80 years ago - 21st Feb 1945, near Iwo Jima. Carrier USS Saratoga was attacked by Japanese aircraft and hit multiple times by both bombs and kamikazes. Damage was severe; 123 crew were killed and 192 injured, while 40 aircraft were lost. Saratoga was repaired, but saw no further combat service. 🧵1/5 - ThreadSky

jamiemctrusty.bsky.social • 1 day ago

80 years ago - 21st Feb 1945, near Iwo Jima. Carrier USS Saratoga was attacked by Japanese aircraft and hit multiple times by both bombs and kamikazes. Damage was severe; 123 crew were killed and 192 injured, while 40 aircraft were lost. Saratoga was repaired, but saw no further combat service.
🧵1/5

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jamiemctrusty.bsky.social•1 day ago

Saratoga’s forward flight deck ablaze following the attacks. The carrier had only 3 destroyers as escort, and the Japanese aircraft took advantage of low cloud to avoid interception. 40 of Saratoga’s aircraft were destroyed, primarily in fires on her hangar deck.
📷 NHHC 80-G-273631
🧵2/5

jamiemctrusty.bsky.social•1 day ago

The fires being brought under control, revealing the damage to the flight deck. It was decided to permanently repurpose Saratoga as a training carrier when she reached port in America for repairs, given the number of more modern ships in service.
📷 NHCC NH 96536
🧵3/5

jamiemctrusty.bsky.social•1 day ago

Saratoga took part in Operation MAGIC CARPET, the rapid reparation of American personnel after the surrender of Japan. The carrier is pictured here after leaving Hawaii in September 1945 with 3,500 returnees on board, from over 29,000 she transported in total.
📷 NHCC 80-G-495684
🧵4/5

jamiemctrusty.bsky.social•1 day ago

USS Saratoga’s final service came as a target ship during Operation CROSSROADS, the atomic tests at Bikini Atoll. She survived the first blast, though severely damaged by fire, but sank on 25th July 1946 after the second detonation.
📷 NHCC SC 259372
#NavalHistory
🧵5/5

briandunn.bsky.social•1 day ago

This is a video of the Baker Test (the underwater detonation).
Saratoga is temporarily visible immediately to the left of the explosion.
https://youtu.be/43M1IkCu_Yc

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