Editing Japanese battleship Musashi (section)

==Service==
[[File:R (6).jpg|thumb|''Musashi'' entering [[Chuuk Lagoon|Truk naval base]],  22 January 1943]]
''Musashi'' was commissioned at Nagasaki on 5 August 1942, and assigned to the 1st Battleship Division, together with ''Yamato'', {{ship|Japanese battleship|Nagato||2}} and {{ship|Japanese battleship|Mutsu||2}}.<ref>Garzke & Dulin, p. 66</ref> Beginning five days later, the ship conducted machinery and aircraft-handling trials near [[Hashirajima]]. Her secondary armament of twelve 127&nbsp;mm guns, 12 triple 25&nbsp;mm gun mounts, and four {{convert|13.2|mm|in|2|abbr=on}} anti-aircraft machine guns was fitted 3–28 September 1942 at Kure, as well as a Type 21 radar. The ship was working up for the rest of the year. Arima was promoted to [[rear admiral]] on 1 November.<ref name=cfrecord/>
[[File:Japanese battleships Yamato and Musashi moored in Truk Lagoon, in 1943 (L42-08.06.02).jpg|thumb|''Musashi'' (left) and ''[[Japanese battleship Yamato|Yamato]]'' (right) anchored off Truk, probably in February 1943]]
''Musashi'' was assigned to the [[Japanese Combined Fleet|Combined Fleet]], commanded by Admiral [[Isoroku Yamamoto]], on 15 January 1943<ref name=w6>Whitley, p. 216</ref> and sailed for Truk three days later, arriving on 22 January. On 11 February, she replaced her sister ship ''Yamato'' as the fleet's flagship. On 3 April, Yamamoto left ''Musashi'' and flew to [[Rabaul]], [[New Britain]] to personally direct [[Operation I-Go|"Operation ''I-Go''"]], a Japanese aerial offensive in the [[Solomon Islands]]. His orders were intercepted and deciphered by [[Magic (cryptography)|Magic]], and American [[Lockheed P-38 Lightning]] fighters shot down his transport aircraft and killed him in [[Operation Vengeance]] while he was en route from New Britain to Ballale, [[Bougainville Island|Bougainville]]. On 23 April, his [[Cremation|cremated]] remains were flown back to Truk and placed in his cabin on board ''Musashi''.<ref name=cfrecord/>
[[File:Yamamoto's ashes on Musashi.jpg|thumb|[[Isoroku Yamamoto|Admiral Yamamoto's]] ashes being carried aboard ''Musashi'', 23 May 1943]]
On 17 May, in response to American [[Battle of Attu|attacks on Attu Island]], ''Musashi''—together with the [[aircraft carrier]] {{ship|Japanese aircraft carrier|Hiyō||2}}, two [[heavy cruiser]]s, and nine [[destroyer]]s—[[sortie]]d to the northern Pacific. When no contact was made with American forces, the ships sailed to Kure on 23 May, where Yamamoto's ashes were taken from the vessel in preparation for a formal [[state funeral]]. Immediately afterwards, ''Musashi''{{'}}s task force was significantly reinforced to counterattack American naval forces off Attu, but the island was captured before the force could intervene. On 9 June, Arima was relieved by Captain [[Keizō Komura]]. On 24 June, while being overhauled at [[Yokosuka Naval Arsenal]], ''Musashi'' was visited by [[Emperor Hirohito]] and high-ranking naval officers. From 1 to 8 July, the ship was fitted with a pair of Type 22 radars at Kure.<ref name=cfrecord/> She sailed for Truk on 30 July and arrived there six days later, where she resumed her position as fleet flagship for Admiral [[Mineichi Koga]].<ref name=w6/>

In mid-October, in response to suspicions of planned American raids on [[Wake Island]], ''Musashi'' led a large fleet—three carriers, six battleships, and 11 cruisers—to intercept American forces, but failed to make contact and returned to Truk on 26 October. She spent the remainder of 1943 in Truk Lagoon. Komura was promoted to rear admiral on 1 November and transferred to the [[3rd Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|3rd Fleet]] on 7 December as [[chief of staff]]; Captain Bunji Asakura assumed command of ''Musashi''.<ref name=cfrecord/>

