Anzio was a Casablanca-class escort carrier, the most numerous type of aircraft carriers ever built, and designed specifically to be mass-produced using prefabricated sections, in order to replace heavy early war losses. Standardized with her sister ships, she was 512ft 3in (156.13m)long overall, had a beam of 65ft 2in (19.86m), and a draft of 20ft 9in (6.32m). She displaced8,188 long tons (8,319t)standard, 10,902 long tons (11,077t) with a full load. She had a 257ft (78m) long hangar deck and a 477ft (145m) long flight deck. She was powered with two Skinner Unaflow reciprocating steam engines, which drove two shafts, providing 9,000 horsepower (6,700kW), thus enabling her to make 19 knots (35km/h; 22mph). The ship had a cruising range of 10,240 nautical miles (18,960km; 11,780mi) at a speed of 15 knots (28km/h; 17mph). Her compact size necessitated the installment of an aircraft catapult at her bow, and there were two aircraft elevators to facilitate movement of aircraft between the flight and hangar deck: one each fore and aft.[2][3]
One 5in (127mm)/38caliberdual-purpose gun was mounted on the stern. Anti-aircraft defense was provided by eight Bofors 40mm (1.6in) anti-aircraft guns in single mounts, as well as twelve Oerlikon 20mm (0.79in) cannons, which were mounted around the perimeter of the deck. By the end of the war, Casablanca-class carriers had been modified to carry thirty 20mm (0.79in) cannons, and the amount of Bofors 40mm (1.6in) guns had been doubled to sixteen, by putting them into twin mounts. These modifications were in response to increasing casualties due to kamikaze attacks. Although Casablanca-class escort carriers were designed to function with a crew of 860 and an embarked squadron of 50 to 56, the exigencies of wartime often necessitated the inflation of the crew count. Casablanca-class escort carriers were designed to carry 27 aircraft, but the hangar deck could accommodate more, which was often necessary during transport or especially training missions, due to the constant turnover of pilots and aircraft.[2][4]
Her construction was awarded to Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington, under a Maritime Commission contract on 18 June 1942. She was laid down as MCE hull 1094, the third of a series of fifty Casablanca-class escort carriers on 12 December 1942. Her initial hull symbol ACV-57 designated her as an auxiliary aircraft carrier. On 22 January 1943, she received her initial name of Alikula Bay, but she was subsequently renamed Coral Sea on 3 April. She was launched on 1 May; sponsored by Mrs. Martha Richards Fletcher, the wife of Vice admiralFrank Jack Fletcher. On 15 July, the U.S. Navy revised the classification of their escort carriers to reflect their combatant status, thus providing Coral Sea with her wartime hull symbol of CVE-57.[12] She was transferred to the Navy and commissioned on 27 August, with Captain Herbert W. Taylor in command.[13]
At 5 a.m. on the morning of 20 November, the bombardment of Makin began, commencing the first major U.S. thrust into the central Pacific. Just 76 hours later, Tarawa and Makin had both been captured. Coral Sea's aircraft aided the operation, providing close air support and bombing Japanese positions.[16][17] With the islands secured, U.S. naval forces began retiring, but Carrier Division 24 stayed behind to suppress pockets of resistance.[18] On 24 November, the Japanese submarineI-175 fired a set of four Type 95torpedoes towards the broadside of the unsuspecting task force. Two of the torpedoes narrowly missed Coral Sea[19], but one torpedo hit Liscome Bay, setting off its munitions stores and blowing apart the entire stern of the carrier. The tremendous explosion sent debris hurtling onto the surrounding ships, including Coral Sea, where a sailor reported being hit by a fire extinguisher.[20]Liscome Bay sank in only 23 minutes, with the ultimate loss of 702 men, including Rear Admiral Mullinix.[13][19]
On 28 November, Coral Sea left the Gilbert Islands. The initial combat performance of the Casablanca-class carriers had been inauspicious. Of the 71 aircraft that Carrier Division 24 had been brought to the front, 20 aircraft had been lost with the sinking of Liscome Bay. The inexperienced air crews paid a heavy toll in accidents, which had written-off a further 16 aircraft, cumulatively killing 4 crewmen and 6 deck personnel. Only one aircraft had been lost in combat, an Avenger from Coral Sea which had strayed too close to the explosion of an ammunition dump.[21] She returned to Pearl Harbor on 5 December, where she took on passengers and aircraft to ferry back to the West Coast. She departed on 8 December, arriving at Alameda, California on 14 December. There, she replenished her aircraft, putting back to sea on 22 December. She arrived back in Pearl Harbor on 28 December, where she rejoined Carrier Division 24, with Manila Bay replacing Liscome Bay, and Rear Admiral Ralph E. Davison newly in command.[6] There, she prepared for the impending assault on Kwajalein.[13]
