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.


Contents

[edit] Organization of the Kido Butai for Pearl Harbor

Main article: Kido Butai

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

[edit] See also