LSMR-189

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LSMR-189 was a US Navy vessel which took part in the Battle of Okinawa.

The following excerpts are copied verbatim from the Office of Naval Records and Library, Action Report battle of Okinawa (that) covers Suicide Plane Attack resulting in hit on 12 April 1945. In Task Unit 52.21.1 by J.M. Stewart, Lieutenant, D, USNR, Commanding Officer.

On April 12, 1945 this vessel USS LSM(R) 189 was on patrol in the company with the USS Mannert L. Abele (DD 733) and LSMR 190. At 1328 the DD 733 reported that a raid of enemy planes was twenty miles north of them. From that time on until 1428 we were under constant attack and succeeded in shooting down three (3) Jap planes and assisting in the destruction of another. The planes were identified as one (1) VAL and two (2) KATEs. One suicide dived the conn of this ship and hit the aft part of it, blowing two men overboard. Miraculously, both men are still alive and full extent of their injuries unknown. One other man was hit by shrapnel and a fourth, who was at the scene of collision, was possibly injured internally.

The observation of action by the other two ships could be noticed only occasionally.. . . .It is difficult to say what it was that hit the DD 733. This officer personally saw what appeared to be two (2) planes orbiting in a northerly direction from the DD 733, and then suddenly, what appeared to be, one plane, accelerated at a terrific rate, too fast for us to fire at. This plane dove at an angle of approximately 30 degrees, starting at about four miles away. Since we had no air search radar, the above statements are merely my own conclusions. The plane hit the DD 733 directly amid-ships on the port beam. The DD 733 appeared to be smoking then she broke in the middle. She disappeared into the water within two minutes. There may have been other planes which hit the DD 733 without our knowledge, since we were too busy fighting our own ship to make accurate observations. What it was that had such acceleration as the craft which hit the DD 733, has never been before been observed by this officer.

M.G. Sheftall recounts the following in Blossoms In the Wind, Human Legacies of the Kamikaze July 2005. p. 188

Admiral Matome Ugaki. . . . waited until April 12 for just the right conditions to order the next Oka attack. About five minutes after the Zero strike, three Japanese heavy bombers were observed approaching from a distance, then turning away before closing any further. A moment later, the Abeles's survivors and AA gunners on the other ships caught a split-second glimpse of something that they had never seen before. Visible only as a light gray streak against a light gray horizon, a missile of some sort came whistling in at extreme speed and wave-cap altitude, cracking the Abele with a tremendous explosion right above the waterline and nearly splitting the ship in half. Eighteen-year-old Radio Operator Third Class Charles Sanford and Captain Parker (CO DD733) were the last two men to leave the ship alive.

LSMR 189 CO Stewart's Action Report (Continued): The performance of all hands was excellent. They stayed on their battle stations and exercised the finest judgement in all circumstances possible. Immediately after this ship was hit and two men were blown into the water, the ship made a hard left turn, at flank speed, and came to a crash stop alongside of the men. Within four minutes after the men were blown overboard the crew had them safely aboard and we were again under way at flank speed. The three men who stood out in this quick rescue of survivors were Ronald Walter Leathe, Anthony Albert Vasquez And Donald Vivian Jeremiah. Their fine handling of life lines and life rings in bringing the men back aboard resulted in this ship being dead in the water less than a minute. When we arrived at the place where the survivors from the DD 733 were, all hands, not directly on battle stations rigged cargo nets, accommodation ladders, Jacobs ladders, life rings and pulled in survivors from 1527 until 1645. While we were engaged in picking up survivors, enemy planes closed in, and we had to get underway on two occasions. All men stayed at their battle stations and kept the most vigilant lookout and had their guns firing whenever enemy planes closed in. . . . .Many of the survivors were suffering from wounds and shocks and all of them were covered with oil. The officers and men of this ship gave, unstintingly of everything they had in the way of clothing and personal gear. The amount of shoes, dungarees, shirts, blankets, etc. given to the survivors by the officers and men was sizable.

1748 All survivors and casualties transferred to DMS 27. . . . .The number of survivors rescued was unknown but Capt Parker of the DD 733 and the Ships Doctor were among those rescued. It is estimated that 150 were rescued in all. I can truthfully say that I am, indeed, proud of this crew and their complete disregard of self interest in order to take care of a job at hand.

M.G. Sheftall recounts the following in Blossoms In the Wind, Human Legacies of the Kamikaze July 2005. p. 192

That night, the pilots were told about the April 12 sinking of the American destroyer. The news electrified the group, but Suzuki's excitement was tinged with loss when he heard the name of the man who had piloted the Oka. It was his best friend, Saburo Dohi. Still, Suzuki could not help but be proud of his friends success, and most of all, of his bravery.

"I talked later to the pilot of the Isshiki Rikko that carried Dohi's Oka on that mission," Suzuki-san says. "He said Dohi was so cool and collected that he napped most of the trip down from Kanoya. They had to wake him up to get him into his Oka when they closed in on the drop point."