San Jacinto (CVL 30) - Naval Cruise Book

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. , ,... ,.. -- . ....,-I'T:'. r'----'--f..- .-f-. - -., AND FLAGSHIP OF THE TEXAS NAVY. OUR BEST WISHES FOLLOW HER IAS SHE PARTS COMPANY HOMEWARD BOUND. WELL DONE TO A GALLANT SHIP. f On 2 September we made our appointed rendezvous and received our second group of passengers. Toward evening our Marine Detachment came back aboard with some tall stories to tell about how they invaded JAPAN. They were glad to return and we were glad to have them because each group was afraid the other would not be on hand when the trip home started. All of the officers and men had been with us from pre-Shakedown days and it was only right that they should share in the ship's good fortune. On the 3rd we officially began the trip back and our Homeward Bound Pennant was streamed. Many of the earmarks of wartime operation had disappeared and two others were soon to follow. Morning and evening General Quafters were a thing of the past and soon gun watches and darken ship would also cease. Movies were held every night, usually preceded by the ship's orchestra. Every morning and afternoon there were ngews broadcasts over the public address system with now and then a feature such as an interview with two of the returned Marines. A Pay Day was held and all hands began to draw off part of the S750,000 which had accumulated on the Disbursing OFficer's books 'dur- ing the sixteen-month cruise. The trip back was uneventful except that it was made direct by the Great Circle Route and took us rather far north and into considerably colder air and waters, than we had experi-. enced since the first strikes on TOKYO in February. There was a little disappointment that we did not stop at PEARL HARBOR but everyone was very much in favor of our fast trip back-less than two weeks from the coast of HONSI-IU to the coast of CALIFORNIA. It was on the morning of the 14th, seventeen months to the day since we had left San Diego in April, 1944, that we looked out and there on the horizon was CALIFORNIA, Uncle Sugar, the United States! We were home. . I I Mail is the mainstay of a sailor's morale. These bags of Christmas mail will make a lot of people happy, even though they are far away from home. ' ' , ,, , , , A .W 1 ' - X--f-A' -f'- Aff- we -V--.-.- -.A ,. . .,, ,w,,, ,. ,, , i .1-nf... , .-vs.- ..-,V ....-.-vc .. .. ,,.,-., J., . , ,-,.,,,,,,,.,..-,,. .,, ,.,,.,,.F,,,,,,, A . X -W .va . . ,... ,.,..,...,.,,.,,,,,.,,,,x5 vxhx, xxq, , V U , - ' '---A-v--f--s P--0 - f-f-f-.-.-,-N- -. --s.-,.-.-.-.-f. -s. -N-1-1-.-W, N .-.nv-f - . . W- --1---f-fv.Q.'-.......--.w.,..,,.,...,,-,- - ,, M., A ,N 1 ff-A--W...-.......,..-....,....X-..,.,-.N,...1-..-.,...., ,,, ,,,,: ,L A f- ,.,.. .,g:L :r-QE .,-t1:53-sg-351-xg:-ygsvzfi.-page-A-,Q,.1,,,:m,,N 3,315 3.33, 5,1.: .,:.... - 'f' g. :rztzw-xv :zen ::'::ffraz::-x,n::: 1:.r:.-amnz.-:1-1 -- -- f- ---W - -- ' A- - - f - ' f -

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,.,..,.. . .,. .,. -.. .-. -.-...-,.,.. ,........... f-:: :'--------f-..---H e ne- ferr: 1. -,.,. -...--- a-.fe-fir. -----1-T.a.'..:.L..-. . ' ' :.z1.L:r::z:.'. '.-: - --1 -.-W-- - ...--... . ., 0, W,, , ,-..- S ........ -... - a-.P:-.. -. ...,,..... ...AA ,e-t:1x....,f,-,,,,.,, -,.. ...-.-.... - - ---F, -4, ,N kim. -px -. . V . . M- M.. .1 W V... ..--,-...,.