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USS Santa Fe (CL-60)
Encyclopedia
USS Santa Fe (CL-60), a Cleveland-class
light cruiser
was the first ship of the United States Navy
to be named for the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico
.
, launched on 10 June 1942, sponsored by Miss Caroline T. Chavez, and commissioned on 24 November 1942, Captain
Russell S. Berkey
in command.
on 22 March 1943 en route to the Aleutians. On 25 April, six days after reaching Alaska
, she bombarded Attu
. The next four months were occupied primarily by patrols off the Aleutians to prevent Japan
ese naval operations there. This duty was varied by bombardments of Kiska
on 6 July and 22 July to prepare for the invasion of that island and by gunfire support for the landings there on 15 August. Santa Fe departed the Aleutians on 25 August and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 1 September.
The rest of the cruiser's war service was spent in Cruiser Division 13 (CruDiv 13) with the fast carrier task force
s, which spearheaded the Allied advance across the Pacific. She first escorted two carrier raids from Pearl Harbor; one against Tarawa
on 18-19 September and one against Wake Island
on 5-6 October. On the latter attack, the cruisers shelled Wake, silencing return fire from shore.
Santa Fe departed Pearl Harbor with a carrier force on 21 October, but was detached from her division to cover transports carrying reinforcement to Bougainville
. She arrived on 7 November; and, for the next two days, fought off heavy enemy air attacks. After a brief period in port, she sailed from Espiritu Santo
on 14 November, escorting the transport force to the Gilbert Islands
and from 20-22 November, bombarded enemy positions on Tarawa to support the landings. On 26 November, she rejoined the fast carriers and escorted three of the mighty flattops for strikes on Kwajalein
on 4 December before returning to Pearl Harbor five days later.
. The cruisers moved ahead of the main body on the 29th to neutralize Wotje in advance of the landings. After a morning of bombardment on 30 January, Santa Fe rejoined the main force off Kwajalein and, on 31 January – 1 February, provided gunfire support as American troops fought for that key island. She arrived at Majuro
on 7 February.
Five days later, she sailed with a fast carrier force which struck the great enemy base at Truk on 16-17 February and hit Saipan
on 22 February. She then proceeded via Majuro to Espiritu Santo. She got underway again on 15 March, escorting and as those aircraft carrier
s supported landings on Emirau Island
on 20 March and struck Palau
, Yap
, and Woleai
on 30 March – 1 April. On 13 April, she sortied with a task group built around carrier , to support the landings at Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura
), New Guinea
. Air strikes hit Wakde
and Sawar on the 21st, and the surface ships bombarded the same islands the next day to neutralize them during the Hollandia landings. Released from their covering duties on 28 April, the carriers raided Truk, Satawan
, and Ponape
from 29 April to 1 May before returning to Kwajalein on the 4th.
Santa Fe sortied from the Marshalls with a group centered around carrier , and guarded her consorts during intense air strikes on Saipan, Tinian
, and Guam
from 11-16 June in support of landings on Saipan. But the Japanese fleet raced into the area to make a major effort to save the Marianas. On the morning of 19 June, swarms of Japanese carrier aircraft attacked the American 5th Fleet. Santa Fes guns contributed to an almost impenetrable shield of flak which protected the US carriers while American naval aviators destroyed Japan's naval air arm. Through the night and into the following day, the 5th Fleet pursued the retiring enemy warships, located them at mid-afternoon, and launched planes for a successful attack. That night, Santa Fe, ignoring possible Japanese submarine
s, turned on her lights to help guide the American planes back to their carriers. After strikes on Pagan Island
on 24 June, Santa Fes group entered Eniwetok for replenishment on the 27th.
Three days later, the cruiser rejoined Hornets group; and, after morning air strikes, carried out a surface bombardment of Iwo Jima
on 4 July. From the 6th-21st, the carrier group alternated strikes between Guam and Rota
to prevent enemy use of airfields there; and, from the 25th-28th, while striking Yap and Ulithi
, the naval aircraft obtained invaluable photographic intelligence. After six hours at anchor off Saipan on 2 August, the force struck again at Iwo Jima on the 4th-5th. On the 4th, the cruisers engaged a small Japanese convoy
, sinking several vessels including escort Matsu; and, on the 5th, they bombarded Iwo Jima. The carrier group returned to Eniwetok on the 11th.
