Fort Rosecrans National Cemetary
Point Loma, California

USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73) Memorial

A two section granite memorial dedicated to the memory of the 107 men who gave their lives to their country in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944.
The Memorial was dedicated on 24 October 1996.

During the Battle of Leyte Gulf each of the three task units of the U.S. Seventh Fleet’s Task Group 77.4 had six small Casablanca-class escort carriers,
and seven or eight lightly armed and unarmored destroyers and/or smaller destroyer escorts.

Admiral Thomas Sprague’s Task Unit 77.4.1 (“Taffy 1”) consisted of the escort carriers Sangamon, Suwannee, Santee, and Petrof Bay.

Admiral Felix Stump’s Task Unit 77.4.2 (“Taffy 2”) consisted of Natoma Bay,
Manila Bay, Marcus Island, Kadashan Bay, Savo Island, and Ommaney Bay.

Admiral Clifton Sprague’s Task Unit 77.4.3 (“Taffy 3”) consisted of Fanshaw Bay,
St Lo, White Plains, Kalinin Bay, Kitkun Bay, and Gambier Bay. Screening for Taffy 3 were the destroyers Hoel, Heermann, Johnston, and destroyer escorts USS Dennis, John C. Butler, Raymond, and Samuel B. Roberts.

During the battle Admiral Clifton Sprague’s task unit 77.4.3 lost two escort carriers: (Gambier Bay, to surface attack and St. Lo, to Kamikaze attack).
Of the seven screening ships two destroyers (Hoel and Johnston) and a destroyer escort  (Samuel B. Roberts) were lost, as were dozens of aircraft and crews. The other four  U.S. destroyers were damaged with crewmen killed.

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Fort Rosecrans National Cemetary

Point Loma, California

Taffy III Memorial

A two section granite memorial dedicated to the memory of the 107 men who gave their lives to their country in the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944. Memorial was dedicated on 24 October, 1996. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf each of the three task units of the U.S. Seventh Fleet’s Task Group 77.4 had six small Casablanca-class escort carriers, and seven or eight lightly armed and unarmored destroyers and/or smaller destroyer escorts. Admiral Thomas Sprague’s Task Unit 77.4.1 (“Taffy 1”) consisted of the escort carriers Sangamon, Suwannee, Santee, and Petrof Bay. Admiral Felix Stump’s Task Unit 77.4.2 (“Taffy 2”) consisted of Natoma Bay, Manila Bay, Marcus Island, Kadashan Bay, Savo Island, and Ommaney Bay. Admiral Clifton Sprague’s Task Unit 77.4.3 (“Taffy 3”) consisted of Fanshaw Bay, St Lo, White Plains, Kalinin Bay, Kitkun Bay, and Gambier Bay. Screening for Taffy 3 were the destroyers Hoel, Heermann, Johnston, and destroyer escorts USS Dennis, John C. Butler, Raymond, and Samuel B. Roberts. During the battle Admiral Clifton Sprague’s task unit 77.4.3 lost two escort carriers: (Gambier Bay, to surface attack and St. Lo, to Kamikaze attack). Of the seven screening ships two destroyers (Hoel and Johnston) and a destroyer escort (Samuel B. Roberts) were lost, as were dozens of aircraft and crews. The other four U.S. destroyers were damaged with crewmen killed.

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Task Unit 77.4.3 (Taffy III)

Escort Carriers

USS Fanshaw Bay – CVE-70 & VC-68 – Capt. D.P. Johnson/Flagship

USS Gambier Bay – CVE-73 & VC-10 – Capt. W.V.R. Vieweg

USS Kalinin Bay – CVE-68 & VC-3 – Capt. T.B. Williamson

USS Kitkun Bay – CVE-71 & VC-5 – Capt. J.P. Whitney

USS St. Lo – CVE-63 & VC-65 – Capt. F.J. McKenna

USS White Plains – CVE-66 & C-4 – Capt. D.J. Sullivan

 

Destroyers

USS Heerman – DD-532 – Cdr. Amos T. Hathaway

USS Hoel – DD-533 – Cdr. L.S. Kintberger

USS Johnson – DD-557 – Cdr. Ernest E. Evans

 

Destroyer Escorts

USS John C. Butler – DE-339 – Lt. Cdr. J.E. Pace

USS Dennis – DE-405 – Lt. Cdr. Samuel Hanse

USS Raymond – DE-341 – Lt. Cdr. A.F. Beyer

USS Samuel B. Roberts – DE-413 – Lt. Cdr. R.W. Copeland

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