Sicily (CVE 118) - Naval Cruise Book

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On the first of June i946 the Sicily was ready to take her place as an active carrier in the Atlantic Fleet and was assigned her first task of participating in the Navy's annual cold weather operations near Argentia, Newfoundland. After completing three months of testing her aircraft and crew under the adverse cold weather conditions, the Sicily returned to Norfolk, where she was to remain until the first of the new year. The early part of l947 the Sicily operated as an integral part of Carrier Division l4. Training and maintaining peak battle efficiency were the foremost considerations during this year. The Sicily went south to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to again un- dergo her annual underway training. Upon completion, she pro- ceeded to Key West, Florida, to participate in anti-submarine exercises to become proficient in the new developments of this important phase of naval warfare. Dn returning to Norfolk in April, the Sicily saw many changes in -her officers and command. While in the Portsmouth Navv Yard for voyage repairs, her first captain, B, W. Wright, was relieved in an impressive ceremony by Captain William Miller. On the same day the Sicily was transferred from Carrier Division l4 to Carrier Division l7, then under the flag of the now Koreans famous Rear Admiral John l-loskins. For the latter part of this year the Sicily conducted carrier qualifications off the coast of Virginia. ln August l947 Captain Devere L. Day assumed command of the Sicily, but his active command was short-lived, as during the month of September the Sicily was struck one of her greatest blows since the day of her commissioning-due to the sharp cutbacks in Navy appropriations the gallant lady was placed in an inactive status and sent to Norfolk to hibernate with only a skeleton crew aboard. isvifi'

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.JS745 for? On the l4th day of April, l9-45, while the nation mourned the death of the late Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the United States aircraft carrier Sicily was launched at the Todd Shipyards in Tacoma, Washington. The Sicily was christened by Mrs. Julius Vanderwiele of Oregon. The ship's first voyage consisted of being towed to the Wil- lamette lron and Steel Corporation shipyard, Oregon, to com- plete the bare hull and to be fitted out to take her place as a vital unit in the United States fleet. On 27 February, l9-'16, the Sicily was accepted and commis- sioned by the United States Navy. The first watch was set and the USS Sicily CCVE-l l8l embarked on a career that was to take her to many ports, over many seas and to participate in an unforeseen war. ln April she reported to the Underway Training Group in San Diego, California, where the ship and the crew were put through vigorous training exercises to whip them into battle ef- ficiency and to make them work as a team. The crew respected their ship and affectionately called her The Queen. Upon completion of the underway training she was assigned to the Atlantic Fleet. l-ler first real voyage was the transit of the Panama Canal to Norfolk, Virginia, which was to be her home port and operating base for the next few years. Having reported for duty, the Sicily was then sent to the Bayonne, New Jersey, shipyard to effect voyage repairs and to iron out all the idiosyncracies that hamper a newly commissioned vessel. i S8 .. .....f.-is. it P it if 4. If

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In the new yeor of l948 the Sicily wos still to be found swing- ing oround her onchor in l-lompton Roods ond here she remoined until the lotter port of Februory when she finolly got underwoy ofter on inoctive period of over five months ond soiled for the shipyord in Boston, Mossochusetts, to hove her first complete yord overhoul. Overhouls ore o period of foce-lifting, but in this yord period the Sicily reolly got the works. She wos completely tronsformed into o modern onti-submorine corrier. During this period the Sicily entered her bosketboll teom in the Iocol fleet tournoment. Her teom wos one of the finest in the oreo ond would hove proceeded to the finols, but the Queen's period of overhoul expired too soon ond her teom, olthough Ieod- ing the leogue, wos unoble to fight for the chompionship. On Moy 2-4th, l948, Coptoin Robert B. Pirie took commond of the Queen. A little over o week loter the Sicily deported from the novy yord ond returned once ogoin to her home port of Nor- folk, but she wos not returning to her inoctive stotus. This period, while the ship wos under the commond of Coptoin Pirie, the Queen once ogoin took her ploce omong the octive vessels of the Novy. She certoinly mode up for her mony months of in- octivity ond she come to be known os the workingest, soilingest, ond operotingest ship on the Eost Coostf' Doys in port were few ond for between, but the liberties thot were mode by her crew were on the shores of mony countries ond continents of the world. After o period of operoting independently off the Virginio Copes, the Sicily once ogoin proceeded through the Ponomo Conol to Bolboo, Conol Zone. At this port she looded oboord the entire 36th Fighter Wing of the United Stotes Air Force. This wos indeed unificotion of the highest degree, o Novy corrier tronsporting on entire jet squodron of the Air Force. The Sicily left Bolboo ond proceeded to Glosgow, Scotlond. ,. ,i 'i .Lf jg 'Q i'- HS f . l i 4 +1 .1-Q: Q 1. I' yi-- ,P 35 , l.f4T IRL.. 2 lisrf E 'lk R it ll' D Til i 1 l i i i i i l i i I l