From 30 August 1944 to 26 January 1945, Santa Fe operated in carrier groups centered about . Their first mission was a strike on Peleliu
in the Palaus from 6-8 September and Mindanao
in the Philippines
on the 9th-10th. On the 9th, the cruisers engaged a second Japanese convoy, sinking a number of small vessels. Further air strikes in the Visayan Sea
came between 12 and 14 September, and targets in the Philippines received attention from the 21st-24th before the task force retired to Kossol Passage in the Palaus on the 27th.
A new series of strikes to neutralize Japanese air power during the invasion of the Philippines started with attacks on Okinawa and Formosa
from 10-13 October. That evening, Friday 13th, after and had been damaged by torpedoes, Santa Fe, , and were detached to help tow the damaged cruisers out of danger. On the 17th, Santa Fe rejoined the carriers for direct support to the Leyte landings.
The Essex group launched strikes on Visayan airfields on the 21st; refueled the next day; and, on the 23rd-24th, carried out searches for Japanese naval forces reported approaching the Philippines. On the 24th, a heavy Japanese air attack was repulsed; but a single, undetected Japanese plane followed the American planes back to their carriers and put a bomb into carrier , which later had to be sunk. Later in the afternoon, a Japanese carrier force was located to the north of Luzon
, and the American carriers raced north to intercept. Early on the 25th, six battleships and seven cruisers, including Santa Fe, were sent ahead of the carriers to be ready for a gun action; and, at daybreak, the carriers began launching strikes. Late in the morning, one carrier group, with most of the battleships and cruisers, was rushed back south to intercept the Japanese Center Force, which had swept through San Bernardino Strait
. But the remaining four cruisers, under the Commander of CruDiv 13 in Santa Fe, continued north and in mid-afternoon opened fire on Japanese cripples, sinking carrier , and destroyer
in the Battle off Cape Engaño, before retiring that night. Santa Fe rejoined the carriers for the next day and arrived at Ulithi on 30 October after strikes on Japanese stragglers in the Visayan Sea on the 27th.
The Essex group, with Santa Fe, started for Manus
for upkeep on 1 November, but was diverted to the Philippines because of a report that Japanese surface units were approaching Leyte. Although the rumor proved false, the carrier planes were nevertheless needed to cope with heavy enemy air attacks on the troops and shipping around Leyte. Friendly airfields were not yet fully ready. Santa Fes group struck at Manila
on 5-6 November and experienced its first kamikaze
attack on the 5th. After additional strikes on the Philippines from 11-14 November, the cruisers arrived at Ulithi on 17 November. Three days later, while the cruiser was replenishing in the lagoon, Japanese midget submarines got into the anchorage and torpedoed . Santa Fes float planes rescued some of the tanker's survivors.
_during_typhoon_cobra,_december_1944.jpg)
The Essex group, with Santa Fe, got underway again on 22 November, carried out strikes on the Philippines on the 25th, and remained on station until 1 December. After another stop at Ulithi, the carrier group was again at sea supporting the Mindoro
landings when Typhoon Cobra sank three destroyers on 18–19 December. After searching for survivors, the ships returned to Ulithi on the 24th.
. The ships then entered the South China Sea
, raided shipping along the Indochina
coast on 12 January, and along the China coast on the 15th and 16th. Leaving the South China Sea on 20 January, the carriers struck Formosa on the 21st and Okinawa on the 22nd before returning to Ulithi on the 26th.
Santa Fe sailed with and other units on 10 February; and, on 16-17 February, her group launched strikes on air fields around Tokyo
to destroy aircraft that might interfere with landings on Iwo Jima. Santa Fe was detached from the carriers on the 18th, and bombarded Iwo Jima between 19-21 February, silencing Japanese gun batteries on Mt. Suribachi and firing illumination missions at night. She rejoined the carriers for another raid on Tokyo on the 25th and then retired to Ulithi on 1 March.
