San Jacinto (CVL 30) - Naval Cruise Book

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.. ..- - - -- -- 4,--1 .tr L11-:L-5: 4.:.:f::..1.n:4:.:::: rt:-' -:v::'::'::.'r.::':1: 'wx-.5 ,-11122251-arg-11-3-5,--Q-.gf -ff-y,sE-rL5-:1Lv?- 5-57, .-.,.Q..-.,:..':j.-'.r.:-1. ...........- ...a-v.-. .-,..., -,.-- 1 ., 1 -V, .,v... ft A ,f 1.1 -2 1 4. . .. ., ,Q ' f,,,,,, ,, ,-,.,,,r,,, , ,,,,,,,. ,-,, ,-Ln' E43-V-mg P 1-L MLQLA-D.-t Vp- ,DZ-l.f.'.',.' 4 CHAPTER vu E IWO JIMA AND-FIRST TOKYO RAIDS URING the replenishment period in ULITHI following the operations in support of MacARTHUR, the SAN -IACINTO was detached from the Third Fleet and assigned to the First Carrier Task Force, Fifth Fleet. With other units of Task Force FIFTY-EIGHT, we sortied from ULITHI on 10 February 1945 and set course for the vicinity of Southern HONSHU, our mission being to touch off the impending amphibious assault upon IWO JIMA by fulfilling the Navy's long-cherished, long-planned dream of launching strong car- rier attacks on TOKYO, seat of the Stolen Empire, Shrine of Shintoisrn, fountainhead of the treachery of PEARL HARBOR. p Dawn of 16 February found Task Force FIFTY-EIGHT about one hundred and fifty miles off the coast of Southeastern HONSHU. Interdiction patrols by land-based search planes ranging far ahead had cleared our path by engaging and destroying enemy picket craft and reconnaissance aircraft. At least partial surprise was achieved, as many planes were still on the ground when our dawn fighter sweeps reached their targets. Aggressive interception by numerous well-trained enemy fighters prevented full exploitation, however, and the number of enemy planes destroyed in air combat far exceeded those destroyed on the ground. Our fighters on these sweeps shot down nineteen enemy planes and probably destroyed five more. The Hellcat piloted by Lt. J. E. HOOD was so seri- ously damaged it made a water landing near the Force. The pilot was not recovered and was declared missing in action. Several other fighters were badly shot up but returned safely. It should be pointed out here that SAN JACINTO pilots were among the first to hit TOKYO. Our Task Group sent in the first strikes that morning and our pilots were included in that strike. just as SAN JACINTO planes came closer to the Empire in the MARCUS and WAKE foray of May, 1944, than any previous Naval aircraft, so now they were in the van on those TOKYO strikes. The fact that only nine months sep- arates these two series- of action is a compellingreminder of the speed with which the United States Navy moved in the Pacific. Our Avengers attacked the OTA and KOIZUMI aircraft engine plants, causing numerous fires and explosions with re- sulting severe damage. They and our escorting fighters were jumped by an aggressive group of forty enemy fighters just after leaving the target and fought a running battle clear to the coast. Our torpedo squadron gunners shot down two enemy planes while our fighters destroyed eight and probably five more. Many of our aircraft were damaged, but all returned safely. Enemy counter-activity in the vicinity of the Force was sur- prisingly small. Three enemy planes were shot down by our Combat Air Patrols and one was shot down by anti-aircraft fire from a picket destroyer. The Task Force again attacked the TOKYO area on 17 February but'adverse weather forcedicurtailment and then cancellation of most of the effort. The SAN JACINTO launched one strike against KISARAZU airfield but most of the torpedo planes were forced back short of the target. One Avenger and five Hellcats got through and bombed and rocketed with unobserved results. The Avenger was so seri- ously damaged that it was forced to make a water landing. The pilot and his crew were rescued by a destroyer. We retired southward toward IWO JIMA to commence operations in direct support of the landings on 19 February. Our aircraft bombed, rocketed, and strafed ,enemy artillery - t .,., ' ,.