On October 24, 2024, the world commemorates 80 years since US Navy aircraft sank the Musashi, one of history’s most formidable battleships, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval confrontation of World War II.
The gigantic battleship did not succumb easily. It endured an intense assault, sustaining an estimated 19 torpedo hits and 17 bombs before finally sinking beneath the waves.
USNI shared an iconic image of the Musashi in action, showcasing its massive 18.1-inch guns, the largest artillery pieces ever mounted on a warship. This immense firepower symbolized Imperial Japan’s naval might, yet the Musashi ultimately met its end through sheer overwhelming force.
Japan’s Mighty Battleship – Musashi
Musashi, along with her sister vessel, the Yamato, emerged as a direct response to the escalating naval arms race of the pre-World War II era.
This colossal battleship was designed to symbolize Japanese maritime superiority. Construction began in 1938 at Mitsubishi Nagasaki shipyards under absolute secrecy.
To undertake this highly classified project, known as Battleship Number 2, custom-built floating cranes, one with a 150-metric-ton capacity and another capable of lifting 350 metric tons, were specially engineered at the Number 2 slipway to handle the ship’s immense size and requirements.
Intensive secrecy protocols were enforced throughout the shipyard. To prevent any risk of espionage, the site was concealed from aerial reconnaissance, and all workers were bound by strict oaths of silence.
The full length of the Musashi was draped in rope, providing camouflage to thwart aerial photography. This elaborate concealment even led to rumors that the project had depleted Japan’s entire supply of rope for roofing.
The efforts to keep Musashi hidden were astonishingly effective. The US, despite having a consulate just across the bay, remained unaware of the ongoing construction. However, the Russians nearly unraveled the secrecy.
On May 20, 1938, six Russian-operated TB-3 bombers, marked with Chinese insignia, conducted a propaganda leaflet drop and took aerial photographs of Japanese cities, including Fukuoka, Nagasaki, and Sasebo.
Although they inadvertently captured an image of Battleship Number 2, this photograph, even when reviewed by American intelligence, failed to raise any suspicion regarding the world’s largest battleship under construction.
Musashi was finally launched on November 1, 1940, in an exclusive, low-profile ceremony attended only by a select group of senior naval officials.
As soon as she entered the water, the Kasuga Maru—a vessel that would later be converted into the escort carrier Taiyo—was maneuvered to shield the battleship from prying eyes. Over the following 18 months, Musashi underwent an extensive fitting-out process.
By September 15, 1941, Captain Kaoru Arima took command as the chief equipping officer. Nearly a year later, on August 5, 1942, Musashi was formally commissioned, with Arima remaining on board as her commanding officer.
Shortly after her commissioning, Arima was promoted to rear admiral. The commissioning was delayed by three months due to late-stage additions to the ship’s communications equipment.
Musashi’s Unfulfilled Potential
Following her commissioning in 1942, Musashi was modified to serve as the flagship of the Combined Fleet. However, the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) never fully capitalized on her capabilities or those of her sister ship, Yamato.
By this time, the IJN was facing significant challenges, primarily due to a lack of adequate air cover to protect their battleships.
Throughout 1943, Musashi embarked on several sorties in search of American forces, but these missions proved unsuccessful. Instead, her primary role involved transporting troops and equipment between Japan and various occupied islands.
On June 9, 1943, Captain Keizō Komura took command, relieving Captain Arima. Shortly thereafter, on June 24, Musashi underwent an overhaul at Yokosuka Naval Arsenal, where she received a visit from Emperor Hirohito and high-ranking naval officers.
From July 1 to 8, the ship was equipped with a pair of Type 22 radars at Kure, enhancing her operational capabilities. On July 30, Musashi set sail for Truk Lagoon, arriving six days later to resume her position as fleet flagship under Admiral Mineichi Koga.
In mid-October, responding to intelligence suggesting planned American raids on Wake Island, Musashi led a large fleet comprising three carriers, six battleships, and eleven cruisers to intercept American forces. Unfortunately, the mission yielded no contact, and the fleet returned to Truk on October 26.
Musashi spent the remainder of 1943 in Truk Lagoon, where command was transferred from Komura—who was promoted to rear admiral on November 1—to Captain Bunji Asakura on December 7.
In March 1944, Musashi faced a major threat when the USS Tunny, a US Navy submarine, launched six torpedoes at her. Five of these torpedoes missed, but one struck, creating a 5.8-meter-diameter hole near the bow and flooding the ship with 3,000 tonnes of water.
