USS Lunga Point
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
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| Name: | USS Lunga Point |
| Builder: | Kaiser Shipyards |
| Laid down: | 19 January 1944 |
| Launched: | 11 April 1944 |
| Commissioned: | 14 May 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 24 October 1946 |
| Struck: | 1 April 1960 |
| Fate: | Sold for scrap on 3 August 1960 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Casablanca-class escort carrier |
| Displacement: | 7,800 tons (light), 10,400 tons (full load) |
| Length: | 512 ft 3 in (156.13 m) overall |
| Beam: | 65 ft 2 in (19.86 m), 108 ft 1 in (32.94 m) maximum width |
| Draft: | 22 ft 6 in (6.86 m) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: | 20 knots (37 km/h) |
| Range: | 10,240 nmi (18,960 km) @ 15 kn (28 km/h) |
| Complement: |
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| Armament: | 1 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal dual purpose gun, 16 × Bofors 40 mm guns (8×2), 20 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannons (20×1) |
| Aircraft carried: | 28 |
| Service record | |
| Part of: | United States Pacific Fleet (1944-1946), Pacific Reserve Fleet (1946-1960) |
| Operations: | Philippines campaign, Invasion of Iwo Jima, Battle of Okinawa |
| Awards: | Presidential Unit Citation, 5 Battle Stars |
USS Lunga Point (CVE-94), originally Alazon Bay, was a Casablanca class escort carrier. It was named for Lunga Point on the northern coast of Guadalcanal, the site of a naval battle during World War II. It was laid down by Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Vancouver, Washington on 19 January 1944; launched on 11 April 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Mary Elizabeth McKay; and commissioned on 14 May 1944, Captain G. A. T. Washburn in command.
Following a period of brief training during the early summer of 1944, Lunga Point sailed for the Pacific to deliver Army bombers to New Guinea and bring war-worn P-47 Thunderbolts back home. Upon return, she became a unit of Carrier Division 29 (CarDiv 29) and departed San Diego on 16 October to participate in the Leyte Gulf operations, touching Pearl Harbor, Eniwetok, and Kossol Roads en route. From 13–22 November, she provided air cover for transports and surface units engaged in the campaign. Relieved on the 23rd, she sailed to Manus Island, Admiralty Islands, to prepare for the Luzon campaign.
The escort carrier sailed on 27 December from Manus to supply air support for 6th Army landing operations at Lingayen Gulf. On 4 January 1945, she splashed one enemy aircraft and witnessed the sinking of Ommaney Bay which had been hit by Japanese planes. Fighting her way through 14 enemy attacks, she arrived off Lingayen Gulf on 6 January, and commenced 11 days of intensive air support during which time her aircraft flew an average of 41 sorties a day. On 17 January, the support carriers were withdrawn and returned to Ulithi.
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