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USS Savo Island (CVE-78)
Encyclopedia
USS Savo Island (CVE-78), was a built for the United States Navy
during World War II. Named in memory of a naval battle fought off Savo Island
in the Solomons
on 9 August 1942, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
Originally designated Kaita Bay (AVG-78), she was reclassified ACV-78 on 20 August 1942 and CVE-78 on 15 July 1943; laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1115) on 27 September 1943 by Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Vancouver, Washington
; renamed Savo Island on 6 November 1943; launched on 22 December 1943; sponsored by Miss Margaret Taffinder; and commissioned on 3 February 1944, Captain
C. E. Eckstrom in command.
, she reported to the 3rd Fleet at Pearl Harbor on 4 August. Savo Islands first combat assignment was to provide air support for the landings on Peleliu
Island in the Palau
s. Between 11 September and 30 September, she operated with a group of escort carriers near the island, while her planes conducted pre-invasion strafing, direct support of ground forces and patrol missions. On 3 October, she reported to the 7th Fleet
at Manus Island
, and sailed on the 12th in the screen of the bombardment and support group of battleships and cruisers of the Leyte invasion task force. Upon arriving on the 18th, her aircraft carried out patrols and strikes against predesignated targets, and shifted to ground support missions as the troops went ashore on the 20th. Her planes remained at the task for the next few days.
On the morning of the 25th, an escort carrier force off Samar, "Taffy 3", some 20 miles to the north, reported a large enemy surface force. This turned out to be the central force in a three-pronged, Japanese naval assault on Allied forces at Leyte, consisting of four battleships, six cruisers, and many destroyers. The escorts of Savo Islands group also came under fire for about 30 minutes, as the carrier launched a total of six strikes in a desperate and successful effort to protect herself and the other carriers from annihilation. The Japanese retired in the face of the intense air opposition, losing three cruisers in the engagement. During the afternoon, the American forces again came under fierce air attack, experiencing the first suicide attacks of the war. Savo Island remained off Leyte until 30 October, when she sailed for the Admiralties. Savo Island departed Manus on 19 November, and from 22–27 November, served with two other escort carriers as a patrol and escort force in the convoy lanes leading to Leyte Gulf
. After replenishing in Kossol Passage in the Palaus, she got underway on 10 December for her third amphibious operation, the landings on Mindanao
. Once again, she covered the bombardment group during the approach and then provided direct support over the beaches until relieved by Army aircraft on 15 December. Threat of a Japanese surface raid delayed her departure until 17 December, when she sailed for Manus.
Savo Island performed similar duties during the Lingayen Gulf
operation commencing on 1 January 1945. During the approach, , was sunk by a kamikaze on the 4th and another grazed Savo Island the next day. After the Lingayen landings, Savo Island's group steamed to the westward of Mindanao from 17–29 January, as a defense against enemy surface attack. After supporting landings near Subic Bay
on the 29th-30th, she retired to Ulithi for repairs and replacement of her air group. After repairs and training exercises for her new pilots, Savo Island departed Leyte with the invasion force for Okinawa, providing air cover en route. On 26 March, with two other escort carriers, she supported the occupation of Kerama Retto
, which was to become the main replenishment base for the naval forces off Okinawa. The following day, her planes joined the assault on Okinawa, and flew antiaircraft and antisubmarine patrols as well. From 7–16 April, she provided air cover for the replenishment group steaming to the east of Okinawa. She then resumed her support mission off Okinawa, and on 27 April carried out neutralizing strikes against Sakishima Gunto, halfway between Okinawa and Formosa
. On 29 April, the carrier completed her mission and sailed for overhaul in San Diego.
On 11 July, Savo Island began a ferry voyage from San Diego to Pearl Harbor and back to Alameda, California
On 6 August, she sailed for the Aleutians and arrived on the day of the Japanese surrender. She departed on 31 August with a force of six escort carriers to support the occupation of northern Honshū
and Hokkaidō
. The ship returned to Pearl Harbor on 25 September 1945, and was assigned to "Magic Carpet" duty. After picking up occupation troops at San Francisco, she made three voyages carrying troops home, one each from Guam
, Pearl Harbor, and Okinawa. Released from "Magic Carpet" duty upon arrival at Seattle on 14 January 1946, she arrived at Boston, Massachusetts on 16 March for inactivation. The carrier was decommissioned on 12 December 1946 and assigned to the Boston group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Savo Island was reclassified CVHE-78 on 12 June 1955 and AKV-28 on 7 May 1959. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register
on 1 September 1959; sold on 29 February 1960 to Comarket, Inc.; and broken up for scrap in Hong Kong
in June, 1960.
in mothballs as part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, author James Michener fictionally had it in commission and participating in that war as the primary setting for his novella The Bridges at Toko-Ri
. The 1954 movie version
was filmed aboard the with its original CV-34 markings, but the ship was still referred to as the Savo Island.
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...
during World War II. Named in memory of a naval battle fought off Savo Island
Battle of Savo Island
The Battle of Savo Island, also known as the First Battle of Savo Island and, in Japanese sources, as the , was a naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II, between the Imperial Japanese Navy and Allied naval forces...
in the Solomons
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
on 9 August 1942, she was the only U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name.
Originally designated Kaita Bay (AVG-78), she was reclassified ACV-78 on 20 August 1942 and CVE-78 on 15 July 1943; laid down under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1115) on 27 September 1943 by Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
; renamed Savo Island on 6 November 1943; launched on 22 December 1943; sponsored by Miss Margaret Taffinder; and commissioned on 3 February 1944, 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....
