San Jacinto (CVL 30) - Naval Cruise Book

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! I f e On 23 Marchiwe commenced operations against the NAN- SEI SHOTO preliminary to and in support of the invasion of KERAMA RETTO, OKINAVVA, and IE SHIMA, with strikes against grountl 'installations and small shipping at OKINAW'A on that date. The following day, eight of our torpedo-carrying Avengers assisted in the complete destruction of a ship convoy in the EAST CHINA SEA as others of our planes again struck NANSEI SHOTO. We shifted our attack to SAKISHIMA GUNTO on the 25th, SAN JACINTO planes destroying six- teeni grounded enemy aircraft and sinking eight small craft. Attacks on the OKINAIVA area resumed on the 27th, SAN JACINTO planesydestroying two enemy aircraft on the ground at KIKAI and damaging two small cargo ships. Lt. B. PETTIGREW was killed in action when his fighter was shot down over the target. Enemy aircraft attacked in the inorning, four planes being shot down by anti-aircraft fire and fighter patrols as a bomb missed' the BENNINGTON and a torpedo hit the MURRAY, freakishly passing clean through her bow without exploding. We moved northeastward on the 28th to launch a long- range, search and attack mission against Jap fleet units're- ported moving down from KYUSHU. The search proved nega- tive but. SAN JACINTO aircraft sank six coastal cargo vessels on the return trip. The planes were late in returning, many landing after dark. One lighter plane crashed through all three barriers and destroyed fourparked torpedo planes. Several personnel were injured, only one of them seriously. All five planes had to be jettisoned. 4 on 31 March we commenced operations in direct support of the Easter morning Q1 Aprilj landings on OKINAWA, our planes performing specific missions against enemy pillboxes, trenches, boating and installations as requested by the troops. Enemy air opposition until 6 April was confined to single- plane raids easily disposed of by our fighters' patrols. On 2 April Ensign C. L. SHARP and aircrewmen E. BARKER and W, . CORNETT were declared missing in action when their Avenger failed to return from a support mission. On 3 April Lt. fj.g.j C. W. DYSERT-and aircrewmen H. C. BUSH and R. E. HUFFORD were similarly missing in action. A fighter was also lost on 3 April but the pilot was rescued. '6 April saw the Japanese launch an all-out air offensive against American forces in the vicinity of OKINAWA. An estimated five hundred planes, nearly all Kamikazes, attacked Task Force F IFTY-EIGHT andthe Amphibious Forces. Over three hundred of them were shot out of the air by our fighters and anti-aircraft fire. Task Force FIFTY-EIGHT' escaped without serious harm, but many of the amphibious units were hit. ' I Combat Air Patrols successfully warded off all attacks on our own Task 'Group during the morning but shortly after noon a single suicider dove on the BENNINGTON and missed. About an hour later,'four more attacked the formation, two picking the SAN JACINTO as their target. Our guns shot a wing off one and 'plummeted him into the sea off our starboard quarter. The second dove at us from astern, was repeatedly hit by our anti-aircraft fire and flamed up when about one hundred yards away, crashing out of control in our wake. One dove at the BELLEAU VVOOD and missed, the fourth being knocked down by heavy fire before he was able to pick a definite target. A few minutes later another Jap suicider burst out of low clouds less than four thousand yards away and began diving at our bow from dead ahead. Our guns opened concentrated fire at short range and poured repeated hits into him, but he came on in, finally crashing into the sea less than fifty feet off our starboard bow. The ensuing explosion splattered the flight deck and bridge with pieces of plane, Jap pilot, shrapnel, oil and water. One officer and four men were wounded, one man . ' x-if ' fatally, and miscellaneous superficial damage was done to the ship., J i I - . For services rendered on this violent day, Captain Michael H. KERNODLE and Commander A. MORENO were later awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Lieutenant Commanders G. M. WINNE and L. S. SWEPSTON Gold Stars in lieu of af second Bronze Star Medal. Several members of the gun crews were also recommended for lesser awards. A J I - f Killed in action was Seaman First Class Ray Alonzo HOFF- MAN. