USS Kadashan Bay (CVE-76) was an Casablanca class

Casablanca class escort carrier

The Casablanca class escort aircraft carriers were the greatest number of not only escort carriers, but also any size aircraft carrier ever built to a like-design by any nation at any time. Fifty were laid down, launched and commissioned within the space of less than two years - 3 November 1942...

 escort carrier of the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

. She is named for Kadashan Bay Alaska

Alaska

Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...

.

Kadashan Bay was launched 11 December 1943 by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company in Vancouver, Washington

Vancouver, Washington

Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...

, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Miss Audrey Ackerman and commissioned 18 January 1944, Captain R. N. Hunter in command.

After shakedown Kadashan Bay departed San Diego 6 March 1944 on the first of two cruises to Espiritu Santo

Espiritu Santo

Espiritu Santo is the largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, with an area of . It belongs to the archipelago of the New Hebrides in the Pacific region of Melanesia. It is in the Sanma Province of Vanuatu....

. She transported a total of 154 aircraft on these assignments before returning San Diego 13 May. Following repairs and training, the escort carrier sailed 10 July to join a carrier division at Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

. One month later she sailed for Tulagi

Tulagi

Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida Island. The town of the same name on the island Tulagi, less commonly Tulaghi, is a small island (5.5 km by 1 km) in the Solomon Islands, just off the south coast of Florida...

 and final preparations for the September assault on the Palaus.

Kadashan Bay departed Tulagi 6 September and six days later her air group launched a pre-invasion air attack against enemy positions on Peleliu

Peleliu

Peleliu is an island in the island nation of Palau. Peleliu forms, along with two small islands to its northeast, one of the sixteen states of Palau. It is located northeast of Angaur and southwest of Koror....

. Ground forces landed 15 September to gain control of the island

Island

An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...

 as an air base to support the Philippine operation. After preparations were concluded at Manus

Manus Island

Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest island of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth largest island in Papua New Guinea with an area of 2,100 km², measuring around 100 km × 30 km. According to the 2000 census, Manus Island had a...

, the escort carrier steamed toward the Leyte Gulf

Leyte Gulf

Leyte Gulf is a body of water immediately east of the island of Leyte in the Philippines, adjoining the Philippine Sea of the Pacific Ocean, at . The Gulf is bounded on the north by the island of Samar, which is separated from Leyte on the west by the narrow San Juanico Strait, and on the south by...

 14 October.

Arriving there 21 October she immediately commenced raids and strikes in support of troops ashore. Four days later one of her patrol planes, piloted by Ensign

Ensign

An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...

 Hans L. Jensen, sighted the Central Force of the Japanese fleet off Samar. After reporting his sighting he launched an unsupported attack against the leading cruiser, beginning the famous battle off Samar

Battle off Samar

The Battle off Samar was the centermost action of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, one of the largest naval battles in history, which took place in the Philippine Sea off Samar Island, in the Philippines on 25 October 1944...

. The carrier's air group launched three fighter and three torpedo strikes against Kurita's force. The flyers' courage and gallantry contributed greatly to the sound defeat from which the Japanese never recovered. Upon completion of this mission, Kadashan Bay steamed toward Manus, arriving 3 November.

As the action in the Philippines continued, Kadashan Bay's air group accounted for 11 planes in encounters with the enemy during mid-December. Preparations were now underway for the Luzon

Luzon

Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 landings and the escort carrier rendezvoused with the main force 3 January 1945. She arrived off Luzon

Luzon

Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 five days later and commenced an early morning air attack. That same morning a kamikaze aimed his death dive at Kadashan Bay. Despite repeated hits the enemy plane plunged into the ship amidships directly below the bridge. After an hour and a half of feverish damage control effort, fires and flooding were checked, and the escort carrier returned to Leyte  on 12 January for temporary repairs before returning San Francisco 13 February for complete overhaul.

Kadashan Bay sailed for Pearl Harbor 8 April, arriving 14 April. She then commenced ferrying aircraft and passengers among the Pacific islands. During July the escort carrier was assigned as a replenishment carrier for the third Fleet and was on her way from Pearl Harbor to begin her new duty when news of Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

's collapse came.

Kadashan Bay joined the "Magic-Carpet" fleet

Operation Magic Carpet (World War II)

Operation Magic Carpet was the post-World War II effort by the War Shipping Administration to repatriate over eight million American military personnel from the European, Pacific, and CBI theaters. Hundreds of Liberty ships, Victory ships, and troop transports began repatriating soldiers from...

 at Guam

Guam

Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...

 in September and arrived San Francisco 26 September with her first group of veterans. For the next three months the escort carrier made rung from Pearl Harbor, Guam, Okinawa, and China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 to return battle-weary Americans home. She arrived San Pedro 22 December from her last Pacific cruise, and departed San Diego 10 January 1946 for Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

. Kadashan Bay arrived Boston 29 January, decommissioned 14 June 1946, and was placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet there. She was reclassified CVU-76 on 12 June 1956 and scrapped 13 August 1959.

Kadashan Bay received two battle stars for World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

service.

External links

• photo gallery at navsource.org