USS Petrof Bay

USS Petrof Bay underway on 21 June 1944. She is painted in Camouflage Measure 33, Design 10A.
History
United States
Name	Petrof Bay
Namesake	Petrof Bay, Kuiu Island, Alaska
Ordered	as a Type S4-S2-BB3 hull, MC hull 1117
Awarded	18 June 1942
Builder	Kaiser Shipyards
Laid down	15 October 1943
Launched	5 January 1944
Commissioned	18 February 1944
Decommissioned	31 July 1946
Stricken	27 June 1958
Identification	Hull symbol: CVE-80
Honors and awards	5 Battle stars, a Presidential Unit Citation for conduct during the Battle off Samar
Fate	Scrapped in September 1959
General characteristics
Class and type	Template:Sclass-
Displacement	8,188 long tons (8,319 t) (standard) 10,902 long tons (11,077 t) (full load)
Length	512 ft 3 in (156.13 m) (oa) 490 ft (150 m) (wl) 474 ft (144 m) (fd)
Beam	65 ft 2 in (19.86 m) 108 ft (33 m) (extreme width)
Draft	20 ft 9 in (6.32 m) (max)
Installed power	4 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers 9,000 shp (6,700 kW)
Propulsion	2 × Skinner Unaflow reciprocating steam engines 2 × screws
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Range	10,240 nmi (18,960 km; 11,780 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	Total: 910 – 916 officers and men Embarked Squadron: 50 – 56 Ship's Crew: 860
Armament	As designed: 1 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal dual-purpose gun 8 × 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns 12 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons Varied, ultimate armament: 1 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal gun 8 × twin 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns 30 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons
Aircraft carried	27
Aviation facilities	1 × catapult 2 × elevators
Service record
Part of:	United States Pacific Fleet (1944–1946) Atlantic Reserve Fleet (1946-1958)
Operations:	Mariana and Palau Islands campaign Philippines campaign Battle of Leyte Battle off Samar Invasion of Lingayen Gulf Invasion of Iwo Jima Battle of Okinawa Operation Magic Carpet

USS Petrof Bay (CVE-80) was the twenty-sixth of fifty Template:Sclass-s built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was named after Petrof Bay, located within Kuiu Island, of the Territory of Alaska. The ship was launched in January 1944, commissioned in February, and served in support of the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, the Philippines campaign, including the Battle off Samar, the Invasion of Iwo Jima, and the Battle of Okinawa. Postwar, she participated in Operation Magic Carpet. She was decommissioned in July 1946, when she was mothballed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Ultimately, she was broken up in September 1959.

Design and description

A profile of the design of Takanis Bay, which was shared by all Casablanca-class escort carriers.

Main article: Casablanca-class escort carrier

Petrof Bay was a Casablanca-class escort carrier, the most numerous type of aircraft carriers ever built, and was designed specifically to be mass-produced using prefabricated sections, in order to replace heavy early war losses. Standardized with her sister ships, she was 512 ft 3 in (156.13 m) long overall, 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, 10,902 long tons (11,077 t) with a full load. She had a 257 ft (78 m) long hangar deck and a 477 ft (145 m) long flight deck. She was powered with two Skinner Unaflow reciprocating steam engines, which drove two shafts, providing 9,000 horsepower (6,700 kW), thus enabling her to make 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph). The ship had a cruising range of 10,240 nautical miles (18,960 km; 11,780 mi) at a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph). Her compact size necessitated the installment of an aircraft catapult at her bow, and there were two aircraft elevators to facilitate movement of aircraft between the flight and hangar deck: one each fore and aft.

