The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1945-06-15
Saratoga


repair job at the Puget Sound
Navy Yard, however, has al
ready returned the huge flat-top
10 the fighting line.
1.-THE Saratoga" said the
yards hull superintendent. twas
the most extensively damaged
vessel the Puget Sound Navy
Yard has received. She received
more varied types of damage
all at once than any ship we've
seen since Pearl Harbor."
SUICIDE ATTACK
The carrier was launching her
planes in the Two Jima action
when an estimated nine or 10
Japanese bombers, all believed
to be on suicide missions, closed
in. Four were shot down by the
ships anti-aircraft guns and pi-
lots in the air, but four others
managed to crash and bomb
the ship. A fifth, after it was
knocked down alongside the
vessel, caromed off the water
and exploded, tearing large
hole in the carriers side. A
bomb from another plane blew
hole in the ships side below
the waterline, rupturing many
fuel oil lines. Water rushed In,
and the ship took six degree
list.
Fires broke out and burning
planes and fuel scattered over
great areas of the ship" the
Navy report said. The forward
part of the flight deck was
battered beyond use. One en-
envy suicider penetrated the
side of the ship into the hangar
deck where he exploded to
cause a great fire. The crane
forward of the bridge, the cata-
pulls and many guns were bat
tered by the crashing planes and
exploding bombs. Wreckage
falling into the gun gallerys on
the side of the ship caused fur
Their fires there. f"
UNDER OWN POWER
In spite of her damage, how
ever. the carrier was able to
proceed.
Many heroic acts prevented
even greater casualties and
damage. In one instance, an Of
ficer and two enlisted men were
lowered over the ships side to
fight flames, and with the YES
sci under way at Is knots they
managed to bring the fire un-
der control.
However, the Sara's troubles
were not over. About an hour
and a half after the first attack
with darkness setting in, more
enemy planes appeared and one
dropped another bomb on the
stricken carrier before crashing
Damage from the second attack
although severe, was Soor
brought under control, and the
Sara was able to receive hel
airborne pilots who were cir,
cling the ship with their ga!
supplies running low.
Photographs of her damage
were flown to the Puget Sound
Navy Yard from the advance
base where temporary repair!
were made, and by the time she
reached the yard all plans ano
equipment for her repair were
ready. She was completely re-
fitted and ready for sea in tho
record breaking time OF les:
than two months.
AERIAL TORPEDO
The Saratoga suffered hel
first battle damage when STRUCK
by a torpedo from an enemy
submarine as she was operating
between the Hawaiian Islands
and beleaguered Wake lslane
shortly after Pearl Harbor. Tha
damage necessitated her return
to the States for repairs.
She rejoined the fleet aftel
the battle of Midway, having
undergone a thorough modern
ization. Her next important as
sipnment was to provide air Gov
err for the invasion OF Guadal
canal and fight off the japanese
counter attack in the battle o
the Eastern Solomons. In tn
latter action her planes sani
the Japanese carrier Ryuzyo
l. al