On 14 March, the cruiser joined the group, which launched strikes on Kyūshū
on 18 March and on Japanese fleet units at Kure
and Kobe
on the 19th. Just as the first strikes were being launched on the 19th, a single Japanese plane dropped two bombs into a cluster of planes on 's deck, setting off immense explosions and fires. Santa Fe maneuvered alongside the carrier, and despite a hail of exploding ammunition, rescued survivors and fought fires. After the cruiser had been alongside for nearly three hours, 833 survivors had been rescued, the major fires were under control, and cruiser was ready to tow the carrier. Santa Fe escorted the carrier to Ulithi; and, needing repairs herself, left Ulithi on 27 March for a trip back to the United States, escorting Franklin as far as Pearl Harbor. She received a Navy Unit Commendation
for her part in the salvage of Franklin.
Overhaul at San Pedro lasted from 10 April to 14 July. The cruiser returned to Pearl Harbor on 1 August and sailed from there on the 12th with carrier and cruiser Birmingham to attack Wake Island. The raid was canceled when Japan capitulated on the 15th, and the ships were diverted, first to Eniwetok and then to Okinawa, anchoring in Buckner Bay on 26 August, Santa Fe arrived in Sasebo
on 20 September] and, from 17 October to 10 November, assisted in the occupation of northern Honshū
and Hokkaidō
. She reported for "Magic Carpet" duty on 10 November and made two trips bringing troops home from Saipan, Guam, and Truk before arriving on 25 January 1946 at Bremerton, Washington
.
Santa Fe was decommissioned on 29 October 1946 and attached to the Bremerton Group, US Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 March 1959 and sold on 9 November to Zidell Explorations, Inc., for scrapping.
Cleveland class cruiser
The United States Navy designed the Cleveland class of light cruisers for World War II with the goal of increased range and AA armament as compared with earlier classes.A total of 52 ships of this class were projected and 3 canceled...
light cruiser
Light cruiser
A light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
was the first ship of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
to be named for the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
.
Construction
Santa Fe was laid down on 7 June 1941 by New York Shipbuilding Co. of Camden, New JerseyCamden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, launched on 10 June 1942, sponsored by Miss Caroline T. Chavez, and commissioned on 24 November 1942, Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
Russell S. Berkey
Russell S. Berkey
Russell Stanley Berkey was an Admiral in the United States Navy during World War II.Admiral Berkey was a native of Indiana and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1916. Following graduation he served on board the battleship...
in command.
1943
After shakedown on the east coast, Santa Fe sailed for the Pacific, arriving at Pearl HarborPearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
on 22 March 1943 en route to the Aleutians. On 25 April, six days after reaching Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, she bombarded Attu
Attu Island
Attu is the westernmost and largest island in the Near Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, making it the westernmost point of land relative to Alaska and the United States. It was the site of the only World War II land battle fought on the incorporated territory of the United States ,...
. The next four months were occupied primarily by patrols off the Aleutians to prevent Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese naval operations there. This duty was varied by bombardments of Kiska
Kiska
Kiska is an island in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska located at . It is about long and varies in width from - Discovery :...
on 6 July and 22 July to prepare for the invasion of that island and by gunfire support for the landings there on 15 August. Santa Fe departed the Aleutians on 25 August and arrived at Pearl Harbor on 1 September.
The rest of the cruiser's war service was spent in Cruiser Division 13 (CruDiv 13) with the fast carrier task force
Fast Carrier Task Force
The Fast Carrier Task Force was the main striking force of the United States Navy in the Pacific Ocean theatre of World War II.The Fast Carrier Task Force was known under two designations. The Navy made use of two sets of upper command structures for planning the upcoming operations...
s, which spearheaded the Allied advance across the Pacific. She first escorted two carrier raids from Pearl Harbor; one against Tarawa
Tarawa Atoll
Tarawa is an atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. It is the location of the capital of the Republic of Kiribati, South Tarawa...
on 18-19 September and one against Wake Island
Wake Island
Wake Island is a coral atoll having a coastline of in the North Pacific Ocean, located about two-thirds of the way from Honolulu west to Guam east. It is an unorganized, unincorporated territory of the United States, administered by the Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior...
on 5-6 October. On the latter attack, the cruisers shelled Wake, silencing return fire from shore.
