Service History
Petrof Bay departed Naval Air Station, San Diego, California 29 March for the southwest Pacific; unloaded passengers, aircraft and cargo upon arrival Espiritu Santo 14 April, and six days later sailed for Seeadler Harbor, Manus Island, arriving there 25 April. She transferred eight aircraft to other ships in the harbor.
On the morning of 29 April, she made rendezvous with Task Force 58 (TF 58) to furnish replacement aircraft, prior to its first strike against the then powerful Japanese stronghold of Truk. The ship then proceeded to Majuro, arriving 3 May, and rejoined TF 58 after its successful strike on Truk. There she unloaded all her aircraft and most aviation spares and materiel, and took on aircraft in need of major overhaul, and salvage equipment.
With Barnes and three destroyers, the ship turned toward the States 7 May, arriving San Francisco Bay 20 May. At San Diego, she embarked Composite Squadron 76 (VC-76), commanded by Lieutenant Commander James W. McCauley, for shakedown air operations. On 30 July the ship shoved off for Pearl Harbor, arriving 6 August.
The extra aircraft were unloaded and all resemblance to a ferry transport disappeared. On 12 August she was underway in Task Group 32.4. en route Guadalcanal. She anchored in Tulagi Harbor, Solomon Islands, the afternoon of 24 August. On 4 September, Petrof Bay, as a part of "Taffy 3" in company with Saginaw Bay and Kalinin Bay, sortied with the Peleliu and Anguar Movement Group No. 2.
She launched her first strike against the enemy on 15 September. The Marines successfully landed on Peleliu Island and established a beachhead aided by her aircraft. From D-Day until 29 September, with the exception of one day when bombs and ammunition were replenished at Kossol Passage, her aircraft bombed and strafed the Japanese, and searched for enemy shipping, aircraft, and submarines. She encountered no air opposition during the operation. By 30 September, when the airstrip on Peleliu was operational Petrof Bay retired to Manus Island.
Read more about this topic: USS Petrof Bay (CVE-80)
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