Carrier Striking Task Force
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Kido Butai (機動部隊), also known as the Pearl Harbor task force and the Carrier Striking Task Force, was a major component of the Imperial Japanese Navy (日本海軍, Nihon Kaigun) and was its primary carrier battle group. It was considered the single most powerful naval fleet until the disastrous Battle of Midway resulted in the destruction of four of its six aircraft carriers and a severe loss of experienced pilots.
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[edit] Organization of the Kido Butai for Pearl Harbor
The task force for attack on Pearl Harbor was composed of the following Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service units:
[edit] Air Attack Force
Commander: 1st Air Fleet Commander Strength: 1st Air Fleet 1st Carrier Division CV Akagi CV Kaga 2nd Carrier Division CV Hiryu CV Soryu 5th Carrier Division CV Zuikaku CV Shokaku Duties: Air Attacks
[edit] Screening Unit
Commander: 1st Destroyer Squadron Commander Strength: 17th Destroyer Division (Nagara Flagship) 18th Destroyer Division (Akigumo Flagship) Duties: Screening and escort
[edit] Support Force
Commander: 3rd Battleship Division Commander Strength: 3rd Battleship Division (less the 2nd section) 8th Cruiser Division Duties: Screen and support
[edit] Patrol Unit
Commander: 2nd Submarine Division Commander Strength: I-19 (Flagship) I-21 I-23 Duties: Patrol
[edit] Midway Bombardment Unit
Classification: Midway Bombardment Unit Commander: 7th Destroyer Division Commander Strength: 7th Destroyer Division (less the 2nd section) Duties: Midway air base attack
[edit] Supply Force
Overall Commander: Kyokuto Maru Commander Classification: Supply Force (1st Supply Unit) Commander: Kyokuto Maru Commander Strength: Kenyo Maru Kyokuto Maru Kokuyo Maru Shinkoku Maru Akebono Maru Duties: Supply
[edit] Supply Force (2nd Supply Unit)
Commander: Toho Maru Inspector Strength: Toho Maru Toei Maru Nippon Maru Duties: Supply [1]
[edit] Air attack organization
1st Attack Units CO Commander Fuchida 1st Group CO do 1st Attack Unit CO do 15 Kates each fitted with a 800-kg Armor Piercing Bomb for level (high altitude) bombing. 2nd Attack Unit CO Lt Cmdr Hashiguchi 15 Kates-Same bombs as 1st Attack Unit. 3rd Attack Unit CO Lt Abe 10 Kates-Same bombs as 1st Attack Unit. 4th Attack Unit CO Lt Cmdr Kusmi 10 Kates-Same bombs as 1st Attack Unit. 1st Torpedo Attack Unit CO Lt Cmdr Murata 12 Kates each fitted with an Aerial Torpedo, Mark 91. 2nd Torpedo Attack Unit CO Lt Kitajima 12 Kates-Same torpedoes as 1st Torpedo Attack Unit. 3rd Torpedo Attack Unit CO Lt Nagai 8 Kates-Same torpedoes as 1st Torpedo Attack Unit. 4th Torpedo Attack Unit CO Lt Matsumura 8 Kates-Same torpedoes as 1st Torpedo Attack Unit.
2nd Group CO Lt Cmdr Takahashi 15th Attack Unit CO do 27 Vals each fitted with a 250-kg Anti-ground (general purpose) bomb for dive bombing. 16th Attack Unit CO Lt Sakamoto 27 Vals-Same bomb as 15th Attack Unit.
3rd Group CO Lt Cmdr Itaya 1st Fighter Combat Unit CO do 9 Zekes for air control and strafing 2nd Fighter Combat Unit CO Lt Shiga 9 Zekes-Same Mission 3rd Fighter Combat Unit CO Lt Suganami 9 Zekes-Same Mission 4th Fighter Combat Unit CO Lt Okajima 6 Zekes-Same Mission 5th Fighter Combat Unit CO Lt Sato 6 Zekes-Same Mission 6th Fighter Combat Unit CO Lt Kaneko 6 Zekes-Same Mission
2nd Attack Units 1st Group CO Lt Cmdr Shimazaki 6th Attack Unit CO do 27 Kates each fitted with a 250-kg Anti-ground (general purpose) bomb and six 60-kg Ordinary bombs for level (high altitude) bombing. 5th Attack Unit CO Lt Ichihara 27 Kates-Same bombs as 6th Attack Unit
[Page 16] Chart 2 (Cont'd)
2nd Group CO Lt Cmdr Egusa 13th Attack Unit CO do 18 Vals each fitted with a 250-kg Ordinary bomb for dive bombing. 14th Attack Unit CO Lt Kobayashi 18 Vals-Same bombs as 13th Attack Unit 11th Attack Unit CO Lt Chihaya 18 Vals-Same bombs as 13th Attack Unit 12th Attack Unit CO Lt Makino 18 Vals-Same bombs as 13th Attack Unit
3rd Group CO Lt Shindo 1st Fighter Combat Unit CO do 9 Zekes for air control and strafing 2nd Fighter Combat Unit CO Lt Nikaido 9 Zekes-Same Mission 3rd Fighter Combat Unit CO Lt Iida 9 Zekes-Same Mission 4th Fighter Combat Unit CO Lt Kumano 9 Zekes-Same Mission