Time Magazine Article regarding the Battle of Okinawa
Engineers
First row (bottom) from left to right:
Louis Gollo, Alford Huff, Albert M. Taylor, William Walker, Joseph G. Goebel, Roy Winkler, Clarence R. Santmyres
Second row up from left to right:
Witt, Frank E. Spady, Robert H. Clark, Hugh A. Basset CMM, John B. Gifford CMM, John S. Denison, Lt. jg Oscar R. Grimm, ENS. Jack Q. Lewis, Robert A. Jones
Third row up from left to right:
Harry C. Churchill, Austin H. Walser, Joseph P. Minnigal, Donald J. Smith, Frank J. Malinowski, Russell James Griffore Jr., Arthur M. Tei, Henderson C. Hemphill, Joseph Holdener, William G. Robbins, Charles M. Bubnis
Fourth row up from left to right:
George A. Munro, Leon D. Domanski, Louis P. Campoli, Clement L. Wojeiechowski, Charles O. Kurth, John W. Baker, Edward J. Knipfer, Paul Simons, Michael V. Daniels, Daniel A. Buckley, Orvil L. Payne (half step down)
Fifth row up from left to right:
George Terborg, William H. Shinholster, George A. Daniels, Mike D. Goettina, George L. Kopf, Gene L Vrooman, Lloyd G. Carter, John E. Bissonette, John C. Poeschl
This photo of the USS Pringle Engineers was taken on the USS Starlight AP-175, a transport ship that brought some of the Pringle survivors (except the wounded) back to San Francisco after the Pringle sank.
- Sylvester Sandelier, 2nd row down, 5th in from the left (looking up)
- Hendersen Hemphill, bottom row, 2nd in from the left (wearing a white hat)
- Ambrose Whitedog, 3nd row down, 2nd in from the left (Native American Sioux) - 'plank owner' assigned to the Pringle on its commissioning
- Chester Leonard Sobocinski, top row, 3rd from the right
- Ralph Herbert Wendt, 3rd row from the bottom, 3rd man from the right - 'plank owner' assigned to the Pringle on its commissioning
- Gene Robert Messer, bottom row, 4th from the left
- William Wilson Luger, bottom row, 3rd from the right
- Donald Albert Tilley, second row from the bottom, last man on the right
- Woodrow Ralph Obermeier, bottom row, second from right
- Regarding Mr. Obermeier, Ralph Wendt laughed and said "If you see Obermeier, tell him I'm looking for him. He still owes me the hundred bucks I loaned to him in a poker game the night before we went down."
- John Raymond Riggs, bottom row, third from left
- Robert Emson Odom, top row, third from the left (blond hair)
- Emery Wayne Harned, bottom row, first from the left
- Robert John Guzowski, top row, third from the right
- Harold Franklin McWilliams, top row, fourth from the left
This picture is of the USS Pringle DD-477 Division "A" survivors. The Photo was taken on the USS Starlight AP-175, a transport ship that brought some of the Pringle survivors (except the wounded) back to San Francisco after the Pringle sank.
On 16 Apr 45, the USS Pringle was patrolling Radar Pickett Station #14
The USS Pringle was sunk by a Japanese Kamakaze (suicide) bomber on April 16th, 1945 during the battle of Okinawa. 320 men were on board of which 258 survived.
This page is a collection of the following which relate to that day:
- Youtube: Video of William Herman
- Time Magazine article The Battle of Okinawa
- Map of Okinawa and picket stations
- Action Report: 2 page
- Muster Roll, April 16th 1945: 6 pages
- Casualty Reports: 12 pages
- Pictures of survivors: 6 pictures
Pictures of Survivors
U.S.S. Pringle Casualty Report and Casualty List - 18 April 1945
Submitted by Richard Minich (survivor) and Toni Volpe Greetis, daughter of Anthony Volpe
USS Pringle Action Reports pertaining to the sinking. The full 8 pages of action reports from the Navy can be found here.
Contributed by William L. Herman, USS Pringle survivor
- Peter Ross Wilson, Top row, 2nd from the right in a white shirt
- Keith Martin VanDerzee, Top row on far right, next to "his buddy Pete Wilson"
- Thomas Watson Kinsey, 2nd row from the top, fifth from the left (center of the row) collared shirt with rolled up sleeves
- John Thomas Pumroy, bottom row, far left, (white hat & T-shirt)
This picture is of the USS Pringle DD-477 Division "B" survivors. The Photo was taken on the USS Starlight AP-175, a transport ship that brought some of the Pringle survivors (except the wounded) back to San Francisco after the Pringle sank.
