Original U.S. Navy records of USS Terror (CM-5), scanned from the National Archives (NARA). Click a title to open the PDF; the text is searchable.
Okinawa Action Report, March 1945 – May 8, 1945
The captain’s confidential action report of 24 May 1945, covering Terror’s voyage from Ulithi to Okinawa and six weeks at Kerama Retto as flagship of Rear Admiral Alexander Sharp’s minecraft group, ending with the 1 May suicide-plane hit. It includes the ship’s battle damage report. (NARA ID 101750536) (large file will load slowly)
War Diary, April 1945
Day-by-day log at anchor in Kerama Retto, servicing minecraft under constant air attack: firing on Japanese planes, rescuing survivors of LST-447 and the Logan Victory, and treating casualties from USS Pinkney. The ship went to general quarters 95 times that month. (NARA ID 140000977)
War Diary, May 1945
Describes the suicide-plane strike before dawn on 1 May 1945 (final count 41 dead, 7 missing, 123 wounded), emergency repairs alongside USS Natrona, and the damaged ship’s voyage via Saipan and Eniwetok toward Pearl Harbor. Includes a battle damage enclosure listing the equipment destroyed. (NARA ID 140039326)
War Diary, June 1945
Records Terror’s arrival in San Francisco from Pearl Harbor, unloading of ammunition at Mare Island, and the start of battle-damage repairs at Kaiser Yard No. 1, Richmond, before moving to Mare Island Navy Yard to finish the overhaul. (NARA ID 77464308)
War Diary, July 1945
A brief entry noting the ship spent July 1945 under overhaul at Mare Island Navy Yard, California. (NARA ID 77472379)
Supplementary Ship’s History, April 30 – September 25, 1945
Official history sent to the Secretary of the Navy by Commander R.T. Spofford: the 1 May kamikaze hit (42 killed, 4 missing, 120 wounded), repairs at Mare Island, the change of command on 15 June, and the return to Okinawa in September as flagship for Rear Admiral Arthur Struble, riding out a typhoon at Buckner Bay. (NARA ID 77693080)