Page 24 - Mastheads July-Dec 1945
P. 24
PAGES THE MASTHEAD, SATURDAY, JULY 21, 1945
Navy Film Depicting PICTIJRE STORY: A IJ~/191,t/ul Evening ot tl,e T. I. IJonce Survivors of USS Bates
Kamikazes at Okinawa And LSM-13 5 Arrive
To Be Released July 26 At Treasure Island
Continued from Page 1-
"The Fleet That Came to Stay,"
a vivid official two-reel motion pic- tle more than an hour before land-
ture depicting the U . S. Navy slug- ing of troops on the Continent
ging it out with Jap land-based began.
suicide planes in the air-sea battle
A veteran of the pre-invasion
for Okinawa, will be released to· the
bombardments of both Iwo Jima
nation's theatres 1 July 26. It will be
and Okinawa, the Bates had on
shown in ,Treasure Island theatres
numerous occasions evaded Jap
in the near future.
suicide planes and torpedo bombers.
Produced by Navy Photographic However, while on picket duty off
Services under Captain Gene Mar- Ie Shima, she was attacked by two
key, the picture is based on 200,000, suicide planes, both crashing into
feet of film taken under fire by 100 her.
Navy combat photographers for A desperate attempt to save the
tactical study and training pur- ship was under way when a third
poses. It is the first official two- plane swept in and dropped a bomb
reel picture to be shown the pu'blic squarely through the starboard
of the vicious fight against Jap mess hall, then wheeled about and
Kamikazes. made an unsuccessful attempt to
The picture reveals for the first crash on the deck of the stricken
time the new pattern of Pacific vessel~ an attempt which was
warfare that will becqme more in- foiled by a Navy fighter plane.
tense as we strike closer to Japan. ".\7'ith her power gone, it was im-
The footage was taken by fleet possible to save her and the Bates
photographers under the most haz- went down with a total of 23 killed
ardous conditions. Most of the or missing and 62 wounded.
scenes lvere filmed under direct fire The LSM-135, medium landing
of the Kamikazes as they blazed in ship; veteran of the Leyte, Luzon,
for the kill. Navy officers have de- Oki~awa and Ie Shima invasions,
clared it of inestimable value, en- m et her doom between the latter
abling tacticians and strategists to two islands in May. Her troubles
study the habits, tactics and tech- began with a desperate dive by a
niques of Kamikazes at extremely suicide plane that missed. Shortly
close range. As a result, the most afterward, while the "135" was
dramatic naval scenes of the war picking up survivors from a blazing
were filmed. auxiliary minesweeper-also victim
of a suicide attack-a Nip pilot
!-and Against Sea
came through withering fire and
For the first time, the Navy will
crashed his plane into the bridge.
bring to the screen a motion pic-
Glancing off the bridge, it plowed
ture of a complete air-sea battle of
into the survivors of the mine-
sea forces against land planes. It
sweeper who had clambered
depicts how· for three fabulous
through the ship's open bow doors.
months .thousands of Jap aircraft
The landing ship went down soon
were hurled against our ships, and
CANADIAN DELIGHT-Miss Elsie T,oreson was one before a dance with Jack Sanders, S1c, of Gym No. 2. afterward with 11 of its crew dead
how only ten per cent slipped
of the popular young hostesses fr.om the bay area at A f.ew rounds on the fl.oor with music by our new or missing and nine wounded.
through our air patrol. the Treasure Island dance in Gym N•o. 1 last Satur- dance band calls for food and there was plenty of it
It w~s the greatest concentration day ,night. Miss T,oreson, a native of Edmonton, Al- awaiting Elsie and Jack in the refreshment area. The
berta, Canada, is now a resident of San Francisco evening slips away and it is time for goodbyes. Un-
of seapower in history. Task Force their rates changed to MoMM when
where she is empl,oyed as an office clerk fo·r Mar- doubtedly Jack secur,ed Elsie's teleph,one number as
58 of Admiral Marc Mitscher, and wood Limited. The ever necessary lip stick is being she departs on ,one of the many Navy buses which qualified. Only those who desire to
the British task force of hard-hit- applied in the powder r,oom by the vivacious h,oste£s bring bay area dancing partners to-T. I. dances. have the change made should apply.
