USS Purdy (DD 734)

LT (jg) Carl Kole

Only a few days earlier on 6 April, the Purdy had come to assist the stricken USS Mullany (DD 528). Mullany had been set afire as a result of combat in the area and was abandoned and adrift at sea. Pulling alongside, Kole had been (as officer of the deck) ordered to clear the deck on the starboard side facing the dangerously smoldering Mullany. Standing alone, Kole was told to get out of danger at the first indication that the Purdy would not be able to control the fires burning directly above the main magazine. Kole figured correctly that, if the magazine cooked-off like so many had in the past, it would at least be over quick for him in the split second it would take to be reduced to a cloud of pink mist. But the Purdy fire control party was able to extinguish the blaze and the crew of the Mullany was returned to take the ship to the repair facility at Kerama Retto.

Carl Kole was awarded the Silver Star for his disregard of his personal safety during the rescue operation although, like so many others like him, he will fail to mention that during an interview.

None of that mattered much when, on 12 April, Purdy herself had her ticket punched.

The thirty plane Japanese attack formation came out of the sun to attack Purdy and her sister picket, USS Cassin Young (DD 793). Closing distance, the planes split up into several smaller groups to divide the anti-aircraft fire as well as to attack other light units of the fleet operating in the general area. Purdy and Cassin Young held their positions, supported by four Carrier based Marine fighter planes. In a hail of defensive fire Japanese planes began to splash around the ships. But Cassin Young was eventually hit and had to withdraw from the fight, leaving Purdy and three of the Marine fighters to duke it out with the Japanese. The fourth Marine fighter had been accidentally downed in the early going by AA fire, perhaps from the Purdy. The fight raged for ninety minutes and Purdy and the Marines were throwing back the threat killing six (ship) and twenty (air patrol) for a total of twenty-six Japanese planes. Purdy had used all of her contact shells and had resorted to 5" AP cannon fire by the time one lone Betty was all that was left of the attackers. Skimming low on the water and approaching from starboard, the Betty was intent on smashing the Purdy. Equally intent on not letting that happen, the gun crews on Purdy let rip with everything they had and splashed the Betty short of her goal. From his position on the flying bridge Kole watched the Betty get shredded. In horror he also watched as the Betty skipped over the water like a stone and impacted the hull of Purdy about five feet above the waterline. One armor-piercing 500-pound bomb dislodged from the bomber on impact and cored the hull, passing through the interior of the ship, and blowing an exit hole out the port side. The impact threw Kole off the bridge where he landed on a ledge suffering from two punctured eardrums.

The explosion wiped out the Interior Communications (IC) compartment, the WWII equivalent of the modern era Combat Control room. Gone was all internal ships communication, as well as any hope for radar tracking of additional threats in the area.    

Worse than that the bomb had killed fifteen of the Purdy crew, and injured another twenty-five more.

Left to recover some sense of immediate order were the surviving members of the crew and Kole (along with other officers on the deck) began to organize them into casualty and damage control parties under the orders of Purdy's CDR Frank Johnson. CDR Johnson was known to the men as "General Quarters" Johnson for his constant drilling of the crew, a fact that now in all probability saved lives in the confusion. 

The creeping slow crawl the ship made to the safety of Kerama Retto, licking her wounds and mourning her dead, was a certain kind of horror for all aboard her that day.

The Purdy was afforded emergency repairs and later joined a convoy of damaged ships bound for San Francisco. Eventually fully repaired she went on to serve in Korea,  in various roles in the Cold War including the Cuban blockade, and as a part of the recovery fleet for Project Mercury.

Purdy earned a battle star for the action on 12 April, and was awarded three more during the Korean conflict. She was stricken from the register 1 July 1973.

Carl Kole eventually retired from active duty and today lives in the Portland, OR. area.

The author wishes to thank Hal J. Oien, DMD and Keith Yates (USS Purdy 1946-48) for providing additional information and insights.  

Revisions to this article made 05/15/07.