[[File:島村信政5.jpg|thumb|right|[[Emperor Hirohito]] and his staff on board ''Musashi'', 24 June 1943. Visible in the background are two pairs of twin 127 mm (5 in) DP guns and a triple 25 mm (1 in) AA gun.]]
[[File:Musashi-Bridge.jpg|thumb|Emperor Hirohito, Admiral [[Mineichi Koga]], and Commander Kazuo Doi aboard ''Musashi's'' bridge, 24 June 1943]]
The ship remained in Truk Lagoon until 10 February 1944, when she returned to Yokosuka. On 24 February, ''Musashi'' sailed for [[Palau]], carrying one [[Imperial Japanese Army]] [[battalion]] and another of [[Special Naval Landing Force]]s and their equipment. After losing most of her deck cargo in a [[typhoon]], she arrived at Palau on 29 February and remained there for the next month. On 29 March, ''Musashi'' departed Palau under cover of darkness to avoid an expected air raid, and encountered the submarine {{USS|Tunny|SS-282|6}}, which fired six torpedoes at the battleship; five of them missed, but the sixth blew a hole {{convert|5.8|m}} in diameter near the bow, flooding her with 3,000 tonnes of water.<ref name=stille42>Stille, p. 42</ref> The torpedo hit killed seven crewmen and wounded another eleven. After temporary repairs, ''Musashi'' sailed for Japan later that night and arrived at [[Kure Naval Arsenal]] on 3 April. From 10 to 22 April, she was repaired, while her anti-aircraft armament was substantially increased in the space freed up by removal of the beam-mounted {{convert|155|mm|in|adj=on}} triple turrets. When she undocked on 22 April, the ship's secondary battery comprised six 15.5&nbsp;cm guns, twenty-four 12.7&nbsp;cm guns, one hundred and thirty 25&nbsp;mm guns, and four 13.2&nbsp;mm machine guns. She also received new radars (which were still primitive compared to American equipment)<ref>Padfield, p. 285</ref> and [[depth charge|depth-charge]] rails on her [[Poop deck|fantail]].<ref name=cfrecord/>

In May 1944, Asakura was promoted to rear admiral; ''Musashi'' departed Kure for [[Okinawa Prefecture|Okinawa]] on 10 May, then for [[Tawi-Tawi]] on 12 May. She was assigned to the [[1st Mobile Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|1st Mobile Fleet]], under the command of [[Vice Admiral]] [[Jisaburō Ozawa]], with her sister ship. On 10 June, the battleships departed Tawi-Tawi for [[Batjan]] under the command of Vice Admiral [[Matome Ugaki]], in preparation for [[Operation Kon]], a planned counterattack against the American [[Battle of Biak|invasion of Biak]]. Two days later, when word reached Ugaki of American attacks on [[Saipan]], his force was diverted to the [[Mariana Islands]]. After they rendezvoused with Ozawa's main force on 16 June, the battleships were assigned to Vice Admiral [[Takeo Kurita]]'s [[2nd Fleet (Imperial Japanese Navy)|2nd Fleet]]. During the [[Battle of the Philippine Sea]], ''Musashi'' was not attacked.<ref name=cfrecord/><ref name=stille42/> Following Japan's disastrous defeat in the battle (also known as the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot"), the Second Fleet returned to Japan. On 8 July, ''Musashi'' and her sister embarked 3,522 men and equipment of the Army's [[106th Infantry Regiment (Japan)|106th Infantry Regiment]] of the [[49th Infantry Division (Imperial Japanese Army)|49th Infantry Division]] and sailed for [[Lingga Island]], where they arrived on 17 July.<ref name=cfrecord/>

