Okinawa Invasion
Isherwood sailed for the Okinawa operation 21 March 1945; and, after her arrival 5 days later, took part in the landings on Kerama Retto preparatory to the main assault on Okinawa. Troops from the main task force stormed ashore 1 April in the biggest amphibious operation of the Pacific war, and 2 days later Isherwood moved to a position off the beaches for fire support missions. This continued until 16 April, when the ship was sent to aid stricken destroyers Pringle (DD-477) and Laffey (DD-724) off Ie Shima. That afternoon she took over Laffey's duties as fighter director ship on picket station.
The days that followed found Isherwood in numerous heavy air raids, as the Japanese made a desperate attempt to drive off the invasion fleet with suicide planes. While on station 22 April a kamikaze made a dusk attack on the destroyer and crashed No. 3 gun mount. One veteran described the kamikaze pilot as: "a jockey riding in on a horse." Many fires were started by the D3A1 "Val" dive bomber and his 500-pound bomb, but all were quickly extinguished except the one in the depth charge rack aft. After 25 minutes of dangerous fire-fighting, the charge exploded, causing great damage in the after engine room. Isherwood arrived Kerama Retto with over 80 men killed, wounded, or missing.
Read more about this topic: USS Isherwood (DD-520)
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