_at_Pearl_Harbor_on_28_July_1949_(NH_97319).jpg) USSBairoko on 28 July 1949 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USSBairoko |
| Namesake | TheBattle of Bairoko |
| Builder | Todd-Pacific Shipyards |
| Laid down | 25 July 1944 |
| Launched | 25 January 1945 |
| Commissioned | 16 July 1945 |
| Decommissioned | 14 April 1950 |
| Recommissioned | 12 September 1950 |
| Decommissioned | 18 February 1955 |
| Stricken | 1 April 1960 |
| Fate | Scrapped 1961 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Commencement Bay-classescort carrier |
| Displacement | 21,397long 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 | |
| Propulsion | |
| Speed | 19knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) |
| Complement | 1,066 |
| Armament | |
| Aircraft carried | 33 |
| Aviation facilities | 2 ×aircraft catapults |
USSBairoko was aCommencement Bay-classescort carrier of theUnited States Navy in service from 1945 to 1955. TheCommencement Bay class were built duringWorld War II, and were an improvement over the earlierSangamon class, which were converted fromoil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of5 in (127 mm),40 mm (1.6 in), and20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19knots (35 km/h; 22 mph), and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage.
In 1941, as United States participation inWorld War II became increasingly likely, theUS Navy embarked on a construction program forescort carriers, which were converted fromtransport ships of various types. Many of the escort carrier types were converted fromC3-type transports, but theSangamon-class escort carriers were instead rebuiltoil tankers. These proved to be very successful ships, and theCommencement Bay class, authorized for Fiscal Year 1944, were an improved version of theSangamon design. The new ships were faster, had improved aviation facilities, and had better internalcompartmentation.[1] They proved to be the most successful of the escort carriers, and the only class to be retained in active service after the war, since they were large enough to operate newer aircraft.[2][3]
Bairoko was 557 ft 1 in (169.80 m)long overall, with abeam of 75 ft (23 m) at thewaterline, which extended to 105 ft 2 in (32.05 m) at maximum. Shedisplaced 21,397 long tons (21,740 t) atfull load, of which 12,876 long tons (13,083 t) could befuel oil (though some of her storage tanks were converted to permanently store seawater forballast), and at full load she had adraft of 27 ft 11 in (8.51 m). The ship'ssuperstructure consisted of a small island. She had a complement of 1,066 officers and enlisted men.[4]
The ship was powered by twoAllis-Chalmers gearedsteam turbines, each driving onescrew propeller, using steam provided by fourCombustion Engineering-manufacturedwater-tube boilers. The propulsion system was rated to produce a total of 16,000 shp (12,000 kW) for a top speed of 19knots (35 km/h; 22 mph). Given the very large storage capacity for oil, the ships of theCommencement Bay class could steam for some 23,900nautical miles (44,300 km; 27,500 mi) at a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[4]
Her defensiveanti-aircraft armament consisted of two5 in (127 mm)dual-purpose guns in single mounts, thirty-six40 mm (2 in) Bofors guns, and twenty20 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 twoaircraft catapults. Two elevators transferred aircraft from thehangar to theflight deck.[4]
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The first fifteen ships of theCommencement Bay class were ordered on 23 January 1943, allocated to Fiscal Year 1944.[2] The ship was originally namedPortage Bay, but on 5 June 1944, before construction of the ship began, she was renamedBairoko after the battles fought aroundBairoko Harbor during theSolomon Islands campaign; American forces captured the harbor in August 1943. The ship waslaid down at theTodd-Pacific Shipyards inTacoma, Washington, on 25 July 1944. She waslaunched on 25 January 1945 and wascommissioned on 16 July 1945.[5][6]Bairoko then completedfitting out work before conducting hershakedown cruise inPuget Sound. She sailed forSan Diego, California, in early August. After arrival, her new complement of aircraft carried out flight training for the rest of the month. She was finally ready for service on 3 September, the day after thesurrender of Japan formally ended World War II. The ship then went into the shipyard atSan Pedro for repairs that lasted for four weeks.[6]
