Lunga Point (CVE 94) - Naval Cruise Book

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two Jap planes were sighted flying high over- head, barely within sight, and, as we watched, one of them began a steep dive at us from about 5000 feet, but his aim was poor. He passed overhead through the fire of our guns and pulled up at about 1800 feet, evidently realizing he was going to miss us. He turned from port to starboard, gaining altitude all the while. When he returned to our starboard side he presented a better target for our guns, and, as he apparently began a dive on the U.S.S. Saginaw Bay COVE 821, anchored on our starboard quarter, we hit him fatally and he crashed, out of control, about 50 feet from the LST 73 5, which was anchored I2 50 yards astern of us. We can only imagine how the crew of that LST felt after their narrow escape. Where the other Jap went, we donit know, but we do know that there was another Jap flag painted on our bridge that morning. c'B0giesf' were reported around all during the day. Consequently, we remained at Gen- eral Quarters, insofar as the anti-aircraft bat- teries were concerned, for the remainder of our stay at Kerama Retto. While no more HBan- ditsl' came at us during the rest of our stay, the Top Yon Tan airfield and landing beach, Okinawa, on L -l-2g below Showing destruction of Naha airfield, Okinawa on L +2. Okinawa bmchhcad on Love,' +Q.

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ammunition from LCM. 1735 Underway from Kerama Retto anchorage. Captain at the conn. Executive Officer and Navigator on the bridge. afe ahead 2f3. 1737 Ship 7.--gf T' 4, jg '99r'iffiiiQgfj , Q-EE: 9. M, 5 , QZQZLQQE Sr... gi g,'et . 455.3 3 i. I. i i I it 77 -.1-4 3 Yan ff ffl s t 5 'f-'f ' F E iii. X1 , ,,, ,if ' -if-.2 iff-' if Efif- 'Wil 1 ,J effi-reefs' ...lZfsr 03? went to General Quarters. 1740 Came to course 215OT and p.g.c., 2180 p.s.c. 1754 Passed through anti-submarine nets. Kerama Retto had been a hot place in more ways than one, and no one was exactly sorry to be leaving, however, our really hot time was yet to come, when ' 'CI8-20 Steaming as before. 1809 Secured from General Quarters. Set Condition of Readiness III, Material Condition Baker. 1823 cfc to 1o4OT and p.g.c., 0990 p.s.c. Five destroyers of MinDiv 60 sighted on port bow 2 miles. 1833 Ship went to General Quarters. 'B0gies' reported approaching from north- erly and southwesterly directions. Transport Group, 6 miles distant on starboard quarter, seen under attack. 1842 cfs to flank. 1843 Two enemy planes approaching our starboard quarter. All guns opened fire. U.S.S. M itcfzell and U.S.S. Patterson also opened fire. One plane hit and believed crashed. The other plane turned away at 1500 yards. 1844 Two enemy planes approaching on port beam. The U.S.S. Nawmem, MinDiv 60 and this ship all took these planes under Hre. Both planes shot down. 1845 cfc to I5OoT and p.g.c. Unidentified plane approaching on port bow in low glide. An enemy 'Nick' approaching in diving attack on starboard bow. All brought to bear and plane on port bow turned away at 1,000 yardsg believed to have been hit and crashed. Planes on starboard bow turned left at 1200 yards and dove on U.S.S. Mitchell, dropping two small bombs. The plane then crash-dived on an APD. 1858 cfc to 240 'I' and p.g.c. Fires observed on APD. 1916 Ob- served gunfire by convoy bearing 255oT, dis- tance IO miles. Two enemy planes seen to be shot down in flames. 1942 Secured from Gen- eral Quarters. Set Condition of Readiness III, Material Condition Baker. 1958 cfc to 27OOT and p.g.c. cfs to I4 knots. Bogies having been reported closing on us from both the north and southwest, we were, of course at General Quarters waiting to open fire just the minute they dared come within range of our guns. At 1843 two enemy planes were seen approaching our starboard quarter and the starboard guns opened fire just before they got within range, throwing up a terrific barrage. One of the planes dared to come in to within 1500 yards, but, apparently, he couldn't Utake it,,' and turned and dis- appeared. The second plane, taken under fire by this ship, the M itehell and the Patterson, finally turned to his starboard, low on the iE55I:I ffflf G its iEii53a We 'F-5 Nl 5 f i I f--+55 221 1 l M fresco E25 1- it . f -rio Nuxllilm P If E :Ee YIQII 'ff - fl' I.---' QC - .5 ' . 'Q NX iq' tease. sf 1 ClNsi:? 032255 water, and crashed some distance from us. just about that time, two more enemy fighters approached low on the water to port and were taken under fire by the Nawman and probably MinDiv 60. One of them exploded in the air