Kamikaze Memorial

In memory and honor of  those wounded, killed or missing during a kamikaze plane attack on April 2, 1945.   They all served this country proudly.

~HENRICO WOUNDED~

2 APRIL 1945 & CASUALTY LIST

GEORGE R. O’CONNELL, 4935 CherokeeAv, Alexandria, VA 22312-1811, sent copies of the original BECRET papers on the bombing of the USS HENRICO from the Navy Archives in answer to BOB DUCHATEAU’s question.The following is extracted from the58 page report, now de-classified:

On the evening of 2 April 1945 this vessel was conducting night retirement from Kerama Retto as a component of Task Group 53.4. At 1838 Zone Time in Approximate position 25 degrees 59′ N and 127 degrees 17′ E, course 135 degrees true, speed 8 knots (38RPM) an enemy twin-engine bomber “FRANCES” approached from out of a cloud cover and made a suicide crash on the ship, striking the starboard side of the bridge deck at frame 96.

 

Officers killed were:

Temporary Cornn. Officer, Captain W.C. France USN

Comm Transport Div 50, Capt E. KIEHL, USN

Comm. Off. of the 305th Reg, 77th Div. `Col. V.J. TANZOLA, US. ARMY

Lieutenant Colonel LYMAN O. WILLIAMS US ARMY (reginal executive officer of 305 th Reg)

Major ROBERT J. BRINK US. ARMY

Captain E. H.RENNICK US. ARMY

Officers wounded were:

Major WINTHROP ROCKEFELLER US. ARMY

Captain HUGH S. RENNICK US. ARMY

The Executive Officer, 77th Div, Col. V. LT. W. D. CRAIG (D.M) USNR, of this vessel survived and assumed command.The plane crash caused extensive damage to the bridge, comm. & captains cabins, and surrounding area.

USS NAVY MISSING:

Lt. (jg) Samuel F. POSEY

Ensign David LORING

Slc John D. CORDELL

HA2c Robert L. CULLUM

Y2c Sylvester D. FREEMAN

RM2c Cabble L.

S1c John R. GIALLORENZO

StMlc John JOSEPH

RM2c Cabble L. MC BRIDE

QMlc Marion R. MYERS

RM3c Lawrence W. NANNERY

QM3c Calvin B. SMITH

Cox Raymond E. SMITZEN

HENRICO PERSONNEL INJURED

Isadore ABRAMOVITZ,
Milton Edward ADAIR,
Lonnie ARMSTER, StMlc
Earl Kendall BAKER, S1c
Donald N. BERENDSEN, GM3c
Louis J. BERETSKY, S1c
Ed Bernard BERGLUND, CMM
Richard Ire BETTS, S1c
Edward Clayton BRENNAN,MM3c
Robert Lester BROOKS, Lt (j.g.)
Hoyt William BROWN,SR,
Ferrell BROWNING Jr.,
Joseph Stanley BURDA SM3c
Joseph Francis CANNITO SSMT3c
Arnold B. CANTER, Lt (j.g.)
Jesse Russell CANUP, GM3c
Donald Arthur CARNEY SC3c
Boward Arthur CARNEY SC3c
Hayward Alexander CARR Lt.
Luther M. COLE Lt.
Donald David COOK, RMlc
Maurice A. COUTURE RM3c
Leo L. DAVIS S2c
Joseph Oscar DE COTA, SK3c
Archie DELLANO, Cox
Edraard Emery DENNISION Jr,
RdM3e George DIAZ, S1c
Wm. Richard DI YULIO RDM3e
Thomae J. DRISCOLL Jr, SM2e
Pablo ESTRELLER, CCk (t)
Ralph Renauld FISH, Lt. (jg)
Lawrence J. FITZGERALD, RdM3c
Russell Shields FORD S1c
Willie Peterson GOINS Ck2e
Salvadore R GONZELES CCk
Wendell GOTSCHALL Y1c
Martin Albert GREGORY Lt (j.g.)
Joseph GUBERNICK S1c
Ross Carson HAMILTON CfPay Clk Lawrence J HARTZHEIM Ha1c
James E HEARN S2e
Wm. Jasper HELMS Y2c
Stacey James HILLY jR
Julius R. HOFFMAN Lt
Malcolm E. HORNER Lt.
Kenneth Gale HOUK, Cox.
Donald Charles HUNTER, Lt
Charles Fred IDE, CWT
Hugh JAMISON PhM3c
Ennis M. JOHNSON S1c

 

