USS MASSEY DD778 Ship\u2019s log Okinawa 6 June 1945<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Latitude\n26 deg N, Longitude 127 deg- 51 E, Zone time -9<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKate\u201d – torpedo bomber
\u201cVal\u201d – dive bomber
\u201cZeke\u201d – fighter
\u201cOscar\u201d – land based fighter
CAP – combat air patrol
LCS – landing craft support
RPP – radar picket patrol planes
OTC – officer in tactical command
SOP – senior officer present <\/p>\n\n\n\n
6 June \u2013 Patrolling\nRadar Picket Station #9, southwest Okinawa Shima in company with W.D. PORTER\nand STODDARD and support craft LSC 117 (SOP support craft), LCS 92, LCS 122,\nand LCS 123\u2026.At 0721 a total of ten Corsair F4U planes on duty for CAP. At 1414\nUSS CLAXTON relieved W.D. PORTER as Fighter Director Ship \u2026at 1540 assumed OTC\nand formed destroyers (3) on 1500 yard circle, axis 330 deg (T), CLAXTON #1,\nMASSEY #2, STODDARD #3, and commenced patrol 150 deg (T) \u2013 330 deg(T) at 15 knots.\nThis formation in effect, placed ships in equilateral triangle formation with\n1300 yards distance between ships. Ships on radar picket station to the North\nreported that a Val with American wing markings made a suicide run on them but\nwas shot down. At 1750 four of the CAP departed for home base, leaving six\nCorsairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At 1852 exercised crew\nat General Quarters for evening alert. Weather is clear, visibility good,\nceiling about 3000 feet. At 1854\n\u201cpossibly bogey\u201d on bearing 240 deg (T), distance 15 miles; at 1855 bogey at 12\nNM. At 1857 bogey at 250 deg (T), 7 NM and all ships picked it up. Visually\nidentified as Zekes and Val, and the other unidentified. Raid appeared to be\nsplitting up. At 1858 went to 20 knots \u2013 2 planes closing; went to 30 knots.\nCAP was not in a position to make interception. Two Zekes appeared to be making\nrun on port beam. Control and main battery went on forward (right) plane,\nautomatic weapons watching second to left, and behind first plane. Two F4Us\ncame into line of sight at about 10,000 yards and fire had to be temporarily\nwithheld until planes had approached to 7,000 yards at which time (1900) plane <\/p>\n\n\n\n
#1 (forward plane) was taken under fire\nwith main battery and #2 shortly thereafter by automatics. Ship was brought\nslightly left to keep planes on port beam. Plane #1 continued run to about 3500\nyards when he cut across plane #2\u2019s track. As it became evident that plane #1\nwas going to pass astern of the ship, fire of main battery was shifted to plane\n#2 which had now closed to 1200 yards headed for the bridge structure. At 900 yards\nplane #2 changed course to make a suicide crash amidships. Plane was being hit\nby 40MM and 20MM and course continued to alter toward stern. Plane #2 crossed\nvery close astern about 15 feet altitude and crashed within 40 yards of\nstarboard quarter. Plane #1 crossed astern of this ship at a distance of about\n1500 yards and was reported burning. Plane #1 was taken under fire by STODDARD\nand crashed on the opposite side of\nformation at about 1902. During the time three planes were under fire. #3 and\n#4 planes had crossed astern of the formation at approximately 10 miles to\nattack from the opposite side. #3 made a fast run in from starboard and was\ntaken under fire by CLAXTON or STODDARD, or both, to splash just to starboard\nof the opening between the CLAXTON and STODDARD at about 1903. While the\nprevious three planes were working attacks from both sides, #4 had at first\nstayed out about 12 NM on our stern, then was tracked by Combat as he moved to\n5 NM on our starboard quarter (145 deg relative). #4, a Zeke, started a run\njust before #3 was splashed and control was quickly coached by Combat and\nlookouts topside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Course was changed to bring the plane on\nthe starboard beam. Corsairs came over low on our starboard quarter at about\n3000 feet and automatic weapons fired several bursts at them, then stopped and\nshifted to the enemy plane at about 4500 yards as it dived (1904). At 3500\nyards the main battery opened up, three 5\u201d\/38 shells in rapid succession\nexploded beneath <\/p>\n\n\n\n
