Commencement Bay-class escort carrier

USS Commencement Bay
Class overview
Builders:
Operators:  United States Navy
Preceded by: Casablanca-class escort carrier
Succeeded by: None
Built: 1943–1945
In commission: 1944–1971
Planned: 33
Completed: 21
Cancelled: 12
General characteristics
Type: Escort carrier
Displacement:
  • 10,900 long tons (11,100 t) standard
  • 24,100 long tons (24,500 t) full load
Length: 557 ft (170 m)
Beam:
  • 75 ft (23 m)
  • 105 ft 2 in (32.05 m) flight deck
Draft: 30 ft 8 in (9.35 m)
Propulsion: 2-shaft geared turbines, 16,000 shp
Speed: 19 knots (22 mph; 35 km/h)
Complement: 1,066 officers and men
Armament:
Aircraft carried: 34

The Commencement Bay-class escort aircraft carriers were based on the Maritime Commission type T3 Tanker hull, which gave them a displacement of approximately 23,000 tons and a length of 557 feet (170 m). Unlike most earlier CVE 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-three 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 onrushing jet age ended their lives, 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

Ship name Hull no. Builder Laid down Launched Commissioned Decommissioned Fate
Commencement Bay CVE-105 Todd Pacific Shipyards 23 September 1943 9 May 1944 27 November 1944 30 November 1946 Struck 1 April 1971; Sold for scrap 25 August 1972
Block Island CVE-106 25 October 1943 10 June 1944 30 December 1944 27 August 1954 Struck 1 July 1959; Sold for scrap 23 February 1960
Gilbert Islands CVE-107 29 November 1943 20 July 1944 5 February 1945
5 February 1951		 21 May 1946
15 January 1955		 Struck 15 October 1976; Sold for scrap 1 November 1979
Kula Gulf ex Vermillion Bay CVE-108 16 December 1943 15 August 1944 12 May 1945
15 February 1951		 3 July 1946
15 December 1955		 Struck 15 September 1970; Sold for scrap 1971
Cape Gloucester CVE-109 November 1943 12 September 1944 5 March 1945 5 November 1946 Struck 1 April 1971; Sold for scrap
Salerno Bay CVE-110 Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation 7 February 1944 19 October 1944 19 May 1945
20 June 1951		 4 October 1947
16 February 1954		 Struck 1 June 1960; Sold for scrap 30 October 1961
Vella Gulf ex Totem Bay CVE-111 Todd Pacific Shipyards 7 February 1944 19 October 1944 9 April 1945 9 August 1946 Struck 1 December 1970; Sold for scrap 22 October 1971
Siboney ex Frosty Bay CVE-112 1 April 1944 9 November 1944 14 May 1945
22 November 1950		 6 December 1949
31 July 1956		 Struck 1 June 1970; Scrapped 1971
Puget Sound CVE-113 12 May 1944 20 September 1944 18 June 1945 18 October 1946 Struck 1 June 1960; Sold for scrap 10 January 1962
Rendova ex Mosser Bay, then Willamette CVE-114 15 June 1944 29 December 1944 22 October 1945
3 January 1951		 27 January 1950
30 June 1955		 Struck 1 April 1971; Sold for scrap 1971
Bairoko ex Portage Bay CVE-115 25 January 1945 16 July 1945
12 September 1950		 14 April 1950
18 February 1955		 Struck 1 April 1960; Sold for scrap January 1961
Badoeng Strait CVE-116 18 August 1944 15 February 1945 14 November 1945
6 January 1947		 20 April 1946
17 May 1957		 Struck 1 December 1970; Sold for scrap 8 May 1972
Saidor ex Saltery Bay CVE-117 29 September 1944 17 March 1945 4 September 1945 12 September 1947 Struck 1 December 1970; Sold for scrap 22 October 1971
Sicily ex Sandy Bay CVE-118 23 October 1944 14 April 1945 27 February 1946 4 October 1954 Struck 1 July 1960; Sold for scrap 31 October 1960
Point Cruz ex Trocadero Bay CVE-119 4 December 1944 18 May 1945 16 October 1945
26 July 1951		 30 June 1947
31 August 1956		 Struck 15 September 1970; Sold for scrap 1971
Mindoro CVE-120 2 January 1945 27 June 1945 4 December 1945 4 August 1955 Struck 1 December 1959; Sold for scrap June 1960
Rabaul CVE-121 2 January 1945 14 June 1945 Never commissioned, straight to Reserve Fleet N/A Struck 1 September 1971; Sold for scrap 25 August 1972
Palau CVE-122 19 February 1945 6 August 1945 15 January 1946 15 June 1954 Struck 1 April 1960; Sold for scrap 13 July 1960
Tinian CVE-123 20 March 1945 5 September 1945 Never commissioned, straight to Reserve Fleet N/A Struck 1 June 1970; Sold for scrap 15 December 1971
Bastogne CVE-124 2 April 1945 N/A Cancelled before launching, 12 August 1945
Eniwetok CVE-125 20 April 1945 Cancelled before launching, 12 August 1945
Lingayen CVE-126 Todd Pacific Shipyards 1 May 1945 Cancelled before launching, 12 August 1945
Okinawa CVE-127 Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation 22 May 1945 Cancelled before launching, 11 August 1945

See also

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