The Okinawa air - sea battle lasted five months. More than a thousand American ships were involved. One hundred ninety American ships suffered casualties. Thirty four were sunk. 5400 Americans killed at sea 6700 wounded.

These losses were due largely to Japanese air attack by kamikaze suicide planes, conventional bombers and bakas - human guided rocket bombs. The Japanese mounted ten mass air attacks using a total of 1485 kamikaze suicide planes accompanied by 1350 bombers and fighters (assigned to protect the kamikaze from American combat air patrols). American shipboard anti aircraft fire and Naval and Marine CAPs (combat air patrols) shot down most of these planes In addition to the ten mass air attacks there were continual day and night attacks by smaller groups or single kamikazes.

During the three week build up prior to the initial landings on April 1, fifteen American ships had been hit by kamikazes. Seven destroyers, three aircraft cariers, a battleship, a cruiser, an LSM and an attack cargo ship were hit and a minesweeper was sunk. The carriers had the heaviest casualties. The carrier FRANKLIN, CV 13, had nearly a thousand casualties -- 724 killed and 265 wounded. By the end of March American shipboard casualties totaled 1124 killed and 1081 wounded.

On April 1, 1945, the day of the initial landings, kamikaze suicide plane attacks on the American invasion fleet were relatively light. Kamikaze plane crashes caused casualties on only four American ships -- a battleship, an LST and two attack transports, killing a total of 60 and wounding 102. The next day, April 2, kamikaze crashes caused three times as many casualties by hitting two attack transports, two cargo vessels and a minesweeper and sinking destroyer DICKERSON, DD 157. By the end of April 2, 1945 American shipboard casualties resulting from the Okinawa operation totaled 1372 killed and 1505 wounded.

During April May and June 1945 the Japanese mounted ten mass kamikaze suicide air attacks on the American ships at Okinawa. The Japanese called the mass attack operation TEN GO. The mass attacks were in addition to continuous day and night attacks by individual planes or groups of planes.

The first mass attack began April 6, 1945. There were 376 kamikaze suicide planes and 341 other planes -- bombers and fighters to protect the kamikazes from American Naval and Marine fighter planes. The attackers sank six American ships -- , two victory ships -- HOBBS VICTORY and LOGAN VICTORY ,LST 447 and three destroyers. -- COLHOUN, BUSH and EMMONS. Eighteen ships including twelve destroyers were hit All twelve destroyers had extensive casualties. BUSH had 94 killed and 32 wounded ; COLHOUN had 35 killed and 21 wounded ; EMMONS had 64 killed and 71 wounded. There were 847 American naval casualties on April 6; ---376 killed and 471 wounded.

On the second day of the mass attack there were 292 more casualties-- 118 killed and 174 wounded There were 847 American naval casualties on April 6; ---376 killed and 471 wounded. On the second day of the mass attack there were 292 more casualties-- 118 killed and 174 wounded. Six ships were hit including aircraft carrier HANCOCK and battleship MARYLAND. By the end of the first mass attack the total American casualties in the Okinawa air- sea battle had reached 4177 --- 1872 killed and 2245 wounded.