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star-Medal' and Purple Heart. Burial services were held on 7 April, Chap-K lain CORDES ofhciatifng. ' V On 7 April, the Japs committed the cardinal blunder of sending out the battleship YAMATO and a screen of support ships without air cover. Task Force FIFTY-EIGHT planes attacked and sank the YAMATO and most of her escorts, only! three destroyers escaping. SAN JACINTO planes sank the large destroyer which was designated as their target. For their parts in leading this attack, Ensign J. L. MASON of the Tor-- pedo Squadron was awarded the Navy Cross and Lt. B. Killer CAIN of the Fighting Squadron, the Silver Star Medal.. Japanese planes were in ourxvicinity the remainder of the day, but only two were able to elude our fighter patrols and' attack the group. The MASSACHUSETTS and SAN JUAN' respectively exhibited some beautiful 5-inch marksmanship and' shot them down before their runs were well started. At this point, the support units and escort carriers of the Amphibious Forces assumed the tactical air support function for the troops -and Task Force FIFTY-EIGHT'S main duty became smothering the violent but spasmodic Jap air counter- attacks. I ' 'A V. The first of these came early on 12 April, three enemy planes being shot down by night fighters before sunrise. During the deep sorrow of the death of their Commander-in-Chief, Presi-1 dent Franklin Delano ROOSEVELTQ their' sorrow was height- ened by the knowledge that his youngest son, Lt. John'Aspin-I wall ROOSEVELT, was attached to the Task Group Com-- mander's Staff. I , The Japs attacked again in greater force on the 14th. The Combat Air Patrol shot down sixteen, including six by SAN JACINTO fighters, and two were shot down within the-forma- tion by anti-aircraft fire. Two of our destroyers on picket duty were hit by suiciders. At noon on the 15th, five minutes of silent prayer were observed during the funeral services for the late President ROOSEVELT and the colors of all ships were half-mastedi Although we were at General Quarters Chaplain CORDES held memorial services for the president over the ship's loud- speaker system. . J I Fighter sweeps were launched against KIKAI in the North- ern NANSEI SHOTO and KANOYA on Southern KYUSHU on the l5th,.our planes destroying twenty grounded enemy aircraft and damaging ground installations. The destroyer TAUSSIG shot down an enemy-plane snooping the formation after nightfall. I I . The Japs reacted to the invasion of IE SHIMA, 16 April, by Staglng heavy raids on the American forces. Combat Air Patrols shot- down scores of enemy planes, SAN JACINTO lighters flestmldfig fourteen, including one twin-engine bomber carry- lng a suicide piloted BAKA flying bomb. Some enemy planes broke through to attack the ships. A dive-bomber made a sur- prise attack from cloud cover on the SAN .JACINTO but its bomb failed to release and we shot it down as it pulled out of 1 1 5 fu k., :t-,T-J.-.-V ..-.-.,...,.,.,..-,.,,,.,-.-...,..,...,.,.,.,.,, . H - ,pi-J-:Z-. A 't'.ffsf'L'TIi.. - hi'1'l1:'f- 252 -'L- l' 2 '145Z'L'W:'1 .rL 34' Q' .'r-yf'::- 'S-45:-.: 'A nn- .. . ..,.,.. . 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Funeral services on the hangar deck for Rudolph KAZMIER. One of our many close calls-a Kamikaze is splashed by I our guns a few teet from the bow of the ship on 6 April, Rear Admzral I I CLARK our Task Group Corn mander arrives to present awards to our departing Arr Group FORTY FIVE on 1 May Large Iap destroyer sunk by SAN IACINTO planes--our contribution to elzmmatmg the Iap Task Force sent tot reinforce OKINAWA on 7 April M .defy Twm engjne bomber headed for the SAN IACIN TO We had a gala smoker at LEYTE featurrng a variety of entertainment on 21 March We shot It down and two huge One More Operation cakes