Intrepid (CVS 11) - Naval Cruise Book

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INTREPID training in the Caribbean, 1943. After training in the Caribbean, INTREPID departed Norfolk Dec. 3, 1943, for San Francisco. Going through the Panama Canal, INTREPID struck part of the bank and was temporarily grounded. Temporary re- pairs were made, and she resumed her course to San Francisco, and then to Hawaii. She arrived at Pearl Harbor on Jan. 10, and prepared for the invasion of the Marshall Islands, the next objective in the Navy ' s mighty island-hopping campaign. Passing through the Panama Canal Dec. 9, 1943. JS -

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THE WAR YEARS

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INTREPID sortied from Pearl Harbor, with carriers CABOT and ESSEX, 16 Jan., to raid islands at the northeastern corner of Kwajalein Atoll 29 Jan. 1944, and pressed the attack until the last opposition had vanished 2 February. The raids des- troyed all the 83 Japanese planes based on Roi and Namur before the first landings were made on adjacent islets. ifsnsMsnfiMBsifBMBniBis That morning IN- TREPID v s planes strafed Ennuebing Is- land until ten minutes before the first marines reached the beaches. The islet controlling the North Pass into Kwajalein Lagoon was secured half an hour later. Next INTREPID headed for Truk, the Japanese base in the center of Micronesia. In almost two days of continuous attacks, two destroyers and 200,000 tons of mer- chant sh ipping were destroyed.