Santa Fe (CL 60) - Naval Cruise Book

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j-'ap plane Crightb, mortallv hit hy AA jire, dives at earrier LAVNGLEY. Oat QI control aneljlaming, Nip pilot nevertheless releases his bombs. Column of white spray marks near-miss. Aircraft crashes seconds later. 68 A J CraDiv 13 CSANTA FE leaelingj executes screening movement proteeizng 'lil' vii r if it is w g + 1 essst 200 JAP AIR FIELDS MUST BE NEUTRAL ff 'stk IR strikes against the ,Philippines during the Palau by occupation proved that carrier based air power could successfully atitack, large areas protected by land based planes, and ,also could defend itself against counter-blows. Op-planfs were speeded up in View ofthe Nip's inability to parry VU.S. 'thrustsllandings were proposed for-Leyte in late October. In preparation, the Third Fleet wassgiven the task of softening up enemy air installations in thei hilippines, Formosa and the Ryukyus -the latter two, aircraft' staging lpoints between the Homeland and Luz'on.l ,,,,le'- U it The LUCKY LADXff's'ortied' from Ulithi 6 October in Task Group pifooeeded tdowardeformidable Okinawa, and four days later threw an aeriallhaymaker. VVhilC , -4

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, I 1 'i l ' H C . -.X , V J , i , v V V, , -..... ., -I ,N ,I iv fri R ll iwcifwllx' 'l,lIl'y'U yi get It , . ,r.. -.. .1-iiifg, ,J ,A X-,y,,.L,,. danao Island. Expending 1789 rounds of 6 , 5 and 40 MM ammunition the SANTA FE sank four of the I5 ships she fired upon in the two hour battle. The other ships were left burning or severely damaged. Though but 90 yards distant in some cases, the Japanese craft in- flicted no damage to the raiders. Air strikes against Mindanao Island were resumed on the 10th. Strikes were launched against the Visayan area on the 12th to 1-lth while standing off Dinagat Island. An enemy bomber penetrated the screen on the 13th and scored a near miss on a CVL. The same day the battle- ships ALABAMA, MASSACHUSETTS, VVASHING- TON and INDIANA joined the Task Group. In the midst of fueling, fighting, receiving mail and burying the dead, the SANTA FE's two Kingfishers winged over enemy held territory to the Camotes Islands where they rescued two downed aviators in the care of friendly Filipino guerillas. After the successful Marine seizure of Pelelieu Island, during which time the carriers stood by to provide air support when needed, the Task Force steamed northwest toward Luzon to launch, on the 21st and 22nd, the first strikes against Manila. On the 24th the Visayan area was again the target. After the first phase of the Philippine campaign was over the SANTA FE anchored in Kossol Passage, Palau Islands, but because of the insecurity of the open reef sur- rounding the anchorage and the possibility ofnight air and surface attack from the Japanese forces on Babelthaup, five miles away, the ships sortied nightly, returning in the morning for replenishing. On the first of October the Task Group proceeded to Ulithi, newly seized Caroline Atoll, which was to become the forward base of future fleet operations. Navy pilot ftopj resrued of Camotes Is. hook: on to sliipls crane Still wearing Filipino donated civvie.v , pilot is .vent to DD Cabove yup coajtalgzfgggpiftggglagl ?'Z'if-iff gift ziifezzi gP1ii1ifpfnEif i conifoy carried uel oil and aviation gasoline from Yapan. 67 b ' B' l' Ba Mindanao Another 3500 ton Nip merchant heads for Davey 7'ones. Davao-bound f

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BBE Capper IQUD daring mock-baffle maneaverf. Co-ordinalion QI Task Force depends upon infer-slap communicalion over lziglzfreqaency voice radio. IYED BEFORE TRGOPS GO ASHORE the laps were still reeling from this blow, the scene of action was shifted to Formosa and the Pescadores, which were hit heavily on 12 Qctober. Late that evening, the Alaps made their first counter-attack. Night torpedo bombers made run after run, only to burst into orange flame as the ships' AA fire hit home. VVhen the attacks finally ceased at 0238, the Task Force had suffered no damage. On Friday the 13th, carrier planes were back over Formosa-and again the Sons of Heaven waited until twilight to attack. This time the cruiser CANBERRA took a torpedo in her engineering spaces. She reported the need ofa tow and CruDiv 13 was detached to assist. Thus was formed the nucleus tactically known as TG 30.3. A7427 ro1i!ro!oj7'icor.t and fookonff in HKIIII' Forward' .fran .tk-1' for memy