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Shea

Ship Designation: 
DM-30
Date Lost: 
Friday, May 4, 1945
Baka Bomb Attack near Okinawa
Assigned to radar picket duty 20 miles NE of Zampa Misaki, Okinawa Shea encountered two Japanese aircraft while en route to station, firing on both and splashing one. Soon after arrival on station Shea received a report that a large Japanese air formation was approaching the area. ... Soon thereafter, a single enemy Betty was sighted six miles distant, and was shot down by Shea-directed CAP. Five minutes after the initial sighting, a lookout spotted a Japanese baka bomb on Shea's starboard beam, closing the ship at 450 knots. ... Almost instantaneously, the baka crashed Shea on the starboard side of her bridge structure, entering the sonar room, traversing the chart house, passageway and hatch, and exploding beyond the north side on the surface of the water. Fire broke out in the mess hall, CIC, chart house, division commander's stateroom, # 2 upper handling room, and a berthing compartment Shea lost all ship's communications, 5 gun mounts numbers 1 and 2 were inoperative, and the forward port 20 millimeter guns were damaged. The main director was jammed and the gyro and computer rendered unserviceable. ... Twenty-seven of the crew were killed, and 91 others wounded to varying degrees. Prepared by CAPT R.O. Strange USN (Ret.) 1 521
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NBD94505091.jpg England DE 635 5 9 1945 1945-05-09 00:00:00.000 Air Attack near Kerama Retto While on station off Okinawa, England was attacked by three Japanese dive bombers. ... Her antiaircraft fire set the first of these flaming, but the plane crashed England on her starboard side, just below the bridge. The kamikaze pilot had remembered his instructions to knock out the ship's nerve center and kill as many as possible of her officers. ... With the bomb of the plane exploding just after the crash, England's men began a dangerous race against time, to quench the fires and save their ship, while combat air patrol shot down the two other attackers. ... She was able to make Kerama Retto under tow, with 37 of her men killed or missing and 25 wounded. Prepared by CAPT R.. Strange USN (Ret.) 1 522
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NBD94505092.jpg Oberrender DE 344 5 9 1945 1945-05-09 00:00:00.000 Kamikaze Attack ner Okinawa While operating in the Okinawa campaign a Japanese suicide plane crashed into the starboard side of Oberrender. A bomb carried by the plane penetrated the forward fireroom, where it exploded causing extensive damage. ... Twenty-four sailors were killed, wounded, or listed as missing as a result of the blast. Prepared by CAPT R.O. Strange USN (Ret.) 1 523
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NBD94505111.jpg Bunker Hill CV 17 5 11 1945 1945-05-11 00:00:00.000 Kamikaze Attacks off Okinawa In support of Okinawa operations, Bunker Hill is hit and severely damaged by 2 kamikaze. Gasoline fires and several explosions take place killing 346 wounding 264 and 43 missing and unaccounted for. Prepared by CAPT R.O. Strange USN (Ret.) 1 524
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NBD94505112.jpg Robley Evans DD 552 5 11 1945 1945-05-11 00:00:00.000 Kamikaze Attacks near Okinawa Evans, in company with Hugh W Hadley (DD-774) was assigned radar picket duty northwest of Okinawa. ... During the first night on station, May 10 and 11, enemy planes were constantly in evidence, more than a hundred attacked the two destroyers and the two LCSs with them. Evans fought determinedly against this overwhelming assault, splashing many of the attackers but in quick succession, four kamikazes struck her. ... Evans' after engineering spaces flooded, and she lost power. 32 of her crew were killed and another 27 were wounded. Prepared by CAPT R.O. Strange USN (Ret.) 1 525
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NBD94505113.jpg Hugh W. Hadley DD 774 5 11 1945 1945-05-11 00:00:00.000 Kamikaze Attacks near Okinawa As radar picket ships were scarce, Hugh W. Hadley was assigned this duty on the afternoon of May 10. Joining destroyer Evans (DD-552) and four smaller craft, she took station 15 west of Okinawa and early the next morning began vectoring aircraft to meet the oncoming Japanese. ... For nearly 2 hours the morning of May 11, Hugh W. Hadley and Evans came under severe attack, as the Japanese mounted their sixth attack against American forces at Okinawa. Both ships maneuvered at high speed, downing many suicide planes and directing air attacks on formations of Japanese. The attackers numbered some 150 planes. ... After Evans took several serious hits and went dead in the water about 0900, Hugh W. Hadley fought on alone. At 0920, she was attacked by 10 planes simultaneously, from both ahead and astern. The ship destroyed all 10, but not without damage to herself. One bomb hit aft, a baka bomb hit, and two kamikaze crashes were inflicted on the gallant ship as her gunners ran low on ammunition. ... Finally, as the attack ended, all but 50 of the crew were ordered over the side in life rafts, the remaining men fighting fires and working to control the damage. ... Though her engineering spaces were flooded and she was badly holed, Hugh W. Hadley was kept afloat by the determination and skill of her damage control parties and eventually arrived Ie Shima. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships 1 526
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NBD94505121.jpg New Mexico BB 40 5 12 1945 1945-05-12 00:00:00.000 Kamikaze strike at Okinawa While approaching her berth in Hagushi anchorage just after sunset May 12, New Mexico was attacked by two suicides; one plunged into her, the other managed to hit her with his bomb. ... She was set an fire, and 54 of her men were killed, with 119 wounded. ... Swift action extinguished the fires within half an hour, and on 28 May she departed for repairs at Leyte, followed by rehearsals for the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships 1 527
