World War II Service and Diary of John R. McKnight - Ex Rd M 3c USN
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| Kamikaze Attack - November 25, 1944 |
| Following the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the Japanese command adopted desperate measures to neutralize Allied air power. The Sho Operation elevated the use of suicide air strikes. Enemy pilots would purposely dive their explosive laden planes into Allied warships. The aircraft carrier was the ultimate prize. The kamikazes were a major threat to naval vessels from October of 1944 through the spring of 1945. |
| On November 25, 1944 a kamikaze dove into the deck of the U.S.S. Essex. At 11:35 a.m. that morning a group of enemy planes took off from Malabacat Field in the Philippines and headed east. The first radar spotting on the Essex came at 12:35 p.m. and TG 38 was quickly alerted. Two enemy planes approached the Essex but broke away to avoid anti-aircraft fire. At 12:53 two more bogies appeared on the starboard side aft of the ship. One was a Yokosuka D4Y (Judy), a single engine bomber with a young pilot named Yoshinori Yamaguchi at the controls. Ironically Yoshinori's plane was not carrying a bomb yet he piloted it into a glide pattern directly for the Essex. The crew of the carrier recognized the danger and immediately began turning the ship to starboard to avoid the impact. At 12:56 p.m. the Judy crashed into the carrier. It hit just forward of the portside elevator. Sixteen anti-aircraft crew members were killed along with the enemy pilot. The U.S.S. Essex crew contained the damage and was launching aircraft by 1:35 p.m. |
Plan of the Day for 11-25-44 |
Jack had left C.I.C at 12:00 and was on his way to get some sleep. Dick Streb remembered the scene on the catwalk outside C.I.C.
| "McKnight stopped by and chatted for a few minutes before he said goodnight, as he left us to go below decks
to our compartment. His last words were not to wake him unless we found some beer or some really good food. "(Life and Death Aboard the U.S.S.
Essex by Dick Streb)
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Needless to say no one got much sleep that afternoon. |
