Japanese attack their own ships 9th December 1941

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From Macintyre, Donald. Wings of Neptune: The Story of Naval Aviation (The Evolution of Naval Power Book 2) (p. 106). Sapere Books. Kindle Edition.

In the section where the attack on Prince of Wales and Repulse is discussed, he mentions that the night before,

'The searching aircraft found and illuminated the cruiser Chokai of their own covering force and came near to attacking it in error'


What would be the effect of the Japanese aircraft attacking, and sinking, one or more of their own ships??
 
I think the best the RN could have hoped for is a night engagement with the IJN, preferably with the cruisers rather than capital ships. If the RN can sink or badly damage one or more of these ships prior to being sunk by aircraft the next day, then they will have achieved something rather than nothing. Given Japan's industrial weakness the loss of a heavy cruiser is akin to the USN losing a battleship.

The PoW & R were close to the Chokai and saw the flare dropped over her but turned away. Apparently at the time, the PoW & R were 5 miles away from 6 IJN cruisers with attendant destroyers. Maybe if the IJN did attack the Chokai it would have drawn PoW & R back to engage, and a battle would have occurred that at the very least seen the IJN take some damage that they'd struggle to make good.
 
From part of WW2 history and, early, night actions at least, I have a feeling that Prince of Wales and Repulse might be in for a nasty surprise if the Japanese correctly identify them. The Long Lance torpedo was a nasty surprise to the Americans and I think the same would occur here…
They MIGHT be lucky and escape but….
 
Pirate Pete said:
From part of WW2 history and, early, night actions at least, I have a feeling that Prince of Wales and Repulse might be in for a nasty surprise if the Japanese correctly identify them. The Long Lance torpedo was a nasty surprise to the Americans and I think the same would occur here…
They MIGHT be lucky and escape but….
Click to expand...
On the other hand, Royal Navy was significantly better prepared to night actions than American. And early in the war, Japanese still did not realize, how abysmal Long Lance chances of long-distance hits are.
 
Dilandu said:
On the other hand, Royal Navy was significantly better prepared to night actions than American. And early in the war, Japanese still did not realize, how abysmal Long Lance chances of long-distance hits are.
Click to expand...

I've seen an article about the Japanese 'torpedo tactics' plan of harrying the USN' advance across the Pacific, maybe on Combined Fleet but I can't seem to find it now. IIRC the IJN expectations for hit rates weren't even close to being matched in action, expectations were double-digit hits but reality never got out of the single-digits.

I can't help but think that 2 capital ships would make a mess of at least a couple of heavy cruisers before succumbing to greater numbers and Long lances at close range. Given the IJN suffered minimal losses during it's initial conquests and PoW & R were sunk without making any impact, making a mess of a couple or more heavy cruisers is a much better result than actual history.
 
Amusing ASB timeline....the Japanese force is spooked by the flares/attack and starts firing on their own ships with tubes fully loaded with lots of lovely oxygen fuelled torpedoes.
 
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How many of Prince of Wales and Repulse's crew ended up as PoW's and how many died in captivity?
 
Going back to this, what was the positions of the various Japanese ships when the Chokai was illuminated?

There are the Battlecruisers Kongō, Haruna, three Takao-class cruisers and eight destroyers, four Mogami-class cruisers of Cruiser Division 7 and one light cruiser, four destroyers of Destroyer Squadron 3 plus Chokai.
 
The Bushido Code of Samurai
That was in Imperial Japan the doctrine for Military
The Military and IJN would see in attack a necessary sacrifice for Winning the battle.
While Japanese sailors on Ships would prise the Japanese Empire and for filled their Duty by dying.

To die in combat so senseless, was considered as honourable.
While lose the battle and surviving was a disgrace shame for entire family, that only Suicide cleanse the Family honour...
 
Michel Van said:
The Bushido Code of Samurai
That was in Imperial Japan the doctrine for Military
The Military and IJN would see in attack a necessary sacrifice for Winning the battle.
While Japanese sailors on Ships would prise the Japanese Empire and for filled their Duty by dying.

To die in combat so senseless, was considered as honourable.
While lose the battle and surviving was a disgrace shame for entire family, that only Suicide cleanse the Family honour...
Click to expand...
https://www.filmlinc.org/films/the-barbarian-and-the-geisha/

As seen in this movie, once they take the sword out of its sheath, they must kill someone, and if they can't, then they kill themselves.
 

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