San Jacinto (CVL 30) - Naval Cruise Book

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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

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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- .. . ..,.,.. . A, Y - .- - --.f -.f-.-4 - ,---.1-Q. day, our patrols shot 'down seven Japsiand anti-aircraft firei, from our Task Group destroyed two others. I . QQ On the m'orning of 13 April the entire ship learned vyithf

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' I On 27 April our Task Group commenced retirement toward ULITHI and dropped anchor there on 30 April, after forty- eight consecutive days at sea. . On l May, Rear Admiral J. J. CLARK, our Task Group Commander, paid the ship 'an official visit and presented awards to our departing Air Group FORTY-FIVE. During their tour of duty aboard the SAN JACI-NTO led by their skipper, Commander G. E. SCHECTER, and Acting Group Commander, Lieut. L. E. FORKNER, ,and paced by colorful Killer CAIN fthe ace of the Hghter squadron with eight and one-half enemy planes downed in combatj, they had compiled an impressive record. They had shot down eighty-three enemy planes in the air, sunk three naval units, two cargo vessels, and numerous small craft, and inflicted vast damage against enemy aircraft and installations. They won 3 Navy Crosses, 3.Silver Stars, 79 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 219 Air Medals, 1 Navy and Marine Corps Medal and 3 Purple Hearts. . Air Group FORTY-NINE, Commanded by Lt. Comdr. G. M. ROUZEE, USN, reported aboard for duty on 2 May 1945. On 6 May our former Commanding Officer, Rear Admiral H. fM. MARTIN, was a welcome guest aboard. The SAN JACINTO lay at anchor through 7 May, makingnpreparations for return to sea and taking maximum advantageof the op- portunity for recreation ashore for the weary crew. , We sortied on 8 May for a day's intensive training exercises with the new Air Group, setting a ship record of one hundred and forty-five landings in one day, marred only by three mis- haps involving no injury to personnel and the operational loss of only one plane. - . The other units of our Fast Carrier Task Group sortied on the 9th and we set course to return to the vicinity of OKI- NAWA. On arrival in the area on 12 May, SAN JACINTO plzhres. participated in sweeps over TOKUNO. No airborne opposition was encountered but our new airmen got their first taste of anti-aircraft llre as they strafed and rocketed ground installations. S. Task Force FIFTY-EIGHT steamed northward to launch strikes against enemy airflelds on KYUSHU on 13 and 14 May. SAN JACINTO planes flew seventy-four sorties on each of the two days, meeting no airborne opposition over the targets as they destroyed or damaged twenty grounded enemy aircraft, manysmall craft- and' numerous ground installations. Only a few enemy aircraft approached the Force on the 13th and they were easily handled by the fighter patrols. Early on the 14th, about fifty enemyplanes made a determined attack. Most were intercepted and destroyed by the Combat Air,Patrols, but two got through to attack our Task Group. A suicider diving on a destroyer was hit by the concentrated fire on many ships and exploded in mid-air above the destroyer. The second plane dove on the SAN JACINTO but hits from our guns and those of our support ships deflected it early in its dive and it crashed in flames wide of its mark. if We recovered ten of the stricken ENTERPRISES planes, reserviced them and launched them to later land aboard an- other large carrier. The Task Force retired southward on the 15th for a relatively quiet week-long period, during which only a single routine strike was launched Qon the l9thj against TOKUNO. On the '2lst and 22nd, strikes in force were launched against TOKUNO ,..,....,..-,.-V V-,..-,. - .-,-,a,.....,..,-.,.,,..,., ...,. . ' ,-.N-.,,...,,.,.,,., V. . - . ,-.,-,,..,..,.,,,,,,,w-, A-.,-,v.,- ..V . x and KIKAI, inflicting' heavy damage on ground installations, Two of our Hellcats collided in mid-air on 21 May. The pilot of one, Ensign C. P. THORNE, was not recovered and was declared missing in action. Thepilot of the other was picked up unhurt. On 23 May our fighters attacked AMAMI ,O SHIMA, sink- ing a small cargo ship and destroying harbor installations. On the 24th, the force launched sweeps against S0uth6rIl KYUSHU. but SAN JACINTO planes did not participate, flying Combat Air Patrol instead, with negative results. The enemy made heavy attacks on the OKINAWA area on 25 May, through extremely bad weather. Only three enemy planes reached the vicinity of Task Force QFIFTY-EIGHT though the Amphibious Forces were attacked in force. All three were shot down by patrols, two .of .them by SAN JA- CINTO planes-representing the new Air Group's Hrst kills.f' The Task Force retired southward on 27 May and at mid- night Commander Third Fleet assumed tactical command, re- lieving Command FIFTH Fleet. Task Force FIFTY-EIGHT thereupon became Task Force THIRTY-EIGHT. On 28 May, Commander Second Carrier Task Force relieved Commander First Carrier Task Force as Commander Task Force THIRTY- EIGHT and we returned to OKINAWA to furnish support missions for the TENTH Army on OKINAWA on that date and the next two days, all routine and uneventful. ' Support missions were flown through bad weather on. l and 3 june. Those scheduled for 2 June were diverted by the un- favorable target weather to MINAMI DAITO SHIMA, wheref -Al the airfield and ground installations were bombed and rock- eted. Anti-aircraft fire was most intense and two planes were damaged, one Avenger crewman being seriously wounded. The weather steadily deteriorated on 4 june as Task Force THIRTY-EIGHT retired to the southeast in an attempt. to clear the cyclonic area. On 5 June a typhoon struckthe Force in mounting fury. The storrn was the most severe ever experi- enced by this ship, surpassing in intensity, though not in dura- tion, that of 18 December 1944. The wind reached a velocity of ninety-seven knots and the seas were confused and moun- tainous. Nearly every ship in the Force sustained some dam- age, the bow of the PITTSBURGH being torn off, the DULUTH .suffering serious structural damage forward, the HORNET and BENNINGTON having their forward flight decks rolled up like paper. We had made thorough preparaig tions the night before and, applying the lessons we learned in the.December typhoon, rode out the storm comfortably by lying to with the seas on our starboard bow and the wind' on the starboard beam,'using the engines only for steering, going ahead on the starboard engines, backing on the port, there'by saving the ship from the disastrous rolling which light carriers ,with their topheavy tendencies and great sail surface are sub- ject to in the trough. The minor damages we sustained were quickly repaired by the ship's company. - ' Q The scattered Force collected itself on 6 June and on 7 June returned to the support of OKINAWA with an uneventful Combat Air Patrol schedule. V . 8 june saw all carriers in the Force combine in an all-out fighter-bomber sweep against KANOYA airheld on KYUSHU: Fragmentation bombs were dropped and damage inflicted was heavy, though haze and smoke prevented accurate tabulation. Task Force THIRTY-EIGHT retired toward LEYTE 'on 9 Junfxipausing to make experimental Napalm drops and test the efliciency of a new type bomb fuse, by special strikes against OKINI DAITO SHIMA onthe 9th and 10th. On 10 june, for the llrst and only time in the history of the ship, we heard the call, Man Overboard. Robert E. DIAMOND, MM2c, lost hlf footing during fueling operations and plunged into the briny deep. A destroyer quickly fished him out, pasted 21 2 . --. fn- ,-.- .-.-,- .-.f.....,..,.,.,.., , -v-. - .. .. 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