Sangamon-class escort carrier

The Sangamon class were a group of four escort aircraft carriers of the United States Navy that served during World War II.

Overview Originally built as fleet oilers, and launched in 1939, for civilian use, the ships were acquired by the US Navy and commissioned in 1940. Due to the shortage of Type C3-class ships for conversion to s, it was decided in early 1942, to convert four oilers to escort carriers. Following the US Navy practice during WWII, for fleet oilers, these vessels had been renamed after rivers, though this was later changed to "Indian rivers in oil-producing regions". They retained those names following their conversions to carriers. The conversion took around six months.

These ships were the largest escort carrier conversions built for the US Navy. The late-war s were about as large, but were built as carriers from keel up. Being built as T3 tanker oilers, the machinery space was located aft, resulting in the placing of the smokestacks on both sides aft of the flight deck. They were excellent examples of the type, roomy and tough with a large flight deck and good stability on even high seas. The Sangamons could operate about 30 aircraft, and were the only escort carriers to operate dive bombers.

Service history From late 1942 until the end of the war the ships saw active duty in the Mediterranean, Atlantic and Pacific Campaigns. Three of the class were damaged by Japanese kamikaze attacks at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, but all survived the war. In the Pacific, the carriers often operated together as Carrier Division 22.

The ships were withdrawn from active service shortly after the end of the war. Some of them were kept in reserve and reclassified as helicopter escort carriers (CVHE). All had been sold or scrapped by the early 1960s.

Ships + List of Sangamon-class escort carriers Ship name Builder Laid down Launched Recommissioned as escort carrier Decommissioned Fate CVE-26Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company,Kearny, New Jersey13 March 19394 November 193925 August 194224 October 1945Struck 1 November 1945; Scrapped in Osaka, Japan, August 1960 CVE-273 June 19384 March 193924 September 19428 January 1947Struck 1 March 1959; Sold for scrap 30 November 1959 CVE-28Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company,Chester, Pennsylvania10 July 19381 April 193919 September 194214 August 1946Struck 1 March 1959; Sold for scrap 12 February 1960 CVE-2931 May 19384 March 193924 August 194221 October 1946Struck 1 March 1959; Sold for scrap 5 December 1959

Sangamon-class escort carrier

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