Santa Fe departed Pearl Harbor with a carrier force on 21 October, but was detached from her division to cover transports carrying reinforcement to Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
. She arrived on 7 November; and, for the next two days, fought off heavy enemy air attacks. After a brief period in port, she sailed from Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo
Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....
on 14 November, escorting the transport force to the Gilbert Islands
Gilbert Islands
The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...
and from 20-22 November, bombarded enemy positions on Tarawa to support the landings. On 26 November, she rejoined the fast carriers and escorted three of the mighty flattops for strikes on Kwajalein
Kwajalein
Kwajalein Atoll , is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands . The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. English-speaking residents of the U.S...
on 4 December before returning to Pearl Harbor five days later.
1944
Late in the year, the busy cruiser returned to the United States to devote the first weeks of 1944 to amphibious training off San Pedro, California. She sortied on 13 January with the task force which would invade the Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
. The cruisers moved ahead of the main body on the 29th to neutralize Wotje in advance of the landings. After a morning of bombardment on 30 January, Santa Fe rejoined the main force off Kwajalein and, on 31 January – 1 February, provided gunfire support as American troops fought for that key island. She arrived at Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
on 7 February.
Five days later, she sailed with a fast carrier force which struck the great enemy base at Truk on 16-17 February and hit Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
on 22 February. She then proceeded via Majuro to Espiritu Santo. She got underway again on 15 March, escorting and as those aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
s supported landings on Emirau Island
Landing on Emirau
The Landing on Emirau was the last of the series of operations that made up Operation Cartwheel, General Douglas MacArthur's strategy for the encirclement of the major Japanese base at Rabaul. A force of nearly 4,000 United States Marines landed on the island of Emirau on 20 March 1944. The island...
on 20 March and struck Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
, Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
, and Woleai
Woleai
Woleai is a coral atoll of twenty-two islands in the eastern Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia and is located approximately west-northwest of Ifalik and northeast of Eauripik...
on 30 March – 1 April. On 13 April, she sortied with a task group built around carrier , to support the landings at Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
), New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. Air strikes hit Wakde
Wakde
Wakde is an island of Indonesia, part of the province of West Papua, between the districts of Pantai Timur and Tor Atas.Occupied by Japanese forces in April 1942, Wakde served as an airbase...
and Sawar on the 21st, and the surface ships bombarded the same islands the next day to neutralize them during the Hollandia landings. Released from their covering duties on 28 April, the carriers raided Truk, Satawan
Satawan
Satawan Atoll is part of the Mortlock Islands in the Caroline Islands, administratively part of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Captain James Mortlock discovered two sets of islands on 19 and 27 November 1795. Confusingly, both were later called Mortlock Islands...
, and Ponape
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
from 29 April to 1 May before returning to Kwajalein on the 4th.
Santa Fe sortied from the Marshalls with a group centered around carrier , and guarded her consorts during intense air strikes on Saipan, Tinian
Tinian
Tinian is one of the three principal islands of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.-Geography:Tinian is about 5 miles southwest of its sister island, Saipan, from which it is separated by the Saipan Channel. It has a land area of 39 sq.mi....
, and Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
from 11-16 June in support of landings on Saipan. But the Japanese fleet raced into the area to make a major effort to save the Marianas. On the morning of 19 June, swarms of Japanese carrier aircraft attacked the American 5th Fleet. Santa Fes guns contributed to an almost impenetrable shield of flak which protected the US carriers while American naval aviators destroyed Japan's naval air arm. Through the night and into the following day, the 5th Fleet pursued the retiring enemy warships, located them at mid-afternoon, and launched planes for a successful attack. That night, Santa Fe, ignoring possible Japanese submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s, turned on her lights to help guide the American planes back to their carriers. After strikes on Pagan Island
Pagan Island
Pagan is an island of the Northern Mariana Islands chain,located at , approximately 320 kilometers northof Saipan.Pagan has an area of 47.23 km² , making it the fourth largest island of the Northern Marianas, and consists of two stratovolcanoes joined by a narrow strip of land.The...
on 24 June, Santa Fes group entered Eniwetok for replenishment on the 27th.