===Battle of Leyte Gulf===
{{Main article|Battle of Leyte Gulf}}
[[File:Japanese battleships at Brunei, Borneo, in October 1944 (NH 73090).jpg|thumb|Japanese battleships at Brunei, Borneo, in October 1944, photographed just prior to the Battle of Leyte Gulf. The ships are, from left to right: ''Musashi'', ''Yamato'', ''[[Japanese cruiser Mogami (1934)|Mogami]]'' and ''[[Japanese battleship Nagato|Nagato]]''.]]
Captain [[Toshihira Inoguchi]] relieved Asakura in command of ''Musashi'' on 12 August 1944 and was promoted to rear admiral on 15 October.<ref name="cfrecord" /> Three days later, the ship sailed for [[Brunei Bay]], Borneo to join the main Japanese fleet in preparation for "Operation ''Sho''-1", the planned counterattack against the American landings at Leyte. The Japanese plan called for Ozawa's carrier forces to lure the American carrier fleets north of Leyte so that Kurita's 1st Diversion Force (also known as the Central Force) could enter [[Leyte Gulf]] and destroy American forces landing on the island. ''Musashi'', together with the rest of Kurita's force, departed Brunei for the [[Philippines]] on 22 October.<ref>Polmar & Genda, pp. 420–422</ref>

The following day, the submarine {{USS|Dace|SS-247|6}} torpedoed and sank the heavy cruiser {{ship|Japanese cruiser|Maya||2}} near [[Palawan (island)|Palawan]]. The destroyer {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Akishimo||2}} rescued 769 survivors and transferred them to ''Musashi'' later in the day.<ref>Lacroix & Wells, pp. 346–347</ref>

====Loss at Sibuyan Sea====
[[File:Musashi Sibuyan Sea.jpg|thumb|''Musashi'' and the destroyer ''[[Japanese destroyer Kiyoshimo|Kiyoshimo]]'' maneuvering in the Sibuyan Sea]]
On 24 October, while transiting the [[Sibuyan Sea]], Kurita's ships were spotted by a reconnaissance aircraft from the [[fleet carrier]] {{USS|Intrepid|CV-11|6}}. Just over two hours later, the battleship was attacked by eight [[Curtiss SB2C Helldiver]] [[dive bomber]]s from ''Intrepid'' at 10:27. One {{convert|500|lb|adj=on|order=flip}} bomb struck the roof of Turret No. 1, failing to penetrate. Two minutes later, ''Musashi'' was struck starboard amidships by a torpedo from a [[Grumman TBF Avenger]], also from ''Intrepid''. The ship took on 3,000&nbsp;tonnes of water and a 5.5-degree [[list (watercraft)|list]] to starboard that was later reduced to 1 degree by counterflooding compartments on the opposite side. During this attack, two Avengers were shot down.<ref name="cfrecord" />
[[File:Sibuyan Sea-battleship.jpg|thumb|''Musashi'' taking a torpedo hit]]
An hour and a half later, another eight Helldivers from ''Intrepid'' attacked ''Musashi'' again. One bomb hit the upper deck and failed to detonate; another hit the port side of the deck and penetrated two upper decks before exploding above one of the engine rooms. Fragments broke a steam pipe in the engine room and forced its abandonment, as well as that of the adjacent boiler room. Power was lost to the port inboard propeller shaft and the ship's speed dropped to {{convert|22|kn}}. Anti-aircraft fire shot down two Helldivers during this attack. Three minutes later, nine Avengers attacked from both sides of the ship, scoring three torpedo hits on the port side. One hit abreast Turret No. 1, the second flooded a hydraulic machinery room, forcing the main turrets to switch over to auxiliary hydraulic pumps, and the third flooded another engine room. More counterflooding reduced the list to one degree to port, but the amount of flooding reduced the ship's forward [[freeboard (nautical)|freeboard]] by {{convert|6|ft|m|1|order=flip}}. During this attack, ''Musashi'' fired ''[[Beehive (anti-aircraft shell)|sanshikidan]]'' anti-aircraft shells from her main armament; one shell detonated in the middle gun of Turret No. 1, possibly because of a bomb fragment in the barrel, and wrecked the turret's elevating machinery.<ref name="cfrecord" />
[[File:Japanese battleship Musashi and a destroyer under attack in the Sibuyan Sea, 24 October 1944 (NH 63432).jpg|thumb|''Musashi'' down by the bow. ''Kiyoshimo'' is the nearest destroyer behind her, and several Japanese ships are seen in the distance]]
At 13:31, the ship was attacked by 29 aircraft from fleet carriers {{USS|Essex|CV-9|2}} and {{USS|Lexington|CV-16|2}}. Two [[Grumman F6F Hellcat]] fighters [[strafe]]d the ship's deck and Helldivers scored four more bomb hits near her forward turrets. ''Musashi'' was hit by four more torpedoes, three of which were forward of Turret No. 1, causing extensive flooding. The ship was now listing one degree to starboard, and had taken on so much water that her bow was now down {{convert|13|ft|m|order=flip|0}} and her speed had been reduced to {{convert|20|kn}}. Two hours later, nine Helldivers from {{USS|Enterprise|CV-6|2}} attacked with {{convert|1000|lb|adj=on|order=flip}} [[Armor-piercing shot and shell|armour-piercing bombs]], scoring four hits, followed by three more torpedo hits from ''Enterprise'' Avengers, opening up her starboard bow<ref>Padfield, pp. 286–287</ref> and reducing her speed to {{convert|13|kn}}. At 15:25, ''Musashi'' was attacked by 37 aircraft from ''Intrepid'', the fleet carrier {{USS|Franklin|CV-13|2}} and the [[light carrier]] {{USS|Cabot|CVL-28|2}}. The ship was hit by 13 bombs and 11 more torpedoes during this attack, for a loss of three Avengers and three Helldivers. Her speed was reduced to {{convert|6|kn}}, her main [[steering engine]] was temporarily knocked out and her [[rudder]] was briefly jammed 15 degrees to port. Counterflooding reduced her list to six degrees to port from its previous maximum of ten degrees. ''Musashi'' had been struck by an estimated total of 19 torpedoes and 17 bombs.<ref name="cfrecord" />{{refn|The exact tally of hits is not precisely known; most Japanese sources report 11 torpedo and 10 bomb hits,<ref name=cfrecord/> Garzke & Dulin report 20 torpedo and 17 bomb hits,<ref>Garzke & Dulin, p. 18</ref> and analysis by the US Naval Technical Mission to Japan reports 10 torpedo and 16 bomb hits.<ref>Holtzworth, p. 22</ref>|group=N}}

