"If you don't hear back from us in
five
minutes....come looking for us...."
Okinawa: Gateway to the Japanese homeland
...and
the end of the war.
The time is April, 1945. The Sumner Class Destroyer USS Mannert L. Abele
(DD 733) was assigned to "Radar Picket Station" in support of the allied
Okinawa invasion. The Abele was the first line of defense for the invasion
force equipped with the latest radar technology of its time.
The enemy came equipped with its latest technology: the
Kamikaze.
The radar
provided advanced warning of approaching enemy. The
radar made the Abele the first target.
On a clear afternoon 358 crew members were at full battle stations. Combat
seasoned, prepared, and with every tactical advantage, nobody could
anticipate what was about to happen.
This is the actual account by those who survived. Time has
moved on but this piece of history lives as the tribute to the valiant crew.
.jpg)