Coral Sea was underway on 3 January 1944, conducting exercises off of Hawaii between 12 January and 17 January. After a final fitting out, she sailed on 22 January, in Task Group 52.9, and arrived in the vicinity of Kwajalein, on 31 January, two days after aircraft of the Fast Carrier Task Force began pounding airfields on the atoll. She provided direct and indirect air support for the amphibious landings. On 5 February, the escort carriers were ordered into Kwajalein lagoon to refuel and rearm.[22] On 24 February, she set course for Eniwetok, but she was later recalled to Pearl Harbor, arriving on 3 March.[13]
Solomon Islands and New Guinea
After a brief respite, Coral Sea got underway again on 11 March and proceeded to the Solomon Islands. She anchored at Tulagi on 21 March, refueling and resupplying before sailing again on 30 March for Emirau Island alongside Corregidor. On 2 April, they relieved Manila Bay and Natoma Bay, which had been supporting the 4th Marine Regiment as they landed on Emirau. Her time at Emirau was uneventful, save for a Mitsubishi G4Mmedium bomber shot down by two of her fighters.[23] She concluded her tour at Emirau on 11 April, returning to Tulagi on 15 April and leaving the next day to assist in the Western New Guinea campaign. On 19 April, she joined Task Group 78.2, which was formed to cover the landings at Aitape. Her aircraft commenced strikes on D-Day, 22 April, but found very little opposition. Thus, Task Group 78.2 was able to relieve the fast carriers in supporting the landings at Tanahmerah Bay and Humboldt Bay, but they found similarly sparse resistance. On 26 April, the escort carrier sailed to Seeadler Harbor for replenishment. The eight escort carriers that comprised Task Force 78 had only lost four aircraft during their stay off New Guinea, all of them in accidents.[24] She headed for Espiritu Santo on 7 May for extensive repairs to her forward main engine, which necessitated the replacement of a number of broken piston rings. It was not until 2 June that she was deemed combat-ready again.[13][25]
Marianas Islands and Bonin Islands operations
Following the completion of repairs, Coral Sea sailed on 8 June with Corregidor for Kwajalein, the staging point for the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign as a part of Task Unit 52.11.2, under the command of Rear Admiral Felix Stump.[8] The invasion fleet sortied out on 10 June and Coral Sea was among the carriers providing air support for the landings by the 2nd Marine Division on Saipan. On 16 June, Task Unit 52.11.2 was dispatched for the planned recapture of Guam on 18 June, but the landings were postponed until mid-July, and she returned back to Saipan on the afternoon of 17 June. There, she continued strikes on Saipan, where resistance had been fiercer than expected, and on the neighboring island of Tinian.[13][26]
At 17:30, on the evening of 17 June, a large raid of an estimated 20–30 Japanese aircraft was detected by radar about 110mi (180km) away. The four escort carriers of Task Group 52.11 scrambled 44 fighters between them to intercept the raid, but they had little success in screening the ships. The Japanese strike force arrived at 18:30, around sunset, and a Yokosuka D4Y Suiseidive bomber chose Coral Sea as its target. Diving down, its aim was off, with the bomb missing just off the carrier's starboard quarter. Following the bomb was the Suisei, which splashed 300yd (270m) behind Coral Sea. Just two minutes later, a torpedo bomber approached Coral Sea from the side at a very low altitude, skimming the waves. Hit by a flak explosion, it broke apart and veered into the water. Ten minutes later, another plane was shot down by Coral Sea's gunners 2,000yd (1,800m) from her.[27]
The next day, at 16:15, another group of an estimated 30–50 Japanese planes was detected by radar 121mi (195km) to the south of Task Group 52.11. This time, the fighters proved to be more effective, with her embarked squadron (VC-33) claiming eight Kawasaki Ki-61s and two Yokosuka P1Y Gingas shot down, as well as six other planes damaged.[28] Eight aircraft had been able to break through the screen and were brought down by surface anti-aircraft fire. At 6:15 the next morning, four planes made an attack run on the escort carriers, but to little effect. Throughout this ordeal, the ships of Task Group 52.11 had only suffered superficial damage.[29]