One 5 in (127 mm)/38 caliber dual-purpose gun was mounted on the stern. Anti-aircraft defense was provided by eight Bofors 40 mm (1.6 in) anti-aircraft guns in single mounts, as well as twelve Oerlikon 20 mm (0.79 in) cannons, which were mounted around the perimeter of the deck. By the end of the war, Casablanca-class carriers had been modified to carry thirty 20 mm (0.79 in) cannons, and the amount of Bofors 40 mm (1.6 in) guns had been doubled to sixteen, by putting them into twin mounts. These modifications were in response to increasing casualties due to kamikaze attacks. Casablanca-class escort carriers were designed to carry 27 aircraft, but the hangar deck could accommodate more. During the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, she carried 16 FM-2 Wildcat fighters and 10 TBM-1C Avenger torpedo bombers for a total of 26 aircraft. However, during the Battle of Leyte, at the opening stages of the Philippines campaign, she carried 16 FM-2 fighters and 12 TBM-1C torpedo bombers for a total of 28 aircraft. During the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf, at the middle stages of the Philippines campaign, as well as during the Invasion of Iwo Jima, she carried 20 FM-2 fighters and 12 TBM-1C torpedo bombers for a total of 32 aircraft. During the Battle of Okinawa, she carried 18 FM-2 fighters and 12 TBM-3 torpedo bombers for a total of 30 aircraft.

Construction

Her construction was awarded to Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington under a Maritime Commission contract, on 18 June 1942. The escort carrier was laid down on 15 October 1943 under the name Petrof Bay, as part of a tradition which named escort carriers after bays or sounds in Alaska. She was laid down as MC hull 1117, the twenty-sixth of a series of fifty Casablanca-class escort carriers. She therefore received the classification symbol CVE-80, indicating that she was the eightieth escort carrier to be commissioned into the United States Navy. She was launched on 5 January 1944; sponsored by Mrs. J.G. Atkins, the wife of Captain Atkins, the executive officer of the Farragut Naval Training Station, located in Northern Idaho; transferred to the Navy and commissioned on 18 February 1944, with Captain Joseph Lester Kane in command.

Service history

Upon being commissioned, Petrof Bay underwent a shakedown cruise down the West Coast, heading to Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California. Upon arriving, she took on passengers, aircraft, and cargo, before departing on 29 March for the southwest Pacific. She arrived at Espiritu Santo of the New Hebrides on 14 April, where she unloaded part of her cargo. On 20 April, she steamed for Seeadler Harbor, in Manus Island of the Admiralty Islands, arriving there on 25 April. After arriving, she transferred eight aircraft that she was ferrying to other ships within the harbor.

On the morning of 29 April, Petrof Bay met with the Fast Carrier Task Force (Task Force 58) of the Fifth Fleet, whereupon she began providing replacement aircraft to the task force in preparation for a follow-up strike against the Japanese naval stronghold of Truk of the Caroline Islands, which had previously been heavily damaged in Operation Hailstone. She then headed to Majuro Atoll of the Marshall Islands, arriving on 3 May, where she replenished. She then rendezvoused with the Fast Carrier Task Force again, after it had successful conducted its strike, providing all of her aircraft, as well as most of her aviation spares and material to the fleet carriers. She also loaded onboard damaged or obsolete aircraft, as well as salvage equipment for transportation back to the West Coast.

Accompanied by the Template:Sclass- Barnes and three screening destroyers, Petrof Bay headed back to the West Coast on 7 May, sailing into the San Francisco Bay on 20 May. She then headed back down to San Diego, where she embarked Composite Squadron (VC) 76, commanded by Lieutenant Commander James W. McCauley, and which was to be assigned to become her combat air contingent. She initially conducted shakedown air operations with her newly embarked squadron, before heading westwards for Pearl Harbor on 30 July, arriving there on 6 August.

Marianas and Palau Islands campaign

At Pearl Harbor, Petrof Bay disembarked her excess aircraft, and on 12 August, she left port, as a part of Task Group 32, the Western Attack Group, assigned to the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, but more specifically, to the planned Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II. She first headed to Guadalcanal of the Solomon Islands, anchoring in Tulagi Harbor on the afternoon of 24 August. On 4 September, having been assigned to Task Unit 32.7.2, or "Taffy 3", commanded by Rear Admiral George R. Henderson along with her sisters Saginaw Bay, which was Henderson's flagship, and Kalinin Bay, she sortied for the western Caroline Islands as a part of the Peleliu and Anguar Movement Group Number 2, screened by the Template:Sclass-s Haggard, Hailey, Johnston, and the Template:Sclass- Welles.

