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Navy Memorial Honoring the Men & Women of the Sea Services

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Ticonderoga

Ship Designation: 
CV-14
Date Lost: 
Sunday, January 21, 1945
Kamikaze Attack near Formosa
Ticonderoga, along with other carriers of TF 38 transited to a suitable launch site for striking the airfields January 22, 1945 on Formosa, in the Pescadores, and at Sakishima Gunto. ... Just after noon, a single-engined Japanese plane scored a hit on USS Langley with a glide-bombing attack. Seconds later, a kamikaze emerged from the clouds and plunged into Ticonderoga, crashing through her flight deck with his bomb exploding just above the hangar deck. Several planes erupted into flames. Death and destruction abounded, but the ship's company fought valiantly to save the threatened carrier. ... Taking advantage of the damaged condition of Ticonderoga, other kamikazes quickly pounced on the stricken carrier. Her antiaircraft gunners struck back with methodical, ferocity and quickly swatted three tormentors into the sea. A fourth plane slipped through AA barrage and smashed into the carrier's starboard side near the island. ... His bomb set more planes on fire, riddled the flight deck, and injured or killed another 100 sailors-including the CO. ... Smart shiphandling enabled the ship to keep the wind from fanning the blaze. The magazines and other compartments were flooded to prevent further explosions and to correct a 10-degree starboard list. Finally, the damage control party was directed to induce a ten degree port list by flooding compartments on Ticonderoga's port side which dumped the fire overboard! Fire-fighters and plane handlers completed the job by dousing the flames and jettisoning burning aircraft.

Lost At Sea Log

Number of sailors in this log: 137

Namesort descending Service Branch
StM 1c Over Jackson USN
RT 2c Kenneth Jambor USN
F 1c James Jeppesen USN
Sea 1c Arthur Johanson USN
GM 3c Warren Jones USN
AMM 3c Joseph Josick USN
Sea 1c William Kean USN
Lt John Kelley USN
Cox Kenneth Kenny USN
Lt Owen Kerens USN
AMM 2c Calvin Kessinger USN
PhM 3c Norbert Ketza USN
Sea 1c Charles King USN
Sea 1c Michael Koenig USN
Sea 2c Peter Kooistra USN
RT 3c John Kulick USN
Sea 1c William Lacalamito USN
Sea 1c George Lachner USN
Sea 1c Anthony Landi USN
Lt John Lavin USN

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Prepared by CAPT R.O. Strange USN (Ret.)