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 March – 20
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 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 Zeros 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.
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 March – 1 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.
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
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