USS Natoma Bay ( CVE - 62 ) USS " Natoma Bay " ( CVE – 62 ) was a " Casablanca " class escort carrier of the United States Navy . She was laid down as " Begum " ( MC hull 1099 ) , on 17 January 1943 , by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Co . , Inc . , Vancouver , Washington , under Maritime Commission contract , named " Natoma Bay " on 22 January 1943 , after a bay in the Graham Islands off the southwest coast of Alaska ; launched on 20 July 1943 ; sponsored by Lady Halifax , wife of the United Kingdom ’ s ambassador to the United States ; and commissioned on 14 October 1943 , Captain Harold L . Meadow in command . Service history . 1943 – 1944 . After her shakedown cruise off the California coast , " Natoma Bay " performed aircraft and personnel ferrying duties between San Diego and Hawaii for Commander Fleet Air , West Coast , until 3 January 1944 . Then , with squadron VC - 63 embarked , she departed San Diego for Pearl Harbor , reporting to ComCarDiv 24 , 5th Amphibious Force , on 10 January . On 23 January she sortied with TG 51 . 2 for the invasion of the Marshalls . Between 31 January and 7 February , as positions on Majuro Atoll were consolidated , CVE – 62 furnished anti - submarine and combat air patrols and area searches for the attack force . On 8 February , she extended her operations to Wotje and Maloelap , alternating for the remainder of the month between those islands and Majuro . Departing Majuro on 7 March , " Natoma Bay " reached Espiritu Santo on the 12th . Three days later she joined TF 37 for air strikes and surface bombardments against Kavieng , New Ireland , 19 March20 March . She then cruised to the north of the Solomons and New Ireland , providing air cover for convoys to and from Emirau where an air base and a limited naval base were being established . During the next three weeks , she continued to cruise in the Solomons - Bismarck Archipelago area in support of the protracted offensive to neutralize the latter and seal off the Japanese fortress at Rabaul . On 19 April she rendezvoused with TF 78 and then steamed toward New Guinea where her planes pounded enemy positions in support of a three pronged attack by Allied land and naval forces against Aitape , Hollandia ( currently known as Jayapura ) , and Tanahmerah Bay , 22 April . During and after the landings , " Natoma Bay " launched protective air patrols and sent fighters and bombers to destroy Japanese installations in the Aitape area . Returning to Manus for engine repairs , 28 April , she sailed 7 May for Pearl Harbor , arriving 18 May . After loading 37 Thunderbolt ( P – 47D ) fighters of the Army Air Forces ' 19th Fighter Squadron , 318th Fighter Group , " Natoma Bay " departed Pearl Harbor 5 June en route to the Marianas . Steaming via Eniwetok , she arrived off Saipan 19 June and was ordered to retire eastward until the Battle of the Philippine Sea was decided . On the 22nd she steamed westward and commenced catapulting the Army planes toward their destination , Aslito Air Field , Saipan . She dispatched 25 on the 22nd and the remainder early on the 23rd , then retired to a refueling area 45 miles east of Saipan . There the formation came under enemy air attack . Four Aichi " Val " dive bombers dropped their payloads , but no hits were scored ; intensive anti - aircraft fire prevented damage to the main targets , " Natoma Bay " and " Manila Bay " . The latter ship , with Army fighters still on board , then catapulted those aircraft to provide protective CAP until the radar screens were clear of contacts . " Natoma Bay " returned to Eniwetok , 27 June , embarked casualties , and sailed for San Diego , arriving 16 July for availability , logistics and ferry duty . Between 5 September and 14 September she conducted qualification and training exercises for VC - 81 ( Composite Squadron 81 ) off Pearl Harbor , and on the 15th , got under way for Manus as a unit of the 3rd Fleet . On 3 October she reached Seeadler Harbor and began final preparations for the invasion of the Philippines . Assigned to the Escort Carrier Group ( TG 77 . 