ting battleships and carriers joined
In addition, all men qualified in
the American fleet for the first time island was secured - the longest in, their destination the hull or
in the Pacific. It was a fleet of 1,400 any major fleet has ever been in deck of any American ship. Combat Enlisted Men Invited submarines who have had actual
ships. continuous action. Love day was photographers stood at their battle "war patrol" experience ( except
1 relatively quiet, but then all fury stations days, and sleepless nights, To Apply For Sub Duty CGM, CQM, CSM, CFC', ORT, and
L,ong,est Continuous Action
The fleet struck many days be- broke loose. filming this historic struggle be- The Navy has a continuing need OCS) and who indicate in writing
fore D-Day (Love day it was Five thousand miles from San tween "men who want to die for enlisted men in certain ratings their desire to return to submarine
called), on Easter Sunday, and sup- Francisco, the most savage, long- and men who fight to live." duty will be transferred to the
to voluntee·r for submarine duty, nearest submarine base without ref-
ported the Okinawa tandings be- est-sustained sea battle took place. Pyle's Last l·nvasion
and those who meet the particular erence to BuPers, for further as-
yond the week of June 25, when the Thousands of suicide pilots roared A stirring scene of the beloved
mental, psychological and physical signment to submarine duty.
Ernie Pyle on his last invasion was
Nlrol,lto's Norse to Join His Ancestors taken by Yorke Markham, PhoM3c, requirements may submit requests Volunteers acce:e_ted for initial
aboard ship as Pyle prepared to to BuPers via commanding officers. training will be transferred to the
Requests are desired from en- Submarine School and, after train-
board an a!=Jsault craft to hit the
listed men in the following ratings: ing, will be assigned to .fleet sub-
Okinawa beaches. Shortly after-
CM, TM, TME, QM, SM, FC, S, marines.
ward, on Ie Shima, a Jap smper
claimed the iife of · America's best EM, RM, RT, MoMM, Y, PhM (ex- BuPers does not desire requests
known war correspondent. cept tllird class), SC, Bkr, Ck (ex- from CPOs for initial training in
Markham, whose ship was sunk cept first class and StM. submarines nor from recruits un-
off Iwo Jima, had a close call when MMs also are desired and their dergoing training, pe•rsonnel in
his landing craft passed over a reef requests should state whether they class A. schoo•ls, ship or station per-
at Okinawa! just as a large explo- have had any previous experience sonnel who have not co·mple-ted at
sion was set off nearby, shooting with internal - combustion engines least 12 months duty there, or from
a column of water 2,000 feet high. and whether they desire to have Seabee personnel. •
On the way, back; Markham used
the Commodor~•s suite on a trans- The Wolf by Sansone
port to do his developing.
. "They had an. e,lectric stove and Copyright 1945 by Leon,rd Sainone, distributed by amp ewseaper n"1ce
all the trimmings·," Markham re-
counts. "Pots :µid pans came in
handy and all other kitchen gadgets
were used to bes:t ii.dvantage. F-or a
dark-room, give m~ a Commodore's
pantry every time."
"The Fleet That Came to Stay"
will be released by. the War Activi-
ties Committee of the Motion Pic-
ture Industry through Paramount
Pictures.
LEADING HIROHITO'S HORSE to the horrible conclusi,on ,of his brief
life ar,e three bond-buyers from OTS. Leading the apparition, used in the
recent Seyenth War Loan drive at Operational Training school, are D,or-
othy Baktts, Y2c, and J. S. Kirkland, SM1c. Astride i•s W. A. O'Conn·or,
QM2c. Kirkland and O'Connor are ,of the third divisi,on, and Bakits from
the w.aves division. Both gr,o~ps attained 100 per cent participa,,tion in
the drive. The latest communique says the horse is now aband,oned .a,nd "Why, yes! As a matter of fact I am rather busy!"
forlorn in' some dark passageway awaiting his trial by fire.