USS Block Island (CVE-106)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
|
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| Name: | USS Block Island |
| Builder: | Todd Pacific Shipyards |
| Launched: | 10 June 1944 |
| Sponsored by: | Mrs. E. J. (Grace) Hallenbeck |
| Commissioned: | 30 December 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 27 August 1954 |
| Struck: | 1 July 1959 |
| Honors and awards: |
two battle stars for World War II service |
| Fate: | Sold 23 February 1960 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Commencement Bay-class escort carrier |
| Displacement: | 10,900 long tons (11,100 t), 24,100 long tons (24,500 t) full load |
| Length: | 557 ft (170 m) |
| Beam: | 75 ft (23 m) |
| Draft: | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Propulsion: | 2-shaft geared turbines, 16,000 shp |
| Speed: | 19 knots (22 mph; 35 km/h) |
| Complement: | 1,066 |
| Armament: | 2 × 5 in (130 mm) guns (2×1), 36 × 40 mm AA guns |
| Aircraft carried: | 34 |
| Service record | |
| Part of: | United States Pacific Fleet (1945-1946), United States Naval Academy Training ship (1946-1950), United States Atlantic Fleet (1951-1954), Atlantic Reserve Fleet (1954-1959) |
| Operations: | Battle of Okinawa, Battle of Balikpapan (1945) |
| Awards: | 2 Battle stars |
USS Block Island (CVE-106) was a Commencement Bay class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was the second ship to carry her name, done in honor of the first one, being launched 12 days after the original was sunk.
She was launched on 10 June 1944 as Sunset Bay by Todd-Pacific Shipyards, Inc. Tacoma, Washington; sponsored by Mrs. E. J. (Grace) Hallenbeck (mother of Major Pappy Boyington, then a Prisoner of War of the Japanese), and commissioned as Block Island on 30 December 1944, Captain F. M. Hughes in command.
Block Island got underway for Pearl Harbor on 20 March 1945. Upon arrival she underwent a period of provisioning and training in preparation for the invasion of Okinawa. On 17 April, Block Island left Hawaii and steamed toward Okinawa, via Ulithi. Flight operations commenced immediately upon her arrival 3 May and lasted until 16 June when she departed for Leyte. After a brief stay at San Pedro Bay, the carrier steamed through the Straits of Makassar for Borneo. From 26 June-6 July, she took part in the Balikpapan operation. She then proceeded to Guam where she was anchored at the time of the cessation of hostilities.
From 6–9 September, Block Island took part in the evacuation of Allied prisoners of war from Formosa. She continued cruising in the Far East until 14 October, and arrived at San Diego on 11 December 1945. Leaving San Diego on 6 January 1946, she transited the Panama Canal and reached Norfolk on the 20th. She was placed in service in reserve on 28 May 1946.
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