-,.,, -,-...AA A CHAPTER XI U I ,I DREAMS COME TRUE y OR several months before the war ended SAN JACINTO g personnel had two dreams, so to speak. They were hoping to go back to the United States for a period of routine avail- ability at a Navy yard and almost in the same breath they wanted to be in at the kill. The desire to go back was always tempered by a fear of missing something. As our date of de- parture from the forward area was postponed again, and again we became impatient,'little realizing that both of our dreams were destined to come true in the very near future. In the early part of August the SAN JACINTO was momen- tarily expecting orders to proceed to the United States. It was at this time that the atomic bomb made its appearance and crystalized the desire of the japanese to end the war. The increasing tempo of thel Army and Navy aerial attacks, the destruction of the last remnants of the japanese Navy, the shore bombardments by the THIRD FLEET, the military reverses abroad, then the atomic bomb. These were the step- pingstones to the surrender Offer. As soon as the surrender became a certainty it was imperative that all available naval strength .be massed to counter any resistance or treachery On the part of the Japanese people. The SAN jACINTO'S departure plans were cancelled and we prepared to take part in the capitulation we had helped bring about. ' V - R I ' I A At the time hostilities ceased the job of occupying japanese home islands loomed very large and Admiral Halsey gave orders. for each fieet unit to begin training and equipping a landing force of bluejackets and Marines. From 16 August on-the ship's whole energies were directed towards getting our landing force ready. There were periodsof-drilling, forlec- tures, for the thousand and one things a landing force must know and be able to do. VVe had an automotive group- specialists in land transportationg we had a boat pool group- men to, direct the Operationtof small crafty we had the regular landing force- to carry out such orders as mighit be given, and we had the Marines. -As it turned out only our Marines were called for. They left the ship on 19 August for temporary duty with the First Battalion Marine Landing Force. We will hear more of them later. -Up to 21 August the SAN JACINTO had had three Air Groups-FIFTY-ONE, FORTY-FIVE and FORTY-NINE. On 21 August we received orders to transfer Air Group FORTY-NINE to the 'ULS.S. BATAAN, our sister CVL, and to, take aboard Air Group FORTY-SEVEN from that ship. Thus we got our fourth Air Group. On 22 August our new Air Group participated' in a mass flight of THIRD FLEET planes that Covered the sky for a long period of time. Admiral HALSEY wanted enough visible air strength to impress the japanese people should any untoward reaction to our landings take place. 'On the 24th we received our third Commanding Officer- Captain Hugh H. GOODWIN, USN. He was not a stranger, having come aboard on 22 july and having- been the Prosv pective Commanding Officer for several weeks before assuming command. .For the change of Command Ceremonies all hands were at fquarters on the flight deck and a personnel inspection was held by both relieved and relieving Captains. Captain Michael H. KERNODLE, our second Commanding Officer, left the ship by plane during the afternoon. .......-..-, ,-.- .,.,,.. ,,.,,.L.L,-..: - A --- -.......,..,.,. .,.,,a, - - qAt-,.,.-,.,,,-,c,,......,......, . -W-.........,.,.....:,..-., 'We -'-N A WA- - -.,.,...,... ... --....-.,..a-.-...-,... .51--1.,..-...,...,,,,..-K-.vf..,.,A,, , .,-., -1- ,,,W.-,-w.., V ,KH Q I g T -A .i L.: it . -R . 1... -- - .....- , JD- .... ....5... . -1 . -.. .... .I W... .,,-f-Y,1'... .