USS Block Island (CVE-21)
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| Career | Missing image USN-Jack.png United States Navy Jack |
|---|---|
| Laid down: | 19 January 1942 |
| Launched: | 1 May 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 8 March 1943 |
| Fate: | sunk 29 May 1944 |
| General Characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 7,800 tons |
| Length: | 495.66 ft (151 m) |
| Beam: | 111.5 ft (34 m) |
| Draft: | 26 ft (7.9 m) |
| Speed: | 18 knots (33 km/h) |
| Complement: | 890 officers and men |
| Armament: | 2 x 5 inch (127 mm) gun |
| Aircraft: | 24 |
The second USS Block Island (CVE-21) (previously AVG-21 then later ACV-21) was launched 6 June 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp., Seattle, Washington, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. H. B. Hutchinson, wife of Commander Hutchinson; transferred to the United States Navy 1 May 1942; and commissioned 8 March 1943 Captain L. C. Ramsey in command. Originally classified AVG-21, she became ACV-21, 20 August 1942, and CVE-21, 15 July 1943.
Departing San Diego in May 1943 Block Island steamed to Norfolk, Virginia, to join the Atlantic Fleet. After two trips from New York to Belfast, United Kingdom, during the summer of 1943 with cargoes of Army fighters, she operated as part of a hunter-killer team. During her four anti-submarine cruises Block Island's planes sank two submarines: U-220 in Template:Coor dm., 28 October 1943 and U-1059 in Template:Coor dm., 19 March 1944. She shared credit with Corry (DD-463) and Bronstein (DE-189) for the sinking of U-801 in Template:Coor dm., 17 March 1944 and with Buckley (DE-51) for U-66 sunk 6 May 1944 in Template:Coor dm. Three of Block Island's escorts, Thomas (DE-102), Bostwick (DE-103) and Bronstein sank U-709 on 1 March 1943 and the same day Bronstein got U-603.
Block Island was torpedoed off the Canary Islands at 2013, 29 May 1944. The U-boat U-549 had slipped undetected through her screen. The submarine put one and perhaps two torpedoes into the carrier before being sunk herself by the Eugene E. Gilmore (DE-686) and Ahrens (DE-575) of the screen in Template:Coor dm.
Block Island (CVE-21) received two battle stars for her service.
See also List of U.S. Navy losses in World War II
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