Saratoga (CV 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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..f , , Arriving at Eniwetok late in Febru- ary, divers surveyed underwater dam- age, and a huge forty-foot puncture was discovered on the starboard quar- ter. From the Marshalls she limped back toward Pearl, but the return was interrupted for two days while a search was conducted for Lt. General Harmon, of the Army Air Forces, who was lost in a flight near the Marshalls. Two planes were launched in the search, but nothing was sighted. Sara had to launch the planes over the stern while steaming backwards, because the flight deck damage forward prevented normal procedure. sffvvxw, ' -F -4 mu uit! wtf G n ,oiglvfff- u H7-, gg fo, i ,,LMM,tm.l.l.t...i.l.l.1.M,.,,,.,'A 1 ' H fi 4 'Q Ji 1. - F XT' On the dock at Pearl, the Ford Island band was on hand blaring out Cali- fornia, Here l Come, with brassy good cheer to welcome the battered ship and crew. All hands topside at sea detail station joined in with those watching from the flight deck and gun galleries with a tremendous cheer of joy as soon as the music was recognized. Arriving at the Puget Sound Navy Yard in March, the ship was overrun by thousands of yard workmen as the crew went home on leave. By May, all repair work had been completed in what the Yard Superintendent de- scribed as record time and tests had been made in the Sound. Once more the Old Lady was pronounced well and ready for sea under the command of Captain Frank Akers, who had re- lieved Captain L. A. Moebus during the yard period. Sara arrived at Pearl lune lst and completed a grand war career by train- ing pilots and air groups for other car- riers. lt is quite probable she would have been present at the ultimate in- vasion of the Iapanese homeland- once again on the doorstep to Tayko- if it hadn't been for the atomic bomb. But hostilities ceased before Sara was sent back for revenge. Even V-l day was celebrated by Sara's sailors at sea training pilots in air group-carrier technique. Each land- ing aboard was a new world record, because no other carrier can compare with Sara's 98,549 landings. ln August she had claimed another record too, with 643 landings made in a single day? And that's the story behind the pic- tures. I -If L' 1 'xl ' 67W Q i ff its I A ' , -',5 'lrfail f Q . .