Three days later, the cruiser rejoined Hornets group; and, after morning air strikes, carried out a surface bombardment of Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
on 4 July. From the 6th-21st, the carrier group alternated strikes between Guam and Rota
Rota (island)
Rota also known as the "peaceful island", is the southernmost island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the second southernmost of the Marianas Archipelago. It lies approximately 40 miles north-northeast of the United States territory of Guam...
to prevent enemy use of airfields there; and, from the 25th-28th, while striking Yap and Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
, the naval aircraft obtained invaluable photographic intelligence. After six hours at anchor off Saipan on 2 August, the force struck again at Iwo Jima on the 4th-5th. On the 4th, the cruisers engaged a small Japanese convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
, sinking several vessels including escort Matsu; and, on the 5th, they bombarded Iwo Jima. The carrier group returned to Eniwetok on the 11th.
From 30 August 1944 to 26 January 1945, Santa Fe operated in carrier groups centered about . Their first mission was a strike on Peleliu
Peleliu
Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....
in the Palaus from 6-8 September and Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
on the 9th-10th. On the 9th, the cruisers engaged a second Japanese convoy, sinking a number of small vessels. Further air strikes in the Visayan Sea
Visayan Sea
The Visayan Sea is a sea in the Philippines, surrounded by the islands of the Visayas, Eastern Visayas and Western Visayas located to the east and west, while the Central Visayas is located to the south...
came between 12 and 14 September, and targets in the Philippines received attention from the 21st-24th before the task force retired to Kossol Passage in the Palaus on the 27th.
A new series of strikes to neutralize Japanese air power during the invasion of the Philippines started with attacks on Okinawa and Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
from 10-13 October. That evening, Friday 13th, after and had been damaged by torpedoes, Santa Fe, , and were detached to help tow the damaged cruisers out of danger. On the 17th, Santa Fe rejoined the carriers for direct support to the Leyte landings.
The Essex group launched strikes on Visayan airfields on the 21st; refueled the next day; and, on the 23rd-24th, carried out searches for Japanese naval forces reported approaching the Philippines. On the 24th, a heavy Japanese air attack was repulsed; but a single, undetected Japanese plane followed the American planes back to their carriers and put a bomb into carrier , which later had to be sunk. Later in the afternoon, a Japanese carrier force was located to the north of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, and the American carriers raced north to intercept. Early on the 25th, six battleships and seven cruisers, including Santa Fe, were sent ahead of the carriers to be ready for a gun action; and, at daybreak, the carriers began launching strikes. Late in the morning, one carrier group, with most of the battleships and cruisers, was rushed back south to intercept the Japanese Center Force, which had swept through San Bernardino Strait
San Bernardino Strait
The San Bernardino Strait is a strait in the Philippines. It separates the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon island from the island of Samar in the south.-Filipinos and San Bernardino Strait:...
. But the remaining four cruisers, under the Commander of CruDiv 13 in Santa Fe, continued north and in mid-afternoon opened fire on Japanese cripples, sinking carrier , and destroyer
Destroyer
In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
in the Battle off Cape Engaño, before retiring that night. Santa Fe rejoined the carriers for the next day and arrived at Ulithi on 30 October after strikes on Japanese stragglers in the Visayan Sea on the 27th.
