Hull 5); launched on 4 March 1939; sponsored by Mrs. Howard L. Vickery; delivered to the Keystone Tankship Corp. and operated by that company until acquired by the Navy on 26 June 1941. First Name. Naval Shipyard. Her first assignment was close air support for the invasion troops; but, within a few days, she settled down to a routine of neutralizing the kamikaze bases at Sakishima Gunto. The battle commenced at 0150 and within 30 minutes Monssen, which had been spotlighted in the darkness and hit by some 37 shells was reduced to a burning hulk. http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NBD94211133.jpg San Francisco CA 38 11 13 1942 1942-11-13 00:00:00.000 Naval Battle of Guadalcanal The San Francisco, in company with one heavy cruiser, three light cruisers, and eight destroyers, entered Lengo Channel. 1 209 Photograph: 7 April 1943. 16 November 1943: Launched and christened, sponsored by Mrs. Richard S. Bull, Sr., mother of Lt. Bull 26 February 1944: Commissioned, Lcdr. There are currently no images of USS Suwannee It seemed to me that we would have to try to get through to them. For crew lists, and reunions see the Veterans Info Page. On 24 and 25 October 1944, the Japanese launched a major surface offensive from three directions to contest the landings at Leyte Gulf. (1) As a returning American torpedo bomber (lower plane) approaches deck for landing, a Japanese Following two voyages from Espiritu Santo, one to Tulagi and the other to Kwajalein, Suwannee arrived off Saipan, in mid-June. Of seven missing, three were subsequently rescued. On 16 June, she headed for San Pedro Bay, in Leyte Gulf. Keystone Tankship Corp., in turn delivered the vessel at Baltimore, Maryland. Within two hours, her flight deck was sufficiently repaired to enable the escort carrier to resume air operations. After eight days in the water survivors were spotted and rescue effected. This drew Vice Adm. Jesse B. Oldendorf's Bombardment Group south to meet that threat in the Battle of Surigao Strait. Photo NS032736a courtesy of U.S. Geological Comments, Suggestions or Image submissions, E-mail Carrier Information Aboard USS Suwannee (CVE-27), Rear Admiral William (Place your cursor over any of the ribbons at the top, the battle stars at left, or the Suwannee image to see a description. For the next seven months (during which time she was re-designated to an escort aircraft carrier, CVE-27, effective 15 July 1943), she provided air escort for transports and supply ships replenishing and bolstering the marines on Guadalcanal, as well as for the forces occupying other islands in the Solomons group. CVE-27 ALL HANDS Articles. A direct hit on the navigation bridge killed or badly wounded all officers except the communications officer. The concentrated American destroyers were now central targets. ". care.". Just after noon on the 26th, another group of kamikazes jumped Taffy 1. All Rights Reserved. Photo and text from Fire From The Sky, Along part of the way, we were joined by a sailor manning a seawater fire hose with fairly good pressure, and though the seawater would only scatter the gasoline fires away from us, by using the water and foam alternatively as we advanced, we managed to work our way up several decks, through passageways along the wrecked and burning combat information center and decoding area, through officers' country, and finally out on the forecastle. The resulting blaze burned for several hours, but was finally brought under control by the concerted efforts of her crew and air group. Commanding Officers Date Assumed Command, Cmdr. (NARA), photo # 80-G-270619. Her gunners soon scratched a 2nd enemy plane, then engaged a 3rd attacking aircraft, circling in the clouds at 8,000 feet, which in its final dive, crashed into the flight deck of Suwannee 40 feet forward of the after elevator, opening a 10-foot hole in her flight deck. She reached the Philippines several days later, and her planes began strikes on enemy installations in the Visayas until 25 October. On 28 October, the carrier was placed in a reserve status with the 16th Fleet, at Boston, and just over two months later, on 8 January 1947, she was placed out of commission. on flight deck during flight operations. Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated Design History, by Norman Friedman. After the war, she was later classified an "Escort Helicopter Aircraft Carrier" and again redesignated, CVHE-27, 12 June 1955. As the order to abandon ship was passed, a violent explosion ripped the destroyer apart; and she sank immediately. Suwannee (and her embarked air units for the pertinent periods: VGS-27, VGF-27, VGS-30, VGF-28, CVEG-60 and CVEG-40) received the Presidential Unit Citation and 13 battle stars for her World War II service: North Africa occupation, Algeria-Morocco Landings (811 November 1942), Anti-submarine action (planes S-10, S-11, and S-12 of VGS-27) (11 November 1942); Battle of Rennell Island (2930 January 1943); Gilbert Islands operation (20 November8 December 1943); Marshall Islands occupation: Occupation of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls (31 January8 February 1944) and Eniwetok (1724 February 1944); Pacific Raids: Palau, Yap, Ulithi and Woleai (30 March1 April 1944); Hollandia operation (Aitape, Humboldt Bay, and Tanahmerah Bay) 22 April5 May 1944); capture and occupation of Saipan (23 June11 July 1944); occupation and capture of Tinian (12 July1 August 1944); Morotai Landings (15 September 1944); Leyte landings (10 October29 November 1944); Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto (25 March4 June 1945); and Balikpapan operation (26 June6 July 1945). Additional Information Page. On 3 August, she got underway for Okinawa, arriving in Buckner Bay three days later. (1a) As a returning American torpedo bomber (lower plane) approaches deck for landing, USS Suwannee (CVE 27) Escort carrier of the Sangamon class Commands listed for USS Suwannee (CVE 27) Please note that we're still working on this section and that we only list Commanding Officers for the duration of the Second World War. http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NSB94211135.jpg Laffey DD 459 11 13 1942 1942-11-13 00:00:00.000 Naval Battle of Guadalcanal The naval battle of Guadalcanal was just about to begin when the enemy force, a group of two battleships, one cruiser and 14 destroyers appeared on the horizon. At 0740 on the 25th, Taffy 1 was jumped by land-based planes from Davao in the first deliberate suicide attack of the war. At the same time, she became the target of a cruiser off her starboard bow and a destroyer which had crossed her bow and was passing down her port side. The new passengers destinations ranged from new construction like the carrier Hornet (CV-8), the destroyer Hambleton (DD-455), and the submarine Finback (SS-230), to the gunboat Erie (PG-50). U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of Islands, Philippines, in advance of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. (1416 August)., before she returned to Norfolk on 21 August, setting course later the same day for the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y. Suwannee there embarked officers and men of Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron (MTBRon) 1 under Lt.(j.g.) Almost a month later, on 10 September, she put to sea to support the landings on Morotai in the Netherlands East Indies. Suwannee, much farther south as an element of Taffy 1. did not participate in this surface engagement however her problems came from another quarter at 0740 when Taffy 1 was attacked by land-based planes from Davao in the first suicide attack of the war. Thomas, of the crew. ARSENAULT, Tilmon J. BRANN, Richard Paul Engineman Second Class. On 16 June 1945, she headed for San Pedro Bay in Leyte Gulf. by Robert C. Stern. Dates are for carrier involvement, not necessarily the dates for the entire operation. Strange USN (Ret.) A Zeke crashed Suwannees flight deck and careened into a VT-60 TBM, piloted by Lt. F. W. Beidelman, Jr., A-V(N), USNR, which had just been recovered only 30 seconds before. Arriving at her destination on 17 November, she remained at Argentia until she sailed for Hampton Roads on 4 December with passengers, the largest group of which (29) held orders to the carrier Yorktown (CV-5). That stop was aborted because of a minefield on the path there, so they returned south to Wakayama on 27 September. Survivors whoo had previously abandoned ship reboarded the hulk and rescued eight men still aboard and alive, five of whom lived after reaching land. On 12 October, the escort carrier got underway from Manus, in Rear Admiral Thomas L. Sprague's Escort Carrier Group to provide air support for the landings at Leyte Gulf. A deadly crossfire immediately engulfed Sterett. 