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Dickerson was southwest of Okinawa
on the night of April 2, 1945 when she was attacked. One kamikaze aircraft
slashed off the tops of her two stacks before smashing into the base of her
bridge, toppling her mast and starting intense gasoline fires. Almost
simultaneously another plane scored a direct hit on the center of her
forecastle. The explosion tore a hole in the deck almost the complete width
of the ship. Dickerson's crew was forced to abandon ship when the
raging fires threatened her forward magazine. Bunch (APD-79) and
Herbert (APD-22) stood by to rescue survivors, and Bunch succeeded in
putting out the fires which had virtually demolished Dickerson. Dickerson
was towed to Kerama Retto then was towed out to sea and sunk. 54 killed,
including the commanding officer; 23 wounded.
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