NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2009 41
They were expendable
IN APRIL and June 1945
the Japanese launched
The Grove
the ‘Ten-Go’ operation
against Allied maritime Review
forces assaulting
Okinawa. which it could be demonstrated
The key component of this that an invasion of Japan would be
campaign were 1,900 kamikaze too costly.”
or ‘Divine Wind’ ‘Special Attack’ Many may be surprised to learn
aircraft of various types, on what that the suicide offensive was a
were intended to be one-way joint effort, the Japanese Army
missions to expend themselves Air Force playing almost as big a
as manned missiles against the part as the Naval Air Arm, with
Allied warships. 850 sorties out of the 1900. Two
Considerable damage was hundred of the 250 Kamikazes
infl icted, not least upon the radar launched from Taiwan were Army
pickets deployed to give early missions.
warning of enemy air strikes and This is of particular interest
to be the controllers of the fi rst from the Royal Navy perspective
line of fi ghter defence. as the aircraft staged through the
Robin Reilly has produced islands of the Sakishima Gunto
an interesting and, within its chain that were the subject of the
own limits comprehensive, attentions of the British Pacifi c
examination of these picket Fleet.
forces and their trials at the The latter gets scant mention
formidable enemies they faced beyond this basic fact, which
in Kamikazes, Corsairs and will annoy many British readers
Picket Ships: Okinawa 1945 but, to be fair to the author, the
(Casemate, £25 ISBN 978-1- book is focused primarily on the
932033-86-1). pickets and the main units of the
Radar picket ships by US fl eet are also only mentioned
defi nition are the fi rst to meet in passing.
the enemy and are inevitably the The air assets controlled by the
most exposed to enemy attack; pickets were not only carrier based
so it was at Okinawa. aircraft but US Marine Corsair
The author shows how radar day fi ghters and Hellcat night
picket duty was not just a task fi ghters based ashore in Okinawa
for destroyers but how other on the airfi elds captured at the
types, notably Landing Craft outset of the invasion. These were
Support (Large) and Landing later supplemented by US Army
Ships Medium (Rockets) were Thunderbolts and Black Widows.
deployed to help protect the On the Allied side too Okinawa
faster warships. The latter had was much more of a joint operation
insuffi cient gun armament to be than one might think.
● USS Bunker Hill burns on the morning of May 11 1945 after suffering two kamikaze hits in 30 seconds during the invasion of Okinawa.
successful but the LCS(L)s with The radar pickets and the
The carrier suffered more than 650 casualties but managed to limp back to Pearl Harbor
their director controlled 40-mm aircraft they controlled were Picture: US National Archives
guns proved to be of considerable an indication of how ‘network
assistance. Reilly has previously enabled’ maritime warfare had three bombs and still surtill survviviveded.. I It It t experexpert on the different t on One can hardly expect accurate interesting early manifestation of
written about these ships, which become by the closing months of would have been eveeven worse types of Jtypes apanese identifi cation in the pressure of stealth.
is what attracted him to this the war with various platforms without the protection of eecctiot n of aircraft,airccraf helped by action. No less than 42 of the 101
wider study. being electronically integrated LCS(L) 51 that shot tt shos t a contemporara a y One thing that does come destroyers assigned to picket
He is also a specialist on Japan into a single force. In such a down six aircraft – ftft – identificaid tion over, however, is how vulnerable duty were sunk or damaged, 13
and writes quite sympathetically context core capabilities might not one of which left an aan table ata t the back Japanese aircraft of any type or of the 88 LCS(L)s and fi ve of the
about the kamikaze impulse. look very aggressive. For much engine embedded d of the book,o service were both to Allied fi ghters 11 LSM(R)s, but the losses were
He points out that the word of the campaign Capt Frederick in the side of the bbuut one really t and radar-assisted anti-aircraft considered acceptable given
may be a mistranslation of the Moosbrugger (readers may little ship which wwoonderond s if all the fi re; no wonder their tactics their vital role in defending the
word shimpu or shimbu, used remember the later US destroyer well earned its types reportypes rere ted are that had become so desperate and beachhead and the supporting
by the Imperial Japanese Navy which carried his distinctive name) Presidential Unit accuraate. that ‘special courage’ was now fl eet.