On 18 October,Bairoko left San Pedro for a lengthy cruise in the western Pacific. She stopped inPearl Harbor on the way, staying there for about two weeks before departing on 7 November. While en route, her orders were changed, directing her to join hersister shipsSiboney andPuget Sound in theMariana Islands in the central Pacific. She arrived there on 24 November, and the three carriers, joined by fourdestroyer escorts, formed a task group and sailed forHong Kong on 30 November. The carriers conducted combined air training exercises while on the way. After arriving, the ships underwent maintenance for a week and then departed on 21 December, bound forManila, the Philippines. The group arrived two days later, and remained in port there until 30 December, when they departed forGuam. There,Bairoko left the rest of the ships and sailed back to California alone. She reached San Diego on 25 January 1946.[6]
On 1 February,Bairoko returned to Tacoma for modifications to allow her to operate jet aircraft. Work on the ship lasted for three weeks, after which she participated in pilot qualification training in Puget Sound. She arrived back in San Diego on 3 March, where she took on sixteenRyan FR-1 Fireball jet-and-piston fighters ofVF-41 squadron.Bairoko carried out fight testing of the new aircraft until 26 April, when the ship was removed from active service due to crew shortages. She remained confined to port until 15 September, when she was reactivated. The ship went to sea next on 15 October for general training exercises. She sailed for San Pedro on 26 October for another round of modifications that lasted for three months. The ship was back in service by 24 January 1947, and she cruised in the local area until 17 February, when she departed for Pearl Harbor to take on a load of aircraft she was to ferry to other carriers participating infleet problem 2-47, which was held between 2 and 9 March.Bairoko then returned the planes to San Diego after the maneuvers, arriving there on 20 March.[6]
The ship next got underway on 7 April, this time to ferry aircraft to China. She stopped in Guam on 27 April and embarked Marine squadronVMF-218, which was equipped with twentyVought F4U Corsair fighters.Bairoko stopped inShanghai, China, on 8 May and the marines flew off their aircraft the following day. The planes were to be transferred toVMF-211, which was based inQingdao, China.Bairoko meanwhile departed forOkinawa, thereafter proceeding home on 13 May. She stopped in Guam and Pearl Harbor on the way, before ultimately arriving in San Diego at the end of May. She spent the rest of the year participating inanti-submarine exercises off the coast of California. On 21 November, during one of the maneuvers, a land-basedLockheed P-2 Neptune accidentally crashed, prompting asearch and rescue effort for the crew.Bairoko's boats picked up an observer and the co-pilot, but the other ten men aboard the plane were killed in the accident.[6]
Bairoko moved to San Pedro on 7 January 1948 for further modifications, this time receiving a decontamination center on her hangar deck and a repair facility for scientific instruments. These changes were in preparation forOperation Sandstone, a series of three nuclear weapons tests conducted inEniwetok Atoll. The ship left San Pedro on 17 February, carrying a load of reconnaissance planes, supporthelicopters, and scientists from the Radiological Safety Group. The ship arrived in Eniwetok on 17 March for the tests, which were carried out on 15 April, 1 May, and 15 May. For each blast,Bairoko anchored some 8.5 nmi (15.7 km; 9.8 mi) from thehypocenter so that observers could photograph the tests. Her helicopters and boats were then sent out to collect soil samples and radiation readings in the area. Her crew also assisted with the decontamination of equipment used in the tests. By early June, the ship had returned to San Diego.[6]
The ship spent the rest of the year conducting, pilot qualifications, anti-submarine training exercises, and other maneuvers off the coast of California. As naval budgets were being reduced by late 1948,Bairoko was ordered to proceed to theSan Francisco Naval Shipyard to be deactivated. On 14 April 1950, she was decommissioned and assigned to thePacific Reserve Fleet.[6]
