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USS Kitkun Bay
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USS Kitkun Bay
USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) was the 17th of 50 Casablanca-class escort carriers built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was launched in November 1943 and transferred to the Navy and commissioned in December. She served in the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, the Battle off Samar, in which she faced the first wave of organized kamikaze attacks, and the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf, during which she was damaged by another kamikaze and forced to withdraw. After the war, she participated in Operation Magic Carpet, repatriating U.S. servicemen from around the Pacific. She was decommissioned in April 1946 and sold for scrapping in November. Ultimately, she was broken up in early 1947.
Kitkun Bay was a Casablanca-class escort carrier, the most numerous type of aircraft carriers ever built. Built to stem heavy losses during the Battle of the Atlantic, they came into service in late 1943, by which time the U-boat threat was already in retreat. Although some did see service in the Atlantic, most were used in the Pacific, ferrying aircraft, providing logistics support, and conducting close air support for the island-hopping campaigns. The Casablanca-class carriers were built on the standardized Type S4-S2-BB3 hull, a lengthened variant of the Doyen-class hull, and specifically designed to be mass-produced using welded, prefabricated sections. This allowed them to be produced at unprecedented speeds; the final ship of her class, Munda, was delivered to the Navy just 101 days after the laying of her keel.
Kitkun Bay was 512 ft 3 in (156.13 m) long overall (490 ft (150 m) at the waterline), had a beam of 65 ft 2 in (19.86 m), and a draft of 20 ft 9 in (6.32 m). She displaced 8,188 long tons (8,319 t) standard, which increased to 10,902 long tons (11,077 t) with a full load. To carry out flight operations, the ship had a 257 ft (78 m) hangar deck and a 474 ft (144 m) flight deck. Her compact size necessitated the installation of an aircraft catapult at her bow, with two aircraft elevators to facilitate movement of aircraft between the flight and hangar deck, one each fore and aft.
She was powered by four Babcock & Wilcox Express D boilers that raised 285 psi (1,970 kPa) of steam at 577 °F (303 °C). The steam generated by these boilers fed two Skinner Unaflow reciprocating steam engines, delivering 9,000 hp (6,700 kW) to two propeller shafts. This allowed her to reach speeds of 19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph), with a cruising range of 10,240 nmi (18,960 km; 11,780 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph). For armament, one 5 in (127 mm)/38-caliber dual-purpose gun was mounted on the stern. Additional antiaircraft (AAC) defense was provided by eight Bofors 40 mm (1.57 in) AAC guns in single mounts and 12 Oerlikon 20 mm (0.79 in) cannons mounted around the perimeter of the deck. By 1945, Casablanca-class carriers had been modified to carry 20 Oerlikon cannons and 16 Bofors guns; the doubling of the latter was accomplished by putting them into twin mounts. Sensors onboard consisted of a SG surface-search radar and an SK air-search radar.
Although Casablanca-class escort carriers were intended 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. They were designed to operate with 27 aircraft, but the hangar deck could accommodate many more during transport or training missions.
During the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, she carried 12 FM-2 fighters, and eight TBM-1C torpedo bombers. During the Philippines campaign anBattle off Sam, though, she carried 16 FM-2 fighters and 12 TBM-1C torpedo bombers. During the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf, she carried 15 FM-2 fighters and 10 TBM-3 torpedo bombers, along with two reconnaissance planes, an FM-2P, and a TBM-3P.
Her construction was awarded to Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington, under a Maritime Commission contract, MC Hull 1108, on 18 June 1942. She was laid down on 3 May 1943 under the name Kitkun Bay, under Frank Knox's directive naming escort carriers for "sounds, bays, and islands". Her namesake, Kitkun Bay, is located on the southeastern end of Prince of Wales Island, constituting part of the Alexander Archipelago, at the time within the Territory of Alaska. She was laid down as the 17th of a series of 50 Casablanca-class escort carriers. She was launched on 8 November 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Francis E. Cruise; she was transferred to the Navy and commissioned at Astoria, Oregon, on 15 December 1943, with Captain John Perry Whitney in command.
Upon being commissioned, Kitkun Bay spent the rest of December and early January undergoing fitting out at U.S. Naval Ship Yard Tongue Point, Astoria, Oregon. She then underwent a shakedown cruise down the West Coast, heading to Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California. She arrived at San Diego on 22 January 1944, and after spending a week conducting exercises off the Channel Islands, she loaded Marine Torpedo Bomber Squadron (VMTB) 242 on a transport mission bound for the New Hebrides.
