USS Salamaua CVE-96 US Navy Escort Carrier
The Casablanca-class escort carrier USS Salamaua (CVE-96) was launched on 22 April 1944 and commissioned into the US Navy on 26 May 1944. She initially acted as a transport for aircraft and personnel until September 1944 when she received her combat air wing.
While refueling on 15 January 1945, she was attacked by a kamikaze aircraft, which penetrated her flight deck causing a major gasoline fire in the aircraft hanger. This was brought under control after 30 minutes. Repairs were undertaken in San Francisco, which commenced on 3 March and were completed on 21 April.
On 4 June, Typhoon Connie passed over the Third Fleet of which Salamaua was a part. All aircraft left on deck were destroyed and the fore-part of the flight deck destroyed, rendering flight operations impossible. A crewman was killed when an Avenger torpedo bomber tore loose and careered across the deck.
Repairs were undertaken at Guam after which she was assigned to anti-submarine patrol duty to protect the Marianas-Okinawa convoy lanes. This lasted until the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945. Salamaua undertook three Magic Carpet runs returning US servicemen to the USA before being inactivated on 9 May 1946. She was sold for scraping on 18 November 1946.
