USS Kula Gulf

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For other ships with the same name, see USS Vermillion.

USS Kula Gulf
USS Kula Gulf on 5 September 1945
History
United States
NameUSS Kula Gulf
NamesakeBattle of Kula Gulf
BuilderTodd-Pacific Shipyards
Laid down16 December 1943
Launched15 August 1944
Commissioned12 May 1945
Decommissioned3 July 1946
Recommissioned15 February 1951
Decommissioned15 December 1955
ReclassifiedCargo Ship and Aircraft Ferry, AKV-8, 7 May 1959
Recommissioned30 June 1965
Decommissioned6 October 1969
Stricken15 September 1970
FateScrapped in 1971
General characteristics
Class and typeCommencement Bay-class escort carrier
Displacement21,397 long tons (21,740 t)
Length557 ft 1 in (169.80 m) loa
Beam75 ft (23 m)
Draft32 ft (9.8 m)
Installed power
Propulsion
  • 2 ×
    Steam turbines
  • 2 ×
    screw propellers
Speed19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Complement1,066
Armament
Aircraft carried33
Aviation facilities2 × aircraft catapults

USS Vermillion Bay (CVE-108) was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was renamed Kula Gulf on 6 November 1943; laid down by Todd-Pacific Shipyards, Inc., Tacoma, Wash. on 16 December 1943; launched on 15 August 1944; sponsored by Miss Dorothy Mott; completed by Willamette Iron & Steel Corp., Portland, Oregon; and commissioned at Portland on 12 May 1945, Captain J. W. King in command.

Design

Main article: Commencement Bay-class escort carrier

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]

Kula Gulf 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

After shakedown and night carrier training off the West Coast, Kula Gulf departed

Magic-Carpet" duty, she departed Guam on 17 November with 600 veterans of the Pacific fighting embarked and steamed to San Francisco, arriving on 4 December. From 10 December 1945 – 10 January 1946 she returned to the Far East; and, after embarking 1,520 returning veterans at Tientsin and Tsingtao, China, she sailed to the West Coast, reaching San Diego on 26 January. She departed San Francisco for the East Coast 26 February, arrived Norfolk on 16 March, decommissioned at Boston
on 3 July, and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.

Korean War

When the

French Morocco
. Following her return to Norfolk on 1 September, she spent the next 15 months training pilots of helicopter, air-antisubmarine, and fighter squadrons to strengthen U.S. forces in Korea.

In May 1952, Kula Gulf supported Marine helicopter maneuvers on

Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, and in October, she operated as ASW screen to troop transports bound for Labrador. Following a modernization overhaul from January–July 1953, she resumed air-antisubmarine maneuvers in the Caribbean
and off the Atlantic coast.

From 1953 to 1955, Kula Gulf helped perfect ASW techniques by participating in search and kill exercises with ships of the Atlantic Fleet. She played an important role in the development of more effective antisubmarine warfare tactics that help the Navy control the seas. In addition to ASW development, she also aided the advancement of helicopter warfare tactics, which are now so important during the struggle to repel Communist aggression in

Boston Naval Shipyard on 13 May and Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 19 August for inactivation overhauls. She decommissioned at Philadelphia
on 15 December 1955 and joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She was reclassified AKV-8 on 7 May 1959.

Vietnam War

As Communist aggression in South Vietnam increased, the United States expanded efforts to protect the integrity and independence of the

Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). This assistance posed vast logistic demands and created the need for additional sea power. Because of this urgent need, Kula Gulf was transferred to Military Sealift Command on 30 June 1965 for use as an aircraft ferry. In the summer of 1965, she carried helicopters and troops of the 1st Cavalry Division
from the East Coast to Vietnam. She continued aircraft shuttle operations between West Coast ports and American bases along the coast of South Vietnam into 1967.

Kula Gulf was decommissioned on 6 October 1969, struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 September 1970, and sold for scrap in 1971.

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ Friedman, pp. 107–111.
  2. ^ a b c Friedman, p. 111.

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
    .
  • "Kula Gulf (CVE-108)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2024.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.

External links

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