April 7th, 1945
With Allied Eyes on Okinawa, Japanese High Command had planned Operation Ten-Go, a suicide Mission where the Super Battleship Yamato would sail for Okinawa in an effort to intercept the Allied Invasion fleet.
On 6 April Yamato and her escorts, the light cruiser Yahagi and 8 destroyers, left port at Tokuyama. On the 7th The U.S. Navy launched 386 aircraft to intercept the task force, and the planes engaged the ships starting at 12:30 that day. Yamato took 8 bombs and 10 torpedo hits before, at about 2:23, she capsized to port and her aft magazines
detonated. She sank while still some 60 miles Southeast of Japan. Of her crew 2,475 were lost, and the 269 survivors were picked up by the escorting destroyers.
Since Feburary, Navy Strike Aircraft have attacked Japan, but on this very same day the first USAAF Fighters based on Iwo Jima arrive over the Japanese Empire, Allowing for more concentrated attacks by fighters and bombers.
The Japanese had already proven that they were not going to accept defeat, April 6th the Allies would see how desperate they really were. 3 USN destroyers would be lost to Kamikaze, On May 4, 17 US Ships would be sunk in 24 hours by Kamikaze. Any Japanese Aircraft wether flying or grounded was now considered a suicide weapon and airfield interdiction became a critcal mission to keep Allied sailors safe.
April 8th, the Japanese would lay out the plan to defend the Japanese Home Islands. Ketsu-Go which went into effect April 18th, would never happen the way Japanese Command planned it. Although the movements and planning continued until the end of hostilities, The Allies ended the war with Atomic weapons and the Japanese would formally surrender September 2nd, 1945.
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