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USS Long Island (CVE-1)
The United States Navy had a sizable fleet of escort aircraft carriers during World War II and the era that followed. These ships were both quicker and cheaper to build than larger fleet carriers and were built in great numbers to serve as a stop-gap measure when fleet carriers were too few. However, they were usually too slow to keep up with naval task forces and would typically be assigned to amphibious operations, often seen in the Pacific war 's island hopping campaign , or to convoy protection in the war in the Atlantic . To that end, many of these ships were transferred to the Royal Navy as part of the US-UK lend-lease program . (Note that many of the lower-numbered carriers were transferred to the Royal Navy , where they received new names. The new names are mentioned in each article individually.) While some of these ships were kept for a time in reserve after the war, none survive today, as they have all since been sunk or retired and scrapped. The following are the classes and stand-alone ships of the US Navy's escort carriers;
Name
Hull number
Laid Down
Launched
Commissioned
Notes
Unnamed
BAVG-1
7 June 1939
14 December 1939
17 November 1941
Became HMS Archer (D78)
BAVG-2
28 November 1939
27 November 1940
2 March 1942
Became HMS Avenger (D14)
BAVG-3
28 December 1939
18 December 1940
6 May 1942
Became HMS Biter (D97) later French Navy Dixmude
BAVG-4
19 January 1940
1 March 1941
2 October 1941
Became HMS Charger (D27) briefly, returned to USN as USS Charger (CVE-30)
BAVG-5
11 March 1940
12 April 1941
2 July 1942
Became HMS Dasher (D37)
BAVG-6
3 November 1941
7 March 1942
31 January 1943
Became HMS Tracker (D24)
Long Island
CVE-1
7 July 1939
11 January 1940
2 June 1941
Altamaha
CVE-6
15 April 1941
4 April 1942
31 October 1942
Became HMS Battler (D18)
Barnes
CVE-7
17 April 1941
27 September 1941
30 September 1942
Became HMS Attacker (D02)
Block Island
CVE-8
15 May 1941
22 May 1942
9 January 1943
Became HMS Hunter (D80)
Bogue
CVE-9
1 October 1941
15 January 1942
26 September 1942
Lead ship of her class
Breton
CVE-10
28 June 1941
15 February 1943
9 April 1943
Became HMS Chaser (D32)
Card
CVE-11
27 October 1941
27 February 1942
8 November 1942
Copahee
CVE-12
18 June 1941
21 October 1941
15 June 1942
Core
CVE-13
2 January 1942
15 May 1942
10 December 1942
Croatan
CVE-14
5 September 1941
4 April 1942
20 February 1943
Became HMS Fencer (D64)
Hamlin
CVE-15
6 October 1941
5 March 1942
21 December 1942
Became HMS Stalker (D91)
Nassau
CVE-16
27 November 1941
4 April 1942
20 August 1942
St. George
CVE-17
31 July 1941
18 July 1942
14 June 1943
Became HMS Pursuer (D73)
Altamaha
CVE-18
19 December 1941
22 May 1942
15 September 1942
Prince William
CVE-19
15 December 1941
7 May 1942
28 April 1943
Became HMS Striker (D12)
Barnes
CVE-20
19 January 1942
2 May 1942
20 February 1943
Block Island
CVE-21
19 January 1942
1 May 1942
8 March 1943
Unnamed
CVE-22
20 February 1942
20 June 1942
7 April 1943
Became HMS Searcher (D40)
Breton
CVE-23
25 February 1942
27 June 1942
12 April 1943
Unnamed
Unnumbered
11 April 1942
16 July 1942
25 April 1943
Became HMS Ravager (D70)
Croatan
CVE-25
15 April 1942
1 August 1942
28 April 1943
Last ship, first group of Bogue -class
Sangamon
CVE-26
13 March 1939
4 November 1939
25 August 1942
Lead ship of her class (converted from Cimarron -class oiler )
Suwannee
CVE-27
3 June 1938
4 March 1939
24 September 1942
Chenango
CVE-28
10 July 1938
1 April 1939
19 September 1942
Santee
CVE-29
31 May 1938
4 March 1939
24 August 1942
Last ship of Sangamon -class
Charger
CVE-30
19 January 1940
1 March 1941
3 March 1942
Same ship as AVG-4 and HMS Charger (D27)
Prince William
