Rufus served in the US Navy, onboard the USS Mahan (DD-364), during World War II. But on Pearl Harbor Day (3rd anniversary), December 7, 1944, while patrolling between Leyte and Ponson Island in the Phillipines, the destroyer was attacked by a squadron of Japanese aircraft. In the ensuing engagement, the Mahan shot down three of the attacking planes but three of the remainder Japanese Kamakazees crashed into her. The first one hit midship, and the second one hit between the two stacks, the third one missed but came back around and hit. The ship was exploding from all the munitions and weapons onboard, and there was nothing to extinguish the fires because one of the planes had knocked out the power to the ship. With no power and no water the fires soon spread out of control. The Mahan's skipper decided it would be best for the crew to jump overboard. The ship was abandoned by its 204 crew members. Rufus said that the survivors were in the water for 2 ½ hours and were eventually sighted and picked up by the crew members of USS Walke, a flat-bottomed landing ship. After the sailors from the Mahan boarded the Walke, the decision was made to sink the listing ship. The USS Walke sank the USS Mahan by way of gunfire and torpedoes.
Rufus served in the US Navy, onboard the USS Mahan (DD-364), during World War II. But on Pearl Harbor Day (3rd anniversary), December 7, 1944, while patrolling between Leyte and Ponson Island in the Phillipines, the destroyer was attacked by a squadron of Japanese aircraft. In the ensuing engagement, the Mahan shot down three of the attacking planes but three of the remainder Japanese Kamakazees crashed into her. The first one hit midship, and the second one hit between the two stacks, the third one missed but came back around and hit. The ship was exploding from all the munitions and weapons onboard, and there was nothing to extinguish the fires because one of the planes had knocked out the power to the ship. With no power and no water the fires soon spread out of control. The Mahan's skipper decided it would be best for the crew to jump overboard. The ship was abandoned by its 204 crew members. Rufus said that the survivors were in the water for 2 ½ hours and were eventually sighted and picked up by the crew members of USS Walke, a flat-bottomed landing ship. After the sailors from the Mahan boarded the Walke, the decision was made to sink the listing ship. The USS Walke sank the USS Mahan by way of gunfire and torpedoes.
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