The USS St. Lo (AVG/ACV/CVE–63) was a Casablanca-class escort carrier of the United States Navy, constructed under a Maritime Commission contract and launched in August 1943. Originally named Chapin Bay and briefly renamed Midway in April 1943, she was later renamed St. Lo in October 1944 to honor the Battle of Saint-Lô and to free the name Midway for a new vessel. She was commissioned on 23 October 1943. The vessel measured approximately 512 feet in length with a beam of around 65 feet and a displacement of roughly 11,000 tons. She was equipped with a flight deck capable of launching and recovering aircraft, primarily tasked with providing air support, anti-submarine patrols, and escort duties across various Pacific campaigns. During her service, USS St. Lo participated in key operations including the Mariana Islands campaign, supporting landings on Saipan and Tinian, and later in the Palau campaign. She operated off Seeadler Harbor at Manus before joining Task Force 77 for the invasion of Morotai. Her most notable and tragic moment occurred during the Battle off Samar in October 1944, part of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf. As a part of "Taffy 3," she provided air coverage during the Leyte invasion and engaged Japanese forces, including battleships, cruisers, and destroyers. On 25 October 1944, while operating east of Samar, St. Lo was struck by a kamikaze aircraft—a Mitsubishi A6M Zero—aiming for another target but diverted to her flight deck. The attack caused catastrophic damage, igniting fires and secondary explosions, ultimately sinking the vessel within 30 minutes. Of the 889 crew aboard, 113 were killed or went missing, and about 30 succumbed to wounds afterward. Survivors were rescued by other US ships. The wreck of USS St. Lo was discovered in 2019 near the Philippine Trench at a depth of over 15,500 feet, lying upright on the ocean floor, serving as a poignant underwater memorial of her service and sacrifice.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.