[[File:Japanese battleship Musashi on 24 October 1944, down at the bow and sinking (NH 63434).jpg|thumb|''Musashi'' down by the bow after the air attacks, shortly before her sinking]]

Kurita left ''Musashi'' to fend for herself at 15:30, and encountered her again at 16:21 after reversing course. The ship was headed north, with a list of 10&nbsp;degrees to port, down {{convert|26|ft|m|order=flip|0}} at the bow with her [[forecastle]] awash. He detailed a heavy cruiser and two destroyers to escort her while frantic efforts were made to correct her list, including flooding another engine room and some boiler rooms. Her engines stopped before she could be [[Beaching (nautical)|beached]]. At 19:15, her list reached 12&nbsp;degrees and her crew was ordered to prepare to abandon ship, which they did fifteen minutes later when the list reached 30&nbsp;degrees. ''Musashi'' capsized at 19:36 and sank in {{convert|4430|ft|m|-1|order=flip}} of water at {{Coord|13|07|N|122|32|E|display=inline,title}}.{{refn|Jentschura, Jung & Michel give a different location of {{Coord|12|50|N|122|35|E|display=inline}}.<ref name=j9>Jentschura, Jung & Mickel, p. 39</ref>|group=N}} Inoguchi chose to go down with his ship; 1,376 of her 2,399-man crew were rescued. About half of her survivors were evacuated to Japan, and the rest took part in the defence of the Philippines.<ref name=cfrecord/> The destroyer {{ship|Japanese destroyer|Shimakaze|1942|2}} rescued 635 of ''Maya''{{'}}s survivors from ''Musashi''.<ref>Lacroix & Wells, p. 347</ref>