USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56), a during
World War II, was the only ship of the
United States Navy to be named for
Liscome Bay in
Dall Island in the
Alexander Archipelago off Alaska's southeast coast. She was lost to a submarine attack during
Operation Galvanic, with a catastrophic loss of life, on 24 November 1943.
Her keel was laid down on 9 December 1942 by
Kaiser Shipbuilding Company of
Vancouver, Washington, under a United States Maritime Commission contract.
She was originally to have been given to the
Royal Navy under the terms of
Lend-Lease as
HMS Ameer, but was reappropriated by the U.S. Navy whilst still being built.
She was
launched on 19 April 1943 sponsored by Mrs. Ben Moreell, wife of the Chief of the Navy's Bureau of Yards & Docks. She was named
Liscome Bay on 28 June 1943 and assigned the
hull classification symbol CVE-56 on 15 July 1943. She was acquired by the Navy and
commissioned on 7 August 1943,
Captain Irving D. Wiltsie in command.
Service History
Operation Galvanic
After training operations along the West Coast,
Liscome Bay departed
San Diego, California, on 21 October 1943 and arrived at
Pearl Harbor one week later. Having completed additional drills and operational exercises, the escort carrier set forth upon what was to be her first and last battle mission. As a unit of Carrier Division 24 (CarDiv 24), she departed Pearl Harbor on 10 November attached to TF 52, Northern Attack Force, under
Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner, bound for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands.
The invasion bombardment announcing the United States's first major thrust into the central Pacific began on 20 November at 0500, and 76 hours later,
Tarawa Atoll and
Makin A were captured.
Liscome Bays aircraft played their part in the 2278 action sorties provided by carrier-based planes which neutralized enemy airbases, supported landings and ground operations in bombing-strafing missions, and intercepted enemy raids. With the islands secured, the U.S. forces began a retirement.
Sinking
On 23 November, arrived off
Makin. The temporary task group, built around Rear Admiral
Henry M. Mullinnix three escorts -
Liscome Bay, and - was steaming 20 miles southwest of
Butaritari Island at 15 knots. At 0430 on 24 November, reveille was made in
Liscome Bay. The ship went to routine general quarters at 0505 as flight crews prepared their planes for dawn launchings.
There was no warning of a
submarine in the area until about 0510 when a lookout shouted: "Here comes a torpedo!" The torpedo struck abaft the after engine room and hit the aircraft bomb stockpile, causing a major explosion engulfing the entire vessel and sending shrapnel out 5,000 yards. "It didn't look like a ship at all", wrote
Lieutenant John C. W. Dix, communications officer on , "We thought it was an ammunition dump....She just went
whoom — an orange ball of flame."
Burial at sea aboard Leonard Wood of two Liscome Bay sailors, victims of the submarine attack by . Foreground facing ceremony are survivors of Liscome Bay. Ship in background is Neville carrying remainder of the small number of survivors.
At 0533,
Liscome Bay listed to starboard and sank, carrying 53 officers and 591 enlisted men — including Admiral Mullinix, Captain Wiltsie, and famous Pearl Harbor survivor Cook Third Class
Doris Miller, down with her. Only 272 of her crew of 916 were rescued by , and .
Counting the sailors who went down with the carrier, American casualties of the assault on Makin exceeded the strength of the entire Japanese garrison of that island. Future legal scholar
Robert Keeton, then a Navy lieutenant, survived the attack.
Awards
Liscome Bay received one
battle star for her World War II service.
The ship is briefly mentioned in the clandestine diary that James Fahey kept as a sailor during the war. His brother John was an injured survivor and his ordeal and recovery are described.
See also