CVE-31
18 May 1942
23 August 1942
9 April 1943
First ship, second group of Bogue -class
Chatham
CVE-32
25 May 1942
19 September 1942
11 August 1943
Became HMS Slinger (D26)
Glacier
CVE-33
9 June 1942
7 September 1942
28 October 1943
Became HMS Atheling (D51)
Pybus
CVE-34
23 June 1942
7 October 1942
6 August 1943
Became HMS Emperor (D98)
Baffins
CVE-35
18 July 1942
18 October 1942
20 July 1943
Became HMS Ameer (D01)
Bolinas
CVE-36
3 August 1942
11 November 1942
2 August 1943
Became HMS Begum (D38)
Bastian
CVE-37
25 August 1942
15 December 1942
4 August 1943
Became HMS Trumpeter (D09)
Carnegie
CVE-38
9 September 1942
30 December 1942
12 August 1943
Became HMS Empress (D42)
Cordova
CVE-39
22 September 1942
30 January 1943
25 August 1943
Became HMS Khedive (D62)
Delgada
CVE-40
9 October 1942
20 February 1943
20 November 1943
Became HMS Speaker (D90)
Edisto
CVE-41
20 October 1942
22 March 1943
7 September 1943
Became HMS Nabob (D77)
Estero
CVE-42
31 October 1942
22 March 1943
3 November 1943
Became HMS Premier (D23)
Jamaica
CVE-43
13 November 1942
21 April 1943
27 September 1943
Became HMS Shah (D21)
Keweenaw
CVE-44
27 November 1942
6 May 1943
25 October 1943
Became HMS Patroller (D07)
Prince
CVE-45
17 December 1942
18 May 1943
17 January 1944
Became HMS Rajah (D10)
Niantic
CVE-46
5 January 1943
2 June 1943
8 November 1943
Became HMS Ranee (D03)
Perdido
CVE-47
1 February 1943
16 June 1943
31 January 1944
Became HMS Trouncer (D85)
Sunset
CVE-48
23 February 1943
15 July 1943
19 November 1943
Became HMS Thane (D48)
St. Andrews
CVE-49
12 March 1943
2 August 1943
7 December 1943
Became HMS Queen (D19)
St. Joseph
CVE-50
25 March 1943
21 August 1943
22 December 1943
Became HMS Ruler (D72)
St. Simon
CVE-51
26 April 1943
9 September 1943
31 December 1943
Became HMS Arbiter (D31)
Vermillion
CVE-52
10 May 1943
27 September 1943
20 January 1944
Became HMS Smiter (D55)
Willapa
CVE-53
21 May 1943
8 November 1943
5 February 1944
Became HMS Puncher (D79)
Winjah
CVE-54
5 June 1943
22 November 1943
18 February 1944
Became HMS Reaper (D82) , last ship of Bogue -class
Casablanca
CVE-55
3 November 1942
5 April 1943
8 July 1943
Lead Ship of her class
Liscome Bay
CVE-56
9 December 1942
19 April 1943
7 August 1943
Anzio
CVE-57
1 May 1943
27 August 1943
5 August 1946
Originally named Alikula Bay , commissioned as Coral Sea (1943-1944), renamed Anzio (1944-1959)
Corregidor
CVE-58
17 December 1942
12 May 1943
31 August 1943
Mission Bay
CVE-59
28 December 1942
26 May 1943
13 September 1943
Guadalcanal
CVE-60
5 January 1943
5 June 1943
25 September 1943
Manila Bay
CVE-61
15 January 1943
10 July 1943
5 October 1943
Natoma Bay
CVE-62
17 January 1943
20 July 1943
14 October 1943
Midway
CVE-63
23 January 1943
17 August 1943
23 October 1943
Originally named Chapin Bay , commissioned as Midway (1943-1944), renamed St. Lo (1944)
Tripoli
CVE-64
1 February 1943
13 July 1943
31 October 1943
Wake Island
CVE-65
6 February 1943
15 September 1943
7 November 1943
White Plains
CVE-66
11 February 1943
27 September 1943
15 November 1943
Solomons
CVE-67
19 March 1943
6 October 1943
21 November 1943
Kalinin Bay
CVE-68
26 April 1943
15 October 1943
27 November 1943
Kasaan Bay
CVE-69
May 1943
24 October 1943
4 December 1943
Laid down as S4-S2-BB3 Oiler, completed as CVE-69
Fanshaw Bay
CVE-70
18 May 1943
1 November 1943
9 December 1943
Kitkun Bay
CVE-71
3 May 1943
8 November 1943
15 December 1943
Tulagi
CVE-72
7 June 1943
15 November 1943
21 December 1943
Gambier Bay
CVE-73
10 July 1943
22 November 1943
28 December 1943
Nehenta Bay
CVE-74
20 July 1943
28 November 1943
3 January 1944
Hoggatt Bay
CVE-75
17 August 1943
4 December 1943
11 January 1944
Kadashan Bay
CVE-76
2 September 1943
11 December 1943
18 January 1944
