Shangri La (CV 38) - Naval Cruise Book

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Japanese monument on Okinawa, I 5

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Native tombs after bombing - Okinawa. During the dogfight seven Corsair pilots were downed or suffered such severe damage that they Were unable to return to the ship. One pilot Was rescued by searching destroyers while another F4U made it back to the ship in a plane so riddled it had to be stripped and jettisoned. Air Group 85 knocked down one Jack, one Tojo, and one Oscar for a very uneven score on the first strike day, June Z, l945. Returning with a vengeance at sunrise the following morning, twenty-four planes from Air Group 85 found about thirty Jap fighters Waiting over the target, Chiran Airfield. The Japs dove through a cloud layer at 22,000 feet to open the melee which was fought over enemy airields with enemy ack-ack

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potting at every American plane that chanced within range. These enemy pilots were not the poorly trained Kamikaze Corps, but crack pilots using every trick in the bag and teaching a few new ones to a startled air group. When the ight finally ended four enemy planes were downed, three more were probables and several damaged. Hard hit 85 was short three pilots and planes, two .to enemy action, one operationally. Other patrols were flown between the home islands and Okinawa to prevent new Kamikazes from bolstering Okinawa defenses. Returning to the support of Okinawa, Task Group 38 encountered a severe typhoon in which surface winds reaching a -velocity of 120 knots were recorded Marme fighter squadron scoreboard at Okinawa. Each dot represents a Jap plane.