( proximity fuse) the Zeke making the\nrun and it burst into flames, went out of control, and dove in a left spiral at\nan angle of about 70 deg to crash in the water about 1200-1500 yards on the\nstarboard quarter. AA fire of ships\naccounted for four out of four planes on the raid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just prior to the raid\na ship in another picket station had reported a Val with American markings, attack\nthem. This word was passed to gunnery stations; automatic weapons, thus in the\npoor light, the two Corsairs were mistook for possible attacking \u201cGraces\u201d since\nthey came in from the direction from which the fourth attack was reported to be\nclosing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At about 1910 screens\nof all ships were reported clear of all unidentified planes. At 1923 slowed to\n15 knots. At 1925 Radar Picket Patrol Planes and remaining division of CAP were\ndispatched to base; no CAP present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At 1932 MASSEY SC (long\n50 CM wave length) radar picked up bogey bearing 295 deg (T), distance 11 NM\nand reported to other ships; then bearing 290 deg (T), distance 10 NM, closing\n\u2013 several planes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At 1943 OTC change speed to 20, then 25\nknots, and changed course to 030 deg (T), then <\/p>\n\n\n\n
050 deg (T). Control identified planes as\nfive Vals – low on the water. SG (surface\nsearch short 10 CM wave length) radar reported that planes were splitting up\ninto two groups or more. Two planes (#3 and #4) were seen to detach themselves\nfrom the others and start a run straight in from about 7 NM, meanwhile a single\nplane(#5), started on a skirt of the formation to the South, and another group\n(#1 and #2) started to skirt the formation to the North. Control and main\nbattery were placed on northern (forward) of the two attackers making their\nrun, and automatics on the second one following. At 1938 MASSEY opened fire\nwith main battery on lead plane at 9,000 yards. Planes came straight in until\nabout 4,000 yards, the lead plane (#3) turned sharply to his left and went North\nto fall in behind other planes skirting the formation now at speed 30 knots. Meanwhile\nplane #4 had closed to 4,000 yards where automatics of MASSEY and CLAXTON had\ntaken him under fire. Main battery was shifted quickly to #4 but fire\nineffective because of close range. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
(It was probably not enough time for the\nfuses to be armed). MASSEY maneuvered to right to keep plane on beam. (This\nwould bring all guns to bear). At about 500 yards an Oscar banked sharply to\nthe left and made a dive on CLAXTON, ahead, splashing in water about 10 yards\nfrom her starboard amidships at about 1941 hours. CAP planes were called back\nto assist in fighting off attack as they skirted formation about 10 miles North.\nMASSEY took over IFD net reports for the group. At 1941 bogey to the South had\nclosed to 220 deg (T), 4NM then opened out rapidly to 12 NM. At 1941 bogey to North\nat 060 deg (T), 9 NM, closing, then at 065 deg (T) at 7 NM (about 070 deg\nrelative). Plane started straight in on starboard beam in shallow dive. MASSEY\nopened fire at 6,000 yards. The bogey was hit early and glowed with a bright\norange light. Shortly thereafter it heeled over sharply and crashed in a steep\ndive. Another plane was observed to crash on the starboard beam just before the\nplane at which MASSEY fired caught afire. It is possible that STODDARD splashed\nthis or one of the support craft. While MASSEY had been firing at #2, #3 had started a slow weaving run in from\nabout 040 deg (T) at 10 NM and Combat ordered automatic weapons to watch him. He\nclosed at 5 NM then delayed, then closed to about 7,500 yards by that time\nControl ceased firing on #2. Control was quickly shifted to #3 and opened fire\non him at 6,000 yards with main battery and automatics. Plane approached 4,500\nyards when he was hit, and a few shreds of burning material were seen to fall\u2026#3\nturned back straight away and fire was ceased at 7,000 yards. The plane\u2019s speed\ndropped off and it lost altitude, then at about 12,000 yards was seen to\nsplash. Visibility by this time was very limited and darkness was setting in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plane #5 opened out to South 15 NM then\nheaded East\u2026Night fighters were directed after him. Support craft claimed to\nhave shot down two planes during the engagement. Destroyers reformed and\nresumed their patrolling stations. Radar screens were all clear and all CAP and\nRPP planes were sent to land base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At 1941 time during the attack, MASSEY passed a man wearing a life jacket in the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It