Bairoko (CVE 115) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 18 text:

A , . ,,,, ,,.. ,,..,, , . ,ww wwwwmmc l tHls stonv or THE cvs T1-1Eibui1ding of the escort carrier, also 'known as a. Baby Flat Top or Ieep'Carrier , the Navy harkened back to the early day of the aircraft carrier. The first United States carrier, the Langley, completed shortly after the close of World War 1, was converted from a collier. Later the 'British and American navies used projected cruisers or battle cruisers as hulls on which to place flightfdecks, and so the famed Lexington and Saratoga made their appearance. A Early in 1941, the Navy General Board directed that the S.S. Mormacmail be fitted with a flightdeck and converted into an escort. Uponcompletion she was renamed the U.S.S. Long Island, the first of a long line of escort carriers. The following year, with our supply line to Europe almost severed and our Atlantic shore covered with debris of sunken merchantmen, the conversion of merchant ships to escort carriers was rushed. These ships, designated as auxil- iary escorts, were destined for duty with Atlantic convoys. ' i A A H Q 'Following the introduction of this new element into the Battle of the Atlantic, a sharp re- A A duction in the effectiveness of ' the German underseas War was noted. The CVE then ,turned from the defensive and began to attack. ,Instead of avoid- ing the submarines, the car- riers now sought their lairs. Well trained and co-ordinated teams of carriers, planes, and accompanying destroyers and destroyer escorts put out to sea. Over 30,000,000 square miles of water, from Iceland to Capetown, they sought out, harried and.destroyed U-boats. The Card and Bogue received the Presidential Unit Citation for their good hunting. In Iune, 1944, the Guadalcanal ,cap- tured an enemy sub intact, the first such prize in our naval history. 1 -

Page 17 text:

MEDICAL OFFICER Lt. Comdr. Edward D. Hudson, USNR Lieut. Comdr. Hudson, a Virginian, attended Williamaand Mary College and the Medical College of Virginia, and practiced in Geneva, Wis. His naval service has included duty at San Diego, Mobile Hospital at Shoemaker, Calif.2'Port Huenerne, Calif., Pensacola, and St. Mary's Pre-flight School. , GUNNERY OFFICER Lt. Samuel A. McCau11ey. USNR Q Lieut. McCaulley, of Philadelphia, Pa., and Lehigh University, came to the Navy in 1940. He was a turret gunnery officer on the Wy- oming and then served on the staff of ComServLant. Awarded his Wings as a lighter-than-air pilot in 1943, he had 18 months duty in the Caribbean area. NAVIGATOR y Lt. I-Iarold M. Iames. USN Lieut. Iames, who lives in West Seattle, Wash., is another old seadog-with 17 years in the Navy. He first saw action on a de- stroyer, and has been navigator on two escort carriers, the U.S.S. Phybus and U.S.S. Solo- mons. He wears ribbons for duty in boththe Atlantic and the Pacific. COMMUNICATION OFFICER Lt. William S. Stewart. USNR Lieut. Stewart claims both Evanston, Ill., and Mobile, Ala., as his home. After enlisting in 1942, and serving in Panama, he was com- missioned in 1943, and was Communication Officer on the Ommaney Bay which was sunk off the Philippines. His battle stars are for Palau and the Philippines.

Page 19 text:

if I .. x . 5 f a 9 Y A I l . JZ The strategy in the Pacific ' called for the seizure or neutral- ization of the Iapanese unsmk- able aircraft carriers the small islands which constituted both the outside perimeter of their Iapan. In the subsequent island hopping amphibious o p e r a - tions the small carrier played a malorrole It was their air- craft which helped to ' soften these targets and supported the Marines and Army in land- ing operations First securing control of the air they blasted the enemy positions and troops until the critical phases of the landings were over. Planes based on escortcarriers did similar Work on the beachheads in North Africa, ltaly, and France. I , A war of the magnitude of the present one is full of dramatic moments. Much of the work of the CVE s is dull and routine but the dawn of October 25, 1944, yields to no other day-of the war for sheer drama and stark courage. On that morning off the East coast of the Philippines the mam Iap battle line encountered the CVE's supporting the landing on Leyte. Against the onslaught of 16 inch shells the baby flat tops threw their aircraft and DUHY Sl'1iDS' QUHS- After several hours of furious battle the Iap fleet Was turned baCk, and the threat Of disaster to the whole Philippine operation removed. The jeeps that daY HIST the newest and best Of the lap Navy 1n'a surface action-something not yet redliZ9C1 bY OUT DSW b6TT1GShiPS and ldfqe CGTHGTS-, The price of victory Was small in comparison to its 'importance+tWo escort carriers sunk and several damaged A The 105-Class CVE is the largest all-welded ship ever built on the Pacific coast. A year in construction it embodies all the changes proven necessary by the experience in action of the earlier escort carriers 'z' 4 Jw .Q--.flfitllfm L ' 4, fs J' , '93w'sT:q L. 'T ' ,fgjqa 1 T 'ajlffl - . Sax, A . Q . 'Ib 'W ty 'Q A . A. its K' -r -il.. , I A k, , . ,,' v - ll , I 'ff-1 fdefense and stepping stones to lg., V. i , -V I ' -:if f . 7 i ' - .-lf-Z' ' K I 13' VA - I I . n A-f' 2 A 1 f.fj4,- . ' ' -tag V .. . V . J .- ' I V' A I rv, it V '