Olympic Phase I

For the Navy, the first phase of Operation Olympic began as Halsey’s Third Fleet sortied from Leyte Gulf on 1 July 1945. Its mission was established by Nimitz’s Operation Plan 4-45, 15 May 45 as “attack Japanese naval and air forces, shipping, shipyards, and coastal objectives.” It would accomplish these objectives by a combination of air strikes, naval bombardments, and anti-shipping sweeps.

For this purpose, major Forces, Groups, and Units in the Third Fleet included:

  • Task Group 30.2, Radio Deception Group, USS TUCSON

  • Task Group 30.6, Anti-Submarine Warfare Group A, USS TULAGI

  • Task Group 30.8, Logistic Support Group, USS DETROIT

  • Task Group 30.9, Base Service Group

  • Task Unit 34.8.1, Bombardment Group A, USS MASSACHUSETTS

  • Task Unit 34.8.2 Bombardment Group B, USS IOWA

  • Task Group 35.3, Cruiser Division 17, USS PASADENA

  • Task Group 35.4, Cruiser Division 18, USS TOPEKA

  • Task Force 37, British Carrier Force, HMS KING GEORGE V

  • Task Force 38, Fast Carrier Task Force, USS SHANGRI LA

    • Task Group 38.1, Fast Carrier Group 1, USS BENNINGTON

    • Task Group 38.3, Fast Carrier Group 3, USS RANDOLPH

    • Task Group 38.4, Fast Carrier Group 4, USS YORKTOWN

Order of Battle details are included at “Navy at War’s End” “3rd Fleet” page.

Major air strikes were made on:

  • 10 July, Tokyo Area Airfields

  • 14 July, N. Honshu & Hokkaido, Shipping and Airfields

  • 15 July, N. Honshu & Hokkaido, Shipping and Airfields

  • 17 July, Tokyo Area Airfields

  • 18 July, Tokyo Area Airfields-Yokosuka Naval Base

  • 24 July, N. Kyushu, Shikoku, & W. Honshu Airfields & Shipping-Kure Naval Base

  • 25 July, N. Kyushu, Shikoku, & W. Honshu Airfields & Shipping-Nagoya & Osaka

  • 28 July, N. Kyushu, Shikoku, & W. Honshu Airfields & Shipping-Kure Naval Base

  • 30 July, Kobe, Nagoya, Maizuru, S. Tokyo Area Airfields

  •  9 August, N. Honshu Area Airfields

  • 10 August, N. Honshu & Tokyo Area Airfields

  • 13 August, Tokyo Area Airfields & Industry

  • 15 August, Tokyo Area Airfields

Battleship Bombardments were made on:

  • 14 July, Kamaishi

  • 15 July, Muroran

  • 17 July, Hatachi

  • 29 July, Hamamatsu

  • 9 August, Kamaishi

Anti Shipping sweeps by light cruisers and destroyers were made on:

  • 14-15 July, Kamaishi coastal area

  • 18-19 July, Nojima Saki light to Izu Shoto

  • 22-23 July, Sagami Nada & Ogasawaga Gunto

  • 24-25 July, Kii Suido

  • 30-31 July, Suruga Wan

The plan was for Task Force 37 to retire to Manus/Australia and Task Force 38 to retire to Eniwetok (its new forward base) in mid August. In fact, Task Force 38 and portions of the British Pacific Fleet remained in Japanese waters as the surrender became imminent.