THE
HISTORY
Voice
and gong ( General Quarters
Man all battle Stations
)
The two Block Island Aircraft Carriers (CVE 21and CVE 106) were unlike any other two ships by the same name. CVE 21 (along with 5 other CVE’s) was originally actually a C3 tanker hull being constructed to deliver oil to our allies in Europe. The scourge of the German submarine activities, taking the great toll of the convoys underway far out to sea, became a major priority to all of the allied nations due to the fact that the majority of the sinking's were taking place far out of the range of any allied aircraft. President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill got together and the United States entered into a agreement to convert several tanker hulls into small aircraft carriers to be provided to Great Britain to roam the vast areas of the Atlantic Ocean seeking out these submarines.
The
first few conversions were delivered to Great Britain in 1942. About this
same time the German Navy was increasing their boldness and actually was sinking our
ships as close as 5 miles from the US shorelines. Very little information of
this activity was being given to the general public either in Great Britain or
the United States. Both governments felt that this information would create
panic in both countries. Because of this concern the US Government saw fit to
undertake and make “Baby Flattops” a vital part of the Atlantic Fleet. Six
C3 tanker hulls being built in the
Seattle area were converted to small aircraft carriers for the US Navy.
While the first few small carriers took 5 or 6 months to convert by the time that the first Block Island was constructed the construction time was cut to less than 3 months. At that time it was taking as long as two years to construct the larger carriers. The best understanding of this undertaking is that 8 small carriers carrying 20 planes each could be constructed in the same period of time it took to construct the larger carriers. The larger carriers could only handle as many 90 as aircraft with a total construction cost of around $120 million. The math and the military circumstances were simple. 8 small carriers at a cost of $11 million each would be $88 million. 8 small carriers with 20 aircraft could carry as many as 160 planes. The meant that even though the larger carriers could move at around 30 knots, while the smaller carriers were limited to around 20 knots, the smaller carriers combined with the circumstance of the Pacific actually became the "plan of the day". While more escort and service ships were required to service the 8 small carriers the loss of a large carrier put 90 aircraft out of action and involved over 3000 crew members. The loss of a small carrier only put 20 aircraft out of service and involved around 900 crew members. However, when the large carrier was lost there was not another carrier available to save their aircraft. If a small carrier was lost the aircraft then could land and work off one of the other small carriers. When it came time to construct the second Block Island the construction time was cut to 79 days. Like Admiral Kincade advised congress, he could launch and retrieve 160 aircraft in half the time it would take the larger carriers to land and launch 90 planes.
While Great Britain saw these small carriers as a major part of their fighting force, the United States saw them as a major way to transport airplanes to Great Britain and to North Africa and to return to the United States with damaged airplanes that could be repaired and returned to combat. The attacks on the convoys by German submarines continued to take a greater toll of sinking's.
To better understand the United States position of "Jeep Carriers" the following picture and story has been taken from the official documents filed "in history" to obtain support from Congress to undertake the building of these ships. The configuration seen here shows that between the hanger deck and the flight deck 77 aircraft fully ready for combat, along with all the spare parts that are needed, could be transported to anywhere in the world where needed. It was not until the British used the first "Jeep Carriers"" that had been involved in the "lend lease" program (after two of their larger carriers were sunk chasing German Battle Ships) that the United States saw that they were more than a useful transport tool.
The need for escort carriers came early in the war when German submarines and aircraft were taking a devastating toll on convoy shipping. The heaviest losses occurred far out at sea where land-based aircraft could not operate. The Royal Navy had
experimented
with
catapult-launched fighter planes from merchantmen; while this was somewhat
successful in combating the U-boats, the number of planes that could be embarked
was limited. Something else was needed, and in a hurry. Great Britain appealed
to the United States for help.
No real specifications had been developed for escort carriers at this time, although the Navy had looked into converting merchant ships for this purpose before the war began. Thus, the quick solution was to build the early CVEs on merchant ship hulls.
Two of the first “Baby Flattops” of the US Navy were then given the duty of seeking out the German submarines. Since the major sea wars were taking place in the Pacific Ocean against the Japanese the larger fighting ships were assigned to the Pacific. Back in the early 1940’s President Roosevelt had gone far beyond his Congressional authority and sent Great Britain some 25 or 30 small destroyers that we called “Destroyer Escorts” which were much like the Frigates that Great Britain had. Great Britain used these ships as escorts for their small carriers with much success.
To make up a “task force” each of the two “Baby Flattops” were
assigned 3 Destroyer Escorts. The Captain of the Baby Flattop became the Task
Force Commander.
