Hamlin (AV 15) - Naval Cruise Book

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Q X , 3sX ' XX.Q Y T ' 3- ., K V ,E u il W X, s .was N ss: c KAMIKAZE The most fearsome weapon used by the Japs was the suicide plane and it was not Y , long before we knew from our own ex- perience why this was so. lt all happened so quickly in much less time than it takes to write it down. One moment there was a low-wing Judy, heading straight in at us. Then a burst of a five inch proiectile in the path of the plane caused it to waver, then to sheer off and dive away in an apparent effort to escape. And there, ahead of the plunging aircraft, lay a ship, an ammunition carrier. Into the super- structure of this vessel crashed the plane and a huge puff of flame and smoke rose into the air. We could see men leaping over the side to avoid the hot fire which soon enveloped the upper decks. At 2200, she blew up. The following morning, there was no wreckage in sight and another score was chalked up for the Kamikaze. x T 4 as .vi X W w l xl NX Page 29 l l l v Il it l l

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1 On sunny days, recreafion ashore was pleasant, for There were many strange Things To do and see. A Page 28 XJ ,

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l i UIUIDE il'l I'illlli For a week preceding, there had been almost no raids and no one hurried particularly that Sunday morning as the general alarm brought us to the station. That slight delay came close to costing us our ship. Even before every gun was manned and ready, two planes appeared over the northern end of the cove. There they separated in usual Kamikaze approach and came in tor the attack. One plane darted oft on a westerly course, drawing the tire ot our atter 4Olvllvl while the second plane dove tor the nearest ship, crashing into her port side. That vessel was one ot our sister ships and only 400 yards away from us. Page 30 K,