Maryama 1944 part 2

USS Yorktown (CV-10), daya daga cikin jigilar jiragen sama na TF 58. Jirgin sama mai fuka-fuki - SB2C Helldiver nutse bama-bamai; Bayan su akwai mayakan F6F Hellcat.

Yaƙin Tekun Philippine ya ƙaddara sakamakon yaƙin neman zaɓe na Mariana. Sojojin Saipanu, Guam da Tinian, duk da sun san halin da suke ciki na rashin bege, ba su yi niyyar ajiye makamansu ba.

A daren 18/19 ga watan Yuni, 1944, jiragen ruwa na Amurka da na Japan a cikin tekun Philippine sun kasance sa'o'i kadan daga babban karon iska a tarihi. TF 58 - ƙungiyar masu jigilar jiragen sama masu sauri a ƙarƙashin umarnin Vice Adm. Mitcher - ninkaya a sassa biyar, ya rabu da kusan kilomita 25. Abin da suka yi ya kasance kamar haka:

• TG 58.1 - Jirgin sama masu saukar ungulu Hornet da Yorktown, masu ɗaukar jiragen sama masu haske Bello Wood da Bataan (Rukunin jirginsu sun ƙunshi mayaka F129F-6 Hellcat 3, 73 SB2C-1C Helldiver nutse bama-bamai da SBD -5 dauntless guda huɗu, 53 TBM / TBF - 1C Avenger bombers da torpedo bombers da takwas F6F-3N Hellcat na dare mayakan - jimlar 267 jiragen sama); jiragen ruwa masu nauyi uku (Baltimore, Boston, Canberra), jirgin ruwa na anti-aircraft cruiser daya (Oakland) da 14 masu lalata;
• TG 58.2 - masu jigilar jiragen sama na Bunker Hill da Wasp, masu jigilar jiragen sama masu haske Monterey da Cabot (118 Hellcats, 65 Helldivers, 53 Avengers da takwas F6F-3Ns - 243 jirgin sama duka); jiragen ruwa masu haske guda uku (Santa Fe, Mobile, Biloxi), jirgin ruwa na anti-aircraft cruiser daya (San Juan) da masu lalata 12;
• TG 58.3 - Masu jigilar jiragen sama masu saukar ungulu Enterprise da Lexington, masu jigilar jiragen sama masu haske Princeton da San Jacinto (117 Hellcats, 55 SBD-5 Dauntless nutse bombers, 49 Avengers da uku F4U-2 mayakan dare "Corsair" da hudu dare mayakan F6F-3N "Hellcat "- jimlar jiragen sama 228); babban jirgin ruwa Indianapolis, jiragen ruwa masu haske guda uku (Montpellier, Cleveland, Birmingham) da kuma jirgin ruwa na anti-jirgin sama guda ɗaya (Reno) da masu lalata 13;
• TG 58.4 - Essex mai jigilar jiragen sama, masu jigilar jiragen sama masu haske Langley da Cowpens (85 Hellcats, 36 Helldivers, 38 Avengers da F6F-3Ns hudu - jimlar 163 jirgin sama); jiragen ruwa masu haske guda uku (Vincennes, Houston, Miami) da kuma jirgin ruwa na anti-aircraft cruiser (San Diego) da 14 masu lalata;
• TG 58.7 - jiragen ruwa bakwai (North Carolina, Washington, Iowa, New Jersey, Indiana, South Dakota, Alabama), jiragen ruwa masu nauyi hudu (Wichita, Minneapolis) , New Orleans, San Francisco) da 14 masu lalata.

Vice Admiral Ozawa, kwamandan Mobil Fleet (babban sojojin ruwa na sojojin ruwa na Japan), ya rarraba sojojinsa kamar haka:

• Tawagar A - masu jigilar jiragen sama na Shokaku, Zuikaku da Taiho, tare da samar da Squadron na Farko (Rukunin jirginsa, 601st Kokutai, ya ƙunshi mayaka 79 A6M Zeke, 70 D4Y Judy nutse bama-bamai da D3A Val da 51 B6N Jill torpedo masu fashewa. - jimillar jirage 207; manyan jiragen ruwa Myoko da Haguro; jirgin ruwa mai haske Yahagi; bakwai masu halakarwa;
• Ƙungiyar B - masu jigilar jiragen sama daga Junyo da Hiyo da kuma jirgin ruwa mai haske Ryuho, tare da yin sama da na biyu Aviation Squadron (rukunin bene, 652. Kokutai, ya ƙunshi 81 A6M Zeke, 27 D4Y Judy, D3A Val da 18 B6N. Jill - jimlar 135 jirgin sama;
• jirgin ruwa Nagato, babban jirgin ruwa Mogami; masu halaka takwas;
• Tawagar C - masu jigilar jiragen sama masu haske Chitose, Chiyoda da Zuiho, tare da kafa rundunar Sojan Sama ta Uku (rukunin bene, 653rd Kokutai, sun ƙunshi 62 A6M Zik da B6N Jill torpedo bombers da 17 mazan B5N "Kate" - jimlar 88 jirgin sama); jiragen yaki "Yamato", "Musashi", "Kongo" da "Haruna"; nauyi cruisers Atago, Chokai, Maya, Takao, Kumano, Suzuya, Tone, Chikuma; Noshiro jirgin ruwa mai haske; takwas masu halakarwa.

A shugaban kafuwar ita ce rukuni mafi ƙarfi na C, wanda ya ƙunshi galibin jiragen ruwa na yaƙi da jiragen ruwa (wanda ke da juriya ga hare-hare da kuma sanye take da manyan bindigogi masu saukar ungulu) da kuma mafi ƙanƙanta masu ɗaukar jiragen sama, shi ne za su iya kai wa Amurkawa hari. Ƙungiyoyin A da B sun bi tazarar kilomita 180 a baya, gefe da gefe, kimanin kilomita 20.

