Santa Fe (CL 60) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 76 text:

6' V 1 4 , V E 4, 1 ge 5 'l Q Q A-72,5 ,2 53' ga: , I l' 1 3 2 I 1 Qi , 92 P' l Ei' :J ' ei I re A F2 l ! if i Z ? J I 'E fi J 3 Q' li 5 if .- 3 A T ,. il W i r, Y W , 1 A I X 5 E JI I. X y E ? i i , V

Page 75 text:

We 5 s in 0 an g, g Q In Fleet's introduetion to newest, fastest ffapanese twin-engine tcrpedo bomber, anti-airrraft bursts polka dot sky well astern of plane. Torpedo catches slow movzng HOUSTON well aft on starboard quarter, razszng a column 0 smoke ame and water above masthead hezght Wzlth plane and eatapults demolished, hangar open to sea, HOUSTON takes on list to starboard. Protecting cruisers eirele at 15-20 knots

Page 77 text:

if i - THE LUCKY LADY COMES MIGHTY CLOSE TO LOSING HER NICKNAME . NLY four minutes after the second torpedoing of the V' HOUSTON it appeared the SANTA FE was to meet ii a similar fate when a low-flying, single engine torpedo bomber roared in from the starboard quarter. All the ship's guns that could bear opened fire. Seconds later, jinking its way miraculously through the hail of 2O's, 40's and 5 inch, the Jill launched its torpedo. A moment after, the plane burst into Hames and the pilot did a wing-over in a last desperate attempt to crash-dive the ship. Everyone, including the 200 HOUSTON survivors, braced himself for a double-header Under full rudder the ship sheered sharply to port, bringing the bow away from the fiery, gasoline-laden casket and swinging the stern out of the torpedo's path The tin fishl' exploded harmlessly in the SANTA FE's wake, but the Jill plunged into the water so close to the ship's bow that the men operating the foc'scle 20's were severely burned by the spattered flaming gasoline 'N Same Nzp torpedo plane shown on opposite page continues its fiery ran on SANTA FE Photographer is aboard destroyer which crossed ship s bow Dereiving smoke and ame rom exploding ill causes witnesses to say scratelz one cruiser. Exeeptfor casualties damage is negligible M QQ S as 1 M mn