This page is dedicated to all who served on and from the CVE-80 U.S.S. Petrof Bay.
Tulagi, 1944
Photo courtesy of the estate of Fireman First Class Harold Allen Walker
(This was the only time the ship was painted in this scheme)
The U.S.S. Petrof Bay has 5 Battle Stars to her record and a Presidential Unit Citation.
On board the U.S.S. Yorktown a plaque commemorates this fact.
The Petrof Bay was refered to as the "Double 40" by the men who served on her.
She also earned the nicknames: "Perpetual Bay", "Mighty Eighty" and "Mad Russian"
Truk, Satawan, Ponape Raid - 29 April, 1944
Capture and Occupation of southern Palau Islands - 15-30 September, 1944
Task Group 32.7
-Western Escort Carrier Group
Leyte Landings - 20-30 September, 1944
Battle for Leyte Gulf - 24-26 October 1944
Task Group 77.4
"Taffy One"
Leyte Convoy Operations - 23-30 November, 1944
Lingayen Gulf Landings - 10-18 January, 1945
Task Group 77.4 -
Close Covering Group
Subic Bay Landings - 29-31 January, 1945
Assault and Occupation Of Iwo Jima - 16 Feruary - 8 March, 1945
Task Group
52.2
Assault and Occupation of Okinawa - 17 March - 26 May, 1945
Task Group 58.1 -
Unit Two
Date of Commission: 18 February 1944 at Astoria, Oregon
Decommission: 30 July 1946
Designation changed: CVU 80 as of 12 June 1955
Comments: Stricken 27 June 1958
Sold to J. Berkurt 30 July 1959, scrapped at Antwerp September 1959
Casablanca class Escort Carrier: 7,800 tons; length 512'3"; beam 108'; draft 22'4"; speed 19 kts.;
Armament: 1 5"/38, 8 40mm, 24 20mm; 28 planes; complement 860; reciprocating engines.
(at times I am told the actual compliment was well over 900)
Built at Kaiser S.B. Co., Vancouver and commissioned 18 FEB 1944.
Escort Aircraft Carrier (CVE). These ships were originally classified as auxiliary vessels and were not classified as warships until 15 Jul 43. Originally, they were Aircraft Escort Vessels (AVG) until reclassified Auxiliary Aircraft Carriers (ACV’s) on 20 Aug 42. They became CVEs on 15 Jul 43. The majority (50) of these ships were of the Casablanca Class.
CVE-80 USS Petrof Bay
The Casablanca class listing:
CVE-55 Ameer, CVE-55 Alazon Bay, CVE-55 Casablanca, CVE-56 Liscombe Bay,
CVE-57 Alikula Bay, CVE-57 Coral Sea, CVE-57 Anzio, CVE-58 Anguilla Bay,
CVE-58 Corregidor, CVE-59 Atheling, CVE-59 Mission Bay,CVE-60 Astrolabe Bay,
CVE-60 Guadalcanal, CVE-61 Bucareli Bay, CVE-61 Manilla Bay, CVE-62 Begum,
CVE-62 Natoma Bay, CVE-63 Chapin Bay, CVE-63 Midway, CVE-63 St Lo,
CVE-64 Didrickson Bay, CVE-64 Tripoli, CVE-65 Dolomy Bay, CVE-65 Wake Island,
CVE-66 Elbour Bay, CVE-66 White Plains, CVE-67 Nassuk Bay, CVE-67 Solomons,
CVE-68 Kalinin Bay, CVE-69 Kasaan Bay, CVE-70 Fanshaw Bay, CVE-71 Kitkun Bay,
CVE-72 Fortezela Bay, CVE-72 Tulagi, CVE-73 Gambier Bay, CVE-74 Nehenta Bay,
CVE-75 Hoggatt Bay, CVE-76 Kadashan Bay, CVE-77 Kanalku Bay, CVE-77 Markus Island,
CVE-78 Kaita Bay, CVE-78 Savo Island, CVE-79 Ommaney Bay, CVE-80 Petrof Bay,
CVE-81 Rudyerd Bay, CVE-82 Saginaw Bay, CVE-83 Sargent Bay, CVE-84 Shamrock Bay,
CVE-85 Shipley Bay, CVE-86 Sitkoh Bay, CVE-87 Steamer Bay, CVE-88 Cape Esperance,
CVE-89 Takansis Bay, CVE-90 Thetis Bay, CVE-91 Makassar Strait, CVE-92 Windham Bay,
CVE-93 Makin Island, CVE-94 Lunga Point, CVE-95 Alikula Bay, CVE-95 Bismarck Sea,
CVE-96 Salamaua, CVE-97 Astrolabe Bay, CVE-97 Hollandia, CVE-98 Bucareli Bay,
CVE-98 Kwajalein, CVE-99 Chapin Bay, CVE-99 Admiralty Islands, CVE-100 Didrickson Bay,
CVE-100 Bougainville, CVE-101 Dolomi Bay, CVE-101 Manitakau, CVE-102 Attu,
CVE-103 Alava Bay, CVE-103 Roi, CVE-104 Munda
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The U.S. Seventh Fleet was
established on March 15, 1943
when the Southwest Pacific Force was renamed. Composition of Task Unit 77.4.1 |
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| COMCARDIV 22 RADM Thomas L. Sprague |
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Air Group 37 LCDR S.E. Hindman VF-37 16 F6F-3 & 5 F6F-5 LCDR S.E. Hindmman VT-37 9 TBM-1C LCDR P.G. Farley |
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Air Group 60 LCDR H.O. Feilbach VF-60 22 F6F-3 LCDR H.O. Feilbach VT-60 9 TBM-1C LCDR W.C. Vincent |
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Air Group 35 LCDR F.T. Moore VF-35 22 F6F-3 LCDR F.T. Moore VT-35 9 TBM-1C LCDR C.F. Morgan |
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Air Group 26 LCDR H.N. Funk VF-26 24 FM-2 LCDR H.N. Funk VT-26 6 TBF-1C & 3 TBM-1C LCDR T.M. Bennett |
| COMCARDIV 28 RADM George R. Henderson |
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CAPT F.C. Sutton VC-78 15 FM-2 & 12 TBM-1C LCDR J.L. Hyde Jr. |
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VC-76 16 FM-2 & 12 TBM-1C CDR J.W. McCauley |
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Screen Commander - CAPT I.H. Nunn USS MCCORD (DD ) CDR F.D. Michael USS TRATHEN (DD ) CDR J.R. Millett USS HAZELWOOD (DD ) CDR V.P. Douw |
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USS EDMONDS (DE ) LCDR J.S. Burrows USS RICHARD S. BULL (DE ) LCDR A.W. Gardes USS RICHARD M. ROWELL (DE ) CDR H.A. Barnard USS EVERSOLE (DE ) LCDR G.E. Marix USS COOLBAUGH (DE ) LCDR S.T. Hotchkiss |
Check out the
following:
1. The Composition of Task Group 77.4
2. The Role of the Jeep Carrier in World War II
4. A detailed History of the Petrof Bay
5. A History of Composite Squadron 93 (my Dad's squadron)
6. A man who flew from the Petrof
Bay (my Dad)
7. People searching for information about Crew members
9. Read the Book - click here!
10. "War can be fun if you don't get killed" - A pilots story
11. Veteran receives Purple Heart medal!
12. Pictures from Ensign Sherwood Theivagt.
14. Pictures from Ruth Lindsay.
15. Pictures from Patricia Ford.
