FAMOUS

SHIPS

The USS GAMBIER BAY was a Casablanca class Escort Carrier.  She had a displacement of 7,800 tons with dimensions of: Length, 512 feet 3 inches; Beam, 108 feet; Draft, 22 feet 4 inches; Speed; 19 kts., Armament, 1 each 5”/38 and 28 planes; compliment, 860.  She  was launched under a Maritime Commission Contract by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Vancouver, Washington on November 22, 1943 and commissioned at Astoria, Oregon on December 28, 1943, Captain Hugh H. Goodwin in command.

 She was at first home based out of San Diego, where she had her shackdown cruises.  She then sailed, on February 7, 1944 for Pearl Harbor with 400 troops, thence to rendezvous off the Marshalls where she flew 84 replacement planes to the famed carrier ENTERPRISE (CV-6).  She then returned to San Diego via Pearl Harbor, ferrying aircraft for repairs and qualified carrier pilots off the coast of Southern California.  She then left, on May 1^st, to join Rear Admiral H.B. Sallada’s Carrier Support Group 2 (TG 52.11) for the invasion of the Mariannas.  She gave close air support to the initial landings of the Marines on Saipan on June 15, 1944, destroying enemy gun emplacements, troops, tanks, and trucks.  On the 17^th her combat air control shot down or turned back all but a handful of 47 enemy planes headed for her task group and her gunners shot down 2 of the 3 planes that did break through to attack her.

 GAMBIER BAY remained off Saipan, repulsing aerial raids and launching planes which strafed enemy troop concentrations, bombed gun emplacements, and supported marines and soldiers fighting ashore.  She continued close ground support operations at Tinian in July, then turned her attention to Guam, where she gave initial aid to those invading troops through August 11^th. 

 She then supported the amphibious attack capturing Peleiu and Angaur and steamed by way of Hollandia, New Guinea, to Manus, Admiralities, where the invasion of the Phillippines was staged.  Screened by four destroyer escorts, GAMBIER BAY and KITKUN BAY (CVE-71) escorted transports and amphibious landing ships safely to Leyte Gulf before joining Rear Admiral Clifton A.F. Sprague’s escort carrier task unit on September 19 off Leyte.

 The task unit comprised six escort carriers, screened by three destroyers and four destroyer escorts, and was known by its voice radio call as “Taffy 3.”  Under the command of Rear Admiral Thomas L. Sprague, eighteen escort carriers, divided into three “Taffy” units, maintained air supremacy over Leyte Gulf and eastern Leyte.  During the invasion their planes destroyed enemy airfields, supply convoys, and troop concentrations; gave troops driving inland vital close air support; and maintained combat air patrol over ships in Leyte Gulf.  While “Taffy 1” and “Taffy 2” were respectively stationed off northern Mindanao and off the entrance to Leyte Gulf, “Taffy 3” steamed off Samar.

 The Japanese plan was to throw their entire fleet against the American naval power in a desperate gamble to destroy the largest concentration of American shipping in Leyte Gulf.  They were composed of carriers, battleships, cruisers and destroyers in three prongs attacking from the south, center and north.  The Japanese southern force met disaster before dawn on 25 October trying to go through Suriago Strait to join the center force off Leyte Gulf.  The center force was hit on the 24^th while steaming thorough the Subiyan Sea towards San Bernardino Strait by Admiral Halsey’s planes.  Admiral Halsey then thought that the center force was no longer a serious threat and went after the northern force of decoy carriers off Cape Engano.

 These swift moving events left the escort carriers of “Taffy 3” as lone sentinels off Samar, and unaware of the nighttime movement of the center force.  This became apparent on the morning of the 25^th when a gap in the morning mist revealed pagoda-like masts of the center force of battleships and cruisers on the northern horizon.  The still dangerous enemy force of more than 20 ships had slipped undetected through San Bernardino Strait and down the fog-shrouded coast of Samar, bound for Leyte Gulf.

 Despite the probable outcome of an engagement between two so unequal surface forces, the presence of enemy ships in Leyte Gulf was unthinkable; and “Taffy 3” turned to do battle against the enemy.  An urgent call for help went out and the escort carriers steamed eastward and launched planes that performed seemingly impossible feats: scoring hits with torpedoes, bombs, and strafing until their ammunition ran out, then making dummy runs to break the enemy formation and delay its advance.  Smoke was laid down to cover their running fight as the gallant destroyers docked in and out of the mist and smoke to charge battleship, cruiser, and destroyer formations point-blank until ordered back to cover the escort carriers with more smoke.  The lone 5-inch gun of GAMBIER BAY spat out at an enemy cruiser that was shelling her; the destroyer HEERMAN (DD-532) made an unsuccessful effort under the combined fire of the heavy ships to save GAMBIER BAY.

 GAMBIER BAY was soon dead in the water as three enemy cruisers closed to point blank range.  Fires raged through the riddled escort carrier.  She capsized and sank at 0907, 25 October, 1944 with the majority of her nearly 800 survivors rescued by landing and patrol craft dispatched from Leyte Gulf.  Three other ships, gallantly fighting to the end, went down: HOEL (DD-533); SAMUEIL B. ROBERTS (DE-413); and JOHNSTON (DD-557).  The latter used only her 5-inch guns in a dummy torpedo run that thwarted the torpedo attack of an entire Japanese Destroyer Squadron lead by a cruiser.

 Aircraft from “Taffy 2” joined in the epic battle off Samar.  The events that followed are best described in Admiral Sprague’s own words: “At 0925 my mind was occupied with dodging torpedoes when near the bridge I heard one of the signalmen yell “They’re getting away!”  I could hardly believe my eyes, but it looked as if the whole Japanese fleet was indeed retiring.  However, it took a whole series of reports from circling planes to convince me.  And still I could not get the fact to soak into my battle-numbed brain.  At best, I had expected to be swimming by this time.”

 GAMBIER BAY and other ships of “Taffy 3,” aided by planes of “Taffy 2” had stopped the powerful Japanese center force and inflicted a lot of damage to them while doing so.  Two enemy cruisers were sunk and much damage inflicted on the other ships of this overwhelmingly powerful surface fleet.  The were defeated in their goal to destroy the ships in Leyte Gulf by the indomitable spirit of the men of the escort carriers and their screen destroyers and destroyer-escorts.

 For those who may be interested, there are two excellent models of the GAMBIER BAY available for purchase, one by Bluejacket Ship Crafters (item # K1006 @ $365.00 list) and another by Blue Water Navy (listed @ $249.95).   The Bluejacket kit can also be purchased built for #3,100.00 if desired.  Check them out on the WEB.