DURING WW-2 AT IN THE PACIFIC

My name is John Ray Partin, I was a signalman aboard the USS Carmita, IX-152, attached to ComServRon 10. Below are some of the highlights during my time aboard this vessel.

November 20 1944: USS Mississinewa AO-59 was sunk by a Kiaten at Ulithi, berth # 121, home of 20 Officers and 278 Men. Sixty-three men were lost. We were near this ship for a little while before it was sunk and I had a chat with one of the signalmen, but we had just moved to the South anchorage when it all happened, I had just got into my topside bunk when the explosion sounded, the blast got my attention fast! We could see the huge column of smoke rising from the Mississinewa; the ship sank not long thereafter.

January 12 1945: LCI-600 (Landing Craft Infantry) sank in the South anchorage of Ulithi. It was underway, when suddenly there was an explosion, it even bucked up in the middle; I tried to contact the ship by visual flashing light but no response. Some of the men from our ship went to it in a LCVP and got everyone off it. The information that I got was that these men were in pretty bad shape. It sank not long after that. I was told by a Mr. Davis a crew member off the USS Dewey that some of the men were taken to their ship for medical attention. The LCI-600 was struck by a Kaiten launched from the Japanese I-36. A Kaiten is a one man operated suicide submarine, that is launched by a much larger submarine.

January 12 1945: USS Mazama AE-9 (ammo ship) was rammed by a Japanese Kaiten but did not sink. The ship was docked in Ulithi at Berth # 528. One man was killed and eight men were seriously injured. I was told about it shortly afterwards, but I never witnessed it.

January 12 1945: A Plane dropped charges outside harbor, it was said that it sunk one of the Kaiten's. I saw the plane drop the charges, I saw the explosion, but that is all I saw.

March 11 1945: USS Randolph was damaged by a ; the plane killed 25 men and wounded 106. I was on the signal bridge of the USS Carmita; it was movie time just after dark. I heard a plane going over, it somehow attracted my attention. I really don't know why. There had been no alarms, no CONDITION RED, but as I continued to read a signal light coming from the Randolph, the light just seemed to turned into a huge ball of fire with an explosion. The plane that I heard had struck the Randolph, which was not very far from us.

Then in a short time, another Kamikaze dived downward into an Island that was on the other side of the Carmita. I always thought that he must have mistaken it for another large ship or . The Japanese seldom ever risked night air attacks, because the potential for flight and targeting error was to high.

March 11 1945: “The Jap Kamikaze that hit the island went through my tent and the next tent to mine, killing two of my friends.” Frank V. Briganti MM 3/c attached to SLCU # 34 .

March 12 1945: A Sea Plane explodes in flames, "pretty sure it was a PBM." Survivors were picked up by small boats. I was an eyewitness, I saw it explode and burn, it didn’t last long.

Note: this is as I remember it sixty years ago John R Partin SM 2/C February 20, 2004