THE BIGGEST THAT SUNK
In this moments of self-isolation and social distancing. My mind seems to have isolated all the thoughts except those of yours, my heart seems to have social distanced with every feelings except those for you. I couldn’t submit my post for you yesterday as we had something more precious than that. The moments brought tears to you and smile to me, but I cannot deny that I’m growing close to you every passing second.
-A letter from the Captain
SHINANO was the biggest aircraft carrier that Japan secretly built during the second world war to counter the U.S Navy. It was laid down in 4th May 1940 and launched in 8th October 1944. She was commissioned on 19th November 1944. SHINANO departed for Kure under Captain Toshio Abe for Kure where a part of her fitting to take place
Commander Joseph F.Enright was commanding the U.S. submarine Archerfish in the Pacific for the last three weeks. At 20.45 hrs. she picked up Shinano on her Radar and followed the fleet on a parallel course. Over an hour and a half earlier, Shinano had detected the submarine’s radar. Normally, Shinano would have been able to outrun Archerfish, but the zig-zagging movement of the carrier and her escorts — intended to evade any American subs in the area — inadvertently turned the task group back into the sub’s path on several occasions. At 22:45, the carrier’s lookouts spotted Archerfish on the surface and Isokaze broke formation, against orders, to investigate. Abe ordered the destroyer to return to the formation without attacking because he believed that the submarine was part of an American wolfpack. He assumed Archerfish was being used as a decoy to lure away one of the escorts to allow the rest of the pack a clear shot at Shinano. He ordered his ships to turn away from the submarine with the expectation of outrunning it, counting on his 2-knot margin of speed over the submarine. Around 23:22, the carrier was forced to reduce speed to 18 knots, the same speed as Archerfish, to prevent damage to the propeller shaft when an overheated. At 02:56 on 29 November, Shinano turned to the southwest and headed straight for Archerfish. Eight minutes later, Archerfish turned east and submerged in preparation to attack. Enright ordered his torpedoes set for a depth of 10 feet in case they ran deeper than set; he also intended to increase the chances of capsizing the ship by punching holes higher up in the hull. A few minutes later, Shinano turned south, exposing her entire side to Archerfish — a nearly ideal firing situation for a submarine. The escorting destroyer on that side passed right over Archerfish without detecting her. At 03:15 Archerfish fired six torpedoes before diving to 400 feet to escape a depth charge attack from the escorts.
Four torpedoes struck Shinano, at an average depth of 4.27 meters (14 ft 0 in). The first hit towards the stern, flooding refrigerated storage compartments and one of the empty aviation gasoline storage tanks and killing many of the sleeping engineering personnel in the compartments above. The second hit the compartment where the starboard outboard propeller shaft entered the hull and flooded the outboard engine room. The third hit further forward, flooding the №3 boiler room and killing every man on watch. Structural failures caused the two adjacent boiler rooms to flood as well. The fourth flooded the starboard air compressor room, adjacent anti-aircraft gun magazines, and the 2 damage-control station, and ruptured the adjacent oil tank.
Shinano got fully sunk by 22:35 Hrs costing 1034 lives including Captain Abe’s. He and three other officers chose to go down with the ships than fail at their duties.
The Americans at first didn’t believe Commander Enright to have sunken a Japanese carrier which he got his due credit after 3 years when the remains of the Shinano’s were found
Captain Toshio Abe never gave up on his ship. He stayed with her till her last breath. He took his last breath with her. He was madly in love with Shinano. He wanted and attempted all his might and possibilities to save her from sinking, Alas ! he couldn’t. He couldn’t pick her up, so he stood with her and tried to not let her fall again but when she did fell, he fell with her.
Your worth isn’t wrapped around how successful you are.
— Dhiman
“V”
peace
