Purchase
on DVD±R
Right Now!

Watch the Trailer

The Americans

USS CABOT
(CVL-28)

USS ESSEX
(CV-9)

USS HANCOCK
(CV-19)

USS INTREPID
(CV-11)

 

The Japanese

The Kamikazes

A6M Zero

D4Y SUISEI

IJN Kumano

IJN Yasoshima

 

Narrated By

Marvin Scott

 

Historical Advisor

Michael Marmé, PH.D.
Fordham University,
New YORK, NY

 

REcommended links

World War II
Multimedia Database

Nine Sisters

 

I. D. “Inny” Cerbini — USS Hancock (CV-19)

I. D. “Inny” Cerbini was a fireman on the USS Hancock. He didn’t put out fires -- he started them. Navy firemen lit and tended the boilers that powered the steam-driven engines. “Inny” was stationed on the smokestack on November 25, 1944, watching for tell-tale black or gray smoke that would give away the Hancock's position. At 1233 Hours, an A6M5 Zero-Sen piloted by Chief Officer 1st Class Isamu Kamitake, flying a Senbaku 5 night fighter, was hit by American shellfire and blew up over the flight deck. Parts of Kamitake's plane crashed on deck.

Play QuickTime Video of “Inny”
IN day of the Kamikaze

“Inny” is on the left. Movie opens in new window
QuickTime 7 required 1.1 MB, 320x240 Movie

 

“You prayed until you heard,
splash, one bogey,”

I. D. “Inny” Cerbini on board Intrepid Sea•Air•Space Museum	I. D. “Inny” Cerbini in 1944

“The thing that used to scare the daylights out of us is when we’re under attack, you’d hear on the system, the radar picked up a bogey, an enemy plane or a squadron, whatever. And as they got closer, you had combat air patrol up there that would try to shoot these planes down. Engage them and shoot them down if they could. When they got within a certain distance of the fleet, combat air patrol would break off and the ship’s guns would start firing. And there was five inch guns on a carrier. They would start firing and you’re pinned in a compartment inside the guts of the ship, right, and all you can hear is sound and you hear the five inch guns going off then you would hear the 40-millimeter guns going off because that told you the planes are getting closer to you. Then you had 20-millimeter guns and when them twenties went off that plane was in close. That’s when you started going, ‘Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.’ Really, you prayed until you heard, splash, one bogey. The gunner shot him down and you were safe for a time being.”

Website Links

I. D. “Inny” Cerbini’s World War II Memorial