Marcus Island
CVE-77
15 September 1943
16 December 1943
26 January 1944
Savo Island
CVE-78
27 September 1943
22 December 1943
3 February 1944
Ommaney Bay
CVE-79
6 October 1943
29 December 1943
11 February 1944
Petrof Bay
CVE-80
15 October 1943
5 January 1944
18 February 1944
Rudyerd Bay
CVE-81
24 October 1943
12 January 1944
25 February 1944
Saginaw Bay
CVE-82
1 November 1943
19 January 1944
2 March 1944
Sargent Bay
CVE-83
8 November 1943
31 January 1944
9 March 1944
Shamrock Bay
CVE-84
15 March 1943
4 February 1944
15 March 1944
Shipley Bay
CVE-85
22 November 1943
12 February 1944
21 March 1944
Sitkoh Bay
CVE-86
23 November 1943
19 February 1944
28 March 1944
Steamer Bay
CVE-87
4 December 1943
26 February 1944
4 April 1944
Cape Esperance
CVE-88
11 December 1943
3 March 1944
9 April 1944
Name changed from Tananek Bay 6 November 1943
Takanis Bay
CVE-89
16 December 1943
10 March 1944
15 April 1944
Thetis Bay
CVE-90
22 December 1943
16 March 1944
12 April 1944
Makassar Strait
CVE-91
29 December 1943
22 March 1944
27 April 1944
Windham Bay
CVE-92
5 January 1944
29 March 1944
3 May 1944
Makin Island
CVE-93
12 January 1944
5 April 1944
9 May 1944
Lunga Point
CVE-94
19 January 1944
11 April 1944
14 May 1944
Bismarck Sea
CVE-95
31 January 1944
17 April 1944
20 May 1944
Salamaua
CVE-96
4 February 1944
22 April 1944
26 May 1944
Originally named Anguilla Bay
Hollandia
CVE-97
12 February 1944
28 April 1944
1 June 1944
Kwajalein
CVE-98
19 February 1944
4 May 1944
7 June 1944
Admiralty Islands
CVE-99
26 February 1944
10 May 1944
13 June 1944
Bougainville
CVE-100
3 March 1944
16 May 1944
18 June 1944
Matanikau
CVE-101
10 March 1944
22 May 1944
24 June 1944
Attu
CVE-102
16 March 1944
27 May 1944
30 June 1944
Roi
CVE-103
22 March 1944
2 June 1944
6 July 1944
Munda
CVE-104
29 March 1944
27 May 1944
8 July 1944
Last ship of Casablanca -class
Commencement Bay
CVE-105
23 September 1943
9 May 1944
27 November 1944
Lead ship of her class
Block Island
CVE-106
25 October 1943
10 June 1944
30 December 1944
Gilbert Islands
CVE-107
29 November 1943
20 July 1944
5 February 1945
Kula Gulf
CVE-108
16 December 1943
15 August 1944
12 May 1945
Cape Gloucester
CVE-109
10 January 1944
12 September 1944
5 March 1945
Salerno Bay
CVE-110
7 February 1944
26 September 1944
19 May 1945
Vella Gulf
CVE-111
7 March 1944
19 October 1944
9 April 1945
Siboney
CVE-112
1 April 1944
9 November 1944
14 May 1945
Laid down as Frosty Bay , renamed Siboney 26 April 1944
Puget Sound
CVE-113
12 May 1944
20 September 1944
18 June 1945
Rendova
CVE-114
15 June 1944
29 December 1944
22 October 1945
Bairoko
CVE-115
25 July 1944
25 January 1945
16 July 1945
Badoeng Strait
CVE-116
18 August 1944
15 February 1945
14 November 1945
Saidor
CVE-117
29 September 1944
17 March 1945
4 September 1945
Sicily
CVE-118
23 October 1944
14 April 1945
27 February 1946
Point Cruz
CVE-119
4 December 1944
18 May 1945
16 October 1945
Mindoro
CVE-120
2 January 1945
27 June 1945
4 December 1945
Rabaul
CVE-121
29 January 1945
14 June 1945
Acquired by the Navy 30 August 1946, never commissioned.
Palau
CVE-122
19 February 1945
6 August 1945
15 January 1946
Tinian
CVE-123
20 March 1945
5 September 1945
Acquired by the Navy 30 July 1946, never commissioned.
Bastogne
CVE-124
2 April 1945
Laid down, cancelled before launch
Eniwetok
CVE-125
20 April 1945
Lingayen
CVE-126
1 May 1945
Okinawa
CVE-127
22 May 1945
Unnamed
CVE-128
Cancelled
CVE-129
CVE-130
CVE-131
CVE-132
CVE-133
CVE-134
CVE-135
CVE-136
CVE-137
CVE-138
CVE-139
Cancelled / Last ship of Commencement Bay -class
See also
Notes and references
The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, by James C. Fahey , Associate, United States Naval Institute, 1945 (Victory Edition)