USS Manila Bay ( CVE - 61 ) USS " Manila Bay " ( CVE - 61 ) was a " Casablanca " class escort carrier of the United States Navy . She was laid down as Bucareli Bay ( ACV - 61 ) under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Company , Inc . , Vancouver , Washington on 15 January 1943 ; renamed Manila Bay on 3 April 1943 ; launched on 10 July 1943 ; sponsored by Mrs . Robert W . Bockius ; reclassified CVE - 61 on 15 July 1943 ; acquired by the Navy on 5 October 1943 ; and commissioned the same day at Astoria , Oregon , Captain Boynton L . Braun in command . Service history . World War II . After a shakedown cruise along the west coast , " Manila Bay " sailed for Pearl Harbor on 20 November and returned a load of damaged planes to San Diego on 4 December . After training exercises , with Composite Squadron 7 ( VC - 7 ) embarked , she departed Hawaii on 3 January 1944 . A week later she embarked Rear Admiral Ralph Davidson and became flagship for Carrier Division 24 . Joining Task Force 52 ( TF 52 ) , she sortied 22 January for the invasion of the Marshall Islands . Between 31 January - 6 February , she launched air and antisubmarine patrols as well as dozens of combat missions . Her planes bombed and strafed enemy positions from Kwajalein Island north to Bigej Island and destroyed ammunition dumps and ground installations . She remained in the Marshalls during the next month and extended her operations late in February first to Eniwetok and then to Majuro . Departing Majuro on 7 March , " Manila Bay " reached Espiritu Santo on the 12th . Three days later she joined TF 37 for airstrikes and surface bombardments against Kavieng , New Ireland on 19 – 20 March . During the next month she cruised between the Solomons and the Bismarck Archipelago supporting the protracted offensive to neutralize the Archipelago and the Japanese fortress at Rabaul . Thence , on 19 April she steamed so that her planes could attack enemy positions on New Guinea . New Guinea . American naval and ground forces began a three – pronged invasion along northern New Guinea at Aitape , Hollandia , and Tanahmerah Bay on 22 April . During and after the invasion Manila Bay launched protective air patrols and sent fighters and bombers to attack and destroy Japanese installations in the Aitape area . On 4 May she returned to Manus Island where Rear Admiral Felix Stump relieved Admiral Davidson as Commander , Carrier Division 24 . Admiral Stump transferred his flag to on 6 May , and the following day " Manila Bay " sailed for overhaul at Pearl Harbor where she arrived on 18 May . After loading 37 Army P - 47 Thunderbolt s of the Army Air Forces ' 73rd Fighter Squadron , 318th Fighter Group , " Manila Bay " sailed on 5 June for the Mariana Islands . Steaming via Eniwetok , she reached the eastern approaches to Saipan on 19 June . During the next 4 days , she remained east of the embattled island as ships and planes of the Fast Carrier Task Force repulsed the Japanese Fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea , and inflicted staggering losses on the enemy , crippling the Imperial Navy ’ s air strength permanently . On 23 June , " Manila Bay " came under enemy air attack during refueling operations east of Saipan . Four Aichi " Val " dive bombers attacked her from dead ahead , dropping their bombs which exploded wide to port . As a precautionary and rather unusual move which Raymond A . Spruance later characterized as " commendable initiative " , " Manila Bay " launched four of the P - 47s she was ferrying to fly protective CAP until radar screens were clear of contacts . The Army fighters then flew to Saipan , their intended destination . " Manila Bay " launched the remaining planes the next day and returned to Eniwetok , arriving on 27 June . After embarking 207 wounded troops , she departed on 1 July , touched Pearl Harbor on the 8th , and reached San Diego on 16 July . " Manila Bay " returned to Pearl on 31 August . Two days later , Captain Fitzhugh Lee took command of the veteran carrier , and after embarking VC - 80 , " Manila Bay " departed on 15 September as a unit of Carrier Division 24 ( CarDiv 24 ) . Steaming via Eniwetok , she reached Manus 3 October and began final preparations for the invasion of the Philippines at Leyte Gulf . Leyte Gulf . Assigned to the Task Group 77 . 4 ( TG 77 . 