to designate its ‘Special Attack controlled the anti-air screen from Citation. The author’The aut s Japanese necessary. The pickets’ role in absorbing
Corps’; it can equally mean an amphibious assault ship, USS The author provvides iides sources seem to indicasources seeem te that The Japanese Navy used a Kamikazes, shooting many down
‘gathering of courageous forces’. Biscayne, usually at anchor. a great deal of detail of all ill oof all most of the single-engmmosmo t of the sing ine Army wide range of types for suicide with their guns, was as important
He argues that shimbu pilots On the picket line itself life these events on the picket he peeppicket icket aircraft used for special aaircraraaft ft used for used f ttack missions including biplanes, both as the damage infl icted by the
were indeed courageous. Given could be very hard indeed. line. His research has been haas bs een
wweere re ‘‘‘OscarOscO ars’ or ‘S‘Sonias’ and one combatant seaplanes and ‘Willow’ aircraft they controlled. Their
the circumstances, their attacks It was remarkable how tough impressive and he is faithful to his
wonders how many ‘Nates’ and trainers. vital and demanding role has
“rather than being fanatical the latest US destroyers proved. copious sources.
‘Tonys’ (both fi ghters) claimed by The wooden frame of the now been fully explained.
missions launched by madmen A single attacker crashing close
This can make the account the US fi ghters were really similar ‘Willow’ meant it was gave less of I challenge anyone not to
were actually the only possibility inboard might infl ict fatal
appear a little dry at times. He also looking ‘Vals’ and ‘Judys’ (both a radar return thus being much glean something new from this
for the Japanese to prevent the underwater damage. On the other
makes no attempt to comment on dive bombers) and equally how less vulnerable to proximity important and detailed new
invasion of their homeland. They hand, the USS Laffey famously
or reconcile the details his sources many Navy ‘Zekes’ and ‘Vals’ were fused AA fi re than more modern account of the closing days of the
were the only rational means by absorbed seven suicide aircraft and
report. One rapidly becomes an Army ‘Oscars’ and ’Sonias’. higher performance machines, an Pacifi c War.
The enormous burden of survivor’s guilt
ANYONE who was
– a task group of cruisers and As his eyesight returned, nurses families left behind. in another war, Korea) until the a shortly before his death, “only
privileged enough to know
destroyers led by HMS Neptune – in an Italian hospital in Tripoli It’s fairly rare in the many late 50s. He would also fight as a one realisation that we all survive
the late Ted Briggs knew
tried to strangle Rommel’s supply handed Norman Walton a mirror. nautical books which cross our professional boxer in the North- in the hearts and memories of
lines in the Mediterranean. He didn’t recognise the reflection. desk to find the family’s story East in the 1940s and 50s under those left behind.”
what an immense burden The force strayed into a “My tongue was swollen to included. On Boxing Day the improbable moniker ‘Patsy
he bore with fortitude and
minefield, with fatal consequences. twice its size, my lips wips wereere s swollenollen 1941,1941, the t Walton family Dodds’. He would carve out a
dignity.
Neptune was the first – and gravest and my nose was spread across spread across in Swin Swallwell, a village new career in industry, and take
In later years, the media in
victim. my face, which wwas black on the south-won estern up a new sport, golf.
