A historic WWII destroyer survives a sinking threat off the coast of Okinawa.
A vintage WWII warship escaped sinking off the coast of Okinawa. Fifty-two submarines lost personnel during the war, resulting in 84 deaths and 3,131 missings. For his involvement aboard the ship, Ackerman won a posthumous Silver Star.
The warship has withstood many strikes despite the possibility of sinking. In one case, a kamikaze attacked the ship while the crew attempted to rescue people from the sinking Callaghan. The Japanese destroyer murdered two crew members and almost sunk the boat. A Japanese bomb also hit the ship another time. Fortunately, the I-53 was spared, but it was severely damaged.
Fortunately, the Historic WWII Destroyer’s Memorial Room survived the onslaught. Emergency crews recovered the ship’s complex 3-D model, letters written by the ship’s namesake Sullivan brothers, and two original flags. Unfortunately, the destroyer also sported a torn American flag on its mast, which had been affixed during the fight near the Japanese islands.
The Japanese plane that spotted the U-boat had already sunk the Trigger, but the crew had no idea until a few days before the attack. The Japanese led the escort ships, the CD-33 and CD-59, onto a datum to unleash a depth-charge bombardment on March 28. This caused a massive oil slick. The Japanese submarines eventually lost the two-masted U-boats and the American warship.
Another historic WWII destroyer has survived a sinking threat: the Mary Ann McLaughlin served as a communications relay for the Japanese suicide operation. The Japanese had dispatched a squadron of 24 P1Y Frances bombers to Ulithi Atoll, but just one was successful. Unfortunately, one P1Y, Frances, collided with the USS Randolph (CV-15), killing 25 sailors and injuring 106 others.
The Juneau’s crew escaped the sinking peril. Those who survived were lauded as heroes, and their names became legendary. Their images were disseminated all across the country on propaganda posters. Following the conflict, the Navy chose to name a ship after them. On April 4, 1943, the Sullivans (DD-537) was launched.
When the sinking danger came, the USS Enterprise underwent a thorough refurbishment. Aside from replacing her main armament cannons, the ship’s fire control systems and radar were upgraded. It was also outfitted with anti-aircraft guns. The ship’s existence depended on these repairs.
The Indianapolis was dispatched to the Mariana Islands in late July 1945. The cargo on board was atomic bomb components. It took ten days to get from San Francisco to Tinian. On July 26, the ship arrived at its destination. It then proceeded to the Philippines’ Leyte Gulf. The Japanese submarine I-58 fired two torpedoes at it. The AH-14 USS Tranquility rescued the survivors.
The USS Torsk was led by Commander Frank De Vere “Sparrow” Latta (USNA ‘32), credited with launching the final torpedo fired by the United States during the war. Latta was later awarded the Navy Cross and the Legion of Merit. In addition to the Silver Star, he received the Navy Cross for commanding the Narwhal’s fourth through ninth war patrols.
The USS Cassin Young (DD-793) was tasked with inspecting Nakagusuku Bay. Five hostile planes assaulted the destroyer, but they could destroy them while causing minimal damage to the ship. After the attack, the crew could return to a friendly base.
An amphibious squadron escorted the destroyer after the strike. The company comprised three modern destroyers, an Australian frigate, and 21 PT-boats. Tomcat radars protected the crew. The warship, however, sustained damage and could not return to the fighting zone.
On July 12, 1945, Pennsylvania left San Francisco for Okinawa. On August 18, she was pulled out of her floating dry dock. She was then given eight Battle Stars after undergoing extensive upgrades. Pennsylvania took part in the final battleship-versus-battleship battle in history during the conflict.