- ,,., ... '- ,,, - . - , - .-.-V-.... F-vi'-vim, ,Avg f- f-.-V-.,.,.-.....,-.,-,-....,. ,-....,.,-.,.,,a.... ,- V - -- 'and commenced the run-in toward NAGOYA, but adverse and mortar positions. Enemy aircraft appeared in the area in the evening and one was shot down within the formation but no ships were damaged. P On the 20th, we retired to the fueling area to add another to our book of tricks by replenishing ammunition at sea for the first time, an accomplishment of obvious logistic value. So far as is known the SAN JACINTO was the first carrier of its class, and probably the first of any class, to effect a com plete replenishment of ammunition at sea. Our debutwas very successful and soon we became so adept at transferring material at sea that even torpedoes did not phase us. We returned to IWO for further support missions on the 21st and 22nd. One of our fighters crashed off the island after being damaged in a strafing run on the 2lst. The pilot, Lt Qj.g.j M. A. MOSELY, was rescued by friendly forces and re turned to the ship. Heavy attacks were made on the amphib ious support ships that evening fthe SARATOGA being seri ously damaged among othersj and many enemy planes were in our own areas, though no attacks were pressed home. Hampered by extremely unfavorable weather, the Task Force returned to the coast of HONSHU to launch further attacks on the TOKYO area. on 25 February. SAN JACINTO aircraft attempted twenty-five sorties but only six Hellcats were able to get through to their targets. They attacked HYAKURIGA HARA airfield and destroyed fourteen aircraft on the ground damaging ,nine others and various ground installations. They also strafed numerous small' craft on their return. N The enemy made no attempt at counteraction. A X , During the night of 25-26 February, the Task Force threaded the passage between SUMISU SHIMA and TORI SHIMA weather forced our southward retirement. l On 27 February while the SAN .IACINTO was fueling from the tanker U.S.S. MERRIMACK in an area west of the BONINS, the tanker suddenly yawed off course and struck our number one stack with her superstructure. She opened and then yawed again, the two sterns meeting. We sustained con siderable damage to our-starboard catwalk installations, but it was nogsuflicient to impair our battle efficiency. We proceeded westward toward OKINAWA and on.l March launched heavy strikes and photographic missions against the entire RYUKYUS Chain. SAN JACINTO planes destroyed four enemy aircraft on the ground, bombed and rocketed ground installations, and strafed small craft. The photographic coverage was excellent. The Force commenced retirement toward ULITHI on 2 March and arrived there late in the afternoon of 4 March. The SAN JACINTO was. granted tender availability to effect re pairs of collision damage and was moored alongside the 'U.S.S JASON from 6 to 12 March. , . Recreational parties were sandwiched in between the para mount effort of readying the ship for sea. .On ll March, Commodore A. A. BURKE, Chief of Staff to Vice Admiral MITSCHER, Commander, First Carrier Task Force, paid the ship an ofiicial visit. Duringthe evening of the Same daYf two Japanese suicide planes made a surprise night attack on the anchorage. One of them crashed into the after end of the RANDOLPH, which was anchored in the next berth to the SAN JACINTO, causing large fires and ex plosions. The other harmlessly crashed a small island of the atouf aPPaTf3Htly mistaking its silhouette for that ofa carrier , , ,.,. ..,.., '-NN.,- ..,,,, .--WN, Mc. ,,., v. , . , - . ......,,.- .--.. -:, ,,.,...,.N.,.a..,..ac,,,.,,,,,,., N-.fw-N..-.,, ,....,.-...,,.....,.. ...- , - r. - ...... f. .-.-4---4-----W ... -.-K . , . ' , ,.. -..., -... W-N-...,,..-,... . - V.-.-.-.s,.-,.,...-,..,.,.,.,.,.,, , . - - .,.,., . -. . , ' 'T '-ym- .. s..:. 4' r.-.t 3.3:-Q ..,.v..,...-I-.i. ..... ,..,,..... , ' 14414-iff' aus - -1, ,, . , , '-4 1's -4 5.4.---vw-i. .. . ...., ,,,,, , M M, -..-,-.... --.ne .:.:f: -E-z..:m2.f:r. Lffwafsfsa-1-:xr-'fm '-vm.-.1-,pave 1: v--.M .-

