USS Wake Island (CVE-65)
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| History | |
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 United States
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| Name: | USS Wake Island |
| Builder: | Kaiser Shipyards |
| Laid down: | 6 February 1943 |
| Launched: | 15 September 1943 |
| Commissioned: | 7 November 1943 |
| Decommissioned: | 5 April 1946 |
| Struck: | 17 April 1946 |
| Fate: | Sold for scrap on 19 April 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 (20 m), 108 ft (33 m) maximum width |
| Draft: | 22 ft 4 in (6.81 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), 28 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannons (28×1) |
| Aircraft carried: | 28 |
| Service record | |
| Part of: | United States Pacific Fleet |
| Operations: | Philippines campaign, Invasion of Iwo Jima, Battle of Okinawa |
| Victories: | U-543 |
| Awards: | 3 Battle stars |
USS Wake Island (CVE-65) was an Casablanca class escort carrier of the United States Navy.
She was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1102) on 6 February 1943 at Vancouver, Washington, by the Kaiser Shipyards; launched on 15 September 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Frederick Carl Sherman, the wife of Rear Admiral Frederick Sherman; and commissioned on 7 November 1943, with Captain Hames R. Tague in command.
Following commissioning, Wake Island received supplies, ammunition, and gasoline at Astoria, Oregon, and got underway on 27 November 1943 for Puget Sound and anchored the following day at Bremerton, Washington, where she continued to load supplies and ammunition. The carrier operated in the Puget Sound area conducting structural firing tests and making stops at Port Townsend, Sinclair Inlet, and Seattle before sailing south on 6 December. She arrived at San Francisco, California on 10 December, took on fuel, and, two days later, headed for San Diego, arriving there on 14 December for shakedown and availability. Before departing, the carrier took on board the personnel and planes of Composite Squadron 69 (VC-69).
On 11 January 1944, Wake Island got underway and steamed, via the Panama Canal, to Hampton Roads, Virginia, arriving at Norfolk, Virginia on 26 January. Following availability, the carrier sailed on 14 February for New York City in company with Mission Bay, Swenning, and Haverfield.
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