Posted on 03/06/2014 8:18:07 AM PST by NKP_Vet
Real WW2 combat footage - Kamikaze Attack, USS Laffey (DD-724)
(Excerpt) Read more at dropbox.com ...
"The USS Laffey survived despite being badly damaged by four bombs, six kamikaze crashes, and strafing fire that killed 32 and wounded 71. The assistant communications officer — Lt. Frank Manson — asked Captain Becton if he thought they'd have to abandon ship, to which he snapped, "No! I'll never abandon ship as long as a gun will fire." Becton did not hear a nearby lookout softly say, "And if I can find one man to fire it."
Incredible!
bfltr
Seventy-one American destroyers were lost during WWII, 60 of them in confrontations with enemy ships, planes, shore batteries and mines, the other 11 to accidental groundings, friendly mines or severe storms.
Some were battle scared veterans that went down in a blaze of glory, some recently commissioned and on the way to the war when they hit a friendly mine.
Great book with the details of each ship lost: “Blood On The Sea: American Destroyers Lost In World War II”
http://www.amazon.com/Blood-On-The-Sea-Destroyers/dp/0306810697
Search “Typhoon Cobra”. A terrible loss. I think it was three destroyers were lost and about three hundred men.
My father-in-law was on the USS Randolph when it got hit by a Kamikaze attack in Mar 1945. 35 sailors died and 107 wounded.
for later
I would also recommend “Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors” about the battle between Task Force Taffy 3 and the Japanese Navy off the island of Samar in the Phillipines.
Nuke ‘em!
for later
bkmk
Still afloat (or grounded) in Charleston Harbor next to the Yorktown.
Worth the trip to visit.
I simply love the story of Taffy 3. It gives me goosebumps every time I hear/read about it. It is the story of true heroism. The “uncommon valor” sentiment definitely applies to the sailors of Taffy 3.
Still it makes no sense why they dribbled them out a few at a time instead of one mass attack to overwhelm our defenses.
> I would also recommend “Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors” about the battle between Task Force Taffy 3 and the Japanese Navy off the island of Samar in the Phillipines.
My father was on USS Heermann, DD532, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf off Samar. He told me the name of his ship; he told me the name of the battle, but would refused to ever go into any details. I never knew that USS Heermann was the only destroyer to survive the battle until many years after his death when I watched one of the History Channel shows on the battle.
The question as to why not just one big attack? Having more planes in the same area, wouldn't have necessarily meant more success. There is only so much airspace, more planes equals more targets. More planes means less manuevering ability per plane. Tougher coordination for the Japs as it would have to be on-site.
At Iwo Jima, the Japs had changed their defensive strategy to be one of more attrition for the invader. The Jap CG forbade banzai attacks because of their proven lack of success earlier in the island hopping campaign, and after the attack, the Americans were able to swiftly root out the remaining defenders due to the lack of defensive depth.
Had the Japs gone for one mass kamikaze attack, the resulting difficulties in coordination and control would have likely ended in less favorable results. Defensive measures are more effective in a target rich environment, If the battle unfolded slowly, fuel then becomes another factor. They also were thinking ahead to the looming invasion of the home islands and didn't want to expend their reserves.
Yes it is.
The entire area, Charleston, Sullivans Island, Isle of Pines is a must for history buffs.
If you want to see and feel what it was like to under go a kamikaze attack, one of the best movies to show this is “Away All Boats”, the story of a fictional Attack Transport (APA) in the Pacific War. Jeff Chandler portrays the CAPT Hawks and George Nader is LT McDougall.
The high point of the battle off Okinawa is the kamikaze raid on the transport area. It is positively chilling. The only way to effectively kill a kamikaze was with a hit from a 5-inch gun. The 40mm Bofors would just blow chunks off the Japanese aircraft but did not necessarily destroy them. If the kamikaze got within 20mm Oerlikon range, you could be assured you were going to take a hit. Okinawa was the only battle the Navy fought in the Pacific where the KIA numbers were higher than the WIA and MIA numbers. To say it traumatized the USN would be an understatement.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.