I-F4U Corsair phezu kwe-Okinawa Ingxenye 2

I-Corsair Navy-312 "Chess" ene-chessboard yesici yalesi qembu esembozweni senjini kanye nephini; Kadena, ngo-Ephreli 1945

I-American landing operation on Okinawa yaqala ngo-April 1, 1945, ngaphansi kwesembozo sezindiza ezithwala izindiza Task Force 58. Nakuba izindiza ezisekelwe ezithwala zibambe iqhaza ezimpini zesiqhingi ezinyangeni ezimbili ezizayo, umsebenzi wokusekela amabutho aphansi kanye ehlanganisa imikhumbi ehlaselayo kancane kancane yadlulela emasosheni ase-corsair amiswe ezikhumulweni zezindiza ezithunjiwe.

Uhlelo lokusebenza lucabange ukuthi abathwali bezindiza be-Task Force 58 bazokhululwa ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka ngendiza ye-10 ye-tactical. Lokhu kwakheka kwesikhashana kwakunamaqembu ayi-12 e-Corsair kanye namaqembu amathathu e-F6F-5N Hellcat night fighters njengengxenye yama-Marine Air Groups (MAGs) amane e-2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW, Marine Aircraft Wing) kanye ne-USAAF 301st Fighter Wing, ehlanganisa yamaqembu amathathu e-P-47N Thunderbolt fighter.

I-debut ka-April

I-Corsairs yokuqala (izindiza ezingu-94 sezizonke) zafika e-Okinawa ngo-Ephreli 7. Babengamaqembu amathathu - i-Navy-224, -311 kanye -411 - eqoqwe ku-MAG-31, eyayikade ibambe iqhaza emkhankasweni we-Marshall Islands. I-VMF-224 ifakwe inguqulo ye-F4U-1D, kuyilapho i-VMF-311 ne--441 beza nayo i-F4U-1C, okuhlukile okuhlome ngezimbangi ezine ezingama-20mm esikhundleni sezibhamu eziyisithupha ze-12,7mm. Amaqembu eqembu le-MAG-31 akhishiwe kubathwali bezindiza eziphelezelwayo i-USS Breton ne-Sitkoh Bay bafika esikhumulweni sezindiza i-Yontan ogwini olusentshonalanga yesiqhingi athathwa ngosuku lokuqala lokuhlala.

Ukufika kweCorsair kwaqondana nokuhlasela kokuqala okukhulu kwe-kamikaze (Kikusui 1) emikhunjini yokuhlasela yase-US. Abashayeli bezindiza abambalwa be-VMF-311 babambe ibhomu elilodwa lika-Frances P1Y ngesikhathi lizama ukuphahlazeka e-Sitko Bay. Wadubula ekhonsathini kakaputeni. U-Ralph McCormick kanye no-Lt. I-Kamikaze John Doherty yawela emanzini amamitha ambalwa ukusuka ohlangothini lwenkampani ethwala indiza. Ngakusasa ekuseni, i-MAG-31 Corsairs yaqala ukuzulazula ababhubhisi bemikhumbi ye-anchorage kanye ne-radar.

Ekuseni lina ngo-Ephreli 9, i-Corsairy MAG-33s - VMF-312, -322 kanye -323 - yaphuma kubathwali ababephelezela i-USS Hollandia ne-White Plains futhi yafika esikhumulweni sezindiza saseCadena esiseduze. Kuwo womathathu ama-squadrons we-MAG-33, iMpi yase-Okinawa yayiyimpi yabo yokuqala, yize yayibunjwe cishe eminyakeni emibili ngaphambili futhi ibilokhu ilindile kusukela ngaleso sikhathi ukuthi ikwazi ukungena esenzweni. I-VMF-322 ifike ivela ku-F4U-1D kanti amanye amaqembu amabili ahlome nge-FG-1D (inguqulo enelayisensi eyenziwe yi-Goodyear Aviation Works).

I-VMF-322 yayilahlekelwe okokuqala ezinsukwini eziyisithupha ngaphambili lapho isikebhe sokuhlala i-LST-599, esithwele abasebenzi beqembu kanye nemishini, sihlaselwa ama-Ki-61 Tonys ambalwa avela ku-105th Sentai esebenza e-Formosa. Omunye wabaqhubi bamabhomu washayisa umkhumbi, wawulimaza kakhulu; zonke izinto zokusebenza ze-VMF-322 zilahlekile, amalungu ayisishiyagalolunye eqembu alimala.

Izikhumulo zezindiza i-Yontan ne-Kadena beziseduze namabhishi okufika kuwo, lapho amayunithi okulwa ahlinzekwa khona. Lokhu kwadala inkinga engathi sína, njengoba imikhumbi, izivikela ekuhlaselweni komoya, yayivame ukudala isibuko sentuthu esasivunguza umoya phezu kwemigwaqo yezindiza. Ngenxa yalesi sizathu, ngo-Ephreli 9 eYeontan, iKorsei emithathu yaphahlazeka ngesikhathi izama ukuhlala (umshayeli oyedwa washona), omunye wawela ogwini. Okwenza izinto zibe zimbi nakakhulu, lapho izikhali ezilwa nezindiza zivula umlilo, isichotho sezingcezu sashaya zombili izinkundla zezindiza, ngenxa yalokho okwalimala ngisho nokufa kwabasebenzi be-Squadrons Marine. Ngaphezu kwalokho, inkundla yezindiza yaseKadena yashiswa izibhamu zaseJapane ezingu-150-mm ezifihlwe ezintabeni cishe amasonto amabili.

Ngo-April 12, lapho isimo sezulu sithuthuka, izindiza ze-Imperial Navy kanye nebutho laqala ukuhlasela kwesibili okukhulu kwe-kamikaze (Kikusui 2). Ekuseni, ama-fighters aseJapane aqhumisa indiza yaseKadena, ezama "ukuhlalisa" isitha. ULieutenant Albert Wells ukhumbule ukunqoba kokuqala okutholwe ama-VMF-323 Rattlesnakes, okwakuhloswe ukuba abe yiqembu lamasosha asolwandle athole amaphuzu aphezulu e-Battle of Okinawa (okuwukuphela kwawo ukuzuza ukunqoba okungaphezu kwe-100): Sahlala emakhumbini salinda ukuthi kube khona ozonquma ukuthi senzani. Ngangikhuluma nomphathi wezinkonzo zaphansi, owayemi ophikweni lwendiza, lapho kungazelelwe sibona uchungechunge lwama-tracer lushaya umzila wezindiza. Sazicisha izinjini, kodwa ngaphambi kwalokho lalina kakhulu kangangokuthi cishe wonke umuntu wabhajwa odakeni. Abanye bethu bashaye phansi ngophephela bethu bezama ukubaleka. Ngema emzileni onzima kakhulu, ngakho ngadubula phambi kwawo wonke umuntu, nakuba esigabeni sesibili kwakufanele ngiqale okwesithupha kuphela. Manje ngangingazi ukuthi ngenzeni. Ngangingedwa emgwaqweni wezindiza osuka empumalanga uya entshonalanga. Isibhakabhaka kuphela saba mpunga. Ngabona indiza itshibilika isuka enyakatho futhi yashayisa umbhoshongo wokulawula sezindiza. Ngadinwa ngoba ngangazi ukuthi wayesanda kubulala abanye bethu esasiphakathi.