latter developed that two sailors\nwere missing from their ships from Radar Picket Station #9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A search was instituted in which the\nsupport craft directed by CIC (Combat Information Center) recovered the men based on the radar plots\navailable. At 2059 secured from General Quarters and set regular condition\nwatch when all enemy planes were clear of area. CAP and RPP planes were sent to\nland base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Comments on AA Action of this Date<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The net results of this evening\u2019s attack were: Eight of the nine or more of the attacking planes were shot down by the destroyers or support craft combined. No casualties to personnel or ships. Both CLAXTON and MASSEY had near misses. Because of late warning and the presence of cloud formation during the first attacks, neither CAP or RPP could be effectively used. During these raids, both SG and SC-4 radars were depended on heavily for engagement information. Both did an excellent job in their alternate turns, as information became available to the SG at extremely low altitudes, to the SC-4 at higher altitudes and close in. Lookouts and control personnel were called on also to keep track of and especially to differentiate between friendly and enemy planes (before IFF Identification Friend or Foe transmitting).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The MASSEY claims two Zekes and one Val destroyed by gunfire- unassisted, plus one assisted with STODDARD and one Zeke and a strong possibility on unidentified bogey last fired at when opening and crashing at 12, 000 yards. MASSEY also fired at an Oscar which narrowly missed CLAXTON. The crisscrossing tactics employed by these groups at 8,000 to 10,000 yards were confusing and resulted in both cross fire and reduced firing times with the 5 inch battery because of the indecision as to which bogies were attacking the ship. Earlier opening fire by one ship might precipitate the attack and permit other ships more time in which to track and select the proper target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ammunition expended this date:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Main\nBattery*<\/p>\n\n\n\n
59\nrounds 5\u201d\/38 AA Common<\/p>\n\n\n\n
258 rounds 5\u201d\/38 VT (Variable Time Proximity)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
317 rounds 5\u201d\/38 SPDN 6943 powder<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Automatics** <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1376 rounds 40 Millimeter HEI (high\nexplosive impact) & HEIT (high explosive time)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
3150 rounds 20 Millimeter <\/p>\n\n\n\n
*Main Battery consisted of three twin\nmount 5\u201d\/38, designated mounts 51, 52, and 53. Firing rate 17 to 22 rounds per\nminute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
** Automatics consisted of twelve 40mm\nAA guns and, ten 20mm. Firing rate over 120 rounds per minute.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
USS MASSEY DD778 Ship\u2019s log Okinawa 6 June 1945 Latitude 26 deg N, Longitude 127 deg- 51 E, Zone time -9 \u201cKate\u201d – torpedo bomber\u201cVal\u201d – dive bomber\u201cZeke\u201d – fighter\u201cOscar\u201d – land based fighterCAP – combat air patrolLCS – landing craft supportRPP – radar picket patrol planesOTC – officer in tactical commandSOP – senior officer…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":42,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-642","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ussmasseyassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ussmasseyassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ussmasseyassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ussmasseyassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ussmasseyassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=642"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ussmasseyassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/642\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":803034,"href":"https:\/\/ussmasseyassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/642\/revisions\/803034"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ussmasseyassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/42"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ussmasseyassociation.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}