4 ) , " Natoma Bay " departed the Admiralties , 12 October , for waters east of the Philippines . After weathering stormy seas , 14 – 17 October , she commenced offensive flight operations on the 18th . Prior to the invasion , her planes bombed Japanese positions and conducted strafing runs against enemy vehicles and small craft on and around Leyte and Negros . During the amphibious assault on the 20th , she launched ground support , spotting , and air cover strikes . Then , during the critical days following the landings , she sent bombers and fighters to support the ground forces . On 25 October , as " Natoma Bay " , flagship of Rear Admiral Stump , CTU 77 . 4 . 2 ( " Taffy 2 " ) , cruised off the eastern entrance to Leyte Gulf , the Japanese launched a tri - force offensive to drive the Allies from Leyte , and from the Philippines . During the early morning hours , the enemy ' s Southern Force was soundly defeated in Surigao Strait . Surviving Japanese ships retreated into the Mindanao Sea pursued by destroyers , PT boats , and after sunrise , by carrier based aircraft . At 06 : 58 , " Taffy 3 " , ( 6 CVEs , 3 DDs , and 4 DEs ) cruising off Samar under Rear Admiral C . Sprague , was attacked by the vastly more powerful Japanese Center Force ( 4 BBs , 6 CAs , 2 CLs , 11 DDs ) under Admiral Kurita . At 0701 , having ordered all operational planes launched , Adm . Sprague requested any available assistance . Admiral Ozawa ' s Northern Force , however , had already accomplished its mission — Admiral Halsey ' s TF 38 had been drawn off to the north . The cruisers and battleships under Admiral Oldendorf were replenishing after their battle in Surigao Strait . Help could only come from the south . At 07 : 02 , " Taffy 2 " , 20 miles to the south - south - east , responded and by 0708 all available planes were en route . Those already dispatched on routine missions were recalled . In a running battle which ensued , the determination of self - sacrificing destroyers and destroyer escorts of " Taffy 3 " and fighters and bombers of the three Taffies resulted in an almost unbelievable , but necessary , victory in the Battle off Samar . Ordered not to concentrate on any particular ship , but to cripple as many as possible , planes from " Natoma Bay " conducted two strikes against the enemy within an hour and a half . At 09 : 26 a third strike , with 500 pound SAP bombs in lieu of torpedoes , was launched . At 11 : 18 , a fourth strike was sent off to push the maneuvering enemy away from Leyte Gulf , but with neither torpedoes nor armor - piercing bombs aboard , the planes took off carrying only general purpose bombs and depth charges . At noon , " Natoma Bay ' s " fighters , launched previously for CAP , were landed , rearmed and sent up again . At 12 : 56 and at 15 : 08 , the 5th and 6th strikes were launched to further pursue the enemy as it retreated toward San Bernardino Strait . Fighter planes , armed with 250 pound ( 113 kg ) general purpose bombs , were among those dispatched with the last strike . At the end of that fateful day ’ s operations , TG 77 . 4 , with " Taffy 3 " bearing the brunt of the damage , had turned back the Japanese Force . Praise for the escort carrier group was unbounded . They had " . . . accomplished a task that only a large carrier task force should be expected to undertake . . . " " Natoma Bay ' s " contribution to the earning of this praise included one heavy cruiser sunk , one torpedo plane shot down , and hits on one battleship , three heavy cruisers , two light cruisers and one destroyer . The following morning , 26 October , " Natoma Bay ' s " planes , continuing to pound the enemy , assisted in the sinking of a light cruiser and her accompanying destroyer in the Visayan Sea and then resumed support of ground forces on Leyte . On the 27th , her fighters strafed Japanese vessels in Ormoc Bay and then swung over Samar where they downed a Kawasaki Ki - 61 " Tony " . A Mitsubishi G3M " Nell " was bagged on the 28th , and on 30 October the CVE sailed for Seeadler Harbor , arriving 4 November . " Natoma Bay " got underway for Kossol Roads 27 November and departed from there 10 December to provide air cover for the Mindoro invasion convoys as they transited the Mindanao and Sulu Seas . On the 13th , kamikazes from Negros Island attacked the formation . Eleven were shot down , but three pressed home the attack . Two were downed by anti - aircraft fire , but the third scored on the destroyer " Haraden " . Japanese aerial attacks continued on the 14th and " Natoma Bay ’ s " fighters added seven A6M Zero s to their total . During and after the Mindoro landings , 15 December , " Natoma Bay " provided air cover and ground support , protecting screening vessels from kamikazes and strafing Japanese positions . After recovering her planes on the 16th , she retired to Kossol Roads , thence to Manus , returning to the Palaus at the end of the month . 