In the U.S.-distorted post-war education, I was taught as follows: that is, the Imperial Headquarters was so stupid that they didn't notice the importance of aircraft and continued to rely on ships. As a result, Yamato was destroyed mainly by military aircraft. It seems that the U.S. would like to instill disgust at Japanese military knowledge into Japanese young people such as me. Is this true? I declare it's wrong and I'll write about the evidence that proves me right.
In the first place, it was Japan who sent a battleship to the bottom for the first time in the world. I don't mean Pearl Harbor. The battleships destroyed by the air assault at Pearl Harbor weren't in operation. The switches of those ships were off! There is another precedent in the battle of Taranto which took place on the night of 11-12th November 1940 during the Second World War, and the ships sunk were moored in this case too.
I'm going to talk about the naval battle off Malaya, in which the proud British battleships of the Prince of Wales and Repulse were sunk by land-based bombers and torpedo bombers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. This engagement was fought on 10th December 1941, 2 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor and it was the beginning of the rise of the power of naval aviation over the guns of battleships.
Viewing also the following years of history, there were only 2 cases apart from the naval battle off Malaya in which the battleship in operation was sunk. The name of the battleships were Yamato(Apr. 7th 1945) and Musashi(Oct. 24th 1944), both of which were repeatedly attacked by overwhelmingly huge numbers of military aircraft before sinking. In other words, the battleship had such a strong and overwhelming power at that time.
The naval battle off Malaya was an unprecedented mission for Japan to attack only by aircraft the strongest and bravest battleships in the world at that time. Anything you do first since recorded history requires an unbelievably tremendous amount of time and effort. You'll appreciate how daring Japan was in those days.
What of the British side? Britain along with the U.S. had been pushing Japan to the brink of waging war against the allied nations since long ago, and eventually and successfully they plunged Japan into the bottom of deep sorrow. Britain was already ready for fighting Japan. They would be confident of victory in the battle.
Six days before the battle, Force Z moored in Singapore, which consisted of the battleship the Prince of Wales, the battlecruiser Repulse and four destroyers. The objective of Force Z was to intercept the Japanese fleet with its extraordinary power. On the other hand, Japan had to transport military supplies to the troops which were going down south on the Malay Peninsula. Link to Next
(Vocabulary)
the Imperial Headquarters （旧日本軍の）大本営
instill to teach someone to think, behave, or feel in a particular way over a period of time:
instil confidence/fear/discipline etc into sb A manager's job is to instil determination into his players.
prove sb right/correct ＜人＞が正しいことを証明する
send ~ to the bottom ～を沈める
the naval battle off Malaya マレー沖海戦
rise 《常に単数形で》台頭, 権力獲得, 出世
the rise of fascism ファシズムの台頭
her rise from poverty 彼女が貧困から身を起こしたこと
the rise and fall of sb/sth ＜…＞の興亡, 栄枯盛衰
appreciate 《[他]進行形不可》…を認識する, 理解する
appreciate how/why どれだけ［なぜ］…かを認識する
It is difficult to appreciate how bad the situation has become. 状況がどれだけ悪化したのかを認識するのは難しい．
fully appreciate 完全に認識［理解］する
fail to appreciate something ＜…＞を認識［理解］できない
daring 危険を伴う; 怖いもの［命］知らずの; 斬新な, 大胆な: [名] [U] 度胸; 斬新さ, 大胆さ
a daring rescue attempt 危険を伴う救助活動
a daring young officer 命知らずの若い将校
what of ...? (formal) (ほかの人やもののことを持ち出して) …はどうなんですか？
Battleship Yamato
我々が戦後の偏向教育で教えられたことがある。戦艦の時代から航空機の時代に変わっていたことに気がつかなかった大本営が馬鹿だというのだが、そもそも世界で最初に航空機で軍事行動中の戦艦を沈めたのは、日本なのだ。航空機で戦艦を沈めた先例としては真珠湾攻撃とタラントの戦いがあるが、そのどちらも撃沈したのは作戦行動中の戦艦ではなく、スイッチの切られた、港に停泊している戦艦だった。作戦行動中の戦艦を撃沈したのはマレー沖海戦での日本が世界最初であり、その後においても現代までの世界の戦史において、航空部隊が作戦行動中の戦艦を沈めた事例は、このマレー沖海戦と、終戦間際に圧倒的な航空機をもって沈められた戦艦大和（昭和２０年４月７日）、同様に大多数の航空機をもって沈められた武蔵（昭和１９年１０月２４日）の３例しかない。言い換えれば、戦艦（バトル・シップ）というものは、それだけ強力かつ圧倒的な存在だった。まして、マレー沖海戦が、世界で最初に戦艦を航空機で叩くという作戦だったということは、前例のない不可能への挑戦だったということであり、何事も、はじめてのことというのは、たいへんな緊張と決断力を要することを考えれば、日本が、どれだけ凄かったかがわかろうというものだ。一方、英国軍にしてみれば、日本を追いつめ、開戦に踏み切らせたわけで、すでに何ヶ月も前から日本がやってくることを見越して、準備万端整えて、日本軍を待ち受けていた。マレーの海域で、英国海軍は、１００％確実に勝利できる体制をひいていた。開戦の６日前の１２月２日に、英国の誇る最新鋭の巨大不沈戦艦である「プリンス・オブ・ウェールズ」、巡洋戦艦レパルス、その他駆逐艦４隻からなるＧ艦隊をシンガポールのセレター軍港に入港させていた。
In the first place, it was Japan who sent a battleship to the bottom for the first time in the world. I don't mean Pearl Harbor. The battleships destroyed by the air assault at Pearl Harbor weren't in operation. The switches of those ships were off! There is another precedent in the battle of Taranto which took place on the night of 11-12th November 1940 during the Second World War, and the ships sunk were moored in this case too.
