The Wartime Memories Project - USS Saratoga

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Information. USS Saratoga was built by the New York Shipbuilding Co., Camden, N.J, she was launched on the 7th of April 1925 and was the first fast carrier in the United States Navy. On the 7th of December 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Saratoga was at San Diego having been modernized at Bremerton Navy Yard. She sailed the following day as the nucleus of a third carrier force. Saratoga operationed in the Hawaiian Island region until the 11th of January 1942, when she was hit without warning by a deep-running torpedo from the Japanese submarine, I-16, 500 miles southwest of Oahu. Six men were killed and three firerooms flooded. Saratoga returned to the Bremerton Navy Yard for repairs and the installation of a new anti-aircraft battery. In May 1942 she returned to duty in the Pacific. In Late August she was again torpedoed by Submarine I-26 on her starboard side, one fireroom was flooded and short circuits damaged her turbo-electric propulsion system leaving her dead in the water, fortunatley none of her crew were killed. She was taken under tow by the cruiser USS Minneapolis and her aircraft flew back to shore, but her engineers soon made repairs andshe returned to shore for permanant repairs udner her own power. Returning to active duty in November 1942 Saratoga spent the next twelve months in the vicinity of Noumea. On the 5th of November 1943, as Japanese cruisers concentrated at Rabaul to counterattack the Allied landing forces, Saratoga's aircraft attacked the heavily defended port and disabled most of the Japanese cruisers. A second raid on Rabaul took place on the 11th of November. The USS Saratoga returned to San Francisco and udnerwent repairs and an overhaul between 9th of December 1943 and the 3rd of January 1944, before returning to Pearl Harbour and the Pacific Theatre. In March 1944 she joined the British Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean, after a short period of training at sea, she took part in the new offensive attacking Japanese held ports in Indonesia. Saratoga returned to Bremerton, Washington in June 1944 and underwent repairs, returning to Pearl Harbour on the 24th of September 1944. There she began training night fighter squadrons. Saratoga was kept combat ready and left Pearl Harbor on 29 January 1945 to form a night fighter task group with Enterprise for the Iwo Jima operation. At 17:00 on the 21st of February 1944 six Japanese planes attacked the fleet and scored five hits on the Saratoga. Her starboard side was holed twice, part of her flight deck wrecked, and large fires were started in her hangar deck. 123 of her crew were killed. Another attack at 1900 scored an additional bomb hit. By 20:15, the fires were under control and the aircraft were able to land on the carrier. Saratoga returned to the US for repairs, arriving at Bremerton on 16th of March. By the 3rd of June Saratoga had returned to her role of training pilots at Pearl Harbor. After the Japanese surrender, she sailed from Hawaii on 9 September transporting 3,712 naval veterans home to the United States in the first trip of "Operation Magic Carpet". 29,204 Pacific war veterans sailed home aboard the USS Saratoga. Saratoga received seven battle stars for her World War II service. Now surplus to requirements, the Saratoga was assigned to Operation Crossroads at Bikini Atoll to test the effect of the atomic bomb on naval vessels. She survived an air burst on 1 July 1946, with only minor damage, but in the second test on 25 July, an underwater blast which was detonated 500 yards from the carrier caused much damage. Saratoga sank seven hours after the blast. My great uncle Charles Henry Seipp jr., served as a Marine Gunner on a Navy ship in Wolrd War 2 on the USS Saratoga. I'm still in school and we are doing a herp research paper and I have decided to do it on him because he lost his life in the war, killed by a kamikaze plane. He died 21st February 1945 and I was wondering if anybody out there knew anything about him. Thank you Photographs If you have any Photographs you would like to share please get in touch. List of those who served on the USS Saratoga during the Second World War. PFC Spencer Eakin Allmond, USMCR Russell M. Amudson, BM2/C Harold W. Ahnett, F1/C Lt.JG Tom G. Atwell Perry E. Baker, Sc/C