page_title: Okinawa naval order of battle
section_title: British Carrier Force (Task Force 57)
hierarchical_section_title: Okinawa naval order of battle / Allied combat ships / British Carrier Force (Task Force 57)
caption_attribution_description: English: HMNZ Achilles
context_page_description: For the April 1945 invasion of Okinawa, the Allies assembled the most powerful naval force in history. Since the few remaining capital ships of the Imperial Japanese Combined Fleet had been sunk or otherwise put out of action at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Allies were effectively unopposed in terms of surface vessels; a single mission consisting of the superbattleship Yamato and a few escorts was undertaken, but the task force did not get within 200 nautical miles of the invasion area.
  Since the Japanese air arm had been equally decimated by this point in the war, the lack of trained and experienced pilots led them to deploy the kamikaze extensively in the waters off Okinawa.
  US Navy combat ships:
  11 fleet carriers, 6 light carriers, 22 escort carriers, 8 fast battleships, 10 old battleships, 2 large cruisers, 12 heavy cruisers, 13 light cruisers, 4 anti-aircraft light cruisers, 132 destroyers, 45 destroyer escorts
  Amphibious assault vessels:
  84 attack transports, 29 attack cargo ships, LCIs, LSMs, LSTs, LSVs, etc.
  Auxiliaries:
  52 submarine chasers, 23 fast minesweepers, 69 minesweepers, 11 minelayers, 49 oilers, etc.
  Royal Navy combat ships:
context_section_description: Vice Admiral Sir Bernard Rawlings, RN
  First Aircraft Carrier Squadron (Task Group 57.2)
  Rear Admiral Sir Philip L. Vian, RN
  5 fleet carriers
  HMS Indomitable (Capt. J.A.S. Eccles, RN), 44 aircraft
  29 F6F Hellcat fighters
  15 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers
  HMS Victorious (Capt. M.M. Denny, RN), 43 aircraft
  37 F4U Corsair fighters
  14 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers
    2 Supermarine Walrus scout planes
  HMS Illustrious (Capt. C.E. Lambe, RN), 52 aircraft
  36 F4U Corsair fighters
  16 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers
  HMS Indefatigable (Capt. Q.D. Graham, RN), 69 aircraft
  40 Supermarine Seafire fighters
  20 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers
    9 Fairey Firefly fighters
  HMS Formidable (Capt. P. Ruck-Keene, RN), 43 aircraft
  28 F4U Corsair fighters
  15 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers
  First Battle Squadron (Task Group 57.1)
  Vice Admiral Rawlings
  2 battleships
  HMS King George V (10 x 14-in. main battery)
  HMS Howe (10 x 14-in. main battery)
  Fourth Cruiser Squadron (Task Group 57.4)
  Rear Admiral E.J.P. Brind
  7 light cruisers
  2 Crown Colony-class (12 x 6-in. main battery): HMCS Uganda, HMNZS Gambia
  1 Minotaur-class (9 x 6-in. main battery): HMS Swiftsure
  1 Leander-class (8 x 6-in. main battery): HMNZS Achilles
  3 Dido-class (10 x 5.25-in. main battery): HMS Black Prince, HMS Euryalus, HMS Argonaut
  Screen (Task Group 57.8)
  Rear Admiral J.H. Edelston
    4th Destroyer Flotilla
  24th Destroyer Flotilla
  25th Destroyer Flotilla
  27th Destroyer Flotilla
  British Fleet Train (Task Force 112)
  Rear Admiral D.B. Fisher, RN
  70+ auxiliaries including repair ships, oilers, minesweepers, hospital ships, etc.
caption: Light cruiser Achilles at anchor
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