Download or read book Kamikaze Destroyer: USS Hugh W. Hadley (DD774) written by Jeffrey R. Veesenmeyer and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2020-01-15 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Merriam Press World War 2 History. The Hadley was a destroyer which served in the U.S. Navy and in early May 1945 was assigned to radar picket duty at Okinawa. On 11 May, a large force of Japanese aircraft attacked. Hadley fought off these attackers, but not without damage to itself. Hadley fought on, but was hit by a bomb and three kamikaze aircraft. Hadley shot down a record 23 aircraft that day and aided in splashing many others, but lost 30 crew members. A determined crew kept her afloat and she was towed back to the States. This new book by a relative of a crew member killed that day off Okinawa, tells the story of the ship, and that fateful day, through the words of many of the survivors, which the author interviewed. This is not just a story about a ship, but about the men that made that ship a legend in the annals of Navy history. 9 appendices, bibliography, 112 photos, 7 illustrations, 6 maps.