One by one, the men on with oil,” he recalled.ed. edge of the ed Tyneside It was four decades after
particular (and Navy News is guilty
Norman Walton’s Carley float, Given the bloblow conurbation, Neptune’s loss that interest in her
of this too) could not refer to
including Neptune’s captain, Rory upon blow the Allies lies received a terse began to be rekindled, particularly
the veteran sailor without adding
O’Conor, passed away over five suffered as 19411 telegram from in New Zealand (150 victims of
“last survivor of the Hood” – a
terrible days off Tripoli. drew to a Portsmouth the sinking were Kiwis; it was
description seemingly as natural as
It is more than a quarter of a close – Pearl Naval Base: Regret the country’s worst disaster of
saying “John Smith, a 38-year-old
century since men of the Royal Harbor, the to to report that your the war).
greengrocer from Manchester...”.
Navy had to take to life rafts for loss of Prince son son JJohn N Walton, Able He was fêted there when he
And heavy though his burden
real – and they were picked up in of Wales andd SSeaman PSSX 26921,eaman is visited for the 50th anniversary
was, Ted Briggs was one of three
a matter of minutes. Repulse, fighting aat t missing omissing on wn ar service. of the sinking – particularly by
men to survive the loss of mighty
It’s worth remembering what the gates of Moscoscow “I will “I will never forget my families of his former shipmates.
Hood.
happens to the human body after and Leningrad, ArArkk mmother’other’ss hor horrible scream:ib ‘Oh, me “The visit helped me to tell the
Fate was even harsher to
five days without food or water in Royal sunk, Barham bairn,’” Norman Walton’s sister story and the guilt I always felt
Norman ‘Geordie’ Walton. Not
a Mediterranean gale. sunk, the battleships of the Isabelle recalled. started to go as if I was able to let
last survivor, but sole survivor; of
“My leg joints and arm joints Mediterranean Fleet knocked out “Silence, silence, then: some light into my mind and feel
765 men aboard cruiser HMS
are not working. I can hardly see. – the loss of Neptune (and HMS ‘Norman, where are you?’ Mam some sort of relief,” he wrote.
Neptune, he was the only man to
I’m thirsty – I can’t swallow as my Kandahar, another victim of the was shouting and started running In his later years, Norman
survive after a succession of mines
tongue is swelling up,” ‘Geordie’ sweep off Tripoli) has become that around the house. Dad was just a Walton would become president
crippled and sank her.
Walton wrote in his diary. rather clichéd ‘forgotten tragedy’. bundle of nerves.” of the very-belatedly-formed
His story is told by his daughter “As I watched my shipmates Imagine today – when every Eventually a postcard would Neptune Association, and HP BOOKFINDERS: Established
Norma Hudson in Sole Survivor: die around me, the guilt and death in Iraq and Afghanistan is reach the Walton household from wholeheartedly endorsed plans
professional service locating out
One Man’s Journey (The Memoir depression was overpowering, national news – such a tragedy Tripoli, couched in stoical terms: “I to erect a memorial (he passed
of print titles on all
Club, £19.95 ISBN 978-1-84104- not being able to help them and being ‘encapsulated’ in a mere five have survived the most unpleasant away a few months before it was
subjects. No obligation or SAE
184-1). letting them go.” paragraphs in a local paper. experience a man could ever wish unveiled at the National Memorial
And like Ted Briggs – to those Temporarily blind, Walton and But it was – and that clipping for – six days in a small boat with Arboretum in 2005).
required. Contact: Mosslaird,
who did not know him at any rate a shipmate – who subsequently didn’t even scratch the surface of nothing to eat or drink.” But he would never be able to
Brig O’ Turk, Callander, FK17 8HT
– Norman Walton was defined by died – were picked up by an the Neptune story, whether for the Norman Walton would answer ‘why me?’, a question he
Telephone/Fax: (01877) 376377
what happened to him a few days Italian torpedo boat on Christmas 764 poor souls who went down eventually be repatriated. often asked.
martin@hp-bookfinders.co.uk
before Christmas 1941 as Force K Eve 1941. with her, the sole survivor, or the He served in the Navy (and “There is no answer,” he wrote www.hp-bookfinders.co.uk
0040-041_NN_Feb.indd 240-041_NN_Feb.indd 2 119/1/09 17:12:549/1/09 17:12:54
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