Petrof Bay, upon arriving off of Peleliu on 15 September, immediately began launching strikes against Japanese positions on the island. Marines of the 1st Marine Division landed on the southwest beaches of the island on the morning of 15 September, with the aircraft of VC-76 providing crucial close air support as they advanced up the island. For example, on the late afternoon of 15 September, as the Japanese garrison massed for a counterattack, a VC-76 TBM dropped a 500 lb (230 kg) bomb in the midst of three tanks, putting all three out of action. Her aircraft continued supporting the marines almost continuously until 29 September, with the exception of one day when she replenished on munitions at Kossol Roads. Notably, her aircraft were allowed almost free reign over the island, with the beleaguered Japanese forces in the area never providing any air opposition. By 30 September, the airfield on the island had become operational, enabling the use of land-based aircraft, and therefore Petrof Bay retired back to Manus Island.

Philippines campaign

Whilst at Manus Island, Petrof Bay was assigned to Task Unit 77.4.1, or "Taffy 1" of Task Group 77.4, the Escort Carrier Group. Commanded by Rear Admiral Thomas L. Sprague, it consisted of the Template:Sclass-s Sangamon, which was Sprague's flagship, Suwannee, Chenango, Santee, as well as the Casablanca-class escort carriers Saginaw Bay and Petrof Bay in Carrier Division 28, subdivided from the other carriers, but still within the same task unit. Carrier Division 28 was commanded by Rear Admiral George R. Henderson, whose flag was still hoisted onboard Saginaw Bay. On 14 October, she sortied from Seeadler Harbor, headed for the Leyte Gulf in support of the opening landings on Leyte, which was to be the return of American forces to the Philippines, and which would begin of the Philippines campaign.

As the escort carriers snaked northwards from the Admiralty Islands, they provided air cover and screening for the troop transports underway. Petrof Bay and Saginaw Bay were assigned to escort the transports of Task Group 79.3, which was carrying the troops of the 7th Infantry Division, which was bound to land near Dulag, near the southern flank of the planned initial beachhead. On 20 October, having finished her task of escorting the attack transports, she separated from the rest of "Taffy 1" and rendezvoused with Task Unit 77.4.2, or "Taffy 2" for the initial landings, as "Taffy 2" was responsible for covering the landing of the 7th Infantry Divison. Between the two carriers, they made forty air sorties on 20 October, as the 7th Infantry landed on Leyte. She then detached from "Taffy 2" and rejoined "Taffy 1", which had been suffering from Japanese air attacks. Petrof Bay continued providing air support from 21 October to 24 October.

In the meantime, as the escort carriers conducted their strikes, the Japanese garrison on Suluan had managed to alert their command, triggering Admiral Soemu Toyoda to launch Shō-Gō 1, a gambit to defend Japan's access to the oil fields of Southeast Asia. On 24 October, news began filtering through of the Japanese fleet moving out to engage, in what was to be the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Petrof Bay, having rejoined "Taffy 1" (Saginaw Bay had transferred her aircraft contingent to other carriers and retired from the field on 24 October), was located in the southernmost group of the escort carriers, just east of Surigao City. With this news, VC-76 began rearming into a complement more suitable to fighting against surface ships, with Captain Kane ordering all of her TBM Avengers to be loaded with torpedoes, of which they would dearly need the following day.

Over the night of 25 October, Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita's Center Force swung through the San Bernardino Strait, confronting and catching "Taffy 3", the northernmost escort carrier group, by surprise as the sun rose. The Center Force had previously been sighted and attacked by aircraft in the Sibuyan Sea, and had been thought to be withdrawing, information which had certainly played into Admiral William Halsey Jr.'s decision to lead his Third Fleet northwards, after spotting Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa's diversionary Northern Force. Thus, the only ships covering the vulnerable landing crafts of Leyte Gulf were the three escort carrier task groups and their screens.

