Suicides' Toll

Everybody knew that the Navy had taken a terrible beating during the Okinawa battle, but few realized how severe the beating was until the figures were released last week: 30 ships sunk,* 223 damaged. Never before had any navy of any nation been hit as often in a single operation.

No ships larger than destroyers were sunk, but twelve cans went to the bottom, 67 others were damaged. Ten battleships, eight big carriers, two light carriers and three escort carriers were hit. And the casualties in men--4,907 killed and missing, 4,824 wounded--were about one-seventh of the Navy's total for the entire war.

About 80% of the damaged ships were hit by Japanese suicide planes. The figures highlighted two points about the Kamikazes: 1) they were much more effective than Navy brass hats had dared to admit ("only 2% effective" was Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher's airy summation); and 2) they might have turned the Okinawa battle, if they had been better organized.

*Also sunk: three Victory ammunition ships.

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