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Casualty Info
Home Town Fort Pierre, SD
Last Address 25 Catherine St Newport, RI
Casualty Date Jun 16, 1945
Cause KIA-Killed in Action
Reason Torpedoed
Location Pacific Ocean
Conflict World War II
Location of Interment Black Hills National Cemetery (VA) - Sturgis, South Dakota
Wall/Plot Coordinates MB 106 (memorial marker)
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
In June 1945, the battle for Okinawa was drawing to its close. USS Twiggs (DD-591) continued radar picket duties in the western fire support area and supported strikes on Iheya Shima and Iheya-Aguni with pre-landing bombardment and gunfire support. On 16 June, Twiggs was on radar picket duty off Senaga Shima in the western fire support area. At 20:30, a single, low-flying plane dropped a torpedo which hit Twiggs on her port side, exploding her number 2 magazine. The plane then circled and completed its kamikaze mission in a suicide crash. The explosion enveloped the destroyer in flame; and, within an hour, she sank. Despite the hazard of exploding ammunition from the blazing Twiggs, 188 survivors were rescued from the oily waters.
Among the 152 dead and missing was CDR Philip. He was listed as missing in action and later declared dead.
Comments/Citation:
Service number: 074871
Navy Cross
Awarded for Actions During World War II
Service: Navy
Division: U.S.S. Twiggs (DD-591)
General Orders: Commander in Chief Pacific: Serial 053 (January 1, 1946)
Citation: The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Navy Cross (Posthumously) to Commander George Philip, Jr. (NSN: 0-74871), United States Navy, for extraordinary heroism and distinguished service in the line of his profession as Commanding Officer of the Destroyer U.S.S. TWIGGS (DD-591), during operations against the enemy in the vicinity of Okinawa Gunto, Nansei Shoto, from 25 March 1945 to 16 June 1945. Despite frequent attacks both day and night by enemy aircraft, and in the face of tremendous difficulties, Commander Philip directed the operation of his ship in such a manner that every mission was accomplished effectively. When his ship was damaged by an enemy suicide plane, Commander Philip brought her safely through the attack and supervised repair of battle damage in the combat area, returning to action in the minimum possible time. By his heroism in the destruction of enemy aircraft and shore installations, by his courage and endurance while commanding one of the destroyer pickets at Okinawa, an extraordinarily hazardous duty, and by virtue of conspicuous personal leadership in maintaining the fighting morale of a battle-worn crew under extremely trying conditions, Commander Philip distinguished himself and his command and contributed greatly to the success of a very difficult operation. His determination and heroic conduct were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Silver Star
The President of the United States of America takes pleasure in presenting the Silver Star to Commander [then Lieutenant] George Philip, Jr. (NSN: 0-74871), United States Navy, for gallantry, intrepidity, and meritorious performance of duty in repeated actions against the enemy as Executive Officer and Navigator of the Destroyer U.S.S. O'BANNON (DD-450), operating as a unit of a Task Force in the Solomon Islands from 10 January to 6 April 1943. During this period his ship acquitted itself with distinction, participating in three bombardments of enemy shore installations; operated against enemy air and surface forces attempting to relieve Guadalcanal, and surprised on the surface and sank an enemy submarine on the night of 15 April. By his skill, fearlessness and outstanding leadership, Lieutenant Philip was instrumental in the successful accomplishment of all the missions of his ship in the above actions. His conduct was at all times in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
World War II/Asiatic-Pacific Theater/Okinawa Gunto Operation
From Month/Year
March / 1945
To Month/Year
June / 1945
Description The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg. was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific War of World War II. The 82-day-long battle lasted from early April until mid-June 1945. After a long campaign of island hopping, the Allies were approaching Japan, and planned to use Okinawa, a large island only 340 mi (550 km) away from mainland Japan, as a base for air operations on the planned invasion of Japanese mainland (coded Operation Downfall). Four divisions of the U.S. 10th Army (the 7th, 27th, 77th, and 96th) and two Marine Divisions (the 1st and 6th) fought on the island. Their invasion was supported by naval, amphibious, and tactical air forces.
The battle has been referred to as the "typhoon of steel" in English, and tetsu no ame ("rain of steel") or ("violent wind of steel") in Japanese. The nicknames refer to the ferocity of the fighting, the intensity of kamikaze attacks from the Japanese defenders, and to the sheer numbers of Allied ships and armored vehicles that assaulted the island. The battle resulted in the highest number of casualties in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Based on Okinawan government sources, mainland Japan lost 77,166 soldiers, who were either killed or committed suicide, and the Allies suffered 14,009 deaths (with an estimated total of more than 65,000 casualties of all kinds). Simultaneously, 42,000–150,000 local civilians were killed or committed suicide, a significant proportion of the local population. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki together with the Soviet invasion of Manchuria caused Japan to surrender less than two months after the end of the fighting on Okinawa.
