Bait Division 1 was two US cruisers (Chicago and Canberra) around the time of Leyte Gulf and the bombings of Formosa for the Leyte landings.
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That is very close, but the two actual cruisers involved were the heavy cruiser USS Canberra (CA-70) and the light cruiser USS Houston (CL-81). [1]
The group was officially designated Cripple Division 1 (CRIPDIV 1), but Admiral William F. Halsey also nicknamed it Bait Division 1 (BAITDIV 1). [1, 2]
Here is how the situation unfolded just days before the Battle of Leyte Gulf: [1]
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The Damage: In mid-October 1944, during the Fast Carrier Task Force strikes against Formosa (Taiwan), both the Canberra and the Houston were heavily damaged by Japanese aerial torpedoes. [1, 2]
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The “Bait” Plan: Instead of scuttling the heavily damaged warships, Halsey decided to tow them over 1,300 miles back to safety. Knowing the Japanese military believed their own exaggerated pilots’ reports that they had destroyed the American fleet, Halsey intentionally left the slow-moving, crippled cruisers exposed as bait. [1, 2]
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The Ambush: Halsey kept a powerful task group hidden nearby, hoping the Imperial Japanese Navy would deploy a surface fleet to finish off the cripples, allowing him to spring a trap. [1, 2]
Ultimately, the Japanese surface forces did not fully swallow the bait. While a fleet sortied from Japan to pursue them, its commander quickly realized the reports were overblown and turned back. However, the Canberra and Houston both miraculously survived and were successfully towed to safety at Ulithi. [1, 2, 3]
(Note: The confusion with the USS Chicago is very common, as the original HMAS Canberra and the USS Chicago were closely linked when they operated together and were both tragically lost in the Solomon Islands campaign earlier in the war.) [1, 2, 3]