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USS Salerno Bay (CVE-110)
Encyclopedia
USS Salerno Bay (CVE-110) (ex-Winjah Bay) was laid down on 7 February 1944 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation
, Tacoma, Washington
; launched on 26 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Ward Gilbert; transferred to the Commercial Iron Works, Portland, Oregon
, for completion on 29 September 1944; and commissioned on 19 May 1945, Captain
W. C. Holt in command.
. Two days after Japan
's mid-August capitulation, she sailed west with Composite Squadron 68 (VC-68) embarked as passengers. She conducted further training operations, including night qualification of her Marine air group, in Hawaiian waters, then continued west. On 21 September, she anchored in Buckner Bay, Okinawa. Later shifting to the Hagushi
anchorage, she put to sea in early October to ride out a typhoon. On the 12th, she returned to Hagushi only to depart again on the 14th to support the mid-month occupation of Formosa
by troops of the Chinese Army. From that island, the CVE headed east, to Saipan
. She remained at Saipan for three weeks; then, detached from the 7th Fleet
, she shifted to Guam
; embarked veterans as passengers; and set a course for Pearl Harbor and San Diego. She arrived at the latter in early December. At mid-month, she proceeded to the Panama Canal Zone, whence she continued on to Norfolk, Va., arriving on the 23rd.
Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet and engaged primarily in qualifying carrier pilots, Salerno Bay operated along the eastern seaboard and in the Caribbean
into 1947. In the spring of that year, she was ordered inactivated; and, in June, she sailed north, from Norfolk to Boston
, to prepare for decommissioning and mothballing.
and in the Caribbean. On 18 December, she returned to Norfolk. On 7 January 1952, she again sailed south for operations in the Caribbean. Back at Norfolk in early February, she operated off Puerto Rico
in March and off the Virginia
and Carolina coasts from April to July. She then prepared for European deployment. On 26 August, she departed Norfolk; joined TF 173 en route; and, during September, participated in NATO exercises off Norway
. In early October, she proceeded to Gibraltar
, thence sailed into the Mediterranean for operations with the 6th Fleet. At the end of November, she retransited the Strait of Gibraltar
; and, on 7 December, she arrived back at Norfolk to resume local, western Atlantic, and Caribbean exercises, which she continued into 1953.
In the spring of that year, as the war in Korea
moved toward a truce, the CVE was again ordered inactivated. On 8 June, she returned to Boston, where she was decommissioned a second time on 16 February 1954. Reclassified AKV-10 in 1959, Salerno Bay remained in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until struck from the Navy list on 1 June 1961. She was sold on 30 October to Revalorizacion de Materiales, S.A., through their agent Jacq. Pierot, Jr., and Sons, New York
, and removed from Naval custody on 14 December 1961.
Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation
The Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation was a United States corporation which built ships for the US Navy and merchant marine during World War II ....
, Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
; launched on 26 September 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Ward Gilbert; transferred to the Commercial Iron Works, Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, for completion on 29 September 1944; and commissioned on 19 May 1945, Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
W. C. Holt in command.
World War II
The sixth of the line of Commencement Bay class escort carriers with improvements dictated by that class's operating experience, Salerno Bay embarked her first air group, MCVEG-5, at the end of June. With that group, comprising Marine Fighter Squadron 514 (VMF-514) and Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 144 (VTMB-144), she trained off southern CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Two days after 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 mid-August capitulation, she sailed west with Composite Squadron 68 (VC-68) embarked as passengers. She conducted further training operations, including night qualification of her Marine air group, in Hawaiian waters, then continued west. On 21 September, she anchored in Buckner Bay, Okinawa. Later shifting to the Hagushi
Hagushi
Hagushi bay was the primary unloading point for American supplies during the invasion of Okinawa during World War II. The bay, at the mouth of the Bishi River , was the dividing line between the First and Sixth US Marine divisions, which landed on the Hagushi beaches to the north, and the Seventh...
anchorage, she put to sea in early October to ride out a typhoon. On the 12th, she returned to Hagushi only to depart again on the 14th to support the mid-month occupation of Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
by troops of the Chinese Army. From that island, the CVE headed east, to Saipan
Saipan
Saipan is the largest island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean with a total area of . The 2000 census population was 62,392...
. She remained at Saipan for three weeks; then, detached from the 7th Fleet
United States Seventh Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is the United States Navy's permanent forward projection force based in Yokosuka, Japan, with units positioned near Japan and South Korea. It is a component fleet force under the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of the forward-deployed U.S. fleets, with...
, she shifted to 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...
; embarked veterans as passengers; and set a course for Pearl Harbor and San Diego. She arrived at the latter in early December. At mid-month, she proceeded to the Panama Canal Zone, whence she continued on to Norfolk, Va., arriving on the 23rd.
Assigned to the Atlantic Fleet and engaged primarily in qualifying carrier pilots, Salerno Bay operated along the eastern seaboard and in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
into 1947. In the spring of that year, she was ordered inactivated; and, in June, she sailed north, from Norfolk to 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...
, to prepare for decommissioning and mothballing.
Korean War
Decommissioned on 4 October, she remained in the reserve fleet until recommissioned on 20 June 1951. Shakedown training followed; and, in October, she commenced operations with Carrier Division 18. During November and early December, she conducted exercises off the Virginia CapesVirginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America....
and in the Caribbean. On 18 December, she returned to Norfolk. On 7 January 1952, she again sailed south for operations in the Caribbean. Back at Norfolk in early February, she operated off Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
in March and off the Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and Carolina coasts from April to July. She then prepared for European deployment. On 26 August, she departed Norfolk; joined TF 173 en route; and, during September, participated in NATO exercises off Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. In early October, she proceeded to Gibraltar
Gibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
, thence sailed into the Mediterranean for operations with the 6th Fleet. At the end of November, she retransited the Strait of Gibraltar
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Spain in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The name comes from Gibraltar, which in turn originates from the Arabic Jebel Tariq , albeit the Arab name for the Strait is Bab el-Zakat or...
; and, on 7 December, she arrived back at Norfolk to resume local, western Atlantic, and Caribbean exercises, which she continued into 1953.
In the spring of that year, as the war in Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
moved toward a truce, the CVE was again ordered inactivated. On 8 June, she returned to Boston, where she was decommissioned a second time on 16 February 1954. Reclassified AKV-10 in 1959, Salerno Bay remained in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until struck from the Navy list on 1 June 1961. She was sold on 30 October to Revalorizacion de Materiales, S.A., through their agent Jacq. Pierot, Jr., and Sons, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, and removed from Naval custody on 14 December 1961.
External links
- Photo gallery at navsource.org