Bairoko's period in reserve proved to be short, as North Korean forces invaded South Korea on 25 June 1950, and two days later, the US led the United Nations to intervene on the side of South Korea.Bairoko was recommissioned on 12 September, initially to train pilots and transport them and their aircraft to the war zone. The ship moved toAlameda, California for fitting out, after which she embarkedVMF-311 to transport them to Korea. She reached Japan on 29 September, where VMF-311 left the ship, to be replaced by the anti-submarine squadronVS-21. The ship thereafter began anti-submarine patrols in theYellow Sea to guard against a potentialSoviet entrance into the war. She performed this role for the following five months, making a total of twelve week-long patrols in the area. During these operations, she also participated in anti-submarine training with Americansubmarines.[6]
On 10 May 1951, while inYokosuka, Japan, an explosion rocked the ship, starting a major fire in her hangar that quickly spread to the engine room. Five men were killed in the blaze, which badly damaged the ship, destroying ventilation and electrical systems and weakening internalbulkheads. She underwent repairs in Yokosuka, which lasted until late June. By 3 July, she was ready to resume operations in the Yellow Sea.Bairoko took the sixteenTBM-3 Avengers fromVS-23 the same day, though the ship remained in the region for just four more weeks, departing for California on 4 August. She arrived in San Diego on 15 August and remained there for nearly a month. She went to sea on 10 September for ten weeks of training operations withVS-25 off San Diego, including anti-submarine practice and night flight operations withGrumman AF Guardian patrol aircraft. The ship left California on 1 December to begin another deployment to Korean waters.[6]
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Bairoko arrived in Yokosuka on 16 December and then left for Okinawa on 28 December. But while leaving Yokosuka, she struck a mooringbuoy and bent two of the blades on her starboard propeller. The ship had to bedry docked for repairs. She finally arrived at Okinawa on 5 January 1952, where she spent the following two weeks carrying out training for VS-25. The ship then embarkedVMF-312 on 11 February in preparation for combat operations in Korea. Five days later, she arrived in her patrol area in the Yellow Sea, escorted by the BritishdestroyersHMS Charity andCossack. The ship's fighters carried out patrols over southern North Korea over the next nine days, attacking any targets of opportunity they encountered, including bridges, gun positions, and supply vehicles. The Corsairs of VMF-312 flew some 121 combat sorties during the nine days. On 25 February,Bairoko returned to Sasebo to refuel and replenish ammunition and supplies.[6]
The ship returned to the Yellow Sea for another patrol from 5 to 13 March; after refueling again, she embarked on a third patrol from 23 March to 1 April. The ship's aircraft repeated their activities from the first patrol in February, though the operational tempo was lower; her pilots totaled 139 sorties between the second and third patrols. Over the course of these operations, five of her planes were shot down; one pilot was killed, another was rescued by the BritishfrigateHMS Cardigan Bay, and the remaining three were picked up by search and rescue helicopters.Bairoko replenished at Sasebo in early April before resuming operations in the Yellow Sea on 9 April. VMF-312 flew a total of 165 sorties over the following eight days, striking a variety of North Korean targets and losing only two aircraft; only one was shot down by North Korean fire. The second crashed on attempting to land onBairoko. Both pilots survived the incidents.[6]
On 18 April, the British aircraft carrierHMS Glory arrived to relieveBairoko off the western coast of Korea, allowing the latter vessel to return to Japan. There, she received minor repairs, and on 2 May, VS-25 returned to the ship for anti-submarine exercises held off Okinawa. On 24 May, the ship sailed back to Yokosuka, where she refueled before departing for the United States. She passed through Pearl Harbor on the way to San Diego, where she arrived on 10 June. The ship was then dry docked at theLong Beach Naval Shipyard for an extensive overhaul to repair her propulsion machinery, which was worn out after her long tour in East Asia. On 1 October,Bairoko emerged from the shipyard and sailed for San Diego three days later. For the rest of the year, she took part in local training exercises, including air search practice and joint anti-submarine warfare training with destroyer escorts. In late October, she was present to observe test firings of the newRIM-8 Talos guided missile then under development.[6]