At 06:47, on the morning of 25 October, "Taffy 3" radioed for help, reporting that they were being attacked by a large Japanese surface force. Therefore, "Taffy 1" and "Taffy 2" launched aircraft in relief. Therefore, Petrof Bay launched two special strikes against the Center Force, with the first special strike consisting of eight FM-2 Wildcats, which linked with aircraft from Santee and Sangamon to strafe the Japanese fleet. The Wildcats made strafing runs against the Japanese ships, to little effect, and released their bombs, to unknown effect (heavy anti-aircraft fire made immediate observation extremely precarious). Two of her Wildcats were lost in this action, one of them to friendly anti-aircraft fire as it tried to return to Petrof Bay over Tacloban, and another to the flak of the Japanese fleet as it made a run.

In the meantime, the second special strike of "Taffy 1" organized, consisting of forty-one planes, coming into formation at around 07:25. Amongst this contingent were four FM-2 Wildcats and six TBM-1C Avengers launched by Petrof Bay. Immediately after being launched, at 07:29, radar detected six Japanese Mitsubishi A6M "Zeros" approaching "Taffy 1". As a result, the crew of Petrof Bay were immediately called to general quarters, and would remain so for the next 108 hours. These six planes comprised the first organized kamikaze attacks to take place in the course of the Pacific War. At 07:40, visual contact was made with four of the Zeroes, which were proceeding some 10,000 ft (3,000 m) above the carriers. Three of the kamikazes immediately began their dives, with the fourth loitering around before selecting a target. The first kamikaze struck Santee, and the second kamikaze was shot down just short of Sangamon, spraying shrapnel all over the carrier. The third kamikaze dove towards Petrof Bay, but was shot down by her anti-aircraft guns as it made its dive. Nonetheless, it crashed into the ocean near enough to send water splashing onto her flight deck. The fourth kamikaze, having chosen its target, dove and struck Suwanee. A few minutes later, Santee was hit by a torpedo fired from the Japanese submarine I-56.

At 09:10, having been delayed considerably by kamikazes attempting to harry "Taffy 1", the special strike group proceeded northwards, reaching the vicinity of the battle at around 10:00. By then, Kurita had been discouraged by the American resistance, and was withdrawing eastwards. Petrof Bay's Avengers made torpedo runs against the battleships Japanese battleship Kongō, Haruna, and Nagato, with two Avengers even attempting to strike the largest battleship ever launched, the super battleship Japanese battleship Yamato. The crew of VC-76 reported one probable hit on Yamato, two probable hits on Nagato, two hits on Kongō, as well as one hit on an unidentified cruiser. However, the veracity of these claims are certainly dubitable, considering that the Japanese never recorded said torpedo "hits".

In the meantime, her Wildcats strafed the Japanese fleet, with apparent greater success than during the first special strike. Remarkably, despite the limited damage inflicted by the second special strike, none of her aircraft were lost to enemy fire. However, as they proceeded back from their strikes, the returning aircraft were dangerously low on fuel. Some of her Wildcats diverted to Tacloban, were they were harried by friendly anti-aircraft fire. In addition, some of her Avengers diverted to Fanshaw Bay of "Taffy 3" and Ommaney Bay of "Taffy 2", with one of her Avengers landing with less than 10 US gal (38 L; 8.3 imp gal) of fuel remaining. Four of her aircraft opted to try to return to Petrof Bay, the two Avengers that had made their run against Yamato, as well as two Wildcats. Three of those aircraft landed on her flight deck successfully, with one of the Avengers being forced to ditch into the ocean within sight of the carrier.

At 15:30, Petrof Bay launched a final strike to harass the retreating Center Force. After rendezvousing with the other aircraft of "Taffy 1", the aircraft proceed to the San Bernardino Strait, where it encountered the Template:Sclass- Kumano, whereupon her Avengers made torpedo runs against the cruiser. The apparently overeager pilots recorded two torpedo hits and one probable torpedo hit, when in reality the cruiser suffered only minor damage. Her final strike was forced to also divert to Tacloban, as their fuel was insufficient to return to "Taffy 1". Thus, Petrof Bay was left with only two Avengers onboard.

At 22:37, "Taffy 1" was steaming towards a rendezvous with "Taffy 3", when one of its escorts, the Template:Sclass- Coolbaugh, sighted the feathery wake of a submarine's periscope perpendicular to the escort carriers. As Coolbaugh charged in towards the wake to deliver depth charges, with inconclusive results, whilst the rest of the fleet made an immediate 90-degree emergency turn. As the turn was completed, the crew of Petrof Bay spotted two torpedo wakes straddling the carrier, one 20 yd (18 m) to the portside, and another apparently coasting under the overhang on the starboard side.

