Operation Gratitude

Posted by EyeDoc

根据東京私人團体 "戦没船を記録する会" 的統計,太平洋戰爭中,日本損失船隻1万5千艘,船員60,331人.這些還只是運輸用货船,不是軍艦.沉沒船隻全部名單登錄於此:
www.ric.hi-ho.ne.jp/senbotusen/siryo-deta/
senbotukisenlist.pdf

記錄中還提到台灣本島20-299噸小船共289艘,被征用121艘,戰沒32船,船員死1,019人(見www.ric.hi-ho.ne.jp/senbotusen/siryo-deta/taiwan.pdf).戰後這些台灣人也成為歷史上的一個小漣漪,除了家族傷悲之外,無人聞問.

至於100噸以上货船損失是:
1941年10艘,
1942年227,
1943年471,
1944年1091,
1945年(1至8月)789,
共沉2,588艘

其中沉沒于激戰海域的中南半島區179艘,台灣海峽沖繩區324,及菲律賓區308艘.

Operation Gratitude 就是負責攻擊這個海域的全部船隻,由TF38執行.這個特遣隊屬於由Adm William Halsey, Jr 統領的第3艦隊.他的旗艦就是接受日本投降的 USS Missouri. 第3艦隊支援麥克阿瑟1944年10月20日進攻菲律賓.所有進行轟炸任務的戰鬥机都是基地於艦隊中的航空母艦, 其中USS Enterprise, USS Lexington,和USS Independence都裝載了Grumman F6F.

菲律賓之戰也是神靖丸當時不能從高雄直航巴士海峽到馬尼拉,得轉道香港,浪費了很多時間才到西貢.

擊沉神靖丸的戰机大約是從Independence起飛.因為Enterprise飛行中隊1945年1月12日的日誌沒有提到攻擊Cape Saint Jacques,但是提到同出任務的Independence机群:

“Thursday [注: 1945年1月11日] evening we had an extensive briefing session on the Camranh Bay and Cape St. Jacques areas which were considered among the most likely hiding places for the Jap fleet.”
“The pilots on the strike [注: 1月12日]were Lt. Kippen [Russell F. Kippen], Ens. Jennings [Joseph F. Jennings], Ens. Landon [James D. Landon], Lt(jg) Ashton [John M. Ashton], Lt(jg) Cromley [William L. Cromley], Lt. White [Melber A. White], Lt. Cummings [Ralph W. Cummings], Lt. Collins [C. B. Collins], Lt(jg) Brooks [Charles E. Brooks] and Ens. Atkinson. Four VT and 12 VF from the Independence also joined us in the attack. The convoy was located in Kanfong Bay and turned out to be a group of fifteen ships (the convoy and its escorts). There were three DDs, four DEs, three SA, two FTC, two TB and one CL of the Katori class (though the latter was not positively identified until later). Kippen led the attack, going for the CL and scoring a straddle with some damage done. Jennings went after a DD scoring two hits and strafed an SA. Landon made runs on a DD and an SA getting a direct hit on the stern of the latter, leaving it settling and dead in the water. Ashton and Cromley both attacked SAs with no hits, and both were hit by enemy fire in the wing or elevators. Both returned, scared but safe. Lt(jg) Brooks and Lt. Cummings both went for DEs and DDs but scored no hits.”

上一段日誌中幾個飛行員後來都在攻擊台灣及冲繩時陣亡.

USS Independence和USS Lexington的航空中隊日誌目前還找不到,但是Independence這一中隊攻擊Port Saint Jacques的嫌疑最大.上引USS Enterprise日誌提到的來自Independence的4架VT加上12架VF.VT是Torpedo机,VF是Fighting机.最大可能就是這群F6F戰鬥机之一,擊沉了神靖丸.