Attacks on Kure and the Seto Inland Sea
Battle
Battle
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[thumb\|left\|*Tone* under intense aerial attack by aircraft of , 24 July](/wiki/File:ToneUnderAttack1945.jpg "ToneUnderAttack1945.jpg")

The Third Fleet's attack against Kure began on 24 July. US carrier aircraft flew 1,747 [sorties](/wiki/Sorties "Sorties") on this day against Japanese targets. The attacks sank the aircraft carrier  and the [cruiser](/wiki/Cruiser "Cruiser") , which was acting as the Combined Fleet's flagship. The battleships , , and , the [heavy cruisers](/wiki/Heavy_cruiser "Heavy cruiser")  and , the outdated armored training cruisers  and  and the ex\-battleship turned target ship  were all heavily damaged and settled in shallow water. The shallow anchorage precluded the use of [torpedoes](/wiki/Torpedo "Torpedo"). The US aircraft attempted to reduce their losses from the large number of anti\-aircraft guns in the area by the use of variable time\-fused bombs.

The British Pacific Fleet conducted a number of attacks against Osaka and targeted the Inland Sea. As a result the escort carrier  was severely damaged and grounded, the [escort ships *No. 4* and *No. 30*](/wiki/Type_D_escort_ship "Type D escort ship") were also sunk for the loss of four aircraft.

[thumb\|The upper hangar deck of *Katsuragi*, October 1945, after it was struck by a 2,000 lb bomb on 28 July](/wiki/File:80-G-351745_Japanese_Aircraft_Carrier_KATSURAGI.tif "80-G-351745 Japanese Aircraft Carrier KATSURAGI.tif")

US strikes against Kure resumed on 28 July, damaging the battleships *Ise* and *Haruna* and the heavy cruiser *Aoba*. The aircraft carrier  which had largely escaped attack in the earlier raid, and the unserviceable light aircraft carrier  were attacked, with *Katsuragi* suffering heavy damage. These air strikes were among the largest conducted by the US Navy during the war, and were the most destructive of shipping.

On 28 July, the USAAF attacked Kure ships with 79 [B\-24 Liberator](/wiki/Consolidated_B-24_Liberator "Consolidated B-24 Liberator") bombers from [Okinawa](/wiki/Okinawa_Prefecture "Okinawa Prefecture"). Four bomb hits were made upon the beached cruiser *Aoba*, breaking off her stern. Two B\-24s were shot down and 14 others damaged.

Allied losses included 102 aircrew and 133 planes lost in combat or accidents during the attacks. These losses were higher than those suffered by the Third Fleet in most of its operations, and were the result of the heavy anti\-aircraft defences around Kure.


How many sorties were flown by US carrier aircraft on 24 July?