USS Kasaan Bay (CVE-69)
Encyclopedia
USS Kasaan Bay (CVE-69) was a Casablanca class
Casablanca class escort carrier
The Casablanca class escort aircraft carriers were the greatest number of not only escort carriers, but also any size aircraft carrier ever built to a like-design by any nation at any time. Fifty were laid down, launched and commissioned within the space of less than two years - 3 November 1942...
escort carrier of the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. She was classified ACV-69 on 20 August 1942, launched as CVE-69 on 24 October 1943 by Kaiser Shipbuilding Company in Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...
, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. R. W. Morse; and acquired and commissioned by the Navy on 4 December 1943, Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
B. E. Grow in command.
World War II
Kasaan Bay reported for duty late in December, and on 8 January 1944 departed San Francisco with a cargo of planes and passengers for Pearl HarborPearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
. Upon returning to San Diego she sailed for Norfolk, arriving on 28 February for overhaul and operations along the East Coast. On 28 May, she departed New York in company of and with a cargo of planes for Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, returning New York on 17 June with 342 survivors of , which was torpedoed on 29 May.
The escort carrier departed Quonset Point
Quonset Point
Quonset Point, also known simply as Quonset, is a small peninsula in Narragansett Bay in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is contained entirely within the town of North Kingstown. "Quonset" is a Native American word likely meaning "small long place".Quonset Point was the location of Naval Air...
, Rhode Island on 30 June and arrived Oran on 10 July. Throughout July, she engaged in ASW patrol and flight operations in the Mediterranean before rehearsing for the assault on Southern France. Kasaan Bay departed Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
on 12 August, and 3 days later arrived in the invasion area off the French Riviera. Planes from the carrier bombed and strafed German positions, destroying hundreds of enemy vehicles and tanks and downing two enemy aircraft over the beach. She completed her assignment on 30 August and departed Oran
Oran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
on 6 September, arriving Norfolk 12 days later.
Following a cruise carrying planes to Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
in late October, Kasaan Bay was assigned to the Pacific Fleet and arrived San Diego on 2 January 1945. During January she sailed to Pearl Harbor, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, and Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
with planes and replacements for other ships of the Fast Carrier Task Force.
The escort carrier returned Pearl Harbor on 14 February and immediately commenced training operations for air groups and replacement pilots. Kasaan Bay continued this duty until early June when she was assigned ASW patrols in the shipping lanes between the Marshall
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
and Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
protecting the fleet's supply line during its final assault on Japan's defenses.
Post-War
When hostilities ended 14 August, Kasaan Bay returned to Guam where she was assigned "Magic-Carpet" duty. She departed Saipan on 13 September with her first group of returning veterans arriving San Diego 30 September. For the next 3 months, she made three cruises to Hawaii and the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
to transport homeward bound troops to the United States.
The escort carrier returned to San Francisco on 28 December and sailed for the East Coast on 29 January 1946, arriving Boston on 22 February. She decommissioned on 6 July 1946 and joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. While in reserve, Kasaan Bay was reclassified CVHE-69 on 12 June 1955. She was sold for scrap on 2 February 1960.
External links
- Photo gallery at navsource.org