Off the coast of Okinawa, a historic destroyer from World War II was in danger of sinking. Fifty-two submarines lost their crews during the war, including 84 dead and 3,131 missings. Ackerman was given a Silver Star after he died for his work on the ship.
The destroyer had been attacked many times, but it had avoided sinking. In one case, a kamikaze hit the ship while the crew tried to save people from the sinking Callaghan. Unfortunately, the Japanese destroyer killed two people on board the vessel, and it was almost torn in half. Another time, a bomb from Japan hit the destroyer. Luckily, this didn't happen to the I-53, but it got a lot of damage.
The Historic WWII Destroyer's Memorial Room was not damaged during the attack. Rescue workers found the ship's intricate 3-D model, letters written by the Sullivan brothers who gave it its name, and two original flags. The destroyer also carried a torn American flag tied to its mast during a battle near the Japanese islands.
Before the attack, the crew didn't know that the Trigger had already been sunk by the Japanese plane that saw the U-boat. The Japanese led the escort ships CD-33 and CD-59 to a datum on March 28, so they could fire a depth-charge barrage. This led to a giant slick of oil. In the end, the Japanese submarines lost the two-masted U-boats and the American destroyer.
The Mary Ann McLaughlin was a radio relay for the Japanese suicide mission and was in danger of sinking. The Japanese sent 24 P1Y Frances bombers to Ulithi Atoll, but only one was successful. When a P1Y Frances crashed into the USS Randolph (CV-15), 25 sailors were killed, and 106 were hurt.
The crew of the Juneau made it through the threat of sinking. Those who made it out were called heroes, and their names went down in history. Their pictures were all over the country on posters meant to spread propaganda. After the war, the Navy gave them a destroyer to thank them. So on April 4, 1943, the Sullivans (DD-537) were put into service.
The USS Enterprise was getting a significant makeover when the sinking throat hit. In addition to getting new main guns, the ship improved its fire control systems and radar. It also had more weapons to fight against planes. The boat could not have made it without these repairs.
The Indianapolis was dispatched to the Mariana Islands at the end of July 1945. There were parts of atomic bombs in the ship's cargo. From San Francisco to Tinian, it took ten days to get there. Finally, on July 26, the ship made its last delivery. From there, it went to the Philippines, where it went into the Leyte Gulf. The Japanese submarine I-58 fired two torpedoes at it, which hit it. The USS Tranquility, AH-14, came to help the still-alive people.
Commander Frank De Vere "Sparrow" Latta (USNA '32) was in charge of the USS Torsk. He is known for firing the last U.S. torpedo of the war. Later, the Navy Cross and the Legion of Merit were given to Latta. He also got the Navy Cross for being in charge of the Narwhal's fourth through ninth war patrols.
The Nakagusuku Bay was being watched by the USS Cassin Young (DD-793). Five enemy planes attacked the ship, but the destroyer was able to shoot them all down and keep the boat from getting too damaged. This meant that the crew could return to a friendly base after the attack.
After the attack, the destroyer was followed by a group of ships that could land on land. The squadron had 21 PT boats, three new destroyers, and an Australian frigate. Tomcat radars were used to protect the crew. But the destroyer still had damage, so that it couldn't return to the war zone.
Pennsylvania left San Francisco on July 12, 1945, and arrived in Okinawa on the same day. On August 18, it was pulled out of her floating dry dock. Then, she went through major repairs and was given eight Battle Stars as a reward. Pennsylvania took part in the last battle between two battleships during the war.