On 12 January 1953,Bairoko steamed out of San Diego to begin her third and final deployment to the Korean theater of operations. She stopped in Pearl Harbor six days later and remained there for a week before resuming her voyage. The ship also passed through Guam and Okinawa, before ultimately arriving in Yokosuka on 18 February. She initially returned to Okinawa for anti-submarine training in company with a group of destroyer escorts from 7th Fleet.Bairoko arrived in the Yellow Sea on 14 May, ready to begin air operations against North Korean forces. Once again carrying VMA-312, the carrier launched a total of 183 sorties during this period, which included raids on enemy positions, aerial reconnaissance, and combat air patrols. The ship then returned to Sasebo for supplies. Over the period from 30 May to 27 July, the ship made a further four patrols in the Yellow Sea, each following a similar pattern. In addition, her aircraft supportedpartisans fighting behind the lines, and from 17 to 26 June, they covered the evacuation effort for those partisans and their families. The ship's combat operations in Korea ended on 27 July, the day theKorean Armistice Agreement ended the fighting. For the ship's service during the war,Bairoko received threebattle stars.[6]
The ship left Japan on 7 August, bound for California. She stopped in Pearl Harbor to disembark some of her aircraft, before proceeding on to San Diego. After arriving there on 24 August, she moved once again to the Long Island Naval Shipyard for an overhaul and modifications. The work lasted some seven weeks, after whichBairoko returned to San Diego to begin preparations for her role inOperation Castle, a major nuclear weapons test at Eniwetok andBikini Atoll that included a series of six detonations. The ship spent the rest of 1953 and early 1954 loading radiological equipment and observation aircraft, including six photo-reconnaissance Corsairs fromVC-3 and twelve helicopters fromHMR-362. On 9 January, the ship got underway for theMarshall Islands.[6]
On 20 January,Bairoko arrived inKwajalein, where she provided air transport to workers who were preparing facilities for the tests on Bikini and Eniwetok. Her aircraft flew observation missions during the blasts to conduct radiological surveys of the area, and the ship herself served as a decontamination center. On 1 March, theCastle Bravo detonation significantly exceeded expectations, showeringBairoko—which was some 38 nautical miles (70 km; 44 mi) away—with highly radioactivenuclear fallout. The ship's ventilation system was sealed to prevent contamination, but sixteen of her crew were nevertheless exposed to the radioactive dust and received radiation burns. The fallout also reached the Japanesefishing boatDaigo Fukuryū Maru, which was about 90 nautical miles (170 km; 100 mi) away, and burned 23 of her crew.Bairoko remained in the area for the remaining five tests, and on 16 May, she departed for home, arriving on 28 May.[6]
For the next month and a half,Bairoko participated in training exercises off San Diego. On 17 July, she returned to the Long Beach Naval Shipyard for the last time, to be overhauled prior to assignment to thereserve.[6] By this time, the Navy had begun replacing theCommencement Bay-class ships with much largerEssex-class aircraft carriers, since the former were too small to operate newer and more effective anti-submarine patrol planes. Proposals to radically rebuild theCommencement Bays either with anangled flight deck and various structural improvements or lengthen theirhulls by 30 ft (9.1 m) and replace their propulsion machinery to increase speed came to nothing, as they were deemed to be too expensive.[7] She was moved to the San Francisco Naval Shipyard on 8 October for additional inactivation work. She was eventually decommissioned on 18 February 1955 and assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet, which was based in San Francisco. She was reclassified as an aircraft ferry with thehull number AKV-15 on 7 April 1959, but she saw no further active service. She remained in the Navy's inventory for another three years before being struck from theNaval Vessel Register on 1 April 1960. She was then sold to the Hyman-Michaels Company on 10 August to bebroken up.[6]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.