Post by oldtimer on Apr 3, 2017 10:32:57 GMT -5
Easter day falls on Sunday April 16th this year...
Easter day fell on Sunday April 1st 1945...
We were on our way to the invasion of Okinawa when we were detoured to Iwo Jima...When it was decided we would no longer be needed, we continued...We moured near a small island occupied by a small amount of Japanese troops and a few fisherman...It was located about 8-10 miles from Okinawa...
Okinawa is not what you might imagine a Pacific island be...It was about 80 miles long and from 4 to 10 miles wide...It had a population of close to a million people...It also had a railroad system that encircled the island...Its Capitol (NAHA) had trolley cars and a population or close to 100,000...
Early Easter morning we entered our small landing crafts after receiving Mass...As we entered the main body of water, I was shocked by the scene ahead...There were 1000's of ships and airplanes of every type engaged in a vicious battle...
It was a scene
I will never forget....
Overhead were hundreds of planes both Japan's and America's 'Dog fighting' while many went blazing into the sea...Japanese 'Baku' glider bomber's were every where on their suicide missions...
Below were many ships ablaze with their crews fighting the fires...As we passed we could see many men in the water who had jumped ship in order to escape the infern's....
We could actually see the bigger shells from our larger warships pass overhead...
Through it all we were not allowed to stop and help those in the water...They were on their own...
As we approached the main land to our surprise the resistance was light with only harrasing fire...It did not take us long to take Yontan Airport and cover the 4 mile distance to reach the Pacific side and cut the Island in half...Marine and Army Divisions split with some going north while the main portion went south where the Japanese had set up there main defence at the Shuri Castle line....
The carnage had begun...Some 4-5 months later it ended with the toll......
Aprox. 5,000 NAVY men deaths...
Aprox. 11,000 ARMY and Marine deaths...
Estimated 100,000 plus civilain deaths...
Estimated 100,000 plus Japanese soldier deaths...And a loss of at least 2,000 planes...
April 16th 2017.....Happy Easter to all.
Easter day fell on Sunday April 1st 1945...
We were on our way to the invasion of Okinawa when we were detoured to Iwo Jima...When it was decided we would no longer be needed, we continued...We moured near a small island occupied by a small amount of Japanese troops and a few fisherman...It was located about 8-10 miles from Okinawa...
Okinawa is not what you might imagine a Pacific island be...It was about 80 miles long and from 4 to 10 miles wide...It had a population of close to a million people...It also had a railroad system that encircled the island...Its Capitol (NAHA) had trolley cars and a population or close to 100,000...
Early Easter morning we entered our small landing crafts after receiving Mass...As we entered the main body of water, I was shocked by the scene ahead...There were 1000's of ships and airplanes of every type engaged in a vicious battle...
It was a scene
I will never forget....
Overhead were hundreds of planes both Japan's and America's 'Dog fighting' while many went blazing into the sea...Japanese 'Baku' glider bomber's were every where on their suicide missions...
Below were many ships ablaze with their crews fighting the fires...As we passed we could see many men in the water who had jumped ship in order to escape the infern's....
We could actually see the bigger shells from our larger warships pass overhead...
Through it all we were not allowed to stop and help those in the water...They were on their own...
As we approached the main land to our surprise the resistance was light with only harrasing fire...It did not take us long to take Yontan Airport and cover the 4 mile distance to reach the Pacific side and cut the Island in half...Marine and Army Divisions split with some going north while the main portion went south where the Japanese had set up there main defence at the Shuri Castle line....
The carnage had begun...Some 4-5 months later it ended with the toll......
Aprox. 5,000 NAVY men deaths...
Aprox. 11,000 ARMY and Marine deaths...
Estimated 100,000 plus civilain deaths...
Estimated 100,000 plus Japanese soldier deaths...And a loss of at least 2,000 planes...
April 16th 2017.....Happy Easter to all.