--..:,,i',:.:. :::,J,A?Z: On 25 August we began a series of patrols over prisoner of war camps in Central and Western HONSHU and in HOK- KAIDO. These patrols continued through the 30th and from the 28th through the 30th bundles were dropped for the pris- oners Of war. These bundles contained food, medical supplies, toilet articles, books and magazines and were designed to ease the prisoners' distress untilhthey could be taken aboard ships for repatriation. On the 28th Lt. V. D. BURSICK of the new Air Group made the 12,000th landing aboard. ,This event was fittingly celebrated with a cake and party in the wardroom a few days later. The 29th found usilaunching 48 planes to meet-one of the heaviest air schedules of the month. Our planes flew observation patrols in many different areas, including ATSUGI Airfield near TOKYO. iOn the 30th one of .Our fighter planes was forced down on YOKOSUKA Airfield, also near TOKYO. The pilot, Lt. fj.g.j R. M. WALLACE, attached himself to our Marines as soon as they landed and returned to the ship with them. 1 ' On 31 August our Marine Detachment landed at YOKO- SUKA and was assigned to patrol the sea wall there. They had been on a transport since leaving us on the 19th andthe transport brought them into SAGAMIBAY on the 30th to be ready for the landings of the 3lst. They remained ashore until 2 September when they were again loaded aboard a transport and returned to the SAN JACINTO. y ,I All during the latter part of August itappeared that we would return to the United States asisoon as the surrender had taken place and preparations were made accordingly. On the 27th we receivedour first batch of passengers whomi we were to carry back with us. On 31 August we were officially detachedifrom Task Group THIRTY-EIGHT POINT ONE and were ordered to proceed with two destroyers southward to rendezvous with a replenishing .group and the ships that' were going back with us. I , -I The occasion of our parting from Task -Group THIRTY- EIGHTAPOINT ONE was one of sorrow as well as of joy. The circumstances are best expressed by an exchange of messages which took place on 31 August between this ship and the Task Group Commander: I ' FROM THE SAN JACINTO TO CTG 38.1: ' THE SAN JACINTO HAS OPERATED CONTINUOUSLY AS A UNIT OF THE FAST CARRIER TASK FORCES SINCE MAY 1944. HER OI-'EICERS AND MEN ARE PROUD TO HAVE CONTRIEUTED TO SOME DEGREE TO THE MACNIEICENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS 'OF THAT MIGHTY ARMADA. THEIR HAPPINESSYAT RE- TURNING HOME IS MINGLED wITH REGRET AT LEAVING VALIANT SHIPMATES WITH WHOM THEY HAVE so MUCH IN COMMON. IN DEPARTINC THEY SEND SINCERE WISHES FOR FAIR BREEZES AND HAPPY LANDINGS TO THE TASK GROUP COM- MANDER AND ALL HANDS IN 38.1. , FROM CTG 38.1 TO THE SAN QJACINTO: THE SPARK PLUG IS NOT THE BIGGEST PART,OF THE MACHINE BUT IT IS THE THING WHICH MAKES HER HUM. IIVE WILL MISS THE LEADERSHIP OF THE LITTLE GIANT, BOBBY, THE QUEEN OF THE SEAS 34 -.,-.-na...-.-.-V.-...A-,.-..-.-....,.....-.....-....--...C V.- , , 0, NW rs : ..-sm:-1:-ameri :ree::Ps:1-Lfzrsvsw. 221713, tw'-fgff -..- -- -3- 4. ., '13, rr'-.rs-'1.'c' R'

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CHAPTER XII Q EPILOGUE OR the sake of coherence and continuity a factual running summary such as this history must of necessity omit many if not almost all the little human details of daily life which in the ultimate actually constitute the sum total of a ships accomplishments Yet the story is not complete without them for a ship IS a community of men as well as a fighting unit and the quality of those viho man her measures her worth and ability ' No battle summary will tell of ordnancemen and mechanics laboring through the night between day-long actions to ready the planes for the next day s strikes' of engineers locked below the water-line to face horrible death in action superimposing battle hours on an already crowded schedule of watches ofer the super-heat of giant boilers' of repairmen working feverishly on maintenance and upkeep yet charged with the salvage