Okinawa shipwreck

USS Emmons
The only known shipwreck off Okinawa that exisits to this day.

On picket duty off Iheya Jima in April 1945 as part of Operation Iceberg. It was a survivor of Operation Overlord and Operation dragoon in France prior to Its duties in Okinawa as a minesweeper. At 1630 On April 6th 1945 while assisting its sister ship, the burning USS Rodman, the Emmons was hit by five Kamikaze planes from the Japanese strike force in less than two minutes With the stern smashed and most of the superstructure gone, it drifted towards Kouri Jima where it was purposely sunk with ninety-six 5 inch rounds from the USS Ellyson. Of the 254 members of the crew, fifty were killed or missing in action and sixty-five were wounded.

The ship had three diffferent armament configurations, two as destroyer and her final configuration as high speed minesweeper in 1944. with 7 x 20mm. Six side-throwing "K" guns had replaced the "Y" gun. 3 x 5"/38. 5 x 21" torpedoes, 2 x twin 40mm mounts.

You can view more pictures of the USS Emmons at Fathoms diving.