Commencement Bay-class escort carrier

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USS Commencement Bay (CVE-105) c1944.jpeg
USS Commencement Bay
Class overview
Builders Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding, Washington
OperatorsFlag of the United States.svg  United States Navy
Preceded by Casablanca class
Succeeded byNone
Built1943–1945
In service1944–1957
Planned35
Completed19
Cancelled16
Scrapped19
General characteristics
Type Escort carrier
Displacement
  • 10,900 long tons (11,075  t) standard
  • 24,100 long tons (24,487 t) full load
Length
  • 525 ft (160 m) wl
  • 557 ft 1 in (169.80 m) oa
  • 501 ft (153 m) (fd)
Beam
  • 75 ft (23 m)
  • 105 ft 2 in (32.05 m) flight deck
Draft30 ft 8 in (9.35 m)
Installed power16,000 shp (11,931 kW)
Propulsion
Speed19 knots (22 mph; 35 km/h)
Complement1,066 officers and men
Armament
Aircraft carried34

The Commencement Bay-class escort aircraft carriers were the last class of escort carriers built for the US Navy in World War II.

Contents

The ships were based on the hull of the Maritime Commission type T3 tanker, which gave them a displacement of approximately 23,000 tons and a length of 557 feet (170 m). Unlike most earlier escort carrier classes, which were laid down as something else and converted to aircraft carriers mid-construction, the Commencement Bays were built as carriers from the keel up. Their general layout was similar to the Sangamon-class escort carriers, but some of the Sangamon's engineering shortcomings were addressed.

They entered service late in World War II  USS Commencement Bay launched on 9 May 1944 – so most of them saw little or no operational service. Thirty-five of them were ordered but many were cancelled prior to completion. Nineteen saw commissioned service in the US Navy, four were broken up on the ways at the end of the war, two were accepted from the builders but never commissioned, and the remainder were cancelled before being laid down.

After the war they were seen as potential helicopter, anti-submarine, or auxiliary (transport) carriers, and a number of ships served in these roles during the Korean War. The oncoming Jet Age ended their careers, as the ships were no longer large enough to safely carry the much larger jet aircraft of the late 1950s, and all units were out of service or reclassified by 1960.

Ships

All of the Commencement Bay-class escort carriers that were laid down were built by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation (a.k.a. Todd Pacific Shipyards) in the Commencement Bay, Tacoma, Washington yard, in addition to the planned (but unnamed) ships CVE-128 through CVE-131. Planned (but unnamed) ships CVE-132 through CVE-139 were to be built by Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, in Vancouver, Washington, but were never laid down.

List of Commencement Bay-class escort carriers
Ship nameHull no.Laid downLaunchedCommissionedDecommissionedFate
Commencement Bay (ex-St. Joseph Bay)CVE-10523 September 19439 May 194427 November 194430 November 1946Struck 1 April 1971; Sold for scrap 25 August 1972
Block Island (ex-Sunset Bay)CVE-10625 October 194310 June 194430 December 194427 August 1954Struck 1 July 1959; Sold for scrap 23 February 1960
Gilbert Islands (ex-St. Andrews Bay)CVE-10729 November 194320 July 19445 February 194521 May 1946Struck 15 October 1976; Sold for scrap 1 November 1979
5 February 195115 January 1955
Kula Gulf (ex-Vermillion Bay)CVE-10816 December 194315 August 194412 May 19453 July 1946Struck 15 September 1970; Sold for scrap 1971
15 February 195115 December 1955
Cape Gloucester (ex-Willapa Bay)CVE-10910 January 194412 September 19445 March 19455 November 1946Struck 1 April 1971; Sold for scrap
Salerno Bay (ex-Winjah Bay)CVE-1107 February 194419 October 194419 May 19454 October 1947Struck 1 June 1960; Sold for scrap 30 October 1961
20 June 195116 February 1954
Vella Gulf (ex-Totem Bay)CVE-1117 March 194419 October 19449 April 19459 August 1946Struck 1 December 1970; Sold for scrap 22 October 1971
Siboney (ex-Frosty Bay)CVE-1121 April 19449 November 194414 May 19456 December 1949Struck 1 June 1970; Scrapped 1971
22 November 195031 July 1956
Puget Sound (ex-Hobart Bay)CVE-11312 May 194420 September 194418 June 194518 October 1946Struck 1 June 1960; Sold for scrap 10 January 1962
Rendova (ex-Mosser Bay)CVE-11415 June 194429 December 194422 October 194527 January 1950Struck 1 April 1971; Sold for scrap 1971
3 January 195130 June 1955
Bairoko (ex-Portage Bay)CVE-11525 July 194425 January 194516 July 194514 April 1950Struck 1 April 1960; Sold for scrap January 1961
12 September 195018 February 1955
Badoeng Strait (ex-San Alberto Bay)CVE-11618 August 194415 February 194514 November 194520 April 1946Struck 1 December 1970; Sold for scrap 8 May 1972
6 January 194717 May 1957
Saidor (ex-Saltery Bay)CVE-11729 September 194417 March 19454 September 194512 September 1947Struck 1 December 1970; Sold for scrap 22 October 1971
Sicily (ex-Sandy Bay)CVE-11823 October 194414 April 194527 February 19464 October 1954Struck 1 July 1960; Sold for scrap 31 October 1960
Point Cruz (ex-Trocadero Bay)CVE-1194 December 194418 May 194516 October 194530 June 1947Struck 15 September 1970; Sold for scrap 1971
26 July 195131 August 1956
Mindoro CVE-1202 January 194527 June 19454 December 19454 August 1955Struck 1 December 1959; Sold for scrap June 1960
Rabaul CVE-12129 January 194514 July 1945Never commissioned, straight to Reserve FleetStruck 1 September 1971; Sold for scrap 25 August 1972
Palau CVE-12219 February 19456 August 194515 January 194615 June 1954Struck 1 April 1960; Sold for scrap 13 July 1960
Tinian CVE-12320 March 19455 September 1945Never commissioned, straight to Reserve FleetStruck 1 June 1970; Sold for scrap 15 December 1971
Bastogne CVE-1242 April 1945Cancelled before launching, 12 August 1945
Eniwetok CVE-12520 April 1945
Lingayen CVE-1261 May 1945
Okinawa CVE-12722 May 1945
UnnamedCVE-128 CVE-139Cancelled before being laid down, 12 August 1945 [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier, also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by the Royal Navy, was a small and slower type of aircraft carrier used by the Royal Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy, the United States Navy, the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II. They were typically half the length and a third the displacement of larger fleet carriers, more-lightly armed and armored, and carried fewer planes. Escort carriers were most often built upon a commercial ship hull, so they were cheaper and could be built quickly. This was their principal advantage as they could be completed in greater numbers as a stop-gap when fleet carriers were scarce. However, the lack of protection made escort carriers particularly vulnerable, and several were sunk with great loss of life. The light carrier was a similar concept to the escort carrier in most respects, but was fast enough to operate alongside fleet carriers.

