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On 25 October 1944, while
operating with other escort carriers off the Philippines in support of the
invasion of Leyte, Suwannee was attacked by land-based planes. One
aircraft crashed Suwannee about 40 feet forward of the after
elevator, opening a 10-foot hole in her flight deck. The aircraft’s bomb
exploded between the flight and hangar decks, tearing a 25-foot gash in the
hangar deck. Within two hours, Suwannee’s flight deck was
sufficiently repaired to enable the escort carrier to resume air operations.
Just after noon on 26 October, another
suicide aircraft crashed Suwanee's flight deck and careened into a
torpedo bomber. The two planes erupted upon contact as did nine other
planes. The resulting fire burned for several hours, but was finally brought
under control. Casualties from the attacks numbered 85 men killed, 58
missing and 102 wounded
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