Ennis M. JOHNSON S1c
Daniel F. JOHSTON WT1c
David Richard JONES,
George KAMENETZ SM2c
Eugene T. KANCLER RM3c
Edward J. KIEFFER RM3c
Robert A. KIRK Y3c
Ivan L. LAMB Y1c
Claud W. LAMSON, PhM2c
Wm. Henry LEE, Jr, Lt (j.g.)
Woodrow LE GRAND SF3c
James Henry LESLIE, GM3c
Edward L. LOVINGER PhM3c
Wm. A. MAC INTYRE PHMlc
James Greet MADISON S1c
Hyllys David MAYNARD Jr Mm1c
Fred S. McCARTHY Lt.
Edward, McDONNELL, Lt.(Jg) USN
Donald W. MC FARLAND S2c
John Patrick MC GOWAN PhM2c
Wm. David MC KELVIE Jr. S2c
Walter Scott Me NAIR RM3c
Francis James Me NIFF, Lt.
Wm Oliver MARKLE S1c
Kenneth A. MOCHRIE S2c
Frederick L. MONAHAN, Rdm3c
Willie T. J. NASH Jr. Sm2c
John Paul O’HANLON SF1c
Joseph Francis PALINA Y2c
Irwin Arthur PANITZ S1c
Joseph Wm. PICKRELL Ensign
Clarence John PIERCE RM2c
Wesley Lee REEVES RM1c
Donald “J” RISER S2c
Arthur Leland St. PETER CB
Mattin Brown SAPORTAS Lt. Cdr.
Wm. Anthony SCHAEFER Jr. CM2c
James Patrick SCULLY, CBM
Leonard Truett SETZER RM3c
Robert Wayne SIGNER S1c
Van Edward SNOWDON Lt.
Henry Thomas SOBCZAK SM3c
Clyde Mathew SPEICHER, Lt Cdr.
John Inskeep SPIKER Cf Elect
Richard S. STRINGER Sie
Richard WALDBOTT LT (jg)
James Edgar WARE Lt.
Charles DeWitt WISE, Jr
William Albert WOOD SF1c
Berkowitz, Isaac  TEC-4
Richard WRIGHT STMl

 

All seriously injured were transferred to the USS SOLACE for treatment and the dead to Zamami Jima (sic) for burial.

Buried ZAMAMI SHIMA, . . .Grave# Row#

Virgil Oliver ANDERSON, QM1c 101-8

Earl Kendall BAKER, S1c, S1c 90-7

Pink Boydell BROOKS JR Ck2c 99-8

Robert Lester BROOKS LT, jg 117-9

James Mark CHRIST, Cox, 111-8

Joseph Oscar DE COTA SK3c, 139-10

Lloyd F. DENNIS JR RdM3c 107-8

Arthur Fred DICKINSON S1c 113-9

Frank E. DI VINCENZO PhMZc 140-10

Joseph Edward DOLLRdM3c, 98-7

Heinz John H. DUVENHORST. SM2c 88-7

William Cook FRANCE Capt. 121-9

Norman  L. GORDON MachEl, 95-7

Russell Norman HAGEN S2c, 85-7

Martin JOHNSON STM2c, 119-9

Elmer KIEHL, Capt., 109-8

Marvin LOVE, StMlc, 120-9

Vincent Jerry MATEJCEK, QM3c 118-9

Edward T. MC DONNELL, LT., 103-8

Gordon Edward OCKEY, Lt., 93-7

John William RYAN CM3c, 100-8

James Lewis SHAW, CQM (AA) (t) 71-6

James Edward WALL, Comm (EM),QMlc, 116-9

14 Army personnel were killed during this attack.

Herbert Englehart, Sergeant, 242 Engineer Combat Battalion

On board, four doctors, one dentist, one hospital corps officer, 626 hospital corpsmen. The medical supplies and personnel were well dispersed throughout the ship. One Army Medical Officer 6 16 Medical Aidmen were on board as passengers 6 assisted the Medical Department. Most ofthe casualties were located in the superstructure and amid-ships. Transportation of the wounded was extremely difficult because of smoke, water, debris, and blocked passageways. The lights were out throughout the ship and small battle lamps and flash-lights were used by all doctors and corpsmen.

Reports issued by: . . K. J. PALMBERT

and :. . . . . . . . . . . . . .W. D. CRAIG

A big THANK YOU to George O’Connell for supplying our archives with these official records!

OUR SYMPATHY, LOVE AND PRAYERS TO ALL OF THESE FAMILIES

 

If you have any information of someone passing that was a member of the crew, please send the information in an email to henricoapa45@gmail.com and we will add the information to this page. Thank you.

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