 9 Aug 1945Battleship Massachusetts firing a full main battery salvo at Kamaishi, Iwate, Japan, 9 Aug 1945; note projectiles in flight at upper left

See all 10 photos of Preparations for Invasion of Japan on WW2DB

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