USS Ommaney Bay (CVE-79)

USS Ommaney Bay (CVE-79)

USS "Ommaney Bay" (CVE–79) was a "Casablanca"-class escort carrier of the United States Navy, named for Ommaney Bay, Alaska.

"Ommaney Bay", formerly MC hull 1116, was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract 6 October 1943 by Kaiser Company, Inc., Vancouver, Washington; launched 29 December 1943, sponsored by Mrs. P. K. Robottom; acquired by the Navy 11 February 1944; and commissioned the same day, Captain Howard L. Young in command.

Service history

After commissioning and fitting out at Astoria, Oregon, and conducting shakedown in Puget Sound, "Ommaney Bay" sailed 19 March from Oakland, California, with passengers and a cargo of supplies and aircraft for Brisbane, Australia. (While the ship is presumably named for Ommaney Bay in Alaska, note that Brisbane has a landmark and suburb called Mount Ommaney.) By 27 April she had completed her mission and was back in San Diego, where she began a rigorous ten days of carrier qualification landings, drills and tests. Then, after minor alterations and repairs, the ship sailed 10 June for Pearl Harbor. Until 12 August she trained air groups and squadrons there in the art of operating from "baby flattops", then she sailed to Tulagi to rehearse for the invasion of the Palau Islands. From 11 September until the beginning of October "Ommaney Bay" stood off Peleliu and Anguar Islands and provided air cover for the fleet and close support strikes for the forces ashore.

"Ommaney Bay" sailed to Manus Island to renew her depleted stock of fuel and ammunition, then joined Rear Admiral Felix Stump's "Taffy 2" (TU 77.4.2) for the invasion of Leyte. At the beginning of the Battle off Samar on 25 October, the escort carriers began launching air strikes in an effort to cripple as many of the approaching enemy force as possible. In the ensuing battle aircraft from "Ommaney Bay" contributed to the sinking of one Japanese cruiser and helped to damage a number of other warships. "Ommaney Bay" launched some six strikes that day, and helped to turn threatened defeat into victory.

The carrier spent the month of November at Manus and Kossol Passage for availability and replenishment, then, from 12 December to 17 December, operated in the Mindanao and Sulu Seas in support of operations on the Island of Mindoro. On the 15th, a day of heavy enemy air attacks, she splashed an enemy bomber as it dived for the ship from the port bow. On 19 December she returned to Kossol Passage to prepare for the landings in Lingayen Gulf.

inking

"Ommaney Bay" left on New Year's Day 1945 and transited Surigao Strait two days later. The next afternoon, while in the Sulu Sea, a twin-engine Japanese suicide plane penetrated the screen undetected and made for "Ommaney Bay". The plane nicked her island then crashed her starboard side. Two bombs were released; one of them penetrated the flight deck and detonated below, setting off a series of explosions among the fully-gassed planes on the forward third of the hangar deck. The second bomb passed through the hangar deck, ruptured the fire main on the second deck, and exploded near the starboard side.

Water pressure forward was lost immediately, along with power and bridge communications. Men struggling with the terrific blazes on the hangar deck soon had to abandon it because of the heavy black smoke from the burning planes and ricocheting .50 caliber ammunition. Escorts could not lend their power to the fight because of the exploding ammunition and intense heat from the fires. By 17:50 the entire topside area had become untenable, and the stored torpedo warheads threatened to go off at any time. The order to abandon ship was given.

At 19:45 the veteran carrier was sunk by a torpedo from the destroyer USS|Burns|DD-588|2. A total of 95 Navy men were lost, including two killed on an assisting destroyer when torpedo warheads on the carrier's hangar deck finally went off.

See also

* List of U.S. Navy losses in World War II

References

External links

* [http://history.navy.mil/danfs/o2/ommaney_bay.htm history.navy.mil: USS "Ommaney Bay"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/03/079.htm navsource.org: USS "Ommaney Bay"]
* [http://www.hazegray.org/danfs/carriers/cve79.txt hazegray.org: USS "Ommaney Bay"]
* [http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/books/ships/burt/index.htm "Kamikaze Nightmare"] - Review of book by Ron Burt about his brother's experiences of kamikaze attacks on "Ommaney Bay"


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • USS Ommaney Bay (CVE-79) — vor Hawaii, 1944 Geschichte Bestellung 1942 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • USS Petrof Bay (CVE-80) — USS Petrof Bay (CVE–80) was an Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington, 15 October 1943; launched 5 January 1944;… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Manila Bay (CVE-61) — was a Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy. OverviewShe was laid down as Bucareli Bay (ACV 61) under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Co., Inc., Vancouver, Washington, 15 January 1943; renamed Manila Bay 3 April 1943;… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Steamer Bay (CVE-87) — was a Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was laid down on 4 December 1943 at Vancouver, Washington, by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company; launched on 26 February 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Henry S. Kendall; and commissioned …   Wikipedia

  • USS Hoggatt Bay (CVE-75) — was a Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was launched under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Co. Inc., Vancouver, Washington, on 4 December 1943. Originally classified AVG 75, she had been reclassified ACV 75 on… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Wake Island (CVE-65) — was an Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy. (An amphibious assault ship named USS Wake Island has appeared as a location in the television show JAG as well as in the movie Rules of Engagement.) She was laid down under a… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Lunga Point (CVE-94) — USS Lunga Point (CVE 94), originally Alazon Bay , was a Casablanca class escort carrier. It was named for Lunga Point on the northern coast of Guadalcanal, the site of a naval battle during World War II. It was laid down by Kaiser Shipbuilding Co …   Wikipedia

  • USS Makin Island (CVE-93) — was an Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was laid down on 12 January 1944 by Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington; launched 5 April 1944; sponsored by Mrs. B. B. Nichol; and commissioned at Astoria,… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Savo Island (CVE-78) — The USS Savo Island (CVE 78), was a sclass|Casablanca|escort carrier built for the United States Navy during World War II. Named in memory of a naval battle fought off Savo Island in the Solomons on 9 August 1942, she was the only U.S. Naval… …   Wikipedia

  • USS Astrolabe Bay (AVG-60) — USS Guadalcanal (CVE 60) 1944 Geschichte Bestellung 1942 Kiellegung 5. Januar 1943 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”