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Fuel, weight and a hurried departure
VT-82’s report records ten TBM-3s taking off from Bennington on 7 April 1945. Fourteen aircraft had been armed and their crews briefed, but the urgency of launching left aircraft in the hangar. One of the ten that took off stayed near the carrier because of a fuel-system fault; nine continued to attack. YT-Y18
For the long flight, the squadron fitted additional wing tanks and left most radiomen behind. The report says radiomen remained in aircraft carrying radio-countermeasures equipment; its crew list names pilots, gunners and three radiomen. A normal three-place aircraft did not necessarily fly this mission with all three positions occupied.
This is a later Avenger operation, separate from the six TBF-1s at Midway. Aircraft variant, crew arrangements and tactical circumstances all need their own date.
Why the escorts became the targets
The own-aircraft table records one Mark 13 torpedo per aircraft, set to run at twelve feet. The narrative says the crews judged that setting too shallow for the intended attack beneath Yamato’s heavy belt armour. With most radiomen absent to make the necessary adjustment, the squadron chose escort ships instead. YT-Y18
That is the squadron’s stated reasoning. It demonstrates a connection between the decisions made before launch and the targets available on arrival. It does not establish that every American torpedo unit faced the same restriction.
The report describes releases at 800 feet and attacks on ships identified as cruisers and destroyers. These are details of this operation, not recommended release limits or a verified identification of every target.
Returning through the gunfire
Lieutenant N. A. Wiese’s aircraft was badly damaged, and both he and radioman D. E. Blakely were wounded. The report records all ten aircraft returning, although the damaged machine was subsequently stripped and jettisoned. Getting home did not mean that aircraft or crew had escaped unharmed. YT-Y18
The squadron claimed hits and a sinking, but its target list included two cruisers. The Japanese force record identifies one, Yahagi. The attack narrative preserves the crews’ experience without settling every ship identification or assigning a particular sinking to a particular torpedo. YT-Y05
Follow Under Carrier Attack and the Mark 13 profile for the weapon’s wider history.
A different decision aboard Bunker Hill
Bunker Hill’s VT-84 report provides a comparison with Bennington. It records fourteen TBM-3s launching and thirteen attacking, and describes an approach against Yamato herself. Its formations divided to threaten the battleship from different directions. One aircraft was lost before release; damaged survivors still faced the flight back to the carrier. YT-Y27
The Bunker Hill profile follows that account. It shows why Bennington’s choice of escort targets should not be treated as a limitation shared by every Avenger squadron that day.