Coral Sea retired to Eniwetok on 28 June. During her time spent supporting the battles on Saipan and Tinian, her air contingent had lost one Wildcat and three Avengers in combat, and three Wildcats in accidents.[30] Her stay at Eniwetok was brief, as she rendezvoused at Saipan on 4 July with Task Group 53.7 for the postponed landings on Guam. She arrived off of Guam on 9 July, launching preparatory air strikes and softening positions. On 13 July, she was relieved of her duties, returning to Eniwetok on 15 July. At Eniwetok her "damnable" engines were assessed, and she was ordered back to the West Coast, setting off on 23 July.[31] She stopped at Kwajalein on 25 July to unload her embarked squadron and munitions, transiting via Pearl Harbor and arriving back at San Diego on 9 August. She entered drydock on 31 August for repairs and overhaul. On 15 September, Coral Sea was renamed to Anzio, clearing up the name for the Midway-classaircraft carrierCoral Sea.[13][32]
Anzio held sea trials off the California coast and was ready to sail for the western Pacific on 16 September. She reached Hawaii, on 23 September, and entered Pearl Harbor, for tender availability. On 8 October, the carrier began a series of training exercises, and on 16 October, she set out for Eniwetok. There, Anzio joined a hunter-killer group and carried out an antisubmarine warfare (ASW) mission while she was en route to Ulithi. On 4 November, she was ordered to assist the light cruiserReno which had been torpedoed in the Philippine Sea. When Anzio was relieved by Extractor, she resumed her ASW patrols and worked at that task through mid-February 1945, when she steamed to Iwo Jima. [13]
Anzio resumed combat support operations on 16 February. Three days later, she launched a strike to the north on Chichi Jima, in the Bonin Islands. From 19 February-4 March, she followed a schedule of launching her first flight just before sunset and recovering her last just after dawn. During these nocturnal operations, she completed 106 sorties without a single accident. She departed the Iwo Jima area on 8 March, and entered San Pedro Bay, at Leyte, on 12 March. After 10 days of upkeep and being joined by a newly redeployed VC-13 from USSTripoli, she sailed to join the invasion of Okinawa.[13]
Okinawa and post war
After providing air cover for an Okinawa-bound amphibious group, Anzio joined other forces in the vicinity of Kerama Retto, in seizing that island group to provide an advanced base for the Fleet. The Okinawa attack began on 1 April, and she remained on the line until she retired to Ulithi, on 30 April, for repairs to her rudder bearings. On 21 May, the carrier resumed ASW operations in the Okinawa area. This role ended on 17 June, when she sailed to San Pedro Bay, Leyte, for upkeep. [13]
Anzio left the Philippines, on 6 July, to begin what proved to be her last stint of combat duty. She joined TG 30.8 and positioned herself about 600mi (970km) east of Tokyo. She made ASW patrols in support of Admiral William Halsey's attacks on the Japanese home islands. She received word of the Japanese capitulation on 15 August, and sailed for Guam, on 19 August. After refitting and training new flight crews, the escort carrier headed for Okinawa. From that point, she was to provide air cover and ASW patrol services for transports carrying occupation troops to Korea. On 8 September, she anchored at Jinsen, Korea, whence she provided air support for the landings of the occupation force. She left Korea, on 13 September, and returned to Okinawa. On 19 September, she broke her homeward-bound pennant, became a member of a Magic Carpet group and reached San Francisco, on 30 September.[13]
While at San Francisco, Anzio was modified to provide maximum passenger accommodations. The carrier made two trips to the western Pacific and back, one to Pearl Harbor and one to Shanghai, China, to shuttle American troops home as part of Operation Magic Carpet. She arrived at Seattle, Washington, on 23 December, and ended the year at that port. On 18 January 1946, Anzio sailed for Norfolk, Virginia. She paused at San Francisco, then continued southward to transit the Panama Canal before finally reaching the east coast. Anzio was placed out of commission on 5 August, and became a unit of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet berthed at Norfolk. The ship was redesignated CVHE-57 on 15 June 1955. Anzio was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 March 1959, and sold to Master Metals Co., on 24 November, for scrapping.[13]
Awards
Coral Sea/Anzio received eleven Navy Unit Commendations and nine battle stars for service in World War II. The Secretary of the Navy commended the men of Anzio "For outstanding heroism in action against enemy Japanese forces in the air, ashore and afloat. Operating in the most advanced areas"[citation needed]
Chesneau, Robert; Gardiner, Robert (1980), Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946, London, England: Naval Institute Press, ISBN9780870219139
Y'Blood, William (2014), The Little Giants: U.S. Escort Carriers Against Japan (E-book), Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, ISBN9781612512471
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