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.

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.