USS Santa Fe was a Cleveland-class light cruiser of the United States Navy, which were built during World War II.

The start of the war led to the dissolution of the treaty system, but the dramatic need for new vessels precluded a new design, so the Clevelands used the same hull as their predecessors, but were significantly heavier.

Following the start of World War II in September 1939, Britain announced it would suspend the treaty for the duration of the conflict, a decision the US Navy quickly followed.

[2] The ship's belt armor ranged in thickness from 3.5 to 5 in (89 to 127 mm), with the thicker section amidships where it protected the ammunition magazines and propulsion machinery spaces.

On 21 October, she got underway with the Fast Carrier Task Force, but while en route, Santa Fe was detached to cover troop ships sailing for Bougainville.

She left on 26 November to rejoin the Fast Carrier Task Force, which began the next phase of the campaign with air strikes on Kwajalein on 4 December.

[3] In late 1943, Santa Fe arrived back in the United States to begin preparations to join the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign.

Santa Fe and several other vessels sailed ahead of the fleet to bombard Wotje Atoll on 30 January to prepare for the invasion of Kwajalein, which was to take place the following day.

She sortied again on 15 March, accompanying the carriers Enterprise and Belleau Wood, to support the landing on Emirau, which took place unopposed five days later.

By 13 April, she had transferred to a task group centered on the carrier Hornet, which was sent to western New Guinea to support Allied ground operations there, including the Battle of Hollandia.

The group raided Wakde and Sawar on 21 April, including a bombardment by Santa Fe and other elements of the carrier screen.

[3] Santa Fe next joined a task group led by the carrier Bunker Hill, which sortied in June to begin the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign.

Japanese carrier aircraft struck first, on the morning of 19 June, and Santa Fe contributed her anti-aircraft fire to driving off the attackers.

To help guide the returning planes in the darkness, Santa Fe used her searchlights, despite the risk of illuminating herself to Japanese submarines that might be in the area.

Bunker Hill joined air strikes on Pagan Island on 24 June, after which the task group returned to Eniwetok three days later to rearm and refuel.

[3] As the American fleet began preparations for the Philippines campaign, the Fast Carrier Task Force carried out a series of strikes on Japanese airfields on Okinawa and Formosa from 10 to 13 October.

[3] Santa Fe's task group then moved on to launch air strikes on Japanese airfields in the Visayas on 21 October.

The American fleet turned north to intercept them, and early the next morning, a force of six fast battleships and seven cruisers—including Santa Fe—were detached to pursue the Japanese carriers to try to catch them in a surface action.

On 6 January, they turned south to strike targets on Luzon in the Philippines in preparation for the planned invasion of Lingayen Gulf.

[3] Santa Fe and the rest of her task group sortied on 10 February to attack airfields in the Tokyo area to neutralize aircraft that would interfere with the impending invasion of Iwo Jima.

The carriers launched their raids on 16 and 17 February, and the next day, after sailing south to Iwo Jima, Santa Fe was detached to carry out bombardments of Japanese positions on the island.

[3] The ship was transferred to the task group centered on the carrier Hancock on 14 March; four days later, the ships were off Japan for another round of strikes on installations on Kyushu, this time including the naval bases at Kure and Kobe, where the carrier aircraft attacked some of the remaining elements of the Japanese fleet on 19 March.

Several loaded aircraft were clustered on the flight deck, which quickly caught fire as well and contributed to the explosions that badly damaged the carrier.

Santa Fe was also damaged in the course of assisting Franklin, and both ships withdrew to Ulithi; the carrier had to be taken under tow by the heavy cruiser Pittsburgh.

Santa Fe sailed to Sasebo, Japan, on 20 September, and from 17 October to 10 November, she took part in the occupation of Hokkaido and northern Honshu.