4 ) , " Manila Bay " departed on 12 October for waters east of the Philippines . Prior to the invasion , her planes pounded enemy ground targets on Leyte , Samar , and Cebu Island s . She launched ground support , spotting , and air cover strikes during the amphibious assaults on 20 October , and she sent bombers and fighters to support ground forces during the critical first few days at Leyte . As " Manila Bay " cruised to the east of Leyte Gulf with other carriers of Admiral Stump ' s " Taffy 2 " ( Task Unit 77 . 4 . 2 , TU 77 . 4 . 2 ) , powerful Japanese naval forces converged upon the Philippines and launched a three - pronged offensive to drive the Americans from Leyte . In a series of masterful and coordinated surface attacks , an American battleship , cruiser , and destroyer force met and destroyed enemy ships in the Battle of Surigao Strait early on 25 October . Surviving Japanese ships retreated into the Mindanao Sea pursued by destroyers , PT boats , and after sunrise by carrier - based bombers and fighters . " Manila Bay " sent an eight - plane strike against ground targets on Leyte before sunrise ; subsequently , these planes bombed and strafed retiring enemy ships southwest of Panaon Island . A second strike about midmorning pounded . In the meantime , however , " Manila Bay " turned her planes against a more immediate threat : the enemy attack against ships of Taffy 3 . Samar . A running battle ensued between the escort carriers of Rear Adm . Clifton Sprague ' s Taffy 3 and the larger , vastly more powerful surface ships of Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita ' s Center Force . The self - sacrificing attacks by American destroyers and destroyer escorts , and the prompt , aggressive , and unceasing torpedo , bomb , and strafing strikes by planes from Taffy 2 and Taffy 3 contributed to the American victory against great odds in the Battle off Samar . " Manila Bay " launched two airstrikes during the enemy pursuit of Taffy 3 and two more as the Japanese retreated . At 0830 , she sent four torpedo - laden TBM Avenger s and a seven - plane escort to join the desperate fight . Three launched torpedoes at a battleship , probably , but they missed . The fourth plane launched her torpedo at a heavy cruiser , most likely . It hit the ship to starboard near the fantail , forcing her out of control . The second strike an hour later by two Avengers resulted in one torpedo hit on the portside amidships against an unidentified battleship . As the Japanese ships broke off attack and circled off Samar , the airstrikes continued . At 1120 , " Manila Bay " launched four Avengers , carrying 500 pound bombs , and four bombers from other carriers . Escorted by FM - 2 Wildcat s and led by Commander R . L . Fowler , they soon joined planes from other Taffy carriers . Shortly after 1230 , some 70 planes surprised and attacked the retiring Center Force , strafing and bombing through intense antiaircraft fire . " Manila Bay " s bombers made a hit and two near misses on the lead battleship , probably or . " Manila Bay " launched her final strike at 1245 , strafing destroyers and getting two hits on a cruiser . Later that afternoon , " Manila Bay " s CAP intercepted a Japanese bomber - fighter strike about 50 miles north of Taffy 2 . Her four fighters broke up the enemy formation , and with reinforcements drove off the attackers before they reached the carriers . Her planes continued to attack enemy ships the following day . Laden with rockets and bombs , one of her Avengers scored two hits on and several rocket hits on . Both ships sank about noon in the Visayan Sea after numerous air attacks . " Manila Bay " resumed air operations in support of Leyte ground forces on 27 October . During ground support and air cover missions , her planes shot down an Aichi D3A " Val " on the 27th and bagged two Nakajima Ki - 43 " Oscars " on the 29th . Late on 30 October she sailed for the Admiralties , arriving Manus on 4 November . Mindoro . After steaming to Kossol Passage late in November , " Manila Bay " departed on 10 December to provide air cover for the Mindoro invasion convoys . The task force entered Mindanao Sea early on 13 December . Late that afternoon in the Sulu Sea south of Negros , they encountered enemy aircraft . The fighter cover shot down or repulsed most of the attackers . Accurate fire from " Manila Bay " shot down one " kamikaze " . A second " kamikaze " hit " Haraden " . During and after the Mindoro landings on 15 December , " Manila Bay " sent her planes on ground support and air cover missions . As