In early 1945, the war in the European Theater was nearing its end; the Allied and Soviet
troops had liberated most of Nazi-occupied Europe and were only weeks away from forcing
Germany to surrender.
However, the Pacific Front was another story.
With the American naval forces conquering Japan's islands one after the other after
successfully overtaking the enemy in the Battle of Iwo Jima, the high officers set their sights
on the island of Okinawa.
It was the last stop before reaching the Motherland, and the fight for the remote island saw some
of the fiercest combat in the Pacific Theater, with many Japanese pilots giving up their
lives in kamikaze attacks.
And on one occasion, one brave sailor caught it all on tape.
The footage shows the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier as it was under attack off the coast
of Okinawa.
In the first few seconds of the terrifying video, a kamikaze attempts to ram into the
carrier's deck, likely expecting that the ship wouldn’t counterattack to avoid hitting
other ships.
With anti-aircraft guns blasting, scared sailors running for their lives, and the roar of a
Japanese Zero growing louder in the background, the footage becomes an unpredictable testament
to the terror experienced when the Japanese decided to launch a last and desperate charge...
New Vessel
As tensions worsened around the world in the late 1930s, the Washington Naval Treaty, which
placed strict limitations on the accepted tonnage of specific warships, finally expired.
With the demise of the treaty's restrictions, US Navy planners were free to apply all the
lessons they'd learned during decades of building an aircraft carrier.
The result was the Essex class.
Initially named USS Bonhomme Richard, the second Essex-class ship began construction
only six days before the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Eventually, the aircraft carrier was renamed after losing USS Yorktown following the June
1942 Battle of Midway.
Yorktown's Essex-class design, consistent with aircraft carriers of the period, was
designed without the pre-war flat top deck, incorporating an island superstructure off
the starboard side.
Capable of a maximum speed of 33 knots, Yorktown had a run of 872 feet, a beam of 147 feet,
6 inches, and a draught of 34 feet, 2 inches.
Displacing up to 36,400 tons under full combat load, the aircraft carrier's crew complement
amounted to 2,600 enlisted personnel and officers, including onboard security, air wing, and
specialists.
In addition to carrying a larger air group of up to 100 aircraft -generally fighters,
torpedo bombers, and dive bombers- the new design was built with an extensive collection
of cannons for anti-aircraft defense.
The twin-barreled cannons, quadruple-mounted cannons, and single-barreled cannons were
located at the island superstructure and around the deck area.
Moreover, the vessel had several layers of physical armor for defense against bomb and
torpedo strikes.
Eager to have the new carrier ready for combat operations, US Navy officials rushed the ship's
completion, and on April 15, 1943, the USS York aircraft carrier was commissioned with
Captain Joseph J. Clark in command.
After shakedown and training operations, Yorktown and her crew transited the Panama Canal before
arriving at Pearl Harbor on July 24.
Island Hopping
By the time USS Yorktown was commissioned into the United States Navy, the nation was
already embroiled in a full-blown war that spread across the globe.
As part of the World War 2 effort, Yorktown and her crew took part in most of the Allies'
island-hopping campaign across the Pacific Ocean against the Japanese Imperial Navy,
beginning with strikes against positions at Marcus Island with Task Force 15 in August
of 1943.
By June of the following year, Yorktown had joined her sister forces to partake in the
Battle of the Philippine Sea, which proved a decisive American victory at sea and marked
the end of Japanese carrier dominance in the Pacific.
As the battles were inching closer than ever to the Japanese mainland in 1945, Yorktown
remained in action by supporting amphibious landings and engaging Japanese warships when
possible.
Okinawa
After decimating Japanese troops in the Battle of Iwo Jima in February of 1945, American
and Allied naval planners focused on Okinawa.
The largest in the chain of Southwestern islands known as the Ryukyus, the Americans knew securing
Okinawa's air bases was critical for a successful invasion of mainland Japan.
From inside the island, US forces could severely increase air strikes against Japan and blockade
important logistical routes, stripping the home islands of many vital commodities.
The invasion of Okinawa and other Ryukyus islands, codenamed Operation Iceberg, began
on April 1, 1945.
While the joint Army-Marine Corps landings were initially unopposed, the expert Japanese
defenders soon put up fierce resistance.
The fight for Okinawa was the Japanese High Command's last stand to protect their nation,
and the battle dragged on for almost three months.
Even worse, the fighting included a barrage of kamikaze attacks unlike anything seen during
the war.
Kamikaze
On April 1, the first day of the Battle of Okinawa, assault troops aboard the United
States Navy Fifth Fleet ships stormed ashore.
Only three days later, the Fifth Fleet was first bombarded with kamikaze pilots, Japan's
most ruthless weapon, particularly during the war's latter stages.
Diving their planes right into the vessels at approximately 500 miles per hour, the suicide
pilots caused catastrophic damage.
While American sailors desperately tried to shoot the kamikazes down, the Americans were
often sitting ducks against Japanese pilots with nothing left to lose.
For almost six weeks, the Yorktown carrier sent her aircraft to the island, providing
direct support for the troops ashore.
Then, on April 7, US intelligence uncovered that a Japanese task force built around the
elusive Yamato battleship was steaming south of the Kyushu islands for one last, desperate
offensive.
Swiftly, Yorktown and the other carriers launched strikes to attack the desired target.
During the engagement, Air Group 9 pilots claimed several torpedo hits on the Yamato
battleship just before she exploded and sank.
Afterward, Yorktown and her crew resumed their support of the American troops on Okinawa.
Under Attack
On April 11, Yorktown came under attack once again when a single-engine plane headed toward
her.
Yet again, the carrier's anti-aircraft gunners charged with all their might.
A video recorded by a sailor during one such kamikaze attack shows the crew aboard USS
Yorktown trapped in the chaos.
Despite the perilous situation, the crew membersmembers continue to do their job in the best way that
they can, making sure their beloved Essex-class carrier receivescarrier comes out as unscathed
as possible.
The footage showing planes on fire flying just above the brave cameramen while his fellow
crew memberscrew members run for their life has since been colorized.
And more than 70 years after the Battle of Okinawa, the video continues to make its rounds
online.
Sporadic air attacks by the Japanese kamikazes continued until mid-May.
Even so, Yorktown sustained no additional damage and claimed only one further hit with
her anti-aircraft battery.
The Beginning of the End
The Battle of Okinawa is widely referred to as the typhoon of steel, alluding to the ferocity
of the fighting, the intensity of Japanese kamikaze charges, and the sheer numbers of
Allied ships, aircraft, and armored vehicles that assaulted the island.
By the time the 82-day battle ended on June 22, 1945, the US Navy Fifth Fleet had sustained
almost 5,000 casualties, 763 lost aircraft, 36 sunk ships, and 368 damaged ones, including
USS Yorktowntown.
Meanwhile, of the Japanese forces defending the island, an estimated 110,000 perished
in the battle.
During the lengthy fight, 24 American military personnel were awarded the Medal of Honor
for going above and beyond the call of duty despite the dangerous situation.
Finally, in American hands, the vital airfield on the island of Okinawa could be used in
the final drive on Japan, which surrendered less than three months later.
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