San Jacinto
| Country | United States |
| Ship Class | Independence-class Light Carrier |
| Builder | New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, NJ |
| Laid Down | 26 Oct 1942 |
| Launched | 26 Sep 1943 |
| Commissioned | 15 Dec 1943 |
| Decommissioned | 1 Mar 1947 |
| Displacement | 11,000 tons full |
| Length | 623 feet |
| Beam | 109 feet |
| Draft | 26 feet |
| Machinery | General Electric geared turbines with four screws |
| Power Output | 100,000 shaft horsepower |
| Speed | 32 knots |
| Crew | 1,549 |
| Armament | 24x40mm Bofors guns, 22x20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons |
| Armor | 5 |
| Aircraft | 45 |
Contributor: C. Peter Chen
ww2dbaseOriginally laid down as the light cruiser Newark, it was decided that the hull was to be completed as carrier Reprisal. On 30 Jan 1943, she was renamed San Jacinto. Her first commander was Captain Harold M. Martin. She had her shakedown cruise in the Caribbean Sea and then sailed for Pearl Harbor for combat duty. As a member as Task Force 58/38, she participated in raids against Japanese bases at Wake Island and Marcus Island, among others. In Jun 1944, she participated in the Marianas campaign; her gunner shot down a number of Japanese aircraft during the Battle of the Philippine Sea while her aircraft struck at Japanese surface ships. In the same campaign, her aircraft also raided Japanese positions at Guam. In Jul and Aug 1944, her aircraft struck the Palau Islands, Chichi Jima, Haha Jima, and Iwo Jima. In Oct 1944, San Jacinto sent bombers and reconnaissance aircraft over Okinawa, attacking Japanese positions as well as furnishing intelligence photographs that would become valuable for the upcoming invasion. In the same month, she also launched strike against Taiwan and Luzon, supporting the American invasion of the Philippines. At the Philippines, her aircraft played a part in the tactical victory at the Battle of Sibuyan Sea and the Battle off Cape Engaño. She was damaged during a typhoon in Dec 1944 and was sent to Ulithi for repairs. In Jan 1945, she launched strikes against airfields surrounding the South China Sea. On 16 and 17 Feb 1945, San Jacinto's aircraft joined in the first carrier strikes against the home islands of Japan, dogfighting over airfields near Tokyo. A few days later, she sailed off Iwo Jima where her aircraft provided support for the landing Marines. On 5 Apr 1945, she was the target of a number of special attack aircraft while operating off Okinawa. On 7 Apr 1945, her aircraft torpedoed destroyer Hamakaze which escorted battleship Yamato during Ten-Go. She continued to operate off Japan, launching frequent air strikes until the end of the war. After the war, her aircraft dropped food and other supplies over Allied POW camps until they could be liberated.
ww2dbaseSan Jacinto was decommissioned on 1 Mar 1947. Her hull was sold for scrapping on 15 Dec 1971 to National Metal and Steel Corporation, Terminal Island, Los Angeles, California.
ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.
Last Major Revision: Mar 2007
Light Carrier San Jacinto Interactive Map
Photographs
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San Jacinto Operational Timeline
| 15 Dec 1943 | San Jacinto was commissioned into service. |
| 18 Dec 1944 | Many ships from the United States Third Fleet, Task Force 38 sailed into Typhoon Cobra in the Philippine Sea. Three destroyers and 790 men were lost. |
| 4 Jun 1945 | Many ships from the United States Third Fleet, primarily Task Groups 38.1 and 30.8 sailed into Typhoon Connie south of Japan. No ships were lost but 7 men lost their lives. |
| 1 Mar 1947 | San Jacinto was decommissioned from service. |
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Visitor Submitted Comments
28 Sep 2010 07:04:11 AM
My father, Gerard Harkins, served on the San Jacinto during WWII. He passed away 9-11-72, and I would like to know what medals he earned during that time so I may include them in his memorial. Thank you.
7 Dec 2010 06:11:28 PM
my father served on the uss san jacinto during wwII, heard many stories about the ship, the war,and the brave men he served with he was proud to have served his country,my father passed away in 1993, his name was leonard bruce prater.
3 Jan 2012 07:10:16 PM
My husband, LT Commamder Philip C. Gossett, served on USS San Jacinto. If anyone remembers working with this brave man, please post your name and email address, so I can communicate with you. Thank you, Patti
29 Feb 2012 12:47:17 AM
My Grandfather, Arnold Wilt, served on the San Jacinto during World War 2 as well. I'm now stationed in Guam in the Navy, its amazing how much naval heritage still exists here
29 Jun 2012 06:42:45 PM
My dad service on the San Jacinto also. He passed away in 2009. If anyone remembers him I would love to hear stories. I became a history major because of listening to him talk about the war.