C. E. Eckstrom in command.
Service history
After shakedown at San Diego, Savo Island made two voyages to the Southwest Pacific carrying replacement aircraft from 15 March-2 July 1944. On 6 July, her air squadron reported on board; and, after training at San Diego and 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...
, she reported to the 3rd Fleet at Pearl Harbor on 4 August. Savo Islands first combat assignment was to provide air support for the landings 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....
Island in the 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...
s. Between 11 September and 30 September, she operated with a group of escort carriers near the island, while her planes conducted pre-invasion strafing, direct support of ground forces and patrol missions. On 3 October, she reported to the 7th Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
at Manus Island
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...
, and sailed on the 12th in the screen of the bombardment and support group of battleships and cruisers of the Leyte invasion task force. Upon arriving on the 18th, her aircraft carried out patrols and strikes against predesignated targets, and shifted to ground support missions as the troops went ashore on the 20th. Her planes remained at the task for the next few days.
On the morning of the 25th, an escort carrier force off Samar, "Taffy 3", some 20 miles to the north, reported a large enemy surface force. This turned out to be the central force in a three-pronged, Japanese naval assault on Allied forces at Leyte, consisting of four battleships, six cruisers, and many destroyers. The escorts of Savo Islands group also came under fire for about 30 minutes, as the carrier launched a total of six strikes in a desperate and successful effort to protect herself and the other carriers from annihilation. The Japanese retired in the face of the intense air opposition, losing three cruisers in the engagement. During the afternoon, the American forces again came under fierce air attack, experiencing the first suicide attacks of the war. Savo Island remained off Leyte until 30 October, when she sailed for the Admiralties. Savo Island departed Manus on 19 November, and from 22–27 November, served with two other escort carriers as a patrol and escort force in the convoy lanes leading to Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf
Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...
. After replenishing in Kossol Passage in the Palaus, she got underway on 10 December for her third amphibious operation, the landings on 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...
. Once again, she covered the bombardment group during the approach and then provided direct support over the beaches until relieved by Army aircraft on 15 December. Threat of a Japanese surface raid delayed her departure until 17 December, when she sailed for Manus.
Savo Island performed similar duties during the Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen 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...
operation commencing on 1 January 1945. During the approach, , was sunk by a kamikaze on the 4th and another grazed Savo Island the next day. After the Lingayen landings, Savo Island's group steamed to the westward of Mindanao from 17–29 January, as a defense against enemy surface attack. After supporting landings near Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay
U.S. Naval Base Subic Bay was a major ship-repair, supply, and rest and recreation facility of the United States Navy located in Zambales, Philippines. It was the largest U.S...
on the 29th-30th, she retired to Ulithi for repairs and replacement of her air group. After repairs and training exercises for her new pilots, Savo Island departed Leyte with the invasion force for Okinawa, providing air cover en route. On 26 March, with two other escort carriers, she supported the occupation of Kerama Retto
Kerama Retto
The are a group of 22 islands located southwest of Okinawa Island in Japan. Four of the islands are inhabited:,., and. The islands are within Shimajiri District. The Kerama-shotō coral reef is a Ramsar Site....
, which was to become the main replenishment base for the naval forces off Okinawa. The following day, her planes joined the assault on Okinawa, and flew antiaircraft and antisubmarine patrols as well. From 7–16 April, she provided air cover for the replenishment group steaming to the east of Okinawa. She then resumed her support mission off Okinawa, and on 27 April carried out neutralizing strikes against Sakishima Gunto, halfway between 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...
. On 29 April, the carrier completed her mission and sailed for overhaul in San Diego.
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
On 6 August, she sailed for the Aleutians and arrived on the day of the Japanese surrender. She departed on 31 August with a force of six escort carriers to support 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...
. The ship returned to Pearl Harbor on 25 September 1945, and was assigned to "Magic Carpet" duty. After picking up occupation troops at San Francisco, she made three voyages carrying troops home, one each from 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...
, Pearl Harbor, and Okinawa. Released from "Magic Carpet" duty upon arrival at Seattle on 14 January 1946, she arrived at Boston, Massachusetts on 16 March for inactivation. The carrier was decommissioned on 12 December 1946 and assigned to the Boston group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Savo Island was reclassified CVHE-78 on 12 June 1955 and AKV-28 on 7 May 1959. 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 September 1959; sold on 29 February 1960 to Comarket, Inc.; and broken up for scrap in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in June, 1960.
Awards
Savo Island received 4 battle stars for her World War II service. In addition, she received a Presidential Unit Citation for her service in the Western Carolines, the Philippines, and Okinawa from 6 September 1944-29 April 1945.In Popular Culture
While the Savo Island spent the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
in mothballs as part of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, author James Michener fictionally had it in commission and participating in that war as the primary setting for his novella The Bridges at Toko-Ri
The Bridges at Toko-Ri (novel)
The Bridges at Toko-Ri is a novella by American author James A. Michener. The book details the experiences of American fighter pilots in the Korean War as they undertake a mission to destroy heavily protected supply bridges in enemy territory...
. The 1954 movie version
The Bridges at Toko-Ri
The Bridges at Toko-Ri is a 1954 film based on a novel by James Michener about a naval aviator assigned to bomb a group of heavily defended bridges during the Korean War. It was made into a motion picture by Paramount Pictures and won the Special Effects Oscar at the 28th Academy Awards...
was filmed aboard the with its original CV-34 markings, but the ship was still referred to as the Savo Island.