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After intensive training
off the California coast, Hoggatt Bay transported aircraft and crews
to Pearl Harbor from 10–25 March 1944. Upon her return and further
training in antisubmarine work, she sailed on 1 May for Pearl Harbor
and Majuro. The combination of escort carriers and destroyers had
proven itself effective against submarines in the Second Battle of
the Atlantic, and was now to be used in the Pacific against the
Japanese. Hoggatt Bay and a group of destroyers and destroyer
escorts patrolled in the southwest Pacific from 26 May-19 June with
notable success. England scored a kill on Ro-105 on 31 May and
Taylor sank Ro-111 with depth charges and gunfire 11 June. These
operations and those of other groups did much to reduce Japanese
submarine interference with the invasion of the Marianas.
Returning to the patrol area after a brief stay at Eniwetok, Hoggatt
Bay's group provided air support and cover for the Marianas
operation from 5 July–9 August, after which the ships returned to
Manus Island. Next on the timetable of Pacific conquest was Peleliu,
a valuable air base for further advances, and Hoggatt Bay sortied 1
September to furnish antisubmarine protection and search planes for
the invasion. For nearly two months the escort carrier cruised these
seas south and west of the Marianas in support of American
operations. Samuel S. Miles, a member of her group, sank I-177 on 3
October, and later in the month planes from Hoggatt Bay helped
provide air cover for Houston as she struggled toward Ulithi.
The ship arrived at Ulithi on 28 October, and sailed on 10 November
to provide air support for the developing campaign in the
Philippines. This was followed by amphibious exercises in Huon Gulf,
New Guinea, in preparation for the Lingayen unit operations.
Arriving at Manus on 20 December 1944, Hoggatt Bay joined the great
task force which departed from that and other staging bases in late
December for Lingayen Gulf. The voyage through the Philippines was a
perilous one, as the Japanese attacked with their last desperate
weapon, the suicide plane. Crewmen on Hoggatt Bay and the other
ships fought continuously after 3 January, downing many of the
attackers, but Ommaney Bay was lost and other ships damaged.
Arriving Lingayen Gulf on 6 January, Hoggatt Bay sent her carrier
planes in to support the landings and destroy strong points despite
suicide attacks; this vital work continued until 17 January, when
the ship set course for Ulithi, and then San Diego.
The veteran escort carrier returned to San Diego 15 February 1945,
and after much-needed repairs sailed 6 April to join the vast fleet
arrayed off Okinawa in support of the invasion. She arrived Okinawa
8 May via Pearl Harbor and Ulithi and immediately took station south
of the island to lend her aircraft to the carrier air forces engaged
in the operation. Her planes flew direct support missions,
photographic flights, and supply drops during the period from 8
May-24 June.
Hoggatt Bay arrived at Leyte Gulf on 27 June, and after a month of
training sailed on 28 July for Adak, Alaska. The surrender came
while the carrier was en route, however, and the planned operation
was replaced by occupation plans. After her arrival on 18 August,
Hoggatt Bay sailed for Ominato. She arrived September and supported
the occupation of Hokkaidō and northern Honshū. During this period
aircraft from the ship discovered many Japanese prison camps, and
the ship had the pleasure of evacuating Lieutenant Colonel James
Devereux, Marine Commander at Wake Island when captured by the
Japanese. Hoggatt Bay also participated in the occupation of Aomori
before anchoring in Tokyo Bay on 27 September.
The escort carrier departed Tokyo on 30 September and, after a brief
service with the "Magic Carpet" fleet, returned to Boston and was
decommissioned on 20 July 1946. Placed in the Atlantic Reserve
Fleet, Boston, the ship was re-classified CVHE-75 on 12 June 1955,
and AKV-25 on 7 May 1959. She was sold for scrap on 31 March 1960. |
