May 4, 1945 on the the USS Yolo LST (M) 677 was a busy day.
May 4, 1945
Beginning around 0000 the island took its usual pounding. The shore AA, the searchlights and the smoke were present. Although warm during the day, at GQ the cold penetrates. There must be something psychological about it as well. Even with a jacket and overcoat it is cold. Blankets are issued when condition one easy is set. In this condition of readiness men relax when the enemy is not in the immediate area. The crew huddles together or just sits and stares into the night. War is uncomfortable, dangerous and lonely.
This was a day of GQs. Four long ones took most of the day. The enemy is trying to make up for those days lost during the inclement weather. The alert this morning involved about 10 or 12 planes. Breaking through the defenses, an Oscar was taken under fire. Apparently hit, the pilot dove straight down in a scream¬ing dive, crashing cruiser Birmingham, anchored 100 yards from Yolo. There was a ball of fire, a puff of smoke and a huge smoke ring. Fifty-one crewmembers died and 81 were wounded. Yolo was fortunate, indeed.
When not at GQ, I worked on the battle report, a comprehensive one telling of the ship's action for April. The usual number of ships moored alongside today. Most officers of the ships supplied have little conception of the supply chain. Many request specialties like bananas.
The movie projector bulb blew up and there is no spare. It was just as well for we went to GQ again this evening. American fighters downed eight enemy flying over the anchorage. We secured from GQ before midnight knowing full well we would be called again. During the day US air activity accelerated as hundreds of planes took to the sky. Around the anchorage ships arrive, and depart when their cargo is ashore. Communiqués issued daily present an overall picture of the hap¬penings. We know the details in our area but beyond that is another world. Attacks develop, bits of information are flashed over the radio, bomb and shell explosions are seen but the communiqué correlates all.
Cinpoa #352 - During the night of May 3-4 Japanese soldiers using landing craft attempted to cut behind our lines at three points on the west coast and one point on the east coast of Okinawa. By daylight the landing effort on the east coast had been repulsed and enemy groups on the west were pocketed and are being de¬stroyed. During early morning darkness on the 4th air¬craft attacked Yontan causing some damage. Ships off shore destroyed 15 suicide boats, one of which damaged a light surface unit. Between 0745 and 0915 many enemy aircraft attacked picket stations #1 and 12 bearing to the north and northwest some 51 and 61 miles respectively from Point Bolo. While we on Yolo did not see the pounding the ships took, the bloody statistics emerged. Destroyers Luce and Morrison, along with LSM(R)s 190 and 194 were sunk; destroyer Imgraham was so severely damaged she was not repaired until after the war. Shea (DM 30) was hit by a Baka and damaged. These ships lost 348 killed and 274 wounded. Some 54 planes were downed by ships' guns and CAP.
All of this was a part of Kikusui V when the Japanese sent 125 kamikazes along with a like number of fighters and bombers into battle. In spite of the attacks, Yolo received provisions from USS CASTOR (AKS-1). As of May 4 the Navy indicated that 2949 men have been killed, and 3266 wounded at Okinawa. These statistics tell the story of naval operations off the island. Paling into insignificance, but which disturb me no end, are the pending disciplinary cases.
