Santa Fe (CL 60) - Naval Cruise Book

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Looking dead ahead from plane seeurea' to fantaillf port catapult, SAN T11 FE present: photo-induced beam worthy fy' largest battleship. V A Qdxl .5-,,'-Em., -4. -,- 5 f- ., -,- 'f v: -f 21 i .Jlgfl-.I1. .w. L fi - I I V' 534 ll' lf' V1 .. 'I' ' ., 'f ' l I 7:1 1 I ' 7 i-J Q -E 't i' 1 l :.,l 3 l I ,lf ,I :Q ,I ' I l H l Nl 1 I l l , ' I -I 2 I 1 gs mr I ma I' ff 7 f 4.4, i F ,.,,,-. .JE 1 ' VLA. 1 P-,VM-5 ,, My ,A-4 1sT BATTLE OF PHILIPPINE SEA, SAIPAN AND GUAM INVASIONS, Bo- NINS' BOMBARDMENT SET FAST PACE T 7' HEN the SANTA FEistood out from Ma-iuro 6 June 5Q,f'fQ.,l 1944, she began her longest period of continuous if Y operation. She was still assigned to a fast carrier task group, one of four composing the powerful Task Force 58. Beginning ll June, daily air strikes were launched against Saipan, Tinian, and Guam to blast Bettys and Zekes on their runways a generally soften the island defenses. On the 15th, DogQDay for Saipan, an attack by low flying enemy torpedgd planes was smothered by the terrific AA barrage thro n iby the U.S. ships. lt was evident on 16 ,f une that a large Japanese surface force wasfapproachingx-.A ',th,d'l'9flT't'lT 'e.,.iriiiiial contact was madehiyxourfearrier'planesfr-in,wh'a't fvijas' to be known as the First Ba-tgle ofitl'le,,jPhilippine.1 Sea. From 1000 throughout the dayffthei .T.Lhl,15S,,.f'l2l.:ll'1Z1tCl1CCl' an all-out air attack on our forces. Byreyeni-ng o r CAP had splashed over 400 planesg t-his,,total,,5thei large it for any one day of the war, earned thefnamfe lVI'a1j.iai1as Turkey Shoot for the action. Afewfdive bombers: .... ped through only to be shot dowrititi' drop their bombs sea. Contact with the enemy, lost the previous night, was again established late in the afternoon of 20 June. It was then that Admiral Mitscher elected to launch a daring air strike against the Jap fleet-a strike from which it was 19 ?une1944 ffapx throw their haymaker at Mitsehez-'J .veaforeex guarding a V ' ' - I pproaeh to znvas h hh d ' ' small percentage is ax .9ucee.f.jul as this fellow trashingozarhilissgl oitcjjriiifiiiii .ftgnfoo-plus drinking ya? aircraft only 5 6 A

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Iwo fima getsfrsl taste fy' naval bombardment. Overall slrategic plan callsfor the denial of Iwo as slaging centerfor mainland aircraft. Ml ll H' no its With the Jap Heet out of action, the carrier and surface fleet steamed back to Eniwetok for a breather. On 30 June Task Force 58 sortied out, bound for the Fourth of July fireworks at Iwo Jima. The tremendous bombard- ment that day demolished over 75fZ,of the enemy installa- tions on the island and neutralized all enemy aircraft. During this action our spotting plane was attacked by 3 Zeros. The radioman-gunner shot down oneaof the three before the SANTA FE's riddled plane was forced to land. A rescue destroyer picked the plane's lucky, unhurt crew from the water. On 5 July a small strike was launched at Pagan as the task force steamed south for a fueling rendezvous. From 6 July, when fueling was completed, until 21 July the Ammunition dumpjust hi! sends up column of tlnek gray smoke. Blan- ket :yt such smoke makes air and surfaee spotting all bu! impossible. 53 EWPZUHVHZ Jblflls from SANTA FE's guns produce angry white pzfs. Smoke from burning planes and fuel tanks proves jfring aceurary.