San Jacinto (CVL 30) - Naval Cruise Book

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Lt. Com. Winne, Navigator A U.S.S. San Jacinto x 1---f-fA-v-- -...- ' ...i..ZL-a- ' -. 3'l?LQ ': 12:13:13-r fn- -f..-.

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' ' ' '-'1 - 1.- 4- ' .,,. L. . . TI'-TI'5'3KT.f' -'ST 1-5-7 :Q-..q... ,. ,',.,'... 23.27.3411 '.'.'1' Ls ' '-' P' CHAPTER I Trqfzco PHE early morning mists rose over KIKAI' CHANNEL on 13 May 1944 as the V 10,000-ton INDEPENDENCE-Class Light Carrier' U.S.S. SAN JACINTO nosed her way past BlSHOP'S POINT and set course for the newly-conquered MARSHALL ISLANDS. It was the opening paragraph of a saga that will live in the annals of naval warfare. She was to write a record in the heart-blood of JAPAN across sixteen flaming months and seven major campaigns. She was to destroy br damage 712 Japanese aircraft, sink or damage six aircraft carriers, two battleships, four cruisers, ten-destroyers and 200,- 000 tons of auxiliaries, merchant ships and small craft, expend with telling effects 980 tons of bombs, 5,436 rockets, 42 tor- pedoes, millions of rounds of .50 caliber machine gun bullets, fly 11,120 sorties, steam 153,000 combat miles, spend 471 days in combat. 1 ' She was to earn the singulardistinction of engaging and sinking her exact Jap counterpart, the light carrier ZUIHO, in the second battle of the Philippine Sea. She was to be sub- jected to incessant and vicious attack by enemy aircraft, once bracketed bow and stern by torpedoes, three times missed by less than a plane's length of flaming suiciders, each time saved only by skillful emergency maneuvering and the courage and skill of ,her gunnersa She was to destroy more attacking enemy aircraft, shooting down twelve with her guns and assisting in shooting down- eight others, than any of her class sisters. I She was to recover the aircraft of and furnish fighting pro- tection to stricken colleagues. She was to have the humorous experience of waving off a bewildered Jap pilot who tried to land aboard during the night recoveries of the First Battle of the Philippine Sea. She was to endure the raging of two moun- tainous typhoons, the buffeting of numerous lesser storms. She was not to escape unscathed, but the price shepaid for her accomplishment was small and more heavily reckoned in the willing sweat of her gallant crew than in blood and tears. She was to earn and wear in honor the respectful sobriquet of The Little Queen, first bestowed by one of her famous big sisters, accepted with prideful love by her crew. Late in her combat career the daring and accomplishments of her Ai'r Group earned for her the name of The Little Giant. From her gaff under the Stars and Stripes she flew in battle the Lone Star Flag of TEXAS, in tribute to her name and to the citizens who subscribed to her cost. This 'is the story of how the SAN JACINTO got its name. Xvhen the old Cruiser HOUSTON was lost off JAVA in 1942 the citizens of HOUSTON, TEXAS, had a bond-purchasing campaign to raise the money to pay for a new cruiser HOUS- TON. When the campaign ended enough bonds had been sold not only to pay fora cruiser but there was sufficient left over to pay for a Light Aircraft Carrier. In recognition of their patriotic spirit the Navy and Treasury Department asked the people of HOUSTON to name the carrier. They gave it the name of SAN JACINTO, which commemorates the decisive battle of that name in TEXAS' struggle for independence from MEXICO. And so it was that she was to provide the only case on record where a major unit of the Fleet began her first combat mission six months to the day after she was commissioned and remained without interruption in combat for the duration of the war, a matter of some sixteen months. She was to prove herself indeed a worthy member of the proud sorority of the Navy's Fighting Ladies. E 1 Occasionally we dressed up for inspection. '7 ,vnu .,,. . My ,, .. ,.,,,,,,,,. - -..-.- .-.L..,,,-,,. ..,.,.s - --.,--.-,x..,,c.,.,. ,....-,--,,-.ce,...-4-g -:.i,.MWMfNm M.Mm,.1xQ:xf.1.xszt.-411: p r'-s .. , rcr.,.,.,,,,,,,,,,N, , ,WW-M, .-. ..-,..--..A. ., . - f.-N.. -..........-.W -- -.... ':.:' -H ' 12 ..- --A--------. W-nf. L.,,..,- - -A .'-f--,-- A sf TT ' :T: :Ym,:2':-:ivszfr-1':'11w-nf fx:-nn.-rf ----- ---------f-- -- r-'zz-:r f -ft... 1. 1. ,,,.,,N,, uV,J,,, , 5 -.,..-.. -., .1 Ann.-. ,::. 4. -.. ..,:1.:x'.:,.-Q:-N -- --------f - - --- - e-A