I'm going to talk about the naval battle off Malaya, in which the proud British battleships of the Prince of Wales and Repulse were sunk by land-based bombers and torpedo bombers of the Imperial Japanese Navy. This engagement was fought on 10th December 1941, 2 days after the attack on Pearl Harbor and it was the beginning of the rise of the power of naval aviation over the guns of battleships.
Viewing also the following years of history, there were only 2 cases apart from the naval battle off Malaya in which the battleship in operation was sunk. The name of the battleships were Yamato(Apr. 7th 1945) and Musashi(Oct. 24th 1944), both of which were repeatedly attacked by overwhelmingly huge numbers of military aircraft before sinking. In other words, the battleship had such a strong and overwhelming power at that time.
The naval battle off Malaya was an unprecedented mission for Japan to attack only by aircraft the strongest and bravest battleships in the world at that time. Anything you do first since recorded history requires an unbelievably tremendous amount of time and effort. You'll appreciate how daring Japan was in those days.
What of the British side? Britain along with the U.S. had been pushing Japan to the brink of waging war against the allied nations since long ago, and eventually and successfully they plunged Japan into the bottom of deep sorrow. Britain was already ready for fighting Japan. They would be confident of victory in the battle.
Six days before the battle, Force Z moored in Singapore, which consisted of the battleship the Prince of Wales, the battlecruiser Repulse and four destroyers. The objective of Force Z was to intercept the Japanese fleet with its extraordinary power. On the other hand, Japan had to transport military supplies to the troops which were going down south on the Malay Peninsula. Link to Next
(Vocabulary)
the Imperial Headquarters （旧日本軍の）大本営
instill to teach someone to think, behave, or feel in a particular way over a period of time:
instil confidence/fear/discipline etc into sb A manager's job is to instil determination into his players.
prove sb right/correct ＜人＞が正しいことを証明する
send ~ to the bottom ～を沈める
the naval battle off Malaya マレー沖海戦
rise 《常に単数形で》台頭, 権力獲得, 出世
the rise of fascism ファシズムの台頭
her rise from poverty 彼女が貧困から身を起こしたこと
the rise and fall of sb/sth ＜…＞の興亡, 栄枯盛衰
appreciate 《[他]進行形不可》…を認識する, 理解する
appreciate how/why どれだけ［なぜ］…かを認識する
It is difficult to appreciate how bad the situation has become. 状況がどれだけ悪化したのかを認識するのは難しい．
fully appreciate 完全に認識［理解］する
fail to appreciate something ＜…＞を認識［理解］できない
daring 危険を伴う; 怖いもの［命］知らずの; 斬新な, 大胆な: [名] [U] 度胸; 斬新さ, 大胆さ
a daring rescue attempt 危険を伴う救助活動
a daring young officer 命知らずの若い将校
what of ...? (formal) (ほかの人やもののことを持ち出して) …はどうなんですか？
Battleship Yamato
我々が戦後の偏向教育で教えられたことがある。戦艦の時代から航空機の時代に変わっていたことに気がつかなかった大本営が馬鹿だというのだが、そもそも世界で最初に航空機で軍事行動中の戦艦を沈めたのは、日本なのだ。航空機で戦艦を沈めた先例としては真珠湾攻撃とタラントの戦いがあるが、そのどちらも撃沈したのは作戦行動中の戦艦ではなく、スイッチの切られた、港に停泊している戦艦だった。作戦行動中の戦艦を撃沈したのはマレー沖海戦での日本が世界最初であり、その後においても現代までの世界の戦史において、航空部隊が作戦行動中の戦艦を沈めた事例は、このマレー沖海戦と、終戦間際に圧倒的な航空機をもって沈められた戦艦大和（昭和２０年４月７日）、同様に大多数の航空機をもって沈められた武蔵（昭和１９年１０月２４日）の３例しかない。言い換えれば、戦艦（バトル・シップ）というものは、それだけ強力かつ圧倒的な存在だった。まして、マレー沖海戦が、世界で最初に戦艦を航空機で叩くという作戦だったということは、前例のない不可能への挑戦だったということであり、何事も、はじめてのことというのは、たいへんな緊張と決断力を要することを考えれば、日本が、どれだけ凄かったかがわかろうというものだ。一方、英国軍にしてみれば、日本を追いつめ、開戦に踏み切らせたわけで、すでに何ヶ月も前から日本がやってくることを見越して、準備万端整えて、日本軍を待ち受けていた。マレーの海域で、英国海軍は、１００％確実に勝利できる体制をひいていた。開戦の６日前の１２月２日に、英国の誇る最新鋭の巨大不沈戦艦である「プリンス・オブ・ウェールズ」、巡洋戦艦レパルス、その他駆逐艦４隻からなるＧ艦隊をシンガポールのセレター軍港に入港させていた。
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