27 Aug 2012 03:28:26 PM
my father passed away in 1993 he told me bought stories very littlei would love to talk to people and listen to them i heard nothing but braveness of the men whom served on this ship i ever hear president bush flew off this ship michael j mjy325 aol
11 Apr 2013 07:30:01 AM
Mr Paul Swenson of Janesville WI entered the Navy during his sophomore year in High School and served as a gunner. He graduated High School in 2001. He passed away April 5, 2013 at the age of 86.
12 Jan 2015 01:54:39 PM
My uncle served on this carrier and was wounded by a downed jap plane his buddy was killed. He past ways in 2006 in TN
27 Feb 2015 07:39:42 PM
My Father V.R Holland WT1c served on the San Jacinto. He was in the Fireroom that was hit by a Kamikaze and flooded. I would like to hear any stories of this action .He passed away in 2011.cheju99us@yahoo.com
4 Mar 2015 12:49:32 PM
Looking for photo of Lt(jg) Robert Kidwell, assigned to VF-45 aboard San Jacinto.
Kidwell was an ace and is part of a book I am doing on Navy aces of WWII.
9 Feb 2018 07:24:20 PM
My father served on the San Jacinto in WWII. Would like to know where I can buy a cruise book
17 Jun 2018 07:47:47 PM
My uncle served on the San Jacinto during WW2. He passed away in 1996. He never spoke of the war.
3 Dec 2018 02:30:18 PM
My father Arthur Barlow Campbell was on this ship during WW II,
he was the photographer and worked his the print room. Are there any out there that remember him ?
28 Dec 2018 08:44:52 AM
My dad Robert H. Kahl served on this ship and I have the the book "A short history of the U.S.S. San Jacinto. also a diary he wrote from April 14, 1944 until Sept. 3, 1945 while on board ship.
29 Jul 2020 09:17:59 AM
My Uncle/Godfather also was on this ship from Dec 1944 to April/May 1945, and also never spoke of the war. His Distinguished flying cross says his Air Group 45 was active from Jan 3 - April 5, 1945. He was the tailgunner and his plane was shot down - I'm not sure who the pilot was but he and only 1 other guy in the 45th got the purple heart, his name was Robert Aitchison, and he died in 2019 at 93 yrs old! please contact me if anyone has more info.
7 Dec 2020 07:42:42 PM
I would like to know if this carrier brought SeaBees to the Kwajalein Atoll in the early part of WW11. My dad was a Seabee who served on this atoll....We don't know how he and the others got there, by what ship. His papers don't say.. My father was Sam F. Nicoletti, he passed away at the age of 43 in 1959. If you know any answers or any kind of information...please contact me...Our family would so appreciate it. Thank you
David Stubblebine says:7 Dec 2020 09:06:42 PM
Anonymous (#17 above):
The short answer is: No. It would be unusual for SeaBees to be transported by carrier and SeaBees arrived at Kwajalein in Feb & Mar 1944 while San Jacinto’s first service in the Pacific was in May. It appears in Feb & Mar 1944, CB Battalions 121, 109, 95, 74, 107, and possibly 15 were at Kwajalein.
10 Dec 2020 05:03:35 PM
Thank you so much for reply #17. Cleared up some questions....but if the Seabees were not transported to their site by carrier...how were they transported? Found out my Dad was on Ebeye Island. Cannot find the name of his Battalion on any of his papers. I do have photos of him on Ebeye. Thank you
10 Nov 2022 04:52:19 PM
My grandfather Was Rola walker I have his deck book of the ship and his medals and a paper that says homarble discharge on the back tho is awesome he got 6 stars for the philpine liberation and what's even cooler than that ?? .He was one of the Gunners on the boat and got a counted for taking down 6 Japanese air planes and he said he knows he got more from the tracers he seen hit the planes .He was there when she got kamikaze luckily not on the part of the ship he was on .Talked about bullets pinging off the deck between and around his legs . RIP Grandpa your my Hero always will be ..
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16 Aug 2009 10:46:58 PM
Looking for the colors to or a color scan of the emblem for VF-45 cartoon pistol with pair of muscular arms wearing boxing gloves and has teeth in trigger guard area,contact me at, WeBeEmblems@aol.com
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