The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
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|  ONI 222 |
| Tonnage | 18,908 tons standard displacement |
| Dimensions | 557'1" by 75' by 32' 169.80m by 22.86m by 9.75m |
| Maximum speed | 20.2 knots |
| Complement | 1054 |
| Aircraft | 501' (152.7m) flight deck 2 H4C catapults 2 elevators 33 aircraft |
| Armament | 2x1 5"/38
dual-purpose guns 12x2, 3x4 40mm Bofors AA guns 20x1 20mm Oerlikon AA guns |
| Machinery |
2-shaft Allis-Chalmers geared
turbine (16,000 shp) 4 Combustion Engineering boilers |
| Bunkerage | 1788.5 tons fuel oil 150,806 gallons (510,000 liters) aviation gasoline |
| Range | 8320 nautical miles (15,400 km) at 15 knots |
| Munitions | capacity 804 tons |
| Sensors |
SK-2
air search radar SG surface search radar |
The Commencement Bays were completed in 1944-45 as the final class of escort carriers. They were a development of the Sangamons, and inherited many of their characteristics, but were built as carriers from the keel up. They had less range, but much better machinery layout and subdivision. Many warship experts regard them as the best of the escort carriers. Only a few units were completed in time to see combat and none were lost in the Pacific.
The air croup was typically 15 TBF Avenger torpedo bombers and 18 F6F Hellcat fighters. The ships could also operate as tankers, with an additional 7359 tons of cargo oil.
Postwar, two of these carriers saw service with Marine air groups in Korea while another ten units were
converted to antisubmarine
helicopter carriers.
| Commencement Bay | completed 1944-11-20 (Tacoma) |
| Block Island | arrived 1944-12-30 |
| Gilbert Islands | completed 1945-2-5 (Tacoma) |
| Cape Gloucester | completed 1945-3-5 (Tacoma) |
| Vella Gulf | completed 1945-4-9 (Tacoma) |
| Kula Gulf | completed 1945-5-12 (Portland) |
| Salerno Bay | completed 1945-5-19 (Tacoma) |
References
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2007, 2009 by Kent G. Budge. Index
