Commencement Bay 1945
| No | Name | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comm | Fate |
| CVE105, 6/1955- CVHE105, 5/1959- AKV37 | Commencement Bay (ex-St. Joseph Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 23/9/1943 | 9/5/1944 | 27/11/1944 | helicopter escort carrier 6/1955, aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 4/1971 |
| CVE106, 12/1957- LPH1, 2/1959- CVE106, 5/1959- AKV38 | Block Island (ex-Sunset Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 25/10/1943 | 10/6/1944 | 30/12/1944 | assault helicopter carrier 12/1957 (conversion cancelled 6/1958), escort carrier 2/1959, aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 7/1959 |
| CVE107, 5/1959- AKV39, 6/1963- AGMR1 | Gilbert Islands (ex-St. Andrews Bay), 6/1963- Annapolis | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 29/11/1943 | 20/7/1944 | 5/2/1945 | aviation transport 5/1959, communications relay ship 3/1964, stricken 10/1976 |
| CVE108, 5/1959- AKV8, 6/1965- T-AKV8 | Kula Gulf (ex-Vermillion Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 16/12/1943 | 15/8/1944 | 12/5/1945 | aviation transport 5/1959, aircraft transport 6/1965, stricken 9/1970 |
| CVE109, 6/1955 - CVHE109, 5/1959- AKV9 | Cape Gloucester (ex-Willapa Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 10/1/1944 | 12/9/1944 | 5/3/1945 | helicopter escort carrier 6/1955, aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 4/1971 |
| CVE110, 5/1959- AKV10 | Salerno Bay (ex-Winjah Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 7/2/1944 | 26/9/1944 | 19/5/1945 | aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 6/1961 |
| CVE111, 6/1955 - CVHE111, 5/1959- AKV11 | Vella Gulf (ex-Totem Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 7/3/1944 | 19/10/1944 | 9/4/1945 | helicopter escort carrier 6/1955, aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 12/1970 |
| CVE112, 5/1959- AKV12 | Siboney (ex-Frosty Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 1/4/1944 | 9/11/1944 | 14/5/1945 | aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 6/1970 |
| CVE113, 6/1955 - CVHE113, 5/1959- AKV13 | Puget Sound (ex-Hobart Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 12/5/1944 | 30/11/1944 | 18/6/1945 | helicopter escort carrier 6/1955, aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 6/1960 |
| CVE114, 5/1959- AKV14 | Rendova (ex-Mosser Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 15/6/1944 | 28/12/1944 | 22/10/1945 | aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 4/1971 |
| CVE115, 5/1959- AKV15 | Bairoko (ex-Portage Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 25/7/1944 | 25/1/1945 | 16/7/1945 | aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 4/1960 |
| CVE116, 5/1959- AKV16 | Badoeng Strait (ex-San Alberto Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 18/8/1944 | 15/2/1945 | 14/11/1945 | aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 12/1970 |
| CVE117, 6/1955 - CVHE117, 5/1959- AKV17 | Saidor (ex-Saltery Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 29/9/1944 | 17/3/1945 | 4/9/1945 | helicopter escort carrier 6/1955, aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 12/1970 |
| CVE118, 5/1959- AKV18 | Sicily (ex-Sandy Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 23/10/1944 | 14/4/1945 | 27/2/1946 | aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 7/1960 |
| CVE119, 5/1959- AKV19, 8/1965- T-AKV19 | Point Cruz (ex-Trocadero Bay) | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 4/12/1944 | 18/5/1945 | 16/10/1945 | aviation transport 5/1959, aircraft transport 8/1965, stricken 9/1970 |
| CVE120, 5/1959- AKV20 | Mindoro | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 2/1/1945 | 27/6/1945 | 4/12/1945 | aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 12/1959 |
| CVE121, 6/1955 - CVHE121, 5/1959- AKV21 | Rabaul | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 29/1/1945 | 14/7/1945 | 30/8/1946 | helicopter escort carrier 6/1955, aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 9/1971 |
| CVE122, 5/1959- AKV22 | Palau | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 19/2/1945 | 6/8/1945 | 15/1/1946 | aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 4/1960 |
| CVE123, 6/1955 - CVHE123, 5/1959- AKV23 | Tinian | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 20/3/1945 | 5/9/1945 | 30/7/1946 | helicopter escort carrier 6/1955, aviation transport 5/1959, stricken 6/1970 |
| CVE124 | Bastogne | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 2/4/1945 | --- | --- | cancelled 11/8/1945 |
| CVE125 | Eniwetok | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 20/4/1945 | --- | --- | cancelled 11/8/1945 |
| CVE126 | Lingayen | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 1/5/1945 | --- | --- | cancelled 11/8/1945 |
| CVE127 | Okinawa | Todd-Pacific, Tacoma | 22/5/1945 | --- | --- | cancelled 11/8/1945 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