Whilst the American forces had been distracted with the Battle off Samar and its immediate aftermath, Vice Admiral Naomasa Sakonju's transport unit, which consisted of the Template:Sclass- light cruiser Kinu, the Template:Sclass- Uranami, as well as four transports, which were in the process of unloading 2,000 troops onto Ormoc Bay, on the Western coast of Leyte. The transport unit had also previously included the Template:Sclass- Aoba, but after having been damaged by the Template:Sclass- Bream on 23 October, it withdrew westwards. The transport unit finished unloading its troops on the morning of 26 October, but as it withdrew, it was quickly sighted. Therefore, a strike group of twenty-three Avengers and twenty-nine fighters were assembled to strike the Japanese ships. Petrof Bay contributed its last two Avengers to the strike group, and the strike group reached the Japanese ships at 10:00. One of Petrof Bay's Avengers scored a hit with a 500-pound (230 kg) semi-armor-piercing bomb on Kinu with the light cruiser sinking shortly afterwards. In addition, her fighters strafed Uranami, contributing to her sinking.

Suwanee was crashed into by another Zero at noon; and four Japanese aircraft started suicide runs on Petrof Bay from astern. The first aircraft exploded in mid-air from a hit from the 5-inch (127 mm) gun aided by gunfire from other ships. The second turned to starboard, smoking, and withdrew. The third aircraft looped into the clouds, came straight down, missed and hit the water twenty feet in front of the bridge. The aircraft exploded as it hit the water, drenching the ship with gas. The fourth Japanese aircraft dove straight for the flight deck, its tail and wing were shot off as it fell aft of the fantail.

During the night of 28 October Petrof Bay retired to the fueling area. That night the ship returned to rendezvous with Taffy 2, TG 77.2 and TG 77.3, and, in company with them, proceeded to Manus Island. All VC-76 aircrew were recovered. The squadron logged 15,000 hours of flight time through eight months of combat without a single personnel loss, while pilots were awarded seventeen Navy Crosses. Captain Kane also received a Navy Cross.

Next, Petrof Bay, as a part of Task Unit 77.4.5, departed for the traffic lanes leading to Leyte 19 November arriving in the area 23 November.

In mid-January 1945, the ship was detached from Task Group 77.3 and ordered to report for duty to Task Group 77.4, to prevent runs being made by the enemy from and into Manila. Direct support was furnished 29–30 January for the landings in the San Narciso and San Antonio areas.

Iwo Jima

With the reconquest of Luzon well underway, Petrof Bay departed for Ulithi.

The fortress island of Iwo Jima stood in the path of the advancing Americans, and was needed as a base for fighter escorts for the B–29 raids on Tokyo and the Japanese Empire. After being in port for only five days, Petrof Bay departed the Ulithi lagoon, underway for Iwo Jima. On 15 February 1945, she arrived at the objective area in company with Task Group 52.19, the Advance Movement Group.

As the battleships, cruisers and destroyers began shelling the island, aircraft from the escort carriers began strafing and bombing attacks. The troop transports arrived 18 February, and the Marines established a beachhead the next day. Aircraft from Petrof Bay supported these landings and furnished the troops with air support during the operation, making 786 air sorties.

By 7 March, the airstrip on Iwo Jima was fully operational and the ship was ordered to retire to Ulithi via Guam. Iwo Jima was the last operation for the ship's original squadron, VC–76, and at Guam they were disembarked and Composite Squadron 93 (VC–93) embarked on 10 March.

Okinawa

As a part of Task Unit 52.1.2 the ship departed 21 March 1945, escorting TG 54.1, Fire Support Group, to furnish air cover and air support in the invasion and capture of Okinawa. As Marines landed on Kerama Retto, Petrof Bay's new squadron first saw combat during strikes supporting the operation. Anti-aircraft fire was exceptionally heavy and accurate. The day before the landings on Okinawa the escort carrier's aircraft supported landings on Kiese Shima. Thereafter, she launched daily strike groups, patrols and special missions.

"L" Day was 1 April, Easter Sunday, and the landings on Okinawa were made at 08:30 with slight opposition. Aircraft from Petrof Bay preceded the troops.

The unit was ordered to attack and neutralize Sakishima Gunto 13 April, and the first strike was launched from 228 miles (367 km). Heavy anti-aircraft fire was encountered and two aircraft were shot down, but the pilots rescued. On 16 April the formation was back southeast of Okinawa.

During the period from 9 May until 26 May, the ship furnished direct air support, on-target air and anti-submarine patrol. During the Okinawa operation Petrof Bay's combat air patrol shot down 17 enemy aircraft.

On 26 May, Petrof Bay departed for Guam, where she arrived and entered Apra Harbor on 30 May. VC-93 was disembarked and Composite Squadron 90 (VC-90) embarked for transportation to Pearl Harbor. On 19 June, Petrof Bay moored at the Naval Operating Base, Terminal Island, San Pedro, California, for a general overhaul. She was undergoing the overhaul August 6, 1945 when the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and remained in overhaul on August 9, 1945 when the second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.

Postwar

Petrof Bay sailed for Pearl Harbor on 13 August 1945. Two days later Japan accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. The carrier arrived 20 August, took VC-20 aboard for qualifying exercises in local seas, replaced VC-20 with VC-4, and sailed for Tokyo Bay on 29 August by way of Eniwetok and Saipan. Flight operations continued, consisting of scouting and anti-submarine patrols with the last flight, a TBM Avenger, landing at 16:28 on 10 September off Saipan. The ship arrived at Saipan on 11 September, did not continue to Tokyo Bay, and departed for Pearl Harbor on 25 September with 104 members of VC-7 and other military personnel aboard as passengers. All aircraft were unloaded at Pearl Harbor, ending Petrof Bay's career as a warship.

The 123 men of VPB-152 and others were boarded as passengers. She departed 5 October, arrived in San Francisco 11 October, disembarking hundreds of veteran passengers including her operational squadron, VC-4. On 18 October she made a round trip to Pearl Harbor to pick up more veterans, returning 31 October. Alterations were made at Hunters Point to accommodate more passengers and she departed 17 November for Eniwetok where she loaded 1,062 veterans, followed by 153 at Kwajalein. She arrived in San Francisco 6 December, departed for Guam 12 December, embarked 944 veterans, and arrived at San Pedro on 18 January 1946.

Departing San Pedro on 29 January 1946, she touched at San Diego, transited the Panama Canal, and steamed up the eastern seaboard to Norfolk, Virginia, arriving 15 February. From there she headed northward again, and made her final mooring under her own power at Boston, Massachusetts on 23 February.

She was decommissioned and placed in the Boston Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet on 31 July 1955, reclassified CVU–80 12 June 1955, struck from the Navy Vessel Register 27 June 1958. The ship was sold to J. Berkurt on 30 July 1959, and subsequently scrapped.

Awards

Petrof Bay received five battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation for World War II service.

Sources

Online sources

• "Petrof Bay (CVE-80)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. 27 April 2016. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
• Hackett, Bob; Kingsepp, Sander (1 October 2018). "IJN Kumano: Tabular Record of Movement". combinedfleet.com. Retrieved 16 January 2021.}}
• "Kaiser Vancouver, Vancouver WA". www.ShipbuildingHistory.com. 27 November 2010. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
• "World Aircraft Carriers List: US Escort Carriers, S4 Hulls". Hazegray.org. 14 December 1998. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
• Maksel, Rebecca (14 August 2012). "How Do You Name an Aircraft Carrier?". Air & Space/Smithsonian. Retrieved 23 December 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)

Bibliography

• Chesneau, Robert; Gardiner, Robert (1980), Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946, London, England: Naval Institute Press, ISBN 9780870219139
• Y'Blood, William (2014), The Little Giants: U.S. Escort Carriers Against Japan (E-book), Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, ISBN 9781612512471

External links

• Photo gallery of USS Petrof Bay (CVE-80) at NavSource Naval History