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After shakedown at San
Diego, Savo Island made two voyages to the Southwest Pacific
carrying replacement aircraft from 15 March-2 July 1944. On 6 July,
her air squadron reported on board; and, after training at San Diego
and Pearl Harbor, she reported to the 3rd Fleet at Pearl Harbor on 4
August. Savo Island's first combat assignment was to provide air
support for the landings on Peleliu Island in the Palaus. Between 11
September and 30 September, she operated with a group of escort
carriers near the island, while her planes conducted pre-invasion
strafing, direct support of ground forces and patrol missions. On 3
October, she reported to the 7th Fleet at Manus Island, and sailed
on the 12th in the screen of the bombardment and support group of
battleships and cruisers of the Leyte invasion task force. Upon
arriving on the 18th, her aircraft carried out patrols and strikes
against predesignated targets, and shifted to ground support
missions as the troops went ashore on the 20th. Her planes remained
at the task for the next few days.
On the morning of the 25th, an escort carrier force off Samar, "Taffy
3", some 20 miles to the north, reported a large enemy surface
force. This turned out to be the central force in a three-pronged,
Japanese naval assault on Allied forces at Leyte, consisting of four
battleships, six cruisers, and many destroyers. The escorts of Savo
Island's group also came under fire for about 30 minutes, as the
carrier launched a total of six strikes in a desperate and
successful effort to protect herself and the other carriers from
annihilation. The Japanese retired in the face of the intense air
opposition, losing three cruisers in the engagement. During the
afternoon, the American forces again came under fierce air attack,
experiencing the first suicide attacks of the war. Savo Island
remained off Leyte until 30 October, when she sailed for the
Admiralties. Savo Island departed Manus on 19 November, and from
22–27 November, served with two other escort carriers as a patrol
and escort force in the convoy lanes leading to Leyte Gulf. After
replenishing in Kossol Passage in the Palaus, she got underway on 10
December for her third amphibious operation, the landings on
Mindanao. Once again, she covered the bombardment group during the
approach and then provided direct support over the beaches until
relieved by Army aircraft on 15 December. Threat of a Japanese
surface raid delayed her departure until 17 December, when she
sailed for Manus.
Savo Island performed similar duties during the Lingayen Gulf
operation commencing on 1 January 1945. During the approach, Ommaney
Bay, was sunk by a kamikaze on the 4th and another grazed Savo
Island the next day. After the Lingayen landings, Savo Island's
group steamed to the westward of Mindanao from 17–29 January, as a
defense against enemy surface attack. After supporting landings near
Subic Bay on the 29th-30th, she retired to Ulithi for repairs and
replacement of her air group. After repairs and training exercises
for her new pilots, Savo Island departed Leyte with the invasion
force for Okinawa, providing air cover en route. On 26 March, with
two other escort carriers, she supported the occupation of Kerama
Retto, which was to become the main replenishment base for the naval
forces off Okinawa. The following day, her planes joined the assault
on Okinawa, and flew antiaircraft and antisubmarine patrols as well.
From 7–16 April, she provided air cover for the replenishment group
steaming to the east of Okinawa. She then resumed her support
mission off Okinawa, and on 27 April carried out neutralizing
strikes against Sakishima Gunto, halfway between Okinawa and Formosa.
On 29 April, the carrier completed her mission and sailed for
overhaul in San Diego.
On 11 July, Savo Island began a ferry voyage from San Diego to Pearl
Harbor and back to Alameda, California On 6 August, she sailed for
the Aleutians and arrived on the day of the Japanese surrender. She
departed on 31 August with a force of six escort carriers to support
the occupation of northern Honshū and Hokkaidō. The ship returned to
Pearl Harbor on 25 September 1945, and was assigned to "Magic Carpet"
duty. After picking up occupation troops at San Francisco, she made
three voyages carrying troops home, one each from Guam, Pearl Harbor,
and Okinawa. Released from "Magic Carpet" duty upon arrival at
Seattle on 14 January 1946, she arrived at Boston, Massachusetts on
16 March for inactivation. The carrier was decommissioned on 12
December 1946 and assigned to the Boston group of the Atlantic
Reserve Fleet. Savo Island was reclassified CVHE-78 on 12 June 1955
and AKV-28 on 7 May 1959. She was struck from the Naval Vessel
Register on 1 September 1959; sold on 29 February 1960 to Comarket,
Inc.; and broken up for scrap in Hong Kong in June, 1960.
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