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SANTO PADR12, were rescued by Free French agents. and spirited to Kunming, China, whence they came back to the States via Africa and South America. I On the 15th, Task Force THIRTY-EIGHT attacked targets on the CHINA COAST and FORMOSA simultaneously. SAN JACINTO planes destroyed four enemy aircraft on the ground and damaged nineteen in attacks on FORMOSA airhelds, sank a destroyer in TOSHIEN HARBOR and heavily bombed TOSHIEN and TAKAO. Several enemy planesattempted to attack the Force at dusk, but were intercepted by our fighter patrols. Five japs were shot down and the rest fled. The Task Force again attacked the CHINA COAST-FOIL MOSA area on the 16th, from a point south of HONG KONG SAN JACINTO planes bombed, rocketed, and strafed two air- fields on HAINAN Island, destroying two grounded planes, damaging several others. ' Adverse weather put a stop to all further operations and course was set on the 18th for a sortie through SURIGAO STRAITS. Moderating weather caused a change in plans and the Force exited through BALINTANG CHANNEL on the evening of 20 january. Our course crossed the direct line of the air-transport route between FORMOSA and LUZON and eleven enemy aircraft which appeared in the' 'vicinity were shot down by the Force fighter patrols. ' On 2l January, Task Force THIRTY-EIGHT, operating off the east coast of FORMOSA, launched strikes against air- craft, shipping, and installations. At noon, while destroyers were being topped off by larger units, warning of approaching enemy aircraft was given. A few minutes later, two enemy air- craft appeared overhead. SAN JACINTO guns opened fire as these aircraft dived on formation. The TICONDEROGA was hit by a crash-diving suicider, causing a large explosion and SAN IACINTO searnanshzp enabled her to refuel under typhoon 5 . conditions when most other ships could not. a fierce fire. An enemy dive-bomber falmost incredibly not a Kamikazej, scored two direct hits with light bombs on the LANGLEY. This second plane opened to the west and was shot down by SAN -IACINTO fighters returning from FOR- MOSA. Additional enemy aircraft attacked the formation, one diving into the listing but still firing TICONDEROGA and starting her fires afresh. Two others were shot down by ship's anti-aircraft fire and in the melee overhead, the fighter patrols shot down twelve more. Our Air Group's score for the day included two enemy planes shot down in combat near the Force, five destroyed and two damaged on the ground, damage to four cargo vessels and numerous ground installations. The damaged units departed that evening while the balance of the Force proceeded to the vicinity of the NANSEI SHOTO to launch attacks on the 22nd with the primary mission' of photographic coverage. Photographic results proved excellent, but SAN JACINTO planes additionally destroyed small ship- ping in NAGO IVAN, OKINAWA, and destroyed six grounded enemy aircraft on IE WSHIMA. U We commenced retirement toward ULITHI on 23- january, arriving early on 26 January for a two-week replenishment and recreation period. Readying the ship for sea took precedence, but recreational parties were held ashore on the well-developed facilities of MOG MOG Island, where every man could enjoy cool drinks and baseball, swimming and shell-hunting, horse- shoes or volleyball. During our stay in port basketball and boxing competitions were held with other ships and movies shown nightly. It was during this stay in port that the Christmas gifts, so thoughtfully furnished by the Baptist Women's'City Union of HOUSTON, Texas, arrived and were distributed to a grateful crew. I SAN IACIN TO planes did extensive damage to ground installations 1r7 . ..- .... no -. -...... at SAIGON, FRENCH INDO-CHINA, on 12 Ianuary.

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