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USS Saratoga
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. Saratoga received seven battle stars for her World War II service.
After the war, 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 1st July 1946, with only minor damage, but in the second test on 25th July 1946, an underwater blast which was detonated 500 yards from the carrier caused much damage. Saratoga sank seven hours after the blast.
8th Dec 1941 On the Move
11th Jan 1942 Attack
May 1942 On the Move
Aug 1942 Attack
Nov 1942 On the Move
5th Nov 1942 In Action
11th Nov 1942 In Action
9th Dec 1942 Repairs
3rd Jan 1942 On the Move
March 1944 On the Move
June 1944 Repairs
24th Sep 1944 On the Move
29th Jan 1945 On the Move
21st Feb 1945 Attacks
16th Mar 1945 On the Move
3rd Jun 1945 Training
9th Sep 1945 On the Move
If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.
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Those known to have sailed in USS Saratoga during the Second World War 1939-1945. - Gille Edward Charles.
- Seipp Charles Henry. Gunner (d.21st February 1945)
- Whicher Stephen Emerson. Jnr Lt.
The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed,
please
Add a Name to this List
Records of USS Saratoga from other sources.
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Library contains an ever growing number diary entries, personal letters and other documents, most transcribed into plain text. |
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Want to know more about USS Saratoga? There are:17 items tagged USS Saratoga available in our Library
These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War. |
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Gunner Charles Henry Seipp USS Saratoga (d.21st February 1945) My great uncle, Charles Henry Seipp Jr., served as a marine gunner on the USS Saratoga during WW2. He lost his life, killed by a kamikaze pilot on 21st February 1945. Does anyone remember him?
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Edward Charles Gille USS Saratoga My Grandfather Edward Gille, served aboard the Saratoga during World War 2 as an Aircrewman. One of his last memories he writes about was the attack on Rabaul on November 11th, and how he and his pilot, "Smokey" Stover, we're hit. They were going to try to make it back to their ship, as neither wanted to bail out over Japanese territory. They had a fighter escort out of the area, but after that a decision had to be made. Bail out (No!), land back on the Saratoga (Not a popular idea with the crew and commanding officer due to the fact that they could lose control and cause serious problems, and cause damage to the flight deck and potentially injure crew members.), or ditch and (hopefully) get rescued. Opting for their third choice, they dumped their load and headed for the screen of destroyers around their carrier. Smokey tried to land as flat as possible, but it was still a hard hit, and my Grandfather hit on his left side, including his head. He doesn't know what happened to his pilot, Smokey, but eventually he was picked up by a rescue crew from one of the destroyers.
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Jnr Lt. Stephen Emerson Whicher USS Saratoga My father, Stephen Whicer, served as "night operations" officer (I do not know the correct term) on the Saratoga from shortly after the US entered the war until the end of the war.
The nature of his service is taken from his obituary, based on information supplied by the Navy. He would never willingly speak of his experiences.
Once, as a young child, I found his box containing ribbons, medals and copies of the shipboard newsletter. I saw his byline on the newspapers. This would make sense as he was earning his PhD in English at the time war was declared and would become a professor after the war. He ordered me to put it all away and never touch it again. Mother said he then burned the lot.
I have a studio portrait of my father in uniform and there survives a photograph from the Boston paper of the Saratoga with her superstructure on fire. I asked about it and my mother repeated his statement about that incident. He said he was on board, and had "just gone below decks" or would otherwise have been killed. He suffered from what we now understand to be PTSD, and died by his own hand in November, 1961, when he believed the world was inexorably heading for another world-wide conflict. We, his children, would like to understand more about the nature of his service.
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