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On April 1, 1945, as Hinsdale
steamed toward the transport area with marines ready to disembark, lookouts
spotted an enemy plane approaching low over the water. The suicide plane
crashed into Hinsdale’s port side just above the water line and
ripped into the engine room. Three explosions rocked the transport and tore
the engine room apart. Power failed immediately. Hinsdale came to a
dead stop, with three gaping holes in her port side. Marines on deck were
hastily shifted to the starboard rails to counteract a serious list to port.
Below decks Hinsdale's crew fought fires and made temporary patches.
Fifteen men were dead; 40 missing or wounded. Despite the injury,
Hinsdale put the marines ashore. Limited power was finally restored and
the list to port was corrected The ship was towed to Kerama Retto for
emergency repair work and was soon pressed into service as a receiving ship
for survivors of other kamikaze attacks. On April 14 Hinsdale
departed Kerama Retto, towed in a convoy of LSTs.
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