San Jacinto (CVL 30) - Naval Cruise Book

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A ' CHAPTER II f MARCUS-WAKE I HE SAN ACINTO then under the command of Captain Harold M. MARTIN USN departed PEARL HARBOR on 3 May 1944 in company with two large carriers and several support units anti aircraft cruisers and destroyers An un eventful passage brought her to MAJURO in the Eastern MARSHALLS on 8 May 1944 QWest Longitude Datej where she reported to Commander Fast Carrier Task Forces Fifth Fleet for duty and lay at anchor through 14 May On 15 May the SAN JACINTO sortied with the ESSEX and IVASP and supporting cruisers and destroyers to under take her first combat mission strikes against MARCUS and WAKE ISLANDS The Task Group proceeded to the vicinity of MARCUS whence on 18 May the SAN JACIN I'O accompanied by the SAN DIEGO and four destroyers broke off from the rest of the force to perform her separate diversionary mission of searching an area four hundred miles north of MARCUS for the purpose of destroying enemy picket line warcraft Only one sampan was sighted and this was sunk by machine gun fire on 20 May This mission represented the closest penetration to the apanese homeland by a surface unit since the beginning of the war but was otherwise uneventful x . . ' The SAN J NC INTO rejoined Task Force FIFTY on 21 May and participated in effective strikes against installations and harbor craft at WAKE ISLAND on 23 unopposed except for meager anti aircraft fire Upon sion we commenced retirement to MAJURO arriving on May QEast Longitude Datej On this first mission we had no combat casualties but fered our first operational losses in the combat area I J WYKES and aircrewmen R E WHALEN an HAGGARD were declared missing in action when their Avenger failed to return from an anti submarine patrol on 15 May All searches proved fruitless On 31 May we had our first Happy Hour an event which all hands had been anticipating for several weeks The evening was complete with door prize Qwar bond boxing contests and entertainment by our own Flat Toppers orchestra and a world of local singing and acting talent we never knew we had. When we first arrived at MA URO recreation ashore seemed out of the question but cold drinks and enticing tropical islands were available and on 2 and 3 une everyone was granted shore leave for a few hours half going one day and half the other 1 A SUTUPUH WTIO'-Se picketzng days are over SAN IACINTO sailors seem eager to get to their first fecfe ation party IH the Pacific-at MAIURO

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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

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'Impressive and solemn memorial services were held aboard ship the next day, Chaplain CORDES officiating. So far as is known, Ensign McILWANElwas the first American pilot tolose his life on SAIPAN in the MARIANAS Campaign. Pre-invasion pounding continued through the 14th. On the 15th, we supported the initial landing of our troops. On this day Ensign S. P. BUTCHART, USNR, landed the 2000th plane aboard. At dusk on 15 June, our Task 'Group was subjected to intensive attack by a large group of enemy aircraft. A SAN JACINTO Combat Air Patrol was airborne at the time and shot down seven Jap planes, probably destroying two more. Eight other planes broke through the screen and made a deter- mined torpedo attack, concentrating on the large carriers. All eight were shot down by anti-aircraftrfire, most of them within the screen. This attack was noteworthy for the manner in which it was pressed home, some enemy aircraft getting within one hundred yards of our major units before crashing. SAN JACINTO guns shot down one plane and assisted in shooting down one other. One man receivedga slight bullet wound. This ship received no damage. It was the first action for the ship and came six months to the day after our commissioning ceremonies. Beauty has no place in total war but more than one remark was passed that night on how luridly beautiful the confused pattern of cherry- red tracers, mushrooming puffs of black fiak, and Hamilng orange-yellow brilliance of the exploding bombers stood out against the backdrop of grey ships of war and the gorgeous colors of the sunset. Operations in support of the landings on SAIPAN continued until l7 June, at which time .the Task Force steamed westward in the hope of engaging the main body of the Japanese fleet, reported: moving eastward in Philippine waters. On 19 June occurred the famous turkey shoot, when upwards of four hundred Japanese Fleet aircraft attacked Task Force FIFTY- EIGHT. The attack was broken up at terrific cost to the enemy. nearly all of his planes being shot down. Our airborne fighters destroyed seven Jap planes and assisted in the destruc- tion of four others. A few enemy planes did get past our air- craft and attackedithe force. SAN JACINTO guns brought down one of the six which attacked our Task Group. No dam- age was incurred by the ship, -although one of our fighters. piloted by Ensign T. E. HALLOWELL, was lost in combat. His body was subsequently found on GUAM by our invading forces and interred there. Memorial services were conducted aboard ship by Chaplain CORDES. A On 20 June the Task Force steamed steadily VVest to attempt J . gf- - -it-A.--,-,-.-. ..-h,- cc-.-.-.W-,--.-,..c..a.,a.,..g,. ... -. v-,.....-.-.N-.-G .. .Q -..... .. .. 1 to close the Japanese units. The distance was so great it became apparent that they would escape if not attacked immediately, so a long-range strike was ordered launched in mid-afternoon. SAN JACINTO torpedo planes participated in the attack. sinking a large destroyer and damaging a HIYATAKA class carrier. For this feat, Lieutenant Commander D. MELVIN, USNR3 and Ensign O. GUY, USNR, were later awarded the NAVY CROSS. The extreme range made it well after dark before the strike returned. with all aircraft dangerously short of gasoline. Searchlights were turned on and aircraft ordered to land on the first open deck, but a high percentage of' losses was sustained by the force as a whole because of ,the lack of fuel. One SAN JACINTO Avenger, piloted by the 'skipper of Torpedo Squadron FIFTY-ONE, Lieutenant Commander D. MELVIN, 'made a water landing near a destroyergand the crew was rescued. XfVe recovered all our other planes -safely and ten strange aircraft from other carriers, one of which made a dead-stick landing on our flight deck, demolishing the plane but the crew was unharmed. f An unusual incident occurred during these recoveries. A strange aircraft entered the landing circle and made not one but two excellent approaches but was waved off each time be- cause his tail hook was not down. After the second wave-off, he flew down the length of our flight deck about fifty feet above the deck into the glare of the searchlight, where his red meatball markings were clearly visible. It was a Judy Uapanese dive- bomberj ! J He made no attempt to strafe or bomb. but veered off. to port and flew out to the VVest. He was tracked by the radar to a distance of fifty miles, then disappeared. Curiosity, courage, or confusion? The next day, 21 June, we continued our westward course and many survivors were rescued in the area of the attack on' the Jap Fleet. On the 22nd, we reversed course and returned to the vicinity of SAIPAN to resumed our attacks upon the entire MARIANAS Chain: PAGAN, SAIPAN, TINIAN. ROTA and GUAM: these were continued without interruption through 5 July. J I During this period, enemy aircraft raids by small groups were consistently intercepted and broken up by our Combat Air Patrols without damage to the ship or workouts for our gunners. adding to our Air Group's mounting tally fourladdi- tional enemy planes. Q , ' Vice Admiral S. MCCAIN, who was soon to become Com- mander SECOND Carrier Task Force and Commander Task Force THIRTY-EIGHT, landed aboard in an Avenger for an informal visit of several hours on 25 June, flying off in the late afternoon. ' J X On 3 July, Lieutenant W. R. MOONEY, who had been shot down near 'GUAM on l6 June, and 'missing since, was returned to the ship, having been recovered by a seaplane from the battleship WASHINGTON. He had got clear of his sink- ing plane, though badly lacerated about the face and limbs, and-into his raft. He spent seventeen days paddling about off- shore in the day-time pushing into an isolated stretch of beach at night to grub at roots, shellhsh, and spring water. 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