USS Carmita

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 Kaiten 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 submarine 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 Kamikaze; 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 Aircraft Carrier. 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

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