Block Island (CVE 106) - Naval Cruise Book

 - Class of 1953

Page 15 of 138

 

Block Island (CVE 106) - Naval Cruise Book online collection, 1953 Edition, Page 15 of 138
Page 15 of 138



Block Island (CVE 106) - Naval Cruise Book online collection, 1953 Edition, Page 14
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Page 15 text:

VM iff, 6 I What makes her T I C K

Page 14 text:

, , , 3 .. , .. .,,,.,,A..,.f.,.Tf,,,.,.,,,.,.,..f,w il. -,,....,...,,,.,-.,T,,.,--,.,T..,. F M .7'ff1sWfi f??'lil??9'!?1?..- ,. -. H '-rf'ef,,,f.,f-A -fea-.iz5i::i2fLfsviii5sasfzas:-v.3Ew4+f1'ff-'-e f --was ' , ,. , . . - S- , 1, ,,--.,L.,.,, , - -sv -vt: - L1 1 .rf ,ra Y- 1:-1.. Y .- . , - ., V ,- . 14 HE..-:iii-ff .A-.!f'f.:.1'?:1s 1. -5-N A -- 1 - - J -- A History of the S S Block slcmd THIS ship bears the name of a previous CVE whose record of enemy action in the Atlantic was proud and glorious. Her job was hunting submarines and she was sunk in the line of duty. Following is an eyewitness account from uThe Story of Two Shipsf' G4At 2013 without warning of any kind a torpedo struck the USS BLOCK ISLAND QCVE-215 approximately at frame 12, near the bow, probably on the port side. Four seconds later another torpedo struck farther aft, travelling through several frames of the ship and exploding in an oil tank through the shaft alley and up through five inch magazinesf, In this disaster six men were lost, only a few injured. The crew left the ship in an orderly manner and kept close together on rafts. To perpetuate the BLOCK ISLAND tradition of valor and courage, a 23,000 ton carrier of the Commencement Bay class was duly commissioned the CVE-106. With an all Marine air group on board, the resurrected BLOCK ISLAND set sail for the Pacific and the war against Japan. For 43 days of the siege of Okinawa the FBI added rockets, bombs, and fire power to the crushing force of America at war. When Okinawa was secured the FBI was called upon to use her Marine support group and night fighters to provide air cover in the Borneo-Celebres operation against Balikpapan. To crown her wartime achievement record, the BLOCK ISLAND performed 140 sorties using 21,700 pounds of bombs, 82 five-inch rockets, and 10,800 pounds of machine gun ammunition. NOT A MAN OR PLANE WAS LOST. After the Japanese surrender, the BLOCK ISLAND ferried American prisoners of war back to the United States. The Fighting BLOCK moved to the East Coast and finally settled at Annapolis, Maryland. As a training ship for midshipmen it provided classrooms for students and quarters for instructors. Reactivated after the outbreak of hostilities in Korea, the ship was towed from the Severn River mud flats to the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Months of hard labor and many taxpayers, dollars helped modernize and ready the ship for sea in lighting condition. Seasoned Navy veterans were astonished upon reporting to a ship shining completely with red lead. Naval reservists, called back to active duty, were equally amazed at their new home. A run on the Delaware River in November, 1951, tested out the main engines. Ready for sea, the ship commenced shakedown training near Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, under the command of Captain Arthur S. Hill, USN. Successful participation i11 TRAEX I tested Marine and heli- copter maneuvers on and around Vieques Island. Captain James H. Flatley assumed command 31 July, 1952, and the old BLOCK took on a new chipper appearance. Visits to Boston and New York, operations from Quonset Point and Norfolk, and a yard period in New York highlighted the latter half of 1952. On 5 January, 1953, with many new faces and new equipment the BLOCK ISLAND set sail for the new year, a year that was to see her colors flying proudly in both the Caribbean and Mediterranean. 4? .-V ri . ,g'4,,,-I-sg-. -1 ' drag-pf.. .I . I 1-f



Page 16 text:

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