USS Block Island (CVE-106)

	USS Block Island on 13 January 1945
History
United States
Name	Block Island
Namesake	Block Island Sound
Builder	Todd Pacific Shipyards
Laid down	25 October 1943
Launched	10 June 1944
Sponsored by	Mrs. E. J. (Grace) Hallenbeck
Commissioned	30 December 1944
Decommissioned	27 August 1954
Reclassified	LPH-1
Stricken	1 July 1959
Identification	Callsign: NKAQ; ; Pennant number: CVE-106;
Honors and; awards	two battle stars for World War II service
Fate	Scrapped, 23 February 1960
General characteristics
Class and type	Commencement Bay-class escort carrier
Displacement	21,397 long tons (21,740 t)
Length	557 ft 1 in (169.80 m) loa
Beam	75 ft (23 m)
Draft	32 ft (9.8 m)
Installed power	16,000 kW); 4 × boilers;
Propulsion	2 × Steam turbines ; 2 × screw propellers;
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement	1,066
Armament	2 × 5 in (127 mm) dual-purpose guns; 36 × 40 mm (1.6 in) Bofors AA guns; 20 × 20 mm (0.8 in) Oerlikon AA guns;
Aircraft carried	33
Aviation facilities	2 × aircraft catapults

USS Block Island (CVE-106) (then LPH-1 and CVE-106 again) was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was the second ship to carry her name, done in honor of the first one, being launched 12 days after the original was sunk.

She was

Prisoner of War of the Japanese), and commissioned

as Block Island on 30 December 1944.

Design

In 1941, as United States participation in

transport ships of various types. Many of the escort carrier types were converted from C3-type transports, but the Sangamon-class escort carriers were instead rebuilt oil tankers. These proved to be very successful ships, and the Commencement Bay class, authorized for Fiscal Year 1944, were an improved version of the Sangamon design. The new ships were faster, had improved aviation facilities, and had better internal compartmentation.^[1]

Block Island was 557 ft 1 in (169.80 m)

draft of 27 ft 11 in (8.51 m). The ship's superstructure consisted of a small island. She had a complement of 1,066 officers and enlisted men.^[2]

The ship was powered by two

water-tube boilers. The propulsion system was rated to produce a total of 16,000 shp (12,000 kW) for a top speed of 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph). Given the very large storage capacity for oil, the ships of the Commencement Bay class could steam for some 23,900 nautical miles (44,300 km; 27,500 mi) at a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).^[2]

Her defensive

40 mm (2 in) Bofors guns, and twenty 20 mm (1 in) Oerlikon light AA cannons. The Bofors guns were placed in three quadruple and twelve twin mounts, while the Oerlikon guns were all mounted individually. She carried 33 planes, which could be launched from two aircraft catapults. Two elevators transferred aircraft from the hangar to the flight deck.^[2]

Service history

World War II

Block Island got underway for

Straits of Makassar for Borneo. From 26 June-6 July, she took part in the Balikpapan operation. She then proceeded to Guam

where she was anchored at the time of the cessation of hostilities.

Post-War

From 6–9 September, Block Island took part in the evacuation of Allied prisoners of war from Formosa. She continued cruising in the Far East until 14 October, and arrived at San Diego on 11 December 1945. Leaving San Diego on 6 January 1946, she transited the Panama Canal and reached Norfolk on the 20th. She was placed in service in reserve on 28 May 1946.

On 29 May 1946, Block Island was towed from Norfolk to

Atlantic Reserve Fleet

.

The vessel was recommissioned on 28 April 1951 and reported to the

Atlantic Fleet. From June 1951-November 1953, she carried out local operations off the Virginia Capes, made four cruises to the Caribbean and one to the United Kingdom, France, and Italy from 17 April – 26 June 1953. The painter Thomas Hart Benton

was a guest on the return trip from Europe.

On 15 January 1954, she was placed in commission in reserve at Philadelphia and out of commission in reserve on 27 August 1954. In 1957–1958, she was redesignated LPH-1 in anticipation of conversion under project SCB 159 to an amphibious assault ship, but the conversion was canceled and her designation reverted to CVE-106 before any work was done.^[3] Block Island was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 July 1959.

USS Block Island underway, summer 1953
Recovery of the crew of a U.S. Navy Grumman AF-2 Guardian from
Helicopter Utility Squadron HU-2
after the plane was forced to ditch immediately after launching in 1953. Parent escort carrier USS Block Island is standing by in the background.
Thomas Hart Benton (wearing hat) aboard USS Block Island

Notes

^ Friedman, pp. 107–111.
^ ^a ^b ^c Friedman, p. 111.
ISBN 0-87021-739-9
.

References

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

Friedman, Norman (1986). "United States of America". In Gardiner, Robert & Gray, Randal (eds.). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 105–133.
ISBN 978-0-85177-245-5
.

"Block Island II (CVE-106)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 27 April 2024. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

External links

Media related to USS Block Island (CVE-106) at Wikimedia Commons

v
t
e
Commencement Bay-class escort carriers

Commencement Bay

Block Island

Gilbert Islands

Kula Gulf

Cape Gloucester

Salerno Bay

Vella Gulf

Siboney

Puget Sound

Rendova

Bairoko

Badoeng Strait

Saidor

Sicily

Point Cruz

Mindoro

Rabaul^N

Palau

Tinian^N

Bastogne^X

Eniwetok^X

Lingayen^X

Okinawa^X

CVE-128 – CVE-139 (Unnamed)^X

Preceded by: Casablanca class

Followed by: None

N

Never commissioned

X

Cancelled

List of escort carriers of the United States Navy

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=USS_Block_Island_(CVE-106)&oldid=1221087087"

[FOOTNOTEFriedman107–111-1] Friedman, pp. 107–111.

[FOOTNOTEFriedman111-2] Friedman, p. 111.

[3] ISBN 0-87021-739-9
.

[1]

[2]

[3]