The Essex group, with Santa Fe, started for Manus
Manus Island
Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...
for upkeep on 1 November, but was diverted to the Philippines because of a report that Japanese surface units were approaching Leyte. Although the rumor proved false, the carrier planes were nevertheless needed to cope with heavy enemy air attacks on the troops and shipping around Leyte. Friendly airfields were not yet fully ready. Santa Fes group struck at Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
on 5-6 November and experienced its first kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attack on the 5th. After additional strikes on the Philippines from 11-14 November, the cruisers arrived at Ulithi on 17 November. Three days later, while the cruiser was replenishing in the lagoon, Japanese midget submarines got into the anchorage and torpedoed . Santa Fes float planes rescued some of the tanker's survivors.
Mindoro
Mindoro is the seventh-largest island in the Philippines. It is located off the coast of Luzon, and northeast of Palawan. The southern coast of Mindoro forms the northeastern extremum of the Sulu Sea.-History:...
landings when Typhoon Cobra sank three destroyers on 18–19 December. After searching for survivors, the ships returned to Ulithi on the 24th.
1945
Back at sea on 30 December 1944, the Essex force struck Formosa and Okinawa on 3-4 January 1945, Luzon on the 6th-7th, and Formosa again on the 9th, to neutralize Japanese air fields during landings on Luzon from Lingayen GulfLingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
. The ships then entered the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
, raided shipping along the Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
coast on 12 January, and along the China coast on the 15th and 16th. Leaving the South China Sea on 20 January, the carriers struck Formosa on the 21st and Okinawa on the 22nd before returning to Ulithi on the 26th.
Santa Fe sailed with and other units on 10 February; and, on 16-17 February, her group launched strikes on air fields around Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
to destroy aircraft that might interfere with landings on Iwo Jima. Santa Fe was detached from the carriers on the 18th, and bombarded Iwo Jima between 19-21 February, silencing Japanese gun batteries on Mt. Suribachi and firing illumination missions at night. She rejoined the carriers for another raid on Tokyo on the 25th and then retired to Ulithi on 1 March.
On 14 March, the cruiser joined the group, which launched strikes on Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
on 18 March and on Japanese fleet units at Kure
Kure, Hiroshima
is a city in Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 240,820 and a population density of 681 persons per km². The total area is 353.74 km².- History :...
and Kobe
Kobe
, pronounced , is the fifth-largest city in Japan and is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture on the southern side of the main island of Honshū, approximately west of Osaka...
on the 19th. Just as the first strikes were being launched on the 19th, a single Japanese plane dropped two bombs into a cluster of planes on 's deck, setting off immense explosions and fires. Santa Fe maneuvered alongside the carrier, and despite a hail of exploding ammunition, rescued survivors and fought fires. After the cruiser had been alongside for nearly three hours, 833 survivors had been rescued, the major fires were under control, and cruiser was ready to tow the carrier. Santa Fe escorted the carrier to Ulithi; and, needing repairs herself, left Ulithi on 27 March for a trip back to the United States, escorting Franklin as far as Pearl Harbor. She received a Navy Unit Commendation
Navy Unit Commendation
The Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
for her part in the salvage of Franklin.
Overhaul at San Pedro lasted from 10 April to 14 July. The cruiser returned to Pearl Harbor on 1 August and sailed from there on the 12th with carrier and cruiser Birmingham to attack Wake Island. The raid was canceled when Japan capitulated on the 15th, and the ships were diverted, first to Eniwetok and then to Okinawa, anchoring in Buckner Bay on 26 August, Santa Fe arrived in Sasebo
Sasebo, Nagasaki
is a city located in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 259,800 and the density of 609 persons per km². The total area is 426.47 km². The locality is famed for its scenic beauty. The city includes a part of Saikai National Park...
on 20 September] and, from 17 October to 10 November, assisted in the occupation of northern Honshū
Honshu
is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait...
and Hokkaidō
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
. She reported for "Magic Carpet" duty on 10 November and made two trips bringing troops home from Saipan, Guam, and Truk before arriving on 25 January 1946 at Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
.
Santa Fe was decommissioned on 29 October 1946 and attached to the Bremerton Group, US Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
Naval Vessel Register
The Naval Vessel Register is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from the time a vessel is authorized through its life cycle and...
on 1 March 1959 and sold on 9 November to Zidell Explorations, Inc., for scrapping.