Bairoko (CVE 115) - Naval Cruise Book

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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.

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t . ' g f AIR OFFICER f1Qf.can5idr.,Defa1d Nr Hawkes. USN ,Lieut. 'Comdr. Hawks, a native- of Idaho, now living in Seattle, Wash., joined the Navy in 1928. He has served. successively aboard 'the Saratoga, at Pensacola, Pearl .Harborgon the U.S.S. Salt l..akelCity, and for the past 'three years 'has' been flight ,instructor at NavalAir Station, Seattle, Wash. I ENGINEERING OFFICER Lt.,Comdr. Iohn MCL. Stuart. USN Lieut. Comdr. Stuart, a Texan, now resides in Bremerton, Wash. He joined the Navy at the age'of 16 during World War l, and has served continuously since then. He was on the first Wasp when it was sunk and reported from the Kasaan Bay, Where he was Engineer- ing Officer. ' D EPA RT ME FIRST LIEUTENANT . i , . , Lt. Comdr. Frank W. Tenney. USNR Lieut. Comdr. Tenney, a graduate of the University of California and Harvard' Law School, had his first tour of duty in his own home city-San Francisco. After six months at the Naval Air Station, Whidby Island, Wash., he Was on the Fanshaw Bay in the Saipan, Morotai, and Philippine campaigns. SUPPLY OFFICER ' Lt. Comdr. Bruce F. Evans.iSC. USN Lieut. Comdr. Evans is from Seattle, Wash., and graduated from the University of Wash- ington. He served in the Philippines and Netherland East Indies campaign in 1942 with Fleet Air Wing lO and was awarded the Army Distinguished Unit Badge. He was last sta- tioned at the Marine Air Station, Quantico, Va.

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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 -