USS Kalinin Bay (CVE-68)

History


Name:	USS Kalinin Bay
Builder:	Kaiser Shipyards
Laid down:	26 April 1943
Launched:	15 October 1943
Commissioned:	27 November 1943
Decommissioned:	15 May 1946
Fate:	Sold for scrap 8 December 1946
General characteristics
Class and type:	Casablanca-class escort carrier
Displacement:	7,800 tons
Length:	512 ft 3 in (156.13 m) overall
Beam:	65 ft 2 in (19.86 m) 108 ft (33 m) maximum width
Draft:	22 ft 6 in (6.86 m)
Propulsion:	2 × 5-cylinder reciprocating Skinner Unaflow engines 4 × 285 psi boilers 2 shafts, 9,000 shp
Speed:	19 knots (35 km/h)
Range:	10,240 nmi (18,960 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h)
Complement:	860 officers and men Embarked Squadron: 50 to 56 officers and men Total: 910 to 916 officers and men.
Armament:	1 × 5-inch/38 cal DP gun 16 × 40 mm AA cannon in 8 twin mounts 20 × 20 mm AA machine guns in single mounts
Aircraft carried:	27
Service record
Part of:	United States Pacific Fleet
Operations:	Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign Mariana and Palau Islands campaign Battle off Samar Operation Magic Carpet
Awards:	Presidential Unit Citation 5 Battle stars

USS Kalinin Bay (CVE-68) was an Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy.

She originally designated an AVG, was classified ACV-68 on 20 August 1942; laid down under a Maritime Commission contract 26 April 1943 by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Inc., Vancouver, Washington; reclassified CVE-68 on 15 July 1943; launched 15 October 1943; sponsored by Mrs. Anna Mary Updegraff; and commissioned 27 November at Astoria, Oregon, Captain C. R. Brown in command.

The USS Kalinin Bay was named after a bay on the northern shore of Kruzof Island in the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska.

After shakedown along the Pacific Coast, Kalinin Bay departed San Diego 3 January 1944 for replenishment duty in the Pacific. Laden with troops and a cargo of planes, she steamed via Pearl Harbor for the Gilbert Islands, arriving off Tarawa Atoll 24 January to supply 5th Fleet carriers then engaged in the conquest of the Marshalls. For more than 2 weeks she provided logistic support from Tarawa to Majuro Atoll before returning to Alameda, California, 24 February.

With Composite Squadron 3 (VC-3) embarked 9 April, Kalinin Bay reached Majuro, Marshalls, 23 April; conducted ASW air patrols off Mili Atoll; and proceeded to Pearl Harbor 1 May to prepare for the Marianas operation. She departed Pearl Harbor 30 May; and, while en route to Saipan, she successfully evaded a Japanese torpedo that crossed her bow close aboard. Touching at Eniwetok 9 June, Kalinin Bay reached the eastern coast of Saipan 15 June and commenced air operations in support of the invasion. After repelling an enemy air attack at dusk on the 17th, she sailed 19 June to ferry planes to and from Eniwetok. Returning to Saipan 24 June, she resumed effective air strikes against enemy positions on the embattled island until 9 July when she steamed via Eniwetok for similar duty at Guam. Arriving 20 July, she launched direct support and ASW sorties until 2 August, then returned to Eniwetok to prepare for operations in the Palau Islands.

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