and safety of the ship in battle' of quartermasters logging their records and manning the helm through the dreary hours of the long night' of bakers passing ammunition all day and pre- paring tomorrow s bread at night' of radiomen and signalmen handling back-breaking loads of traffic' of yeomen manning battle phones by day and typing out reports at- night' of pharmacists and barbers and cooks and storekeepers of aerographers and radarmen and tailors and cobblers of print- ers and photographers and mess attendants and stewards- and all their weary hours. They will tell of gunners and boatswains and Marines repelling flaming death at their battle stations but you won t hear of how those same men suddenly become deckhands and swab jockeys on the off days when the ship was replenishing and rearming and refueling. Yet the ship's record is nothing more nor nothing less than the sum of all these prodigious individual efforts as directed and inspired by the Commanding Officer and his Corps of Officer assistants. The following statistical box score is eloquent testimonial to how well these men did their jobs: Major operations participated in: SEVEN. Q15 MARIANAS, 10 June-27 August 1944. Q25 VVESTERN CAROLINES, 31 August-14 October 1944. Q35 LEYTE, 10 October-16 December 1944. . Q45 LUZON, 12 December 1944-22 January 1945. Q55 IWO JIMA, 15 February-16 March-1945. . Q65 OKINAWA, is March-27 April 1945. Q75 Sustained strikes against Northern HONSHU and HOK- g KA1Do, JAPANESE EMPIRE-10 July-15 August 1945. QB5 Air Groups employed aboard: FOUR. Q15 GvL Air Group FIFTY-oNE. Q25 GVL Air Group FORTY-FIVE. Q35 GVL Air Group FORTY-NINE. Q45 CVL Air Group FORTY-SEVEN. QC5 Notable' records: , Qa5 Aircraft sorties-ll,l20. Qb5 Aircraft offensive missions-309. Qc5 Enemy planes shot down by ship's guns-12. Qd5 Enemy planes shot down' by Air Groups-148. Qe5 Enemy planes destroyed on ground-256. Qf5 Enemy planes damaged-296. Enemy shipping sunk: A 1 Light carrier 4 Destroyers 2 Destroyers or destroyer escorts l0 Auxiliaries-tankers transports cargo ships A 22 Small craft-luggcrs sampans etc. . Qh5 Enemy shipping damaged: 2 Battleships-NAGATO and ISE 4 Large carriers ' 1 Escort carrier ' I 2 Heavy cruisers A 1 Light cruiser . 1 l Light or heavy cruiser 1 l Destroyer ,W 3 Destroyer escorts 42 Auxiliaries -, 145 Small' craft ' ' .Qi5 Shore installations destroyed: Q 4 Coastal defense guns, 18 Hangars , 9 Heavy AA positions 27 Barracks ' V l Pillbox 4 Shops Q A 1 6 Ammunition dumps 1 Aircraft assembly plant f l Fuel dump Q32 000 sq. ft.5 ' fi . ' 1 Radio station 6 Warehouses - A f l Radio tower 1 Paper mill l Bridge 73 Miscellaneous buildings 5 2 Piers 7 I ocomotivest - ' ll Trucks . Shore installations damaged: ' 2 Bridges ' l VVarehouse 3 - 6 Hangars 9 Miscellaneous buildings . 4 Factories 3 Locomotives- ' . 1 Aircraft factory A , Qk5 Days in the forward area without rehabilitation-47 Days at sea-357. ' A Qm5 Days in port-114. Qn5 Miles steamed-l52,883. Qo5 Number of times fueled at sea-86. Qp5 Destroyers received alongside for mail, passengers and freight-218. . , Qq5 Number of times replenished ammunition from AE's-l9. Qr5 Ammunition delivered against the enemy: - Q15 Bombs-980 tons ' Q25 Rockets-5,436 Q35 Torpedoes-42 Q45 40mm.-14,740 rounds Q55 20mm.-19,160 rounds Q65 .50 Cal.-1,478,750 rounds ' Q75 .30 Cal.-22,530 rounds 1 The SAN jACINTO'S long combat career has come to all end but only because that combat. has ended. She is 'battle- scarred and weary, but triumphant and undaunted. Whatever she does in the futuregit will be anew phase in her career and others will author it. The first glorious portion of the history is closed. WELL DONE to All Hands. -J ' x rf - ,