1943. Monteau, USNR; Lieutenant Junior Grade Joseph Coleman, USNR; Ensign Raymond L.J. Then on to Guam, arriving at 17:00, on 29 October, to load approximately 35 planes, for a total complement of around 70 planes, then on to Pearl Harbor. Shifting to Honolulu, T.H., on the 20th, the oiler sailed for San Pedro with two leave-bound USMC non-commissioned officers and one enlisted marine, from Marine Aircraft Group 21, later the same day. Her hulk was sold to the Isbrantsen Steamship Co., of New York City on 30 November 1959 for conversion to merchant service, but after the cancellation of the project, in May 1961 her hulk was resold to the J. C. Berkwit Co., also of New York City. Renamed Suwannee (AO-33), the ship was commissioned "in ordinary", an inactive status, on 9 July 1941, then placed in commission, on 16 July 1941. This drew Admiral Jesse B. Oldendorf's Bombardment Group south to meet that threat in the Battle of Surigao Strait. Included were: 6 battleships, 7 large carriers, 4 Independence-class carriers, 45 escort carriers, 21 light cruisers, 164 troopships, 165 assault transports, 30 hospital transports, 7 converted Liberty ships and 40 miscellaneous craft.[3]. On 24 and 25 October 1944, the Japanese launched a major surface offensive from three directions to contest the Leyte Gulf landings. This trip was to be a non-stop return to Okinawa, to pick up 1,500 troops on an overnight stop, and then return to Seattle. Photographed by Ensign Barrett Gallagher, USNR. Dimensions (wl):525' x 75' x 30' 7.5" (full load) / 160 x 22.9 x 9.3 meters Dimensions (max. "At 1042, Thursday 24 May 1945 TBM-3 [Avenger] Bureau Number 68368 After transiting the Panama Canal (31 August1 September 1941), Suwannee proceeded directly to San Pedro, Calif., (911 September), whence she sailed on the 11th for Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. National Archives and Records Administration Suwannee has too long gone untold. The USS Suwannee (CVE-27) was a Sangamon-class escort carrier laid down on June 3, 1938, and launched on March 4, the following year. While Adm. Ozawa Jisaburos Mobile Force sailed south from Japan and drew the bulk of Adm. William F. Halsey, Jr.s Third Fleet off to the north, Adm. Shima Kiyohides Second Striking Force, along with Adm. Nishimura Shojis Force, attempted to force Surigao Strait from the south. Looking for US Navy memorabilia? Activities aboard USS Suwannee (CVE-27). The second USS THE SULLIVANS (DDG 68)was laid down on 14 June 1993 at BathMaine, by Bath Iron Works Company. Artwork details the dangers National Archives and Records Administration Thomas, of the crew. It was commissioned on July 16, 1941, under Commander Joseph R. Lannom's command and served in the US Navy for 6 years until it was struck from the Navy List on March 1, 1959. The video was obtained from the British Imperial War Museum. A6M5 Navy Type 0 Carrier Fighter Model 52), piloted by Tamisaku Katsumata, during the first Albert A. Lee, USNR. The escort carriers put into Kossol Roads, in the Palaus, on 28 October, then headed for Manus, for upkeep, on 1 November. Please keep in mind that this list does only include records of people who submitted their information for publication on this website. Add yours! Archives and Records Administration (NARA), photo # 80-G-39316. 1 172. Artwork details about crossing Prepared by CAPT R. O. A Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat (nicknamed "Rosenblatt's Reply") aboard USS Suwannee Last Name. Following two voyages from Espritu Santo, one to Tulagi and the other to Kwajalein, Suwannee arrived off Saipan in mid-June 1944. Prepared by CAPT R. O. For their November participation in Operation Magic Carpet they were part of a much larger contingency of ships. SUWANNEE. After short stops at Purvis Bay in the Solomons and at Seeadler Harbor, Manus, the escort carrier headed for New Guinea. To top of page | To bottom of page U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives She returned to the U.S. at San Diego in October and, by 5 November 1943 was back at Espritu Santo, with a new air group, CVEG-60 embarked. http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NSB94211136.jpg Monssen DD 436 11 13 1942 1942-11-13 00:00:00.000 Naval Battle of Guadalcanal In what would later be called the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal the heavily outnumbered US forces sighted the Japanese fleet headed toward Henderson Field to bombard it and cripple Allied air operations long enough to sneak