Case Studies in the Achievement of Air Superiority - Air Force ...

WAR AGAINST JAPAN
Indeed, the Japanese admit that many of their own airmen had lost
heart even before hostilities ended. On August 9, the chief of staff of the
Air General Army had telephoned 10th Air Division Headquarters in
Tokyo to stress that, although there was talk of ending the war, vigorous
efforts should still be made to go on fighting and to intercept enemy
raiders. Nevertheless, on August 13, when the Tokyo district was hit by
USN carrier planes and Japanese fighters were scrambled effectively,
the 10th Air Division commander “failed to urge his men to press the
attack to the utmost [because] it seemed absurd to incur additional
losses with the war obviously lost and its termination due in a matter
of days.’’1I6
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy had been continuing its own devastating
strikes against the Japanese mainland. American warships, unchallenged
from the air, had boldly shelled targets ashore since midJuly. USN and
USMC carrier planes launched especially powerful attacks against camouflaged
airfields in northern Honshu and Hokkaido once typhoon conditions
eased up after the first week of August. Aircraft from Task Force 38 struck
in force on August 9, 10, 13, and 14. The carriers’ CAP fighters shot down
22 enemy aircraft, including numerous Japanese Navy B6N Tenzans
(JILLS) and D4Y Suisa (JUDYS) flying singly, during the raids of August 13.
”wo final USN carrier strikes sortied on the morning of the 15th, the last
day of the war-103 planes in the first wave, which proceeded with its attack,
and 73 in the second wave, which was recalled. A flight of four
F6Fs from the first wave, over Sagami Bay on their way back to the
USS Hancock, was attacked by 7 Japanese fighters, 4 of which were
shot down without loss to the Americans. Another USN flight consisting
of 6 Hellcats from the USS Yorktown, separated from the rest of the first
wave by cloud cover, was attacked near Tokyo, from behind and above at
8,000 feet, by 17 enemy fighter pilots who either did not yet know the war
was over or else were mounting a last defiant challenge. In a hard-fought
battle, 9 of the Japanese planes were shot down, but the Americans lost
4 of the 6 Hellcats and all 4 pilots. It was apparently the final dogfight of
the Pacific War, though USN fighters downed 8 more Japanese intruders
near the task force on August 15, in response to Admiral Halsey’s famous
order to “investigate and shoot down all snoopers. . . in a friendly sort
of way.”1I7
Mention should also be made of the combat contribution made by the
Royal Navy (RN) to the final air and sea offensive against homeland Japan.
In November 1944, a new British Pacific Fleet had been constituted under
Adm. Bruce Fraser. By the spring of 1945, the British had formed a task
force under the tactical command of Vice Adm. H. B. Rawlings. Rear Adm.
I? L. Vian, in turn, commanded the 1st Carrier Squadron, made up of
4 aircraft carriers (later reinforced to 5). The peak British air strength
available aboard 5 carriers totaled 259 fighters, including USN-type
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