After
making two “ferry” trips” the
Block Island CVE 21 was also assigned submarine
patrol duty. In this case though the assignment was hunter/killer
duty in
a much greater area of the Atlantic. Then came the official designation of
Carrier Vessel Escort or CVE.
However, this vast area assignment required that at least 4 escort
ships would be required to work with the Block Island. The Destroyer
Escorts could make depth charge attacks on the submarines that the aircraft from
the Block Island spotted. This would leave 2 of the DE’s available to cover
landing and takeoff operations and to serve as protection for the carrier.
This hunter killer activity meant that the task force would go about searching for days and weeks at a time without seeing another allied ship. Naval records show that the success of the action of these “Baby Flattops” played a great part in the demise of the German submarine force which contributed greatly to the ending of the war with Germany. Because of the vast area the ships covered, depending on each other for assistance on an almost daily basis, a great comradeship and esprit de corps was created.
With the vast area of oceans between Europe and the United States in the Atlantic Ocean the Task Force could sustain itself for approximately 45 days with two refueling and one re-supply service during the period. Leaving from the US Ports and searching the seas then to arrive at foreign Ports for re-supply and refueling. Then leaving the foreign Ports and searching the seas arriving at a US Port to obtain a new assignment. The circumstances in the Pacific were very different in that there were many supply bases on major and tiny islands scattered throughout the entire area. Refueling and re-supplying was also undertaken from tankers and supply ships in both the Atlantic and in the Pacific areas of operations. Doing this task in the open seas from ship to ship can be as dangerous as actual enemy operations. Naval records show that many ships were forced out of service from structural damage taken during these operations.
This comradeship became even greater when the task force was attacked by a submarine (or submarines) and CVE 21 was sunk and the Destroyer Escort Barr took a torpedo while trying to protect the aircraft carrier. The comradeship then turned to pure survival. The efforts of all concerned only increased this comradeship. A bond was created that has lasted all these many years. All of the efforts paid off and naval history was created and Block Island CVE 106 was the results of all the effort.
The second Block Island CVE 106 also made history and stands out in the naval records but not with the great comradeship and esprit de corps of the shipmates on CVE 21 and the crews of the 4 destroyer escorts that served with them.
First of all the entire Pacific War with Japan depended on naval superiority. This was like a different war. Island hopping from Australia to Japan with sea battles after sea battles was much different than the war with Germany. Task Forces in the Pacific were large and included hundreds of ships including battleships, cruisers, large aircraft carriers, hundreds of full size destroyers, troopships, tenders and supply ships. Like the German Submarines of the Atlantic Ocean the US Submarines controlled the Pacific Ocean.
An example was just the “Baby Flattop” task forces. There were 6 major Escort Carrier Forces in the Pacific when the Block Island CVE 106 went into service. There was a minimum of 38 carriers, 50 escort ships, tankers, supply ships , 6 admirals, 90 aircraft squadrons with more than 700 planes. Block Island CVE 106 was the flagship of Carrier Division 27 which included 7 carriers. Along with these vast changes over 90% of the Navy “air department” personnel were transferred and Marine Air Groups were brought aboard. That change caused more than 400 Navy personnel that were on the Block Island CVE 21 to be spread all over the world.
While there was much esprit de corps with the personnel of CVE 106 it was taking place in groups of 6 or 8 individuals not an entire ships or task force.. There was also the division of the services on CVE 106. Even the battle circumstances were different. At this time in the Pacific it was almost totally an airplane war for these ships. In the Atlantic the concerns were with what was in the water where in the pacific the concerns were about what was in the air. In the Atlantic your ships gunners maybe took practice now and then. While in the Pacific they were in action almost on a daily basis.
