Santa Fe (CL 60) - Naval Cruise Book

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Smoke ard ire rzsesfrom Wage Island eastern most ap bastzon, as salvo after salvofrom S.4NTA FE s guns pzn poznt the large! Targets zn the area asszgned are well cover ed and znelude eoaslal aatterzes two air strzps buzldzngs and azr znstallatzons Afmmunztzon dump lzzt but at same tzme heavy returnjirefrom 7ap batterzes zs met, straddlzng llzzs slzzp lzzttzng destroyer ahead Vulnerabzlzty of beaelzlzead zs elearbf outlined as landzng em to ITH Tarawa, Makm and Apamama already con agamst the lap Outer L1ne ofDefense was abOL1f to come ol? The lslands of Wotje, Mill aluit and Vlaloelap ln the Marshalls were the obv1oHs faFgets, but 21 surprlse was 1n store for the Nlps However, the story is gettmg ahead of 1tsell Wlhen Tarawa was firmly ln U S hands the SANTA FE left the Gllbert area wlth the F1fthlFleet and steamed north to launch a carrier plane strlke at the Marshalls O11 4 December and agam on the Sth The SANTA ISE had been unde1WaV almost constantlv slnce 13 Octoberg SO, . I 1 . yy .' I I7 . ' e ' - . - I , . I. . ' , l , . l .. . , , , , .S ,s,.o of V , , , X W' as ff T - tl 'sly verted 1nto formldable a1r bases, the next IHOVC 1 -' ' cc il - - as - ' A ' s l ,L 'xx K I .-W . rn..- A l Ak .. . . TT ' T V 1 . 1 . . 2 . f ' , ' ' . V x ' . . X , ,

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lfifreeked radar antenna shows Yap has mastered intricacies of Hnzagie eyeh' and due aflowanee must he made znfuture operations. Suceesjzzf invasion ry' Tarawa, supported en- tzrely hy sea power, was U. S. sVavy's answer r' 5. g , Extensive damage to 8-fneh eoasta! defense gun which 7aps had trans- Re-inforrements about to land on portion of island evidentb' not prevfoushv planted from Singapore proves accuracy of SANTJ FEfre. fired upon. Note heads extending over water. 41 , 3 N

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S ..,,,... ., ,,,,. W Y all lr - inds hurriedly pour men and material ashore at Kwzzjalein. AMPHIBIOUS OPERATION PERFECT upon completion of the air strike, the order Return to Pearl Harbor was welcome news. The SANTA EE arrived at Pearl on ll December. The next couple of weeks enabled the Navy Yard to work the ship over, and, most important, install more recently developed Radar equipment than was then aboard. VVhile Christmas mail was still coming on board, the unexpected came true, the SANTA EE was ordered to go to the VVest Coast, pick up the Kwajalein Invasion Convoy and escort them out. New Year's Day of 1944 passed on the high sea and a day later the bow nosed between the nets at Terminal Island, U.S.A .... But the ship Burned out hangurs and outline of what used to he landing strips on Roi Island ure only rernuzns M onee powejul air installations. Beach hurriers, slit trenches, pill boxes testhfy to preparations jfups had madefor defense. On the jfeld are two gutted Bettys . Absence of pulnzfronds on trees which cover Numur Island is mute evidence ofthe extensive use made of high explosive projeetlles.