USS <i>Rabaul</i> Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Rabaul was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage. She was delivered on 30 August 1946, but never commissioned. After spending 26 years in reserve, she was scrapped in 1973.

<i>Casablanca</i>-class escort carrier Aircraft carrier class of the US Navy

The Casablanca-class escort carrier was a series of escort carriers constructed for the United States Navy during World War II. They are the most numerous class of aircraft carriers ever built. Fifty were laid down, launched and commissioned within the space of less than two years – 3 November 1942 through to 8 July 1944. Despite their numbers, and the preservation of more famous and larger carriers as museums, none of these modest ships survive today. Five were lost to enemy action during World War II and the remainder were scrapped.

USS <i>Casablanca</i> Casablanca-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Casablanca (AVG/ACV/CVE-55) was the first of fifty Casablanca-class escort carriers built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was named after the Naval Battle of Casablanca, conducted as a part of the wider Operation Torch, which pitted the United States Navy against the remnants of the French Navy controlled by Vichy France. The American victory cleared the way for the seizure of the port of Casablanca as well as the Allied occupation of French Morocco. The ship was launched in April 1943, commissioned in July, and served as a training and transport carrier throughout the war. Postwar, she participated in Operation Magic Carpet, repatriating U.S. servicemen from throughout the Pacific. She was decommissioned in June 1946, when she was mothballed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She was sold for scrap in April 1947.

HMS <i>Ruler</i> 1943 Ruler-class escort carrier of the Royal Navy

HMS Ruler was the lead ship of her class of escort carrier of the Royal Navy during the Second World War. She was built in the United States as the Bogue-class carrier St. Joseph (AVG/CVE/ACV-50) for Lend-Lease to the United Kingdom.

USS <i>Palau</i> Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Palau was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage.

USS <i>Tinian</i> Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Tinian was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage.

USS <i>Mindoro</i> (CVE-120) Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Mindoro was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. The ship was a converted oil tanker, and she had a capacity to carry up to thirty-three aircraft. She was built during World War II, but was completed too late to see action during the conflict. She nevertheless saw service with the 8th Fleet in the late 1940s and early 1950s in the Atlantic Ocean. She also made two deployments to the Mediterranean Sea, in 1950 and 1954, before being decommissioned in January 1955 and assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She was retained for just four years before being struck from the naval register in December 1959 and thereafter scrapped.

USS <i>Point Cruz</i> Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Point Cruz was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage.

USS <i>Saidor</i> Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Saidor was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage.

USS <i>Sicily</i> Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Sicily was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier in the United States Navy. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage.

USS <i>Commencement Bay</i> Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Commencement Bay (CVE-105), the lead ship of her class, was an escort carrier of the United States Navy. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage. Commencement Bay was employed as a training ship during the war, training new crews for the other members of her class as they were completed. She saw no active service after the war ended in 1945, instead being assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet, and was eventually sold for scrap in 1972.

USS <i>Cape Gloucester</i> Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Cape Gloucester was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy, in service from 5 March 1945 to 5 November 1946. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes, and due to their origin as tankers and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, had extensive fuel storage. After spending another 25 years in the reserve fleet, the ship was scrapped in 1971.

USS <i>Gilbert Islands</i> Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Gilbert Islands was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage.

USS <i>Salerno Bay</i> Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Salerno Bay was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier built by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation for the United States Navy during World War II. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage.

USS <i>Siboney</i> (CVE-112) Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Siboney was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage.

USS <i>Rendova</i> Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Rendova was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage.

USS <i>Puget Sound</i> (CVE-113) Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Puget Sound was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage.

USS <i>Vella Gulf</i> (CVE-111) Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the US Navy

USS Vella Gulf was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy, originally named Totem Bay. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots, and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation</span> American shipbuilding company (1939–1946)

The Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation was an American corporation which built escort carriers, destroyers, cargo ships and auxiliaries for the United States Navy and merchant marine during World War II in two yards in Puget Sound, Washington. It was the largest producer of destroyers (45) on the West Coast and the largest producer of escort carriers of various classes (56) of any United States yard active during World War II.

References

  1. "COMMENCEMENT BAY escort aircraft carriers (1944 - 1946)". www.navypedia.org. Retrieved 5 April 2023.