If it were not for books that have been written and pictures and films that were taken the present generation would have no idea what the conditions were in the early 1940's with Naval Aviation which involved the two Block Islands. An example of the written story appeared in the Air and Space Magazine by James L. Noles Jr. "All Guts (The Brave, Doomed Crews of WW11 Escort Carriers) No Glory". Note that the author is a Jr. who obtained his information from those that had "been there -done that". The mind set of the modern day writers and those crew members who served on the CVE's built by Henry J. Kaiser brought about the title of the story; however, neither CVE 21 (built on a C-3 Tanker Hull) and CVE 106 ( constructed and designed with upgraded technologies of the then larger carriers) fit the "doomed crews" indications of the story. Had he "been there-done that" he would "tell it like it was" and that was they were called "Kaiser Coffins" . Except for the advancement of technologies the general design and construction of CVE 106 is not unlike the modern carriers. In general the Story goes in part as follows:
The Block Island was tasked with destroying German U-boats in the Atlantic. The pilots newly assigned to the ship, the VC-55 squadron, had claimed their first enemy sub a month earlier. Lt. Denny Moller was VC-55's assistant engineering officer. Like all the squadron pilots, he endured a demanding schedule of both day and night flying. (Editors note: This was well before the F6F5n night fighter was in service like the Marines had on the 106). The Block Island (CVE 21) operated within a screen of four destroyer escorts, normally launching patrols of four aircraft. Each airplane took a quadrant and carved it into 30-degree slices- out, across, and then back to the carrier. Because the pilots had to observe radio silence at night, they had to find their way back to the moving carrier on dead reckoning -flying a compass heading for a calculated time and hoping to spot the carrier when the time was up. "We would try to work out our navigation beforehand", Moller explains, "so on take off you always hated the flight deck crew holding up a chalkboard that said The Course of the carrier will be so-and-so. good luck" that meant you had to figure out a whole new set of navigational figures on the go. That wasn't easy in a dark cockpit at night." On 3/19/44 VC 55 claimed another German sub, the U1059. But on may 29, near the Canary Island the Block Island's prey turned hunter. As dusk fell, the U549 slipped through the destroyer escort screen and launched three torpedoes into the carrier. (Editors note: Actually launched two at first that struck the Block Island, then the third that struck the DE USS Barr ripping the after portion of the ship completely off then the fourth that finished off the carrier) Moller dashed topside with a group of pilots from his squadron's ready room. Standing Precariously on the listing deck, Moller soon heard the inevitable order "Abandon Ship" . "I wasn't much for swan dives from that height, " Moller says, "so we took off our shoes, tied them together by the laces, hung them around our necks and slid down ropes into the water. Of course our shoes floated away immediately".Moller and his companions immediately inflated their Mae West life jackets and soon found a cork float net. Before the night was over, the Destroyer Escort Ahrens plucked them from the chilly Atlantic. After a 30 day survivor's leave, Moller was back in action with a new hunter-killer group on board the USS Croatan, another CVE.
Later in the story the author set forth the fact that in 1945 a brand new Commencement Bay-class escort carrier, again christened the Block Island arrived at Okinawa. It was larger, faster and sturdier than Kaiser's carriers. While history shows that the Kaiser carriers were doomed as to the loss of the majority of their crews upon sinking that same history shows that both the CVE 21 (Bogue Class) and the CVE 106 (the Commencement Bay Glass) could stand well in the effort to protect it's crews. Both the Croatan and the Block Island went on to fight even later service in the Korean Era while the "Kaiser Coffins" by the majority lay in piles of scrap or stored in the Columbia River basin awaiting being scrapped.
THE
WEBSITE OF THE USS BLOCK ISLAND ASSOCIATION WHO’S CREWS FOUGHT BOTH
THE GERMANS AND JAPANESE IN WWII
(1941-1945) AND THE KOREAN ERA
These two US Navy “Jeep” Aircraft Carriers of WWII bore the name of
this island just off the coast of Rhode Island.
Block Island, Rhode Island, USA. One of the last great places
in the Western Hemisphere
Block Island Harbor
Circled by Water that never freezes , yachts galore that anchor off the shores. No bridges to connect with the outside world, a population of some 500 when the October winter unfurls. They come by plane or by those boats galore with a summer population of 7500 or more. The circumstances of this island is a noble representation for the two ships.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CARRIERS
On
September 12, 2001 the US State Department spent weeks trying to obtain air field use from many Middle East Nations. Before the first nation even agreed
to even limited use our Commander and Chief (our President) had four aircraft
carrier groups, such as these shown, on station in the Middle East Seas. In less than 7
days there were over 350 aircraft and 5 guided missile ships ready for action.
On September 21 another aircraft carrier group was anchored in the ports of
Japan. On September 27th this group was on station in the Middle East which
provided a total of well over 450 combat ready aircraft. Even more important is
the fact that these carriers have the pilots, aircrews, the aircraft service
personnel and all the fuel and aviation ordnance needed to support the early
operations. To undertake this task on any foreign
nations soil would take months of planning and involve hundreds of ships and
transport aircraft which would overwhelm the facilities of
any foreign country. The
carriers of today can move from " sea to shinning sea"
in less than 7 days. History has repeated itself in the words of President
Roosevelt "thank
god for the carriers".
See the below example of the 9/20/01 fully ready Naval task force that was on station without the approval of any foreign nation as to the use of their home soil.
