Sorry, Sarge, but your history is a bit incorrect. Those P-47's, from the 318th Fighter Group were not launched against the Japanese planes attacking the fleet. Those planes, four Val dive bombers, missed the carriers but did some minor damage to a couple of other vessels, including a battleship. The P-47's launched some time later, not during an attack.That was on June 23rd, 1944. The two CVE's had been assigned the job of ferrying the 318th to Saipan, where it served as a close support unit for the Marines who were still fighting to capture the Mariannas. The 318th also flew intercept missions against Japanese planes attacking the islands from Iwo Jima.
Later the following year, the 318th recieved brand new, long range, P-47N's. They moved to the little island of Ie Shima, and from there they flew missions all the way to the Japanese home islands.
And I'm not sure what your Admiral Spruance reference has to do with the operation. It was not his idea to send Thunderbolts to Saipan, if that's what you meant.

As stated in the youtube video: Semi Historic game mission regarding this depiction:

On 23 June, Manila Bay came under enemy air attack during refueling operations east of Saipan. Four Aichi D3A Val dive bombers attacked her from dead ahead, dropping their bombs which exploded wide to port. As a precautionary and rather unusual move which Raymond A. Spruance later characterized as "commendable initiative", Manila Bay launched four of the P-47 thunderbolts she was ferrying to fly protective CAP until radar screens were clear of contacts. The Army fighters then flew to Saipan, their intended destination. Manila Bay launched the remaining planes the next day and returned to Eniwetok, arriving on 27 June. After embarking 207 wounded troops, she departed on 1 July, touched Pearl Harbor on the 8th, and reached San Diego on 16 July.