‍Kamikaze attacks USS Comfort hospital ship

‍“Kamaretta red, smoke boat make smoke"

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‍Get ‘em to the beach!

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‍The expected casualty count was 30,000 including 6,000 Killed in Action (KIA). Disease was calculated to be 41,000 in the first 60 days. The scope of medical care was striking, far greater than I can discuss here..

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‍The plan was to evacuate casualties by landing craft to a ship, including the hospital ship. A decision about where to take the patient would be made aboard the landing craft. Many of these landing craft were equipped to treat patients. Six landing ships (LST(H)) were equipped with surgical facilities and were staffed with surgical teams.

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‍These landing craft and others could take them to a hospital ship farther away from Okinawa.  Air evacuation was also used.

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‍Sanders Marble, writing for the National Defense University, said,

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‍“Total battle casualties were close to predictions … Medical support on land was generally good. Elements of every medical function were ashore on L-day, and the lack of early opposition meant that hospitals could easily be landed and be ready by L+5 (L means landing day), before there was much fighting … Hospital ships were effective.”

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‍The 69th Field Hospital assembly was unloaded on L+1 and was set up over the next seven days. Portable Surgical Hospitals (PSH) were also used.

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‍Whatever the case, more often than not, by hook or by crook, the wounded had to get to the beach; that is, to the rear. This was true in Okinawa.

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‍Some were already there, hit early on, others were brought from aid stations, or from somewhere in between where they were hit. The medics had to get them in as good shape as possible so they could be loaded onto a landing craft, or directly on the hospital ship gangway, off the beach, and to the next levels of medical care. 

‍The mix of wounded and dead could get complicated, and a lot of effort had to be expended to identify, tag, and count. In short, an accounting had to be made as best as possible under the circumstances. 

‍The business of brothers in arms evacuating their wounded was dangerous from start to finish. One can only imagine what it was like for the wounded trooper being moved around and finally getting to a hospital ship. Many arrived there with life and death surgeries yet to be performed, many wondering or not even knowing how they made it that far.

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‍The male medics went in with the landing forces and took care of the troops until field hospitals could be set up. Female nurses arrived to outfit the field hospitals. There would be occasional friction in the handoff of patients. They all did their job, that's for sure. 

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‍Kamikaze attacks USS Comfort