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NBD94505131.jpg Bache DD 470 5 13 1945 1945-05-13 00:00:00.000 Air Attack near Okinawa On May 13, several enemy dive-bombers attacked Bache's picket station and one completed a successful suicide attack. ... The wing of the plane struck near number two stack, catapulting the plane down on the main deck amidships, with its bomb exploding about seven feet above the main deck. ... Forty-one of the crew were killed and 32 were injured. All steam and electrical power were lost. ... Fires were brought under control within 20 minutes by the valiant efforts of the damage control parties on Bache and she was towed to Kerama Retto, Okinawa, for temporary repairs and then returned to New York for permanent repairs. Prepared by CAPT R.O. Strange USN (Ret.) 1 528
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NBD94505141.jpg Enterprise CV 6 5 14 1945 1945-05-14 00:00:00.000 Kamikaze Strike ner Okinawa Making a quick turnaround in repairs to battle damage from a suicide plane, Enterprise returned to the Okinawa action on May 6. ... A kamikaze once more crashed into the flight deck destroying the forward elevator killing 14 and seriously injuring 34. ... The ship returned to Puget Sound Shipyard Bremerton WA for these repairs Prepared by CAPT R.O. Strange USN (Ret.) 1 529
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NBD94505171.jpg Douglas H. Fox DD 779 5 17 1945 1945-05-17 00:00:00.000 Kamikaze Attack near Okinawa During a concentrated attack by 11 enemy planes, Douglas H. Fox splashed 6 of her attackers before being hit by a kamikaze and its bomb, and sprayed with burning gasoline from 1 of her own victims. ... Although 7 of her crew were killed and 35 wounded, the fires were quickly extinguished and effective damage control measures enabled Douglas H. Fox to reach Kerama Retto under her own power for temporary repairs. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships 1 530
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NSB94505181.jpg Longshaw DD 559 5 18 1945 1945-05-18 00:00:00.000 Battery Fire near Naha Airfield Following a grueling 4 day period of fire support off Okinawa, and while en route to her patrol area, Longshaw ran aground on a coral reef south of Naha airfield. ... While attempts were made to free her from the reef, Japanese shore batteries opened up on Longshaw. The stranded destroyer attempted to fight back as best she could; but, as she opened fire, her bow was completely blown off by a hit which struck the forward magazine. When efforts to save her appeared hopeless, the order was given to abandon ship. ... Eighty-six of her crew died with the ship. ... Later in the afternoon, Longshaw, battered beyond salvaging, was destroyed by gunfire and torpedoes from U.S. ships. Prepared by CAPT R.O. Strange USN (Ret.) 1 531
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NBD94505201.jpg Thatcher DD 514 5 20 1945 1945-05-20 00:00:00.000 Kamikaze Attack off Ryukyu Islands On May 20, Thatcher detected large numbers of Japanese aircraft approaching the transport anchorage. ... All ships present opened fire, and Thatcher maneuvered to bring all batteries to bear on the attacking planes. As a low-flying Oscar passed down her port side, she increased her speed to 25 knots and commenced firing with her 20- and 40-millimeter guns. ... The kamikaze climbed steeply, did a wingover, and dived into the destroyer, striking her aft of the bridge. All power and steering control on the bridge were lost, both radars and the gyro system were out all external communications were lost, and there was a six- by nine-foot hole between the keel and the bilge. ... Boyd (DD-544) and Pavlic (APD-70) came alongside to remove the wounded and help extinguish fires. ... With 14 killed or missing and 53 wounded, the stricken ship limped into Kerama Retto. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships 1 532
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NSB94505251.jpg Bates APD 47 5 25 1945 1945-05-25 00:00:00.000 Air Attack near Ie Shima, Okinawa While patrolling 2 miles south of Ie Shima, Okinawa, Bates engaged three attacking Japanese planes with gunfire. ... The first plane dropped a bomb, scoring a near miss which ruptured the starboard hull of the ship, and then crashed into the starboard side of the fantail. The second plane, almost simultaneously, made a suicide hit on the pilothouse. Shortly thereafter the third plane made a bombing run scoring a near miss amidships, portside, rupturing the hull. ... At 1145, Bates was ordered abandoned. ... Twenty-one of her crew were either dead or missing from the attacks. ... During the afternoon Cree (ATF-84) was able to get a line aboard and towed Bates to Ie Shima anchorage. At 1923, May 25 1945 the still burning Bates capsized and sank in 20 fathoms of water. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships 1 533
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NBD94505251.jpg Butler DD 636 5 25 1945 1945-05-25 00:00:00.000 Kamikaze Attack near Okinawa On May 25, bombs from a suicide plane exploded under Butler's keel, killing nine men, blowing out steam lines and flooding the forward fire room causing the loss of all steam and electric power. ... West Virginia (BB-48) stood by Butler until power was regained and assisted in driving off two more Japanese planes. Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships 1 534
http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NBD94505252.jpg Spectacle AM 305 5 25 1945 1945-05-25 00:00:00.000 Kamikaze Attack near Ie Shima SPECTACLE took patrol station near Ie Shima and, early in the morning, splashed a `'Betty. ... At 0805, a diving kamikaze crashed into the minesweeper, striking the ship under her port 40-millimeter gun tub, causing extensive damage. Her rudder jammed. She dropped anchor to avoid running over her men in the water. ... Spectacle's losses were: 11 killed outright, four who died of wounds, six wounded, and 14 missing in action.

Lost At Sea Log

Number of sailors in this log: 29

Namesort ascending Service Branch
SC 2c Gino Giorgi USN
MOMM 3c John Dorsey USN
Sea 1c Albert Davis USN
F 1c Robert Calder USN
GM 3c Edwin Boyd USN
F 1c Gerald Bowen USN
StM 1c James Black USN
Sea 2c Billie Anderson USN
F 2c Ernest Albright USN

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Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships