USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95)

USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) in June 1944
Overview
Order	1942
Keel laying	January 31, 1944
Launch	April 17, 1944
1. Period of service
Commissioning	May 20, 1944
Whereabouts	Sank on February 21, 1945 after being hit by Kamika
Technical specifications
displacement	7800  ts (standard) 10,400 ts (application)
length	156.2 m
width	32.9 m
height	34.5 m (mast)
Draft	6.9 m
crew	860
drive	4 piston steam engines, 9000 HP on two propellers
speed	19 kn
Range	10,200 nm at 15 kn
Armament	1 × 127 mm gun 8 × 40mm twins 20 × 20 mm MK
Planes	28

The USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) was an escort carrier of the Casablanca-class and stood from May 1944 to February 1945 in the service of the United States Navy . After two devastating kamikaze hits off Iwo Jima , the porter exploded and sank with 318 sailors on board.

history

The carrier was laid down at Kaiser Shipbuilding in Vancouver , Washington as the USS Alikula Bay on January 31, 1944 . The Maritime Commission number was "hull # 1132". On April 17, 1944, after the ship was christened by Mrs. Mon C. Wallgren , the carrier was launched. On May 16, the escort carrier in the USS Bismarck Sea was renamed in memory of the Battle of the Bismarck Sea and entered service with the US Navy four days later under the command of Captain John L. Pratt.

After completion of the test drives, which took place off the US west coast in June 1944, the carrier ran on July 1 from San Pedro loaded with aircraft and pilots to Hawaii . After unloading the aircraft, the Bismarck Sea drove to the Marshall Islands . On July 16, she arrived in Majuro , where she unloaded more aircraft and took damaged machines on board. Together with Saginaw Bay , the Bismarck Sea returned to Pearl Harbor on July 29th . In early August, the carrier ran to San Diego , where it went to dock for a four-week overhaul.

On September 7th, the carrier began with maneuvers and flight operations off the California coast, on October 16, the course was set for Hawaii, from where the Bismarck Sea ran after a short stopover to Eniwetok , on November 1st of the 7th US -Fleet to join. The next day the porter ran to Ulithi , where it was prepared for its operational use. From November 12th, the Bismarck Sea secured convoys in the sea area around the Philippines . On November 21, the carrier was shot at by a Japanese plane, which did not cause any damage on board. After the carrier had received the order to join Task Group 77.4 in Manus , he ran into Seeadler Harbor on November 27, 1944 . In the following weeks, the Bismarck Sea operated as an exercise carrier east of New Guinea , and on December 27th she sailed with the TG 77.4 to Palau to secure the upcoming landing on Luzon .

On January 4, 1945, the formation was repeatedly attacked by land-based Japanese aircraft. The only Japanese surface units sighted were the destroyers Hinoki and Sugi . Together with aircraft from other carriers, four torpedo bombers from the Bismarck Sea launched an air strike on the Japanese destroyers, which were badly damaged. Although the Task Group's Ommaney Bay had to be abandoned after two heavy kamikaze hits on January 4th, the TG 77.4 began air support for American operations on Luzon . On January 17th, the association set course for the Carolines .

Preparations for the conquest of Iwo Jima began in Ulithi Atoll. On February 10, 1945, the Bismarck Sea left the atoll as part of Task Group 52.2 in the direction of the Ogasawara Islands . On February 16, the association arrived at its position about 50 nautical miles south of the islands, where it served as a submarine and anti-aircraft shield for the heavy units. When the first wave of American landing forces landed on the island on February 19, 1945, the escort carriers provided close air support and reconnaissance flights.

Severe explosion on board the Bismarck Sea after the Kamikaze hit, February 21, 1945

On the evening of February 21, the Bismarck Sea was attacked by a swarm of Japanese planes. One aircraft could be shot down by the flak, but another fell on the flight deck. The aircraft broke through the quarterdeck, destroyed the aircraft elevator and set the hangar deck on fire. As the porter's crew was getting the fire under control, another kamikaze plane hit the Bismarck Sea , this time further ahead. The firefighting teams were killed by the explosion and the decks and bulkheads to the magazines were torn open. Fanned by ammunition and aviation fuel, the fire got completely out of control, so the captain gave the order to leave the ship. A large part of the crew disembarked in 30 minutes and was picked up by destroyers and accompanying destroyers. After two more hours, during which several severe explosions occurred, the Bismarck Sea finally capsized and sank.

The heavy seas and other Japanese air strikes made it difficult to rescue the crew, despite the efforts of three destroyers and three destroyer escorts, 318 US sailors lost their lives.

The USS Bismarck Sea was removed from the Naval Vessel Register on March 30 and received three Battle Stars for its use during the war .

Web links

Commons : USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95)  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files

• History of the Bismarck Sea in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (English)
• Pictures of the Bismarck Sea at navsource.org