Under Constant Attack and Hit By A Kamikaze
On 4 May, the minesweeper sank two small Japanese boats and set one afire with gunfire. That evening, she was strafed by an enemy plane. She sank another small boat on 13 May; and, the next evening, she sank five small suicide boats. Spectacle took patrol station near Ie Shima on 22 May and, early that morning, splashed a "Betty". At 0805, a diving kamikaze crashed into the minesweeper, striking the ship under her port 40-millimeter gun tub, causing extensive damage and blowing many of her crew overboard. Her rudder jammed. She dropped anchor to avoid running over her men in the water. At 0815, USS LSM-135 began picking up survivors; but, 15 minutes later, the medium landing ship was also hit by a kamikaze and burst into flames. Spectacle's losses were: 11 killed outright, four who died of wounds, six wounded, and 14 missing in action.
Read more about this topic: USS Spectacle (AM-305)
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