Saratoga (CV 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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..........-....-......., the enemy fleet she was given credit for helping disperse its battered and de- pleted remnants Our losses were cost- ly too as the carrier Yorktown had been sunk Early in Iuly Sara set out on a record 62-day cruise which saw her aerial might used to great advantage in the flight of SBD s that demolished lapa- nese defenses at Kukum Sara-based Torpedo Squadron Eight led by Lieu- tenant Larsen attacked installations on Florida and Malaita Islands while Commander Shumway s flight hit Bin- gana and Tanambogo Such targets as communication centers and supply dumps were bombed for two days as I 1 n I U 1 l I l . . . - 1 , . . I I I . . - . 1 I I I I I I - . . . I I . . . . . 1 invasion of Guadalcanal-Tulagi and the first phases of the Battle of the East- ern Solomons. ln company with a large invasion task force she steamed south- west from Pearl as flagship for Vice Ad- miral Frank lack Fletcher. Brief exer- cises were held off Koro Island in the Fijis before the entire assault group moved west for the first U. S. offensive campaign. Sara had a major role in the historic amphibious operation at Guadalcanal. August 7th, l942, was D-Day for our landings and the beginning of the long, costly struggle to roll back the terri- torial gains made by imperialistic Iapan in sudden, treacherous assaults and quick victories. Many a battle- weary Leatherneck was grateful for Sara's planes and expert pilots. Lunga Airfield Clater renamed Hend- erson Fieldb was smashed by her bombs, and Bullet Lou Kirn led a the Marines poured ashore and fighter planes strafed the laps in their foxholes. The Nips sent a large group of bombers and fighters from Rabaul, but this for- mation was broken up in furious dog fights. TANAMBOGO

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Early at night on the llth of Ianuary as Sara was silhouetted by Venus 400 miles west of Hawaii, a Tap submarine managed to sneak into the formation and launched a deadly torpedo which struck the port quarter with a blinding flash and terrific explosion. Columns of water and oil shot skyward as high as the smokestack. The Cld Lady had suf- fered her first battle scar! Six men died as a result of the tor- pedoing. Fortunately, the engineering plant was not damaged, so she was able to steam to Pearl Harbor under her own power. There a temporary patch of steel was applied to her ruptured skin, and she was sent to Bremerton, Wash- ington, for repairs. Almost three months were spent in the Puget Sound Navy Yard. Perma- nent repairs were made and a thorough modernization was effected. Light anti- aircraft weapons were installed and gun sponsons added. Late in May, 1942, Sara docked at San Diego and loaded planes and sup- plies aboard. The Battle of Midway was pending as she sped west toward the combat zone. lt was a fearful juncture in the war. The Allies despaired at the heavy toll of shipping in the Atlantic, at the sustained successes of Rommel in Africa, and at the overwhelming armor ., ,.... .........,..,.. .,,..., .....,-..... - .. v. --...,... -- .,.. ,W H , A Y .W ...A Y- - ---'-A--r r' 1:1-' 1, ' THE NEW TBF FIRST LAUNCHED FROM SARA'S FLIGHT DECK IN JUNE I942 of the German Army slashing across to Crimea and into the Caucasus. ln the Pacific, we looked with dismay on the fall of l-long Kong, Singapore, the Philip- pines, the East lndies, the threat to Aus- tralia and India, the presence of enemy garrisons in the Aleutians, the immi- nent invasion of Alaska, Midway, Ha- waii. The Lexington was at the bottom of the Coral Sea, and no man could say where the next grievous blow would fall. ln less than 24 hours at Pearl Harbor, the Sara loaded replacement planes for U. S. carriers staving off the Tap fleet at Midway. lncluded were a handful of the new TBF's, replacements for famed Torpedo Squadron Eight. Sara thereby had the distinction of being the first car- rier to launch the new Grumman Plane, which soon became the standby of the fleet. Arriving too late. actually to engage

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TULAGI August 24th, 1942, was another busy day for Sara and her planes as heavy enemy surface units moving down from the north were intercepted and at- tacked with considerable success. Con- servative estimates credited Sara's planes with sinking a Nip carrier and a large destroyer. Two enemy cruisers were badly crippled by torpedoes and a battleship, bombed. While portions of the enemy fleet were under attack, other lap carriers launched planes against the U. S. task force, including the Saratoga and En- terprise. Our fighters defended relent- lessly, but some of the laps succeeded in breaking through the fighter screen and anti-aircraft fire to score damaging hits of the Big E. The Enterprise took the brunt of the attack and Sara, only lU OOO yards away was unscathed From that day on Sara wa called lucky by the Enterprise and the two crews carried on an unrem tting if ward The recapitulation showed 26 lap planes destroyed in addition to the ships sunk and damaged Sara con tinued to aid her crippled sister carrier good-natured, feud from that day for-