troops poured ashore , more " kamikazes " attempted to break the air cover and crash into ships of the covering and carrier group . The few that escaped the combat air patrols were either shot down or driven off by accurate antiaircraft fire . The " Manila Bay " helped down three of the raiders and her fighters knocked out two more . After recovering her planes on 16 December , she sailed in convoy via Surigao Strait and reached Kossol on 19 December . After a trip to Manus , the " Manila Bay " sortied New Year ' s Day 1945 with ships of the Luzon Attack Force . With five other CVEs she provided air cover for Vice Admiral Jesse B . Oldendorf ' s Bombardment and Fire Support Group , and direct air support for Vice Admiral Daniel E . Barbey ' s San Fabian Attack Force . The task groups steamed via Surigao Strait and the Mindanao Sea into the Sulu Sea where they turned north for the Mindoro Strait . Enemy nuisance and suicide raids began in earnest on 4 January ; and despite the tight air cover provided by CVE aircraft , a kamikaze crashed into the flight deck of the causing her sinking . The enemy air attacks intensified on 5 January . Patrolling fighters broke up morning and early afternoon strikes , shooting down numerous raiders . At 1650 , a third attack sent all hands to general quarters . Vectored CAP shot down several enemy planes and anti - aircraft fire accounted for others . Three planes got through to the , the , and . Just before 1750 , two " kamikazes " dove at the " Manila Bay " from the portside . The first plane hit the flight deck to starboard abaft the bridge , causing fires on the flight and hangar decks , destroying radar transmitting spaces , and wiping out all communications . The second plane , aimed for the bridge , missed the island close aboard to starboard and hit the sea off the fantail . Firefighting parties promptly brought the blazes under control , including those of two fueled and burning torpedo planes in the hangar deck . Within 24 hours , she resumed limited air operations . Most repairs to her damaged electrical and communication circuits were completed by 9 January , when the amphibious invasion in Lingayen Gulf got underway . Lingayen Gulf . " Manila Bay " had 14 men killed and 52 wounded , but by 10 January she resumed full duty in support of the Lingayen Gulf operations . In addition to providing air cover for the task force , her planes flew 104 sorties against targets in western Luzon . They gave effective close support for ground troops at Lingayen and San Fabian and bombed , rocketed , and strafed gun emplacements , buildings , truck convoys , and troop concentrations from Lingayen to Baguio . " Manila Bay " departed in convoy late on 17 January . Steaming via Leyte , Ulithi , and Pearl Harbor , she arrived San Diego on 15 February . Battle damage repairs completed late in April , with VC - 72 embarked she trained in Hawaiian waters until sailing for the western Pacific on 24 May . She closed the coast of Okinawa on 13 June and during the next week launched rocket and strafing strikes in the Ryukyu Islands . She departed for the Marianas on 20 June and operated out of Guam and Eniwetok during the closing weeks of the war . " Manila Bay " steamed to the Aleutians in mid - August . As a unit of TF 44 , she departed Adak Island on 31 August to support occupation operations in northern Japan . From 7 – 12 September her planes carried out photographic and reconnaissance missions over northern Honshū and southern Hokkaidō and dropped emergency supplies at POW camps . She returned to Pearl Harbor on 24 September , unloaded her aircraft , and steamed to the Marshalls carrying replacement troops . Post - War . Assigned to " Magic Carpet " duty , " Manila Bay " embarked 1 , 031 veterans at Eniwetok , and from 6 – 18 October sailed to San Francisco . In November , the carrier aided disabled Boeing 314 " Honolulu Clipper " 650 miles east of Oahu . After completing 2 more " Magic Carpet " runs , she departed Pearl Harbor on 27 January 1946 and reached Norfolk , Va . on 18 February . She steamed to Boston from 15 – 17 April , decommissioned there on 31 July 1946 , and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet . She was reclassified CVU - 61 on 12 June 1955 ; her name was struck from the Navy list on 27 May 1958 ; and she was sold for scrap to Hugo New Corp . , 2 September 1959 . Awards . " Manila Bay " received eight battle star s for World War II service .