A dunkule dai rundunar sojin saman ta Mitscher ta kunshi jiragen sama 902 da ke aiki daga tuhume-tuhumen dakon jiragen sama (da suka hada da mayaka 476, da masu nutsewa 233 da masu tayar da bama-bamai 193) da jiragen ruwa 65 da jiragen yaki da jiragen ruwa masu saukar ungulu. Ozawa zai iya fitar da jiragen sama 430 ne kawai (ciki har da mayaka 222, masu nutsewa 113 da masu fashewar bama-bamai 95) da jiragen ruwa 43. Mitcher yana da fa'ida a cikin jirgin sama fiye da sau biyu, kuma a cikin mayaka - sau uku, tun daga 222 Zeke kamar yadda 71 (tsohuwar sigar A6M2) ta kasance masu kai hare-hare. Baya ga manyan jiragen ruwa, ya kuma zarce dukkan nau'ikan jiragen ruwa.

Duk da haka, a safiyar ranar 19 ga watan Yuni, jiragen ruwa na TF 58 sun ƙara zama cikin tsoro. Ozawa ya yi kyakkyawan amfani da babban fa'idarsa - tsayin kewayon jirginsa. Motocin bincikensa da jiragen ruwa sun yi tafiyar kilomita 1000 daga jiragensa; Waɗannan Mitchers suna da kilomita 650 kawai. Don yin muni ga Amurkawa, ƙungiyoyin jiragen sama na Japan za su iya kai hari daga kilomita 550, Amurkawa daga kimanin kilomita 400. Saboda haka, ga Mobile Fleet, maƙiyi mafi haɗari zai zama kwamandan, wanda da ƙarfin hali ya rage nisa, yana ƙoƙari ya "kusa". Duk da haka, Ozawa ya san cewa Adm. Spruance, kwamandan runduna ta biyar ta sojojin ruwan Amurka kuma babban kwamandan Operation Forager, yayi taka tsantsan kada ya kai hari.

SB2C Helldiver nutse bama-bamai (wanda aka zana daga ƙungiyar iska ta Yorktown) sun maye gurbin Dauntlesss a cikin jigilar jiragen ruwa na Amurka. Suna da ƙarin yuwuwar yaƙi, sun fi sauri, amma sun fi wahalar matukin jirgi, don haka ake kiransu da “The Beast”.

Yayin da burin Ozawa shine ya lalata jiragen ruwan Mitcher, fifikon Spruance shine ya kare bakin tekun a kan Saipan da kuma sojojin mamayewa daga Marianas. Don haka, TF 58 ya rasa 'yancin yin motsi, wanda ya tilasta wa wannan tsari na wayar hannu don kare kansa kusan a tsaye. Mafi muni, ta hanyar ba da umarnin Mitcher ya kasance kusa da Marians, ya ba abokan gaba wani fa'ida mai mahimmanci. A yanzu dai jiragen Ozawa sun sami damar amfani da filayen tashi da saukar jiragen sama na Guam a matsayin sansanin gaba. Suna kara mai a can bayan farmakin kuma kafin su koma kan masu jigilarsu, sun sami damar kai hari daga wani wuri mai nisa, fiye da iyakar jirgin Mitscher.

Lokacin da TF 18 ta kasa gano jiragen ruwa na Japan da yammacin ranar 58 ga Yuni, Spruance ya umurci Mitscher da ya ja kungiyarsa kusa da Marians don hana abokan gaba su wuce shi a cikin duhu bayan duhu. A sakamakon haka, a daren 18/19 ga watan Yuni, Mitschera (TF 58) da Ozawa (Mobile Fleet) sun tashi zuwa gabas zuwa Marianas, suna ci gaba da nisa da juna. Daren da ya gabata, godiya ga rahoton jirgin ruwa na Cavalla, Amurkawa sun gano matsayin abokan gaba, wanda aka tabbatar a maraice na Yuni 18 ta HF / PV tashoshin rediyo, amma wannan bayanai masu mahimmanci ya zama mafi tsufa kowace sa'a. Kafin wannan, babu wani jirgin leken asiri na Mitcher da ya gano motocin Ozawa, domin na baya-bayan nan, cikin fasaha da fasaha, ya hana ma'aikatansa damar isa ga ma'aikatan TF 58. A halin yanzu, jiragensa sun bi diddigin motsin ma'aikatan Amurka.

Ozawa bai bar motocin bincikensa ba. Tsakanin 4 da 30, 6-00 jiragen ruwa B43N Kate da 13 D5Y Judy da 11 E4A Jake sun aika da su, watakila sun fahimci cewa Hellcats za su kama yawancin su kafin ya ba da rahoton wani abu. Sai dai sanin ainihin matsayin da jiragen yakin TF 19 ke da shi shi ne fifiko a gare shi, yayin da ya yi kokarin kiyaye nisa daga abokan gaba. Sai dai da ya tura sojoji da dama domin leken asiri, sai ya yanke shawarar ya biya diyya ta hanyar kin sintiri jiragen sama, wadanda ya kamata su kare rundunarsa daga hare-hare daga karkashin ruwa. Idan aka yi la'akari da yadda ya ke da 'yan kaɗan (a ƙarshen watan Mayu da farkon watan Yuni ya yi asarar kusan bakwai, yawancinsu jiragen ruwa na ruwa na Amurka sun nutse, don haka yanzu yana da 13 kawai), yana da babbar haɗari.