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USS Kitkun Bay
USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71) was the 17th of 50 Casablanca-class escort carriers built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was launched in November 1943 and transferred to the Navy and commissioned in December. She served in the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, the Battle off Samar, in which she faced the first wave of organized kamikaze attacks, and the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf, during which she was damaged by another kamikaze and forced to withdraw. After the war, she participated in Operation Magic Carpet, repatriating U.S. servicemen from around the Pacific. She was decommissioned in April 1946 and sold for scrapping in November. Ultimately, she was broken up in early 1947.
Kitkun Bay was a Casablanca-class escort carrier, the most numerous type of aircraft carriers ever built. Built to stem heavy losses during the Battle of the Atlantic, they came into service in late 1943, by which time the U-boat threat was already in retreat. Although some did see service in the Atlantic, most were used in the Pacific, ferrying aircraft, providing logistics support, and conducting close air support for the island-hopping campaigns. The Casablanca-class carriers were built on the standardized Type S4-S2-BB3 hull, a lengthened variant of the Doyen-class hull, and specifically designed to be mass-produced using welded, prefabricated sections. This allowed them to be produced at unprecedented speeds; the final ship of her class, Munda, was delivered to the Navy just 101 days after the laying of her keel.
Kitkun Bay was 512 ft 3 in (156.13 m) long overall (490 ft (150 m) at the waterline), had a beam of 65 ft 2 in (19.86 m), and a draft of 20 ft 9 in (6.32 m). She displaced 8,188 long tons (8,319 t) standard, which increased to 10,902 long tons (11,077 t) with a full load. To carry out flight operations, the ship had a 257 ft (78 m) hangar deck and a 474 ft (144 m) flight deck. Her compact size necessitated the installation of an aircraft catapult at her bow, with two aircraft elevators to facilitate movement of aircraft between the flight and hangar deck, one each fore and aft.
She was powered by four Babcock & Wilcox Express D boilers that raised 285 psi (1,970 kPa) of steam at 577 °F (303 °C). The steam generated by these boilers fed two Skinner Unaflow reciprocating steam engines, delivering 9,000 hp (6,700 kW) to two propeller shafts. This allowed her to reach speeds of 19 kn (35 km/h; 22 mph), with a cruising range of 10,240 nmi (18,960 km; 11,780 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph). For armament, one 5 in (127 mm)/38-caliber dual-purpose gun was mounted on the stern. Additional antiaircraft (AAC) defense was provided by eight Bofors 40 mm (1.57 in) AAC guns in single mounts and 12 Oerlikon 20 mm (0.79 in) cannons mounted around the perimeter of the deck. By 1945, Casablanca-class carriers had been modified to carry 20 Oerlikon cannons and 16 Bofors guns; the doubling of the latter was accomplished by putting them into twin mounts. Sensors onboard consisted of a SG surface-search radar and an SK air-search radar.
Although Casablanca-class escort carriers were intended 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. They were designed to operate with 27 aircraft, but the hangar deck could accommodate many more during transport or training missions.
During the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, she carried 12 FM-2 fighters, and eight TBM-1C torpedo bombers. During the Philippines campaign anBattle off Sam, though, she carried 16 FM-2 fighters and 12 TBM-1C torpedo bombers. During the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf, she carried 15 FM-2 fighters and 10 TBM-3 torpedo bombers, along with two reconnaissance planes, an FM-2P, and a TBM-3P.
Her construction was awarded to Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington, under a Maritime Commission contract, MC Hull 1108, on 18 June 1942. She was laid down on 3 May 1943 under the name Kitkun Bay, under Frank Knox's directive naming escort carriers for "sounds, bays, and islands". Her namesake, Kitkun Bay, is located on the southeastern end of Prince of Wales Island, constituting part of the Alexander Archipelago, at the time within the Territory of Alaska. She was laid down as the 17th of a series of 50 Casablanca-class escort carriers. She was launched on 8 November 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Francis E. Cruise; she was transferred to the Navy and commissioned at Astoria, Oregon, on 15 December 1943, with Captain John Perry Whitney in command.
Upon being commissioned, Kitkun Bay spent the rest of December and early January undergoing fitting out at U.S. Naval Ship Yard Tongue Point, Astoria, Oregon. She then underwent a shakedown cruise down the West Coast, heading to Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California. She arrived at San Diego on 22 January 1944, and after spending a week conducting exercises off the Channel Islands, she loaded Marine Torpedo Bomber Squadron (VMTB) 242 on a transport mission bound for the New Hebrides.
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