USS Pringle Muster Roll: April 16th, 1945
Provided by Jack Schugardt. His note at the top says:
"I have the original, this is the Muster Roll taken while in the water. I worked on this Muster Roll with Andy Balog, Bill Mundt and Claude Diehl. Bill Herman would have helped, but he was wounded and couldn't"
The sinking
- Frank Atria - Top Row, 2nd from the left
- Howard Melvin Muggs) Hunt - Top row, 3rd in from the left
- James Wash - Top Row, 4th from the left
- Jack Schugardt - Top row, 2nd from the right
- John (Jack) Carter Haldeman - Top row, far right
- Samuel John Cardella - Top row, 4th from the right "Sammy"
- Donald Eugene Black - 2nd row from the top, 2nd in from the left
- Robert Cunningham - 2nd row from the top, 3rd in from the left
- William Clarence Mundt - 2nd row from the top, 2nd from the right.
- Claude Diehl - 3rd row from the top, 1st from the left, no shirt with the sailor derby
- Jack Roland Gebhardt - 3rd row from the bottom, 3rd in from the left (arms folded)
- Robert Eric DeBartolo - 4th row from the bottom and 4th in from the left
- George Wilburn Carnley - 4th row from the bottom and 5th in from the left
- Richard William Minich - 4th row from the bottom and 6th in from the left
- John Franklin Berry - 4th row from the bottom and 9th in from the left
- Jack Elmer Cruze - 3rd row from the bottom and 8th in from the left (right end)
- Robert Daltan Hinkson. - 3rd row from the bottom, 6th in from the left
- Eugene Ralph Smith - 2nd row down, on the far right end
- Andrew John Balog - 4th row, 1st from the right.
- David Wesley Hinshaw - 3rd row from bottom, 2nd in from right
- Lloyd Grant Holderman - First row, all the way on the right
- Nicholas Philip Capece - Bottom row, 4th in from the left (dark hair)
- Charles Essay Jr. - Bottom row, first in from the left
Jack Schugardt, said this picture was also published in a Hazelton, PA newspaper with the following caption:
"Some of the survivors of the sinking of the USS Pringle ... grateful to be alive after the brutal battle of Okinawa during World War II."
This picture is of the USS Pringle DD-477 Division "C" survivors. The Photo was taken on the USS Starlight AP-175, a transport ship that brought some of the Pringle survivors (except the wounded) back to San Francisco after the Pringle sank.
CPOs
Bottom row from left to right:
Hugh A. Basset CMM, John S. Denison CEM, Gene R. Messer CPM, John B. Gifford CMM
Top row from left to right:
David K. Pope CRT, Henry F. Vogler CRM, James R. Layton CSOM, Antonio Valera CST
Not pictured:
William Durfee CES, Harold L. Still CGM, Harry U. Criss CFC
Lost:
Joe E. Wampler CMM, Tillman N. Smith CWT, Homer Sherril CTM, Wallace H. Cable
This photo of the USS Pringle Chief Petty officers (CPO's) was taken on the USS Starlight AP-175, a transport ship that brought some of the Pringle survivors (except the wounded) back to San Francisco after the Pringle sank.
There are 7 more pages worth of Action Reports, found here. The above Action Report is just regarding the sinking of the USS Pringle
Officers
First row (bottom) from left to right:
Lt. James H. Finley, Lt. Howard A. Malstrom, LCDR (Captain) John Lawrence Kelley, Lt. James T. Alexander, Lt. Stanley T. Landow
Second row up (middle) from left to right:
Ltjg. John A. Ballard, Ltjg. Val B. Diehl, Ens. Jack Q. Lewis, Ltjg. Oscar R. Grimm
Third row up (top) from left to right:
Ltjg. Dana C. Mitchell (MD), Ltjg. Richard J. Leonard, Ens. George J. Dawe, Ltjg. William F. Downing, Ltjg. Richard J. Goldstein
Not pictured:
Machinist Jessie H. Munday, Lt. George G. Craddock, Ltjg. Robert P. Wander
Lost:
Lt. Gerald F. Gorges
This photo of the USS Pringle Officers was taken on the USS Starlight AP-175, a transport ship that brought some of the Pringle survivors (except the wounded) back to San Francisco after the Pringle sank.