USS Rall (DE-304) at anchor in April 1945 (80-G-330116)

The U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Rall (DE-304) at Kerama Retto, after being hit by a kamikaze off Okinawa, in April 1945. Rall and other ships were attacked by five kamikaze aircraft on 12 April 1945. Four aircraft were shot down, but the fifth plane, damaged and aflame hit the Rall on the starboard side aft. A 250 kg bomb slung beneath the plane tore through the ship, exploding in the air about 4 metres from the port side. The explosion and fire from the suicide plane, combined with strafing attacks from other aircraft, resulted in heavy damage, 21 dead and 38 wounded. Rall entered Kerama Retto anchorage and moored alongside USS Pinkney (APH-2), where most of the wounded were transferred. After initial repairs, Rall departed for the Kerama Retto anchorage on 15 April. She was ordered on to Ulithi, arriving there on 23 April. Following additional structural repairs, she left Ulithi and arrived at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Washington (USA), on 18 May 1945. Repairs and overhaul were completed on 12 July 1945.
The ship is painted in Design 3D of the Camouflage Measure 31-32-33 series. Note that her medium-tone (Ocean Gray 5-O) paint patches are outlined in black.