18908 |
|
Displacement full, t |
21397 |
|
Length, m |
160.0 wl 169.9 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
22.9 wl 32.1 a |
|
Draught, m |
8.50 full load |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
Allison-Chalmers geared steam turbines, 4 Combustion Engineering boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
16000 |
|
Max speed, kts |
19 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 1789 |
| Endurance, nm (kts) | 10000 (15) |
|
Armament |
CVE105 - 107: 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12 (Mk 30), 3 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors, 12 x 2 - 40/56 Bofors, 20 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 33 aircraft (F4F Wildcat, F4U Corsair, F6F Hellcat fighters, SB2C Helldiver dive bombers, TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, TBM-S Avenger ASW planes, TBM-W Avenger EW planes, SOC Seagull, F4F-P Wildcat, F4U-P Corsair, F6F-P Hellcat reconnaissance planes) CVE108, 110, 112 - 117: 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12 (Mk 30), 3 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors, 12 x 2 - 40/56 Bofors, 20 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 33 aircraft (F4F Wildcat, F4U Corsair, F6F Hellcat, FR Fireball, F8F Bearcat fighters, SB2C Helldiver dive bombers, TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, TBM-S Avenger ASW planes, TBM-W Avenger EW planes, SOC Seagull, F4F-P Wildcat, F4U-P Corsair, F6F-P Hellcat, F8F-P Bearcat reconnaissance planes) CVE109, 111: 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12 (Mk 30), 3 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors, 12 x 2 - 40/56 Bofors, 20 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 33 aircraft (F4F Wildcat, F4U Corsair, F6F Hellcat, FR Fireball fighters, SB2C Helldiver dive bombers, TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, TBM-S Avenger ASW planes, TBM-W Avenger EW planes, SOC Seagull, F4F-P Wildcat, F4U-P Corsair, F6F-P Hellcat reconnaissance planes) CVE118: 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12 (Mk 30), 3 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors, 12 x 2 - 40/56 Bofors, 20 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 33 aircraft (F4U Corsair, F6F Hellcat, FR Fireball, F8F Bearcat fighters, SB2C Helldiver dive bombers, TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, TBM-S Avenger ASW planes, TBM-W Avenger EW planes, SOC Seagull, F4U-P Corsair, F6F-P Hellcat, F8F-P Bearcat reconnaissance planes) CVE119: 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12 (Mk 30), 3 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors, 12 x 2 - 40/56 Bofors, 20 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 33 aircraft (F4F Wildcat, F4U Corsair, F6F Hellcat, FR Fireball, F8F Bearcat fighters, SB2C Helldiver dive bombers, TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, TBM-S Avenger ASW planes, TBM-W Avenger EW planes, SOC Seagull, F4F-P Wildcat, F4U-P Corsair, F6F-P Hellcat, F8F-P Bearcat reconnaissance planes) CVE120 - 123: 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12 (Mk 30), 3 x 4 - 40/56 Bofors, 12 x 2 - 40/56 Bofors, 20 x 1 - 20/70 Oerlikon, 33 aircraft (F4U Corsair, F6F Hellcat, FR Fireball, F8F Bearcat fighters, SB2C Helldiver dive bombers, TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, TBM-S Avenger ASW planes, TBM-W Avenger EW planes, SOC Seagull, F4U-P Corsair, F6F-P Hellcat, F8F-P Bearcat reconnaissance planes) |
| Sensors |
SG, SK-2, SP radars |
|
Complement |
1066 |
Aircraft facilities (fd - 3,726 m², ha - 1,382 m² / 7,365 m³): Flight deck: 152.7 x 24.4 m. Hangar: 65.8 x 21.0 x 5.33 m. There were 2 lifts in center line (7.7 t, 13.4 x 12.8 m). There was 1 H-II and 1 H-IVC catapults. Aircraft fuel stowage: 700 000 l.
| Year | fighters | torpedo bombers | ASW planes and helicopters |
| 6/1945 Block Island | 20 F4U-1D and F6F-5N | 9 TBM-3 | --- |
| 9/1950 Sicily | 15 F4U-4B | --- | 10 TBM-3E/S, 2 HO3S-1 |
| 9/1952 Badoeng Strait | --- | --- | 10 - 15 AF-2S/W, 2 HO3S-1 |
Ship project history: Largest and most successful US-built escort aircraft carriers. The project represented improved Sangamon.
Hull repeated the hull of T-3 tanker, but has been thoroughly improved and re-arranged; the number of watertight bulkheads has increased. Stern-arranged engine and boiler rooms were stored, but machinery became arranged on en echelon, its power has increased also (on trials Commencement Bay made 17800hp and 20.2kts speed). The area of a flight deck in comparison with Sangamon was a little moderated, but the hangar became larger.
Modernizations: (8/1962 - 3/1964, New York N Yd, Brooklyn) Gilbert Islands: was converted to communications relay ship AGMR1 Annapolis: displacement was 11473 / 22500 t, complement was 710 men, armament consisted of 4 x 2 - 76/50 Mk 33 mountings.
Naval service: No significant events.
Kula Gulf 1950
© Ivan Gogin, 2008-10