Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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PART V OKINAWA GUXTO Okinawa was next in our plan. As we lunged forward to Japan. It was a long and bloody campaign, O ' er rough and well defended terrain, But when the firing did finally subside. Victory, again, ivas on our side. Wednesday, 21 March 1945: 04-08 Anchored as before. 0639 Underway from Berth 27-28, Ulithi Atoll, on various courses and speeds conforming to the channel. That night, the Old Man pulled THAT CHAIR up to the fireside, broke out his mike, and told us all about the coming operation. He told us that this particular operation was to be more of a campaign than a battle, because it would last a long time, and would involve the occupying of several smaller Jimas, .Shimas and Rettos before and after the actual invasion of Okinawa Shima, our major objective in the battle of Okinawa Gunto. He told us by name the many large naval vessels that would be in- volved in the operation, and it sounded like a roll call of every capital ship in the Fleet. It seemed, also, that there was to be a tremendous number of destroyers, destroyer escorts, mine- sweepers, transports and supply ships. In fact, it sounded like the entire Pacific Fleet was being thrown into the operation to guarantee its success. The Captain went on to say, also. Some of the Jap hulks that littered the Okinawa beaches on •Love ' — 3, as pre-invasion strikes took toll of enemy shipping. 89