USS Commencement Bay (CVE 105)

- formerly ST. JOSEPH BAY -
- later CVHE 105, AKV 37 -
- decommissioned -

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USS COMMENCEMENT BAY was the lead ship of the COMMENCEMENT BAY - class of escort carriers. Initially named ST. JOSEPH BAY, her name was changed to COMMENCEMENT BAY shortly afterwards, making her the first ship in the Navy named after the bay of Puget Sound near Tacoma, Wash. Decommissioned on November 30, 1946, the ship remained mothballed until August 1972, when she was sold for scrapping.

General Characteristics:	Awarded: 1943
	Keel laid: September 23, 1943
	Launched: May 9, 1944
	Commissioned: November 27, 1944
	Decommissioned: November 30, 1946
	Builder: Todd-Pacific Shipyards, Tacoma, Wash.
	Propulsion system: four boilers, geared turbines
	Propellers: two
	Length: 557 feet (170 meters)
	Flight Deck Width: 105.3 feet (32.1 meters)
	Beam: 75 feet (23 meters)
	Draft: 30.8 feet (9.35 meters)
	Displacement: approx. 24,250 tons full load
	Speed: 19 knots
	Catapults: two
	Aircraft: 34 planes
	Armament: two 5-inch L/38 gun, 36 40mm guns, 20 20mm guns
	Crew: 1066

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS COMMENCEMENT BAY. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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Click here to see which USS COMMENCEMENT BAY memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS COMMENCEMENT BAY Cruise Books:

World War II Cruise Book 1944-46

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History of USS COMMENCEMENT BAY:

COMMENCEMENT BAY was launched 9 May 1944 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., Tacoma, Wash.; sponsored by Mrs. F. Eves; and commissioned 27 November, 1944, Captain R. L. Bowman in command.

COMMENCEMENT BAY reported at Seattle 1 February 1945 for duty as a training ship in Puget Sound until 2 October. During this time she trained 545 officers and 5,053 men of precommissioning crews for sister escort carriers, and qualified 249 pilots of eight air groups in carrier takeoffs and landings. She sailed from Bremerton 21 October 1945, and arrived at Pearl Harbor 4 November for training and to conduct carrier qualifications until sailing 27 November for Seattle and Tacoma.

After visits to Los Angeles and San Pedro, she returned to Tacoma 28 January, where she was placed out of commission in reserve 30 November 1946. She was re-classified CVHE 105, 12 June 1955; and AKV 37, 7 May 1959. Stricken from the Navy list 1 April 1971, she was sold for scrapping in August 1972.

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USS COMMENCEMENT BAY Image Gallery:

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