1945 . On 1 January 1945 , " Natoma Bay " , reassigned to CARDIV 25 , sortied once again with ships of an attack force , the target this time , Luzon . There , after battling enemy nuisance and suicide raiders en route , she , with five other CVEs , provided air cover for the Bombardment and Fire Support Group prior to the landings , and direct air support ahead of the amphibious troops after the assault in the San Fabian area . Between the 10th and the 17th her continuous direct air support missions resulted in the damage and destruction of bridges , fuel and ammunition dumps , barracks , roads and vehicles . After replenishment at Mindoro , " Natoma Bay " cruised west of Mindoro until the 29th . She then moved into position to support amphibious landings on the west coast of Zambales Province and at Subic Bay , remaining there until 1 February . Her task group , 77 . 4 , then retired , reaching Ulithi on the 5th . She sortied 10 February with TU 52 . 2 . 1 , to provide air cover en route to and during the Iwo Jima assault . Between the 16th and the 19th , her planes flew 123 sorties to prepare the way for the assault marines . On D - day , 19 February , 36 sorties provided direct support , while another 16 provided CAP cover . After the 19th , " Natoma Bay " expanded her duties to include antisubmarine and air coordinator missions , and in March , to anti - shipping assignments . " Natoma Bay " departed the Volcano - Bonin area 8 March , entering Ulithi Lagoon on the 11th . There squadron VC - 9 replaced VC - 81 and by the 21st , was ready for " Natoma Bay ’ s " next operation , Okinawa . With TU 52 . 1 . 1 , the CVE provided air cover for the pre - invasion bombardment and Occupation of Kerama Retto , 24 March1 April . She then shifted her attention to Okinawa itself . For the next three months except for brief repair periods , her planes bombed and strafed strategic and tactical targets ; flew observation and spotting , photographic and propaganda missions ; dropped provisions and munitions in advance areas ; and conducted combat air and anti - submarine patrols . At 06 : 35 , 7 June , after having manoeuvered through typhoon weather , " Natoma Bay " was closed by a " Zero " , broad on the port quarter and low on the water . Changing course , it came in over the stern , fired incendiary ammunition at the bridge , and on reaching the island structure , nosed over and crashed the flight deck . The engine , propeller and a bomb tore a hole in the flight deck , 12 by 20 feet , while the explosion of the bomb damaged the deck of the foc ’ sle and the anchor windlass beyond repair and ignited a nearby fighter . Three of the CVE ’ s crew and one officer of VC – 9 were wounded . One ship ’ s officer was killed . A second " Zero " was splashed by the ship ’ s port batteries . The damage control party immediately extinguished the blaze and set about emergency repairs . The next strike was cancelled , but the following one , against Miayako Shima , took place as scheduled at 10 : 30 . Post - war activities . On 20 June the escort carrier headed for Guam for partial repairs , then continued on to the United States . By 19 August , when she arrived in San Diego , the war was over . During September and October she underwent repairs , alterations and general overhaul , after which she reported for duty as a " Magic Carpet " transport . During November and early December she carried servicemen from the Philippines to California , then after detachment , 29 December , she was transferred to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet . Decommissioning and disposal . Reporting 20 February 1946 , she decommissioned 20 May , berthing at Norfolk . In October 1949 , she was reassigned to the Boston Reserve Group . Reclassified CVU – 62 on 12 June 1955 , she was declared unfit for further service in 1958 and her name was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 September . She was sold on 30 July 1959 for scrap to the Japanese . Awards . " Natoma Bay " earned seven battle star s for her World War II service .