USN:
Escort carrier USS Sangamon (CVE-26), hole in flight deck near after elevator caused by kamikaze attack on 4 May 1945 off Okinawa. Note elevator in background.
On 4 May 1945, at 19:33 hrs, USS
Sangamon (CVE-26) was hit by a kamikaze. The next day, the crew is mustering at stations to see who is missing from the attack the night before. There is no one at the bridge: steering has been transferred to aft steering on the port side due to damage on the bridge from the kamikaze hit.
On 4 May, she put into Kerama Retto to rearm. Loading, frequently interrupted by the presence of
bogies in the area, was not completed until evening. At 18:30, the CVE got underway. Japanese attackers, however, were soon reported only some 29 mi (47 km) off. Land-based fighters were vectored out to intercept the enemy planes and shot down nine. One got through and, at about 19:00, began circling toward a position on
Sangamon's port quarter. The escort carrier went into a hard left turn to avoid the enemy and to maneuver into a position to launch her aircraft. She then opened fire and was joined by her escorts. The enemy crashed into the water some 25 ft (7.6 m) off the starboard beam.
Other enemy aircraft followed the first. At 19:25, another broke through the interceptor screen, ran into clouds to avoid anti-aircraft fire, then came out and, with increased speed, headed for
Sangamon. At 19:33, the
kamikaze dropped his bomb and crashed into the center of the flight deck. The bomb and parts of the plane penetrated the deck and exploded below. Initial damage was extensive, fires broke out on the flight deck, the hangar deck, and in the fuel deck, communications from the bridge were lost within 15 minutes, and the ship was soon out of control.
The action of
Sangamon swinging through the wind caused the flames and smoke to change direction, spreading the fires. By 20:15, however, steering control had been established, and the ship was brought back to a course which helped the crew fight the many fires. But water pressure was low, as the firemain and risers had ruptured.
Carbon dioxide bottles were brought into action. Nearby ships came alongside to assist. By 22:30, all fires were under control. Communication with other units had been regained; at first through the radio of
Fullam, then by using a
VHF channel in the sole remaining aircraft aboard. At 23:20,
Sangamon – with 11 dead, 25 missing, and 21 seriously wounded – got underway to return to Kerama Retto for temporary repairs.