Paul T. Barnett, PHOM1/C Ens. Horace A. Bass Jr. Milton E. Bassett, AMM2/C William F. Beck, F1/C PFC Belton Thomas Begley, USMCR Ens. William R. Bell Ens. Walter J. Bennett Gerald J. Bertrant, AMM1/C Donald M. Betts, ARM1/C Lt. Commander J. Bevier John E. Blane, Jr., ARM1/C Henry J. Blaski, S2/C Robert B. Boissonneault, S1/C Manley S. Boudreaux, S1/C Robert L. Brittenham, S2/C William O. Brooks, STM1/C Mach. Raymond C. Brown John I. Brunell, AMM2/C Lt. Archie M. Buckley Henry L. Bugay, AMM1/C Harland J. Burrus, AOM2/C Rene H. Caldwell, S2/C Pete Calipetis, F1/C Robert K. Cameron, S2/C Lt.JG William R. Carey Corporal Wendell George Carvey, USMCR Julian H. Cherrington, GM1/C PFC Lloyd Marion Claytor, USMCR Charles M. Connor, AMM2/C Able F. Cook, S2/C Alfred M. Crooks, BM2/C Lt.JG John W. Crowe, Jr. Jim W. Curtis, WT3/C Victor F. Deike, PHOM1/C Joe A. Dipauli, SF2/C Lt. Stewart E. Doty Herbert L. Drake, S1/C Harry L. Drew, RM3/C Lt. Marion W. Dufihnd Mason L. Dunnaway, S1/C Ens. David S. Felsenthal Mach. Maurice L. Flack Bennard M. Fort, ACMM PFC Michael Carl Fox, Jr., USMCR Jack Funes, GM3/C Lt. Victor M. Gadron Roger A. Gale, MUS2/C George H. Geis, Jr. S2/C Harold D. Giles, GM2/C Lt. Herbert T. Gill Kenneth D. Girard, S1/C PFC Lewis Robert Glass, USMCR William V. Goodwin, Cox. Herbert W. Gordon, ACMM George E. Graves, S1/C Arthur A. Gresser, F2/C Carroll C. Hall, ARM2/C Duncan F. Hallock, ACOM Ens. Harold D. Hanson Richard E. Heldenbrand, S2/C William L. Hertz, S1/C James A. Holmes, AEM1/C George B. Holfman, AMM2/C Swift Hogue, S1/C Joseph E. Hole, Jr. S2/C Lt.JG William M. Holt Marshall T. Hornsby, WT2/C John G. Horrocks, S1/C Warner G. Horrocks, S1/C H.E. "Huck" Huckabee, S1/C William S. Huth, S1/C Roy M. Inbody, RM3/C James H. Jackson, FC3/C Ormond G. Jackson, AMM1/C Fred E. Jacobs, S1/C Myles C. James, ARM1/C Arther W. Johnson, WT2/C Elvind O. Johnson, ACMM Ralph C. Johnson, S1/C Paul R. Kachuk, CCMA Joseph W. Keeton, CSKA John A. Keith, S1/C Ens. Leonard C. Kenner Frederick A. Kreutler, Jr. S1/C John P. Ladwitz, MMS3/C Charles J. Laymon, S2/C Theodore E. Lefevre, S1/C Albert J. Legris, ARM2/C Lt. William G. Liddie, Jr. Thomas H. Lnton, S1/C Salvatore Londind, S1/C Jack W. Loudermilk, ACMM William D. Lynch, Cox. Garner W. March, WT2/C Ens. High D. Mcintosh Frank J. McTighe, ARM3/C Otto Megason, MM1/C Lt.JG Robert D. Menning Robert W. Mendenhall, ARM3/C Jack E. Miles, S1/C Lt.JG James D. Miller Charles T. Mills, AMM1/C Charles H. Miner, S1/C John E. Molock, AMM1/C Victor R. Molthen, S1/C Joseph M. Moore, CGMA Antonio M. Moriconi, S1/C Elwood L. Moser, AMM1/C Myron F. Muehler, F1/C Ens. John P. Nelson Eugene F. Neville, S1/C Joseph F. Novk, ACMM Jerry L. O'Hagen, ARM3/C GSgt Albert Sidney O'Neir, Jr., USMCR Carl A. Ogle, S1/C Clyde H. Olsen, AMM1/C Anthony Papadopoulos, F1/C Joseph F. Paris, S1/C Thomas G. Perkins, AMM2/C Max V. Petes, ACM2/C Corporal John Dolph Philips, USMCR Clifford B. Pierce, S2/C Ens. Robert L. Price Aloysius W. Prymula, F2/C Forest M. Putman, F1/C Osborn K. Rainwater, F1/C Paul Redemski, S1/C Lt.JG Don G. Reeves Sgt John Joseph Rohan Jr., USMCR Robert O. Rotsel, ARM3/C LCDR William E. Rowbotham Ens. James A. Rutledge Curtis W. Sadd, S1/C Richard E. Sadler, WT1/C James C. Screeton, BM3/C (d. 21 Feb 1945.) Read his Story Emil Simak, ACMM William J. Simmons, S1/C Henry F. Smith, CWTA Lt.JG James C. Smith Kenneth A. Smith, WT2/C Ralph M. Smith, S2/C Robert C. Smith, EM1/C CHCARP. Thomas R. Smith Henery L. Smoot, S1/C John E. Sparks, EM3/C Alfred W. Stoehred, S1/C Robert E. Stdll, S1/C First Lieutenant David Steinberg, USMCR Robert J. Stratton, S2/C Lt.JG Charles A. Tabberer Thomas R. Taylor, WT1/C Lt.JG Arthur L. Teall PFC Thomas Edward Tehan, USMCR Delory Thurman, S1/C PFC Frank Thomas Titone, USMCR Lawrence E. Uhl, F2/C John D. Vanalien, S2/C Renaldo Vellutini, AMM1/C Elmer M. Walters, S1/C Clarence O. Warford, ACM2/C PFC William Joseph Wehmann, USMCR John A. Welsh, F1/C Keynon L. Witters, AMM2/C Jacob S. Zearfoss, S1/C Harold M. Zerrenner, S1/C If you have any names to add to this list, or any recollections or photos of those listed, please get in touch. If you have a story which you would like to share, or a website dedicated to a ship or sailor, please get in touch. Add Your Story Links U.S.S. Saratoga Association Ships Index Website and ALL Material © Copyright MM-MMIXI - All Rights Reserved