The Coolidge examiner., 1945-07-27
Urtons Receive News
From Missing Sons
Buddy This Week

ne ldleSJ WOrQ received Dy MI.
and Mrs. w. r. Urton about their
son, William R. Urtoh, S 1/C, re-
ported missing in action in the
South Pacific in May, comes from
the latter's buddy, Albert Alexan-
der, who was serving on the des-
troyer Evans with Billy when the
action in which he was reported
missing took place. Alexander,
now in the States on leave, writes !;
81 inquired of all those around
Bill on May IL. 1t seems no one
knows quite what happened"
The destroyer Evans, on which
Urton and Alexander served, and
the Hugh w. Hadley were engaged
in a life and death battle with Jap
suicide planes off Okinawa Island
on May IL. The two destroyers
together knocked down thirty-eight
Jap planes in an hour and 45 min
utes, the Navy recently disclosed.
The bag, the navy said, was the
largest ever reported for ships
of their size during a single action.
Altogether, eighty-eight enemy
planes were destroyed in the epic
struggle, with marine Corsair pilots
shooting down an additional fifty
from the attacking force of more
than $50. "a
The 2,000-ton Evans, smaller OF
the team, got nineteen planes and
was credited with four assists In
seyenty-three minutes before its
guns were silenced. The Nips
struck in groups of four to six at a
time. The battle reached such
ferocity at one time that the Evans
was bringing down suicide planes
diving on the Hadley, as well as
protecting herself, while the Had
ley was cunning for aircraft at &
greater distance.
Four suicide planns and two
bombs struck the Evans. Through
all the confusion and intensity o.
the battle Urton, being the direct
or operator of a heavy machine
gun, stuck to it and himself &C
counted for enemy planes" Alex
ander writes. 1.-The fellow whC
operated the director with Bill was
blown to the main deck. When ht
returned Bill was using the director
all alone, he said. He thought Bill
followed him when he went to the
ladder because the gun wouldn't firt
any more. Everyone abandoned
their battle stations to put out the
fires then when the count was take1
Bill wasn't to be found. So neither
l, nor anyone else, knows exactl!
what happened to Bill.
There were little ships arounC
picking the men up from the watel
so we hoped Bill would be among
them, that is why you probabl!
weren't notified sooner, but to ou
disappointment VIC uluH ACdl oiy
thing about Bill" When the Had
ley threatened to capsize, th'
wounded were taken over the sid'
to life RATS and floats. The re
mainder of the crews, however
managed to keep the craft afloa
and both destroyers reached harbol
next day. The skipper of thu
EVANS is Captain Robert Johr
Archer of Piedmont, California. The
Evans was commissioned in Dec
ember of 1943. The Hadley wal
commissioned last November.
The Urtons feel, after this lates
news, that they may still heal
from their son. In the terrible
confusion of the battle it is easily
possible for small raft, or lone
man in a life belt, to have beer
overlooked, they believe. "Suci
things have happened before" Mrs
Urton said "and the men have
eventually made their way to small
Islands, to be picked up later -
we believe there is yet a chance
to hear from Billy"