The Battle of Yap (November 20th 1932)

The Great Pacific War: A History of the American-Japanese Campaign of 1931-1933 

The Battle of Yap (November 20th 1932)

Location

Near Yap Island.

Date of the battle

November 20th 1932

Introduction

The United States Navy by using deceptions has managed to convinced the Japanese that the United States Navy fleet has been substantially weakened, and then feinted an attack on Yap to draw the Japanese fleet out for a decisive battle.

Order of battle

Imperial Japanese Navy: Combined Fleet

Nagato-class battleships: Nagato (flagschip) and Mutsu.

Kaga-class battleship: Kaga.

Ise-class battleships: Ise and Hyūga.

Fusō-class battleships: Fusō and Yamashiro.

Akagi-class battlecruiser: Akagi.

Kongō-class battlecruisers: Kongō, Hiei, Kirishima and Haruna.

Ashigara-class light cruisers: Haguro, Hashidate, Nachi, Myoko, Ashigara, Yonezawa, Takasago, Otowa, Yoshino and Itsukushima.

Aoba-class light cruisers: Aoba, Furutaka, Kako and Kinugasa.

Nagara-class light cruisers: Nagara, Sendai, Naka, Isuzu, Abukuma, Yura and Jintsu.

Hosho-class light aircraft carrier: Hosho.

Matsushima-class light aircraft carriers: Mishima and Okinoshima.

91 destroyers.

United States Navy: Asiatic Fleet

Colorado-class battleships: USS Colorado, USS Maryland and USS West Virginia.

Tennessee-class battleships: USS Tennessee and USS California.

New Mexico-class battleships: USS New Mexico, USS Mississippi and USS Idaho.

New York-class battleships: USS New York and USS Texas.

Nevada-class battleships: USS Nevada and USS Oklahoma.

Florida-class battleship: USS Florida

Pennsylvania-class battleships: USS Pennsylvania and USS Arizona.

Wyoming-class battleship: USS Wyoming.

Albany-class light cruisers: USS Albany, USS Atlanta, USS Hartford, USS Columbus, USS Olympia (new), USS Kansas City, USS Portland, USS Los Angeles, USS Troy, USS Denver and USS Cleveland.

Omaha-class light cruisers: USS Omaha, USS Cincinnati, USS Richmond, USS Raleigh, USS Detroit, USS Memphis and USS Milwaukee.

Pennsylvania-class armored cruisers: USS Pittsburgh and USS Huron.

St.Louis-class protected cruiser: USS St. Louis.

Lexington-class aircraft carriers: USS Lexington and USS Saratoga.

Alaska-class light aircraft carriers: USS Alaska, USS Montauk and USS Curtiss (new).

115 destroyers.

Outcome of the battle

United States strategic and tactical victory.

Losses suffered during the battle

The Imperial Japanese Navy: Combined Fleet losses the Kaga-class battleship Kaga, Nagato-class battleship Mutsu, Kongō-class battlecruisers Kongo, Haruna, and Kirishima, Ashigara-class light cruiser Ashigara and eighteen destroyers while the United States Navy: Asiatic Fleet losses Wyoming-class battleship USS Wyoming, Florida-class battleship USS Florida, Albany-class light cruisers USS Albany, USS Troy and USS Cleveland (new) and twenty-three destroyers. As a result the Imperial Japanese Navy: Combined Fleet has been eliminated as an effective fighting force.

Casualties

United States Navy: Asiatic Fleet: 2,700 sailors and officers killed.

Imperial Japanese Navy: Combined Fleet: 6,340 sailors and officers killed.