USS Hoggatt Bay (CVE-75)
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USS Hoggatt Bay (CVE-75) was launched under Maritime Commission contract by Kaiser Co., Inc., Vancouver, Wash., 4 December 1943. Originally classified AVG-75, she had been reclassifled ACV-75, 20 August 1942. Sponsored by Mrs. Victor Sundrik, she was reclassifled again to CVE-75, 15 July 1943 and commissioned at Astoria, Oreg., 11 January 1944, Captain W. V. Saunders in command.
After intensive training off the California coast, Hoggatt Bay transported aircraft and crews to Pearl Harbor 10-25 March 1944. Upon her return and further training in antisubmarine work, she sailed 1 May for Pearl Harbor and Majuro. The combination of escort carriers and destroyers had proven itself effective against submarines in the Second Battle of the Atlantic, and was now to be used in the Pacific against the Japanese. Hoggatt Bay and a group of destroyers and destroyer escorts patrolled in the southwest Pacific 26 May-19 June with notable success. Intrepid England scored a kill on Ro-105 31 May and Taylor sank Ro-111 with depth charges and gunfire 11 June. These operations and those of other groups did much to reduce Japanese submarine interference with the invasion of the Marianas.
Returning to the patrol area a brief stay at Eniwetok, Hoggatt Bay's group provided air support and cover for the Marianas operation 5 July-9 August, after which the ships returned to Manus. Next on the timetable of Pacific conquest was Peleliu, a valuable air base for further advances, and Hoggatt Bay sortied 1 September to furnish antisubmarine protection and search planes for the invasion. For nearly 2 months the escort carrier cruised these seas south and west of the Marianas in support of American operations. Samuel S. Miles, a member of her group, sank I-m 3 October, and later in the month planes from Hoggatt Bay helped provide air cover for crippled Houston as she struggled toward Ulithi.
The ship arrived Ulithi 28 October, and sailed 10 November to provide air support for the developing campaign in the Philippines. This was followed by amphibious exercises in Huon Gulf, New Guinea, in preparation for the Lingayen unit operations. Arriving Manus 20 December 1944, Hogyatt Bay joined the great task force which departed from that and other staging bases in late December for Lingayen Gulf. The voyage through the Philippines was a perilous one, as the Japanese attacked with their last desperate weapon, the suicide plane. Crewmen on Hoggatt Bay and the other ships fought continuously after 3 January, downing many of the attackers, but Ommaney Bay was lost and other ships damaged. Arriving Lingayen Gulf 6 January, Hoggatt Bay sent her carrier planes in to support the landings and destroy strong points despite suicide attacks; this vital work continued until 17 January, when the ship set course for Ulithi, and then San Diego.
The veteran escort carrier returned to San Diego 15 February 1945, and after much-needed repairs sailed 6 April to join the vast fleet arrayed off Okinawa in support of the invasion. She arrived Okinawa 8 May via Pearl Harbor and Ulithi and immediately took station south of the island to lend her aircraft to the carrier air forces engaged in the operation. Her planes flew direct support missions, photographic flights, and supply drops during the period 8 May-24 June.
Hoggatt Bay arrived Leyte Gulf 27 June 1945 and after a month of training sailed 28 July for Adak, Alaska. The surrender came while the carrier was en route, however, and the planned operation was replaced by occupation plans. After her arrival 18 August. Hoggatt Bay sailed for Ominato. She arrived September and supported the occupation of Hokkaido and northern Honshu. During this period aircraft from the ship discovered many Japanese prison camps, and the ship had the pleasure of evacuating Lieutenant Colonel Devereux, Marine Commander at Wake Island when captured by the Japanese. Hoggatt Bay also participated in the occupation of Aomori before anchoring in Tokyo Bay 27 September.
The escort carrier departed Tokyo 30 September and after brief service with the "Magic Carpet" fleet returned to Boston and decommissioned 20 July 1946. Placed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Boston, the ship was re-classified CVHE-75', 12 June 1955 and AKV-25, 7 May 1959. She was sold for scrap 31 March 1960.
Hoggatt Bay received five battle stars for World War II service.
This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
| Casablanca-class escort carrier |
| Casablanca | Liscome Bay | Anzio | Corregidor | Mission Bay | Guadalcanal | Manila Bay | Natoma Bay | St. Lo | Tripoli | Wake Island | White Plains | Solomons | Kalinin Bay | Kasaan Bay | Fanshaw Bay | Kitkun Bay | Tulagi | Gambier Bay | Nehenta Bay | Hoggatt Bay | Kadasahan Bay | Marcus Island | Savo Island | Ommaney Bay | Petrof Bay | Rudyerd Bay | Saginaw Bay | Sargent Bay | Shamrock Bay | Shipley Bay | Sitkoh Bay | Steamer Bay | Cape Esperance | Takanis Bay | Thetis Bay | Makassar Strait | Windham Bay | Makin Island | Lunga Point | Bismarck Sea | Salamaua | Hollandia | Kwajalein | Admiralty Islands | Bougainville | Matanikau | Attu | Roi | Munda |
| List of escort aircraft carriers of the United States Navy |