The attack resulted in the deaths of seven crew members and injuries to eleven others. Following temporary repairs, Musashi was compelled to return to Japan for extensive restoration, during which she received additional anti-aircraft armaments. Yet, these enhancements were insufficient to ensure her survival in future confrontations.
Moreover, Musashi failed to make contact with the American surface fleet during the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944, but some historians suggest that avoiding direct engagement may have ultimately been a fortunate turn of events for the battleship.
The Battle Of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, which unfolded from October 23 to 26, 1944, ranks as one of the major naval battles in history and represents a critical chapter in World War II. It was during this grand conflict that the Japanese battleship Musashi met its demise.
This engagement saw the participation of hundreds of vessels and thousands of aircraft from both Allied and Japanese forces, forming a key component of the United States’ efforts to reclaim the Philippines.
This operation was designed to isolate Japan from its occupied regions across Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
As a member of Admiral Takeo Kurita’s formidable Center Force, Musashi was charged with launching an attack on the Allied invasion contingent in Leyte Gulf.
The Center Force comprised Musashi, her sister ship Yamato, and several other major warships, all of which were aimed at delivering a decisive strike against Allied naval and amphibious operations.
Their passage through the Sibuyan Sea to reach their destination left them exposed to American submarine and aerial assaults.
On October 24, 1944, while navigating through the Sibuyan Sea, Kurita’s fleet was spotted by American submarines and reconnaissance aircraft. The emergence of such a powerful fleet prompted a strong response from the United States.
Under the command of Admiral William F. Halsey, the Third Fleet dispatched waves of aircraft from carriers to engage the Japanese fleet. Due to her sheer size, Musashi quickly became a prime target.
Musashi’s Fierce Battle Against Overwhelming Odds
Throughout the day, the Musashi faced a barrage of relentless assaults from American aircraft. In defense, the massive battleship unleashed incendiary anti-aircraft fire from her powerful 18-inch main guns.
A crew member aboard the Musashi, Koji Hayakawa, later recalled, “The sound [of 18-inch main guns] was incredibly loud, and the shockwave was so powerful that it would blow you away, which is why there was a ship-wide announcement ordering everyone to move inside. The main gun firing caused a forward and backward recoil.”
A US dive-bomber pilot described the striking scene, “When those guns fired, the ship literally disappeared in a cloud of smoke illuminated by an internal blossom of flame. It was more frightening than dangerous to the torpedo bombers.”
Despite Musashi’s efforts to defend herself, American aircraft relentlessly bombarded the 863-foot battleship with dive-bomb and torpedo strikes that would have surely sunk any other vessel.
A crew member of the Yamato, who witnessed the events from the deck, reflected on the spectacle and stated, “When it came to Musashi’s brave fight, I was able to see it with my own eyes, and it still stays in my mind. There were many shell explosions near Musashi due to smoke from anti-aircraft shells.”
While counterflooding efforts kept the Musashi afloat, her increasingly waterlogged interior gradually diminished her speed. As she lagged behind the formation, IJN Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita ordered the beleaguered battleship to retreat westward, accompanied by two destroyers.
Shortly after, another wave of US aircraft— the largest of the day—descended upon Kurita’s fleet. By this point, only about a quarter of Musashi’s antiaircraft guns were operational, and her bow had begun to submerge. This hindered her ability to maneuver.
The nearly defenseless giant continued to absorb impact after impact.
Hayakawa recounted the chaos of an explosion that sent shrapnel toward his meteorological team, saying, “It was an unimaginable noise. I was injured when fragments flew through the darkness after the final attack hit the bridge. Two crew members died instantly. My friend and I both injured our arms and collapsed from bleeding.”
Aircraft from six US carriers had relentlessly targeted Kurita’s Central Force for over five hours, executing a total of 259 sorties. The Musashi, the primary focus of these assaults, sustained approximately 17 bomb hits and 19 torpedo strikes.
Once the pride of the Imperial Japanese Navy, the damaged stronghold awaited its grim destiny as water gushed into its battered, oil-slicked hull. Hayakawa noted, “I observed that Musashi was slowly listing to the left.”
The crew was then instructed to evacuate. “Those who heard the announcement from the vice-captain on the loudspeaker gathered at the third turret on the rear upper deck,” Hayakawa explained.
After that, the crew received verbal instructions from the vice-captain to slide down the starboard side and escape into the sea. Ultimately, the Musashi sank into the depths of the Sibuyan Sea, claiming the lives of 1,023 of her 2,399 crew members.
Musashi’s wreckage, resting at the bottom of the Sibuyan Sea, was found in 2015 by a research team funded by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft.
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