USS Marcus Island (CVE-77)
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States
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| Name: | USS Marcus Island |
| Builder: | Kaiser Shipyards |
| Laid down: | 15 September 1943 |
| Launched: | 16 December 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 26 January 1944 |
| Decommissioned: | 12 December 1946 |
| Fate: | Sold for scrap on 29 February 1960 |
| 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: |
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| Speed: | 19 knots (35 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 (1943-1946), Atlantic Reserve Fleet (1946-1959) |
| Operations: | Mariana and Palau Islands campaign, Battle off Samar, Battle of Mindoro, Philippines campaign, Battle of Okinawa, Operation Magic Carpet |
| Awards: | 4 Battle stars |
USS Marcus Island (CVE-77) was an Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy.
She was laid down as Kanalku Bay under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Co., Inc., Vancouver, Washington on 15 September 1943; renamed Marcus Island on 6 November 1943; launched on 16 December 1943; sponsored by Mrs. S. L. La Hache; acquired by the Navy on 26 January 1944; and commissioned at Astoria, Oregon on 26 January 1944, Captain Charles F. Greber in command.
After shakedown and training along the West Coast, Marcus Island made a round trip aircraft ferry run to U.S. bases in the South Pacific from 19 May-1 July. Then she embarked Composite Squadron 21 (VC-21), departed San Diego on 20 July, and arrived Tulagi in the Solomon Islands on 24 August to prepare for operations in the Palaus. As flagship for Rear Admiral W. D. Sample's Carrier Division 27 (CarDiv 27), she began preinvasion strikes against Peleliu and Angaur on 12 September. She provided close air support as assault troops hit the beaches beginning the 15th, and until 2 October, she launched scores of sorties during embittered fighting on the rugged islands.
Marcus Island arrived at Manus in the Admiralty Islands on the 4th, and after completing preparations for the invasion of the Philippines, she sortied with the Task Group 77.4 (TG 77.4) on 12 October for Leyte as part of the task unit known as "Taffy 2". Beginning on 18 October, she launched airstrikes against enemy positions and during the next week, her pilots flew 261 target and air cover missions.
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