in 11 of their transports to relieve their beleaguered comrades fighting on the island. San Francisco swung left while her main battery continued to fire on the battleships which, with the cruiser and the destroyer, continued to pound San Francisco. CARKOSKI . J. Calo, USNR; Lieutenant Robert M. Hunt, USNR; and VT-40 Executive Officer, Lieutenant Junior Grade after 2 years and 10 months of service, having steamed 128,417 miles (last ship's muster is dated 01 July 1946) She fired on a cruiser to starboard and, in turn, took a terrific pounding from battleship Hiei on her port side. while in reserve. The two planes erupted upon contact as did nine other planes on her flight deck. HullNumber.com does not retain your payment information if you make a purchase. The first challenge was to find as many of the men as possible. Markay was laid down on 3 June 1938 at Kearney, N.J., by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., under a Maritime Commission contract (M.C. On 11 November, off Fedhala Roads, her ASW patrol sank what was reported to be a German U-boat, but which was later determined to have been Sidi Ferruch, one of the three French submarines which sortied from Casablanca, on the day of the assault. On 7 September, Van Valkenburgh stood out of Buckner Bay, in company with Anthony, Wadsworth, Beale, and Ammen, as screen for the carriers Suwannee, Chenango, Cape Gloucester, and the cruiser Birmingham, bound for Japan and occupation duty in the erstwhile enemy's waters. Thomas, of the crew. wounded and died from injuries during transfer. Benham and Preston followed. They were declared dead on 4 October. Since the first meeting in 1988, our reunion opportunity to get together . Of the 115 crewmembers that survived the explosion on the ship and made it into the water, only 10 men were ultimately rescued. Many of the crew on the forecastle and the catwalks above it had been blown over the side by the explosions. After short stops at Purvis Bay, in the Solomons, and at Seeadler Harbor, Manus, the escort carrier headed for New Guinea. All communications were dead. (NARA) photo, # 80-G-270609. Operational and Building Data Authorized and Ordered 1933 Keel laid on 12 MAR 1935 by the New York Navy Yard Launched 30 NOV 1936 . In part because of the extent of damage suffered during the first kamikaze attacks of the war, much of the information about the Suwannee, and of what her crew and air groups endured, was classified for several decades. Suwannee was much farther south as an element of Rear Admiral Thomas Sprague's "Taffy 1". http://navylog.navymemorial.org/Portals/0/images/ships-tribute/NSB94211141.jpg Preston DD 379 11 14 1942 1942-11-14 00:00:00.000 Shellfire near Salvo Island Preston, in company with TF 64, sailed along the western end of Guadalcanal to intercept another Japanese run down the Slot to bombard Henderson Field and land reinforcements. She returned to Manus on 5 May. Your ORIGINAL HOMETOWN and State are asked for because that confirms who you are in your shipmate's memories. suicide plane streaks out of clouds in an 80-degree dive. She stopped at Pearl Harbor overnight (1920 November 1944) and arrived at Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton, Wash., on the 26th. In the Pacific, all the 1,430,000 Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine personnel and the 1,360,000 Army people, on 1 November, except those in occupation units are scheduled to be returned by June. SUWANNEE (CVE-27) Crew Roster The pilot, LT(JG) Obed F. Slingerland, was killed instantly. Prepared by CAPT R.O. Thanks VetFriends. Johnson) and 89 enlisted. Suwannee has too long gone untold. Three Japanese destroyers conduct a coordinated torpedo attack of US Forces. U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives The bow cables and hawser held and she remained safely in place by turning the screws to maintain position. She remained in the vicinity of Kwajalein for the first 15 days of February, then spent the next nine days helping out at Eniwetok. HullNumber.com does not retain your payment information if you make a purchase. choose to come to an honorable understanding with us will find that we treat them as human beings, USS Suwannee (AO 33) Crew List The table below contains the names of sailors who served aboard the USS Suwannee (AO 33). Less than a month after commissioning, Suwannee was underway from Hampton Roads, for the invasion of North Africa.