 The following day , the carrier Franklin was badly damaged by several bomb hits and a kamikaze . Alaska and her sister Guam , two other cruisers , and several destroyers were detached to create Task Group 58 @.@ 2 @.@ 9 to escort the crippled Franklin back to Ulithi . On the voyage back to port , another D4Y bomber attacked Franklin , though the ships were unable to shoot it down . Gunfire from one of the 5 @-@ inch guns accidentally caused flash burns on several men standing nearby ; these were the only casualties suffered by her crew during the war . Alaska then took on the role of fighter director ; using her anti @-@ air search radar she vectored fighters to intercept and destroy a Kawasaki Ki @-@ 45 heavy fighter . On 22 March , the ships reached Ulithi and Alaska was detached to rejoin TG 58 @.@ 4 . 
