This page is dedicated to all who served on and from the CVE-80 U.S.S. Petrof Bay.
The Petrof Bay (CVE-80) was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington, 15 October 1943; launched 5 January, 1944; acquired 18 February 1944 and commissioned the same day at Astoria, Oregon, Captain Joseph L. Kane in command.
The Petrof Bay departed Naval Air Station, San
Diego California, 29 March for the southwest Pacific; unloaded passengers,
aircraft and cargo upon arrival Espiritu Santo 14 April 1944, and six
days later sailed for Seeadler Harbor, Manus Island, arriving there 25
April 1944. She transferred eight planes to other ships in the harbor.
On the morning of 29 April 1944, she made rendezvous with fast carrier
Task Force 58 to furnish replacement planes, prior to its first strike
against the then powerful Japanese stronghold of Truk. The ship then proceeded
to Majuro, arriving 3 May 1944, and rejoined Task Force 58 after its
successful strike on Truk. After unloading planes, the ship (Barnes
and three destroyers) turned toward the States 7 May 1944, arriving San
Francisco Bay 20 May 1944. On 12 August 1944, the ship shoved off for
Pearl Harbor, arriving 6 August 1944. The extra planes were unloaded and
all resemblance to a ferry transport disappeared.
Click on the picture for a larger image.
Photo compliments of Jerry Carrick, who's uncle, Clifford Carrick served on the USS Petrof Bay.
On 12 August 1944, she was underway in Task Group 32.4, en route to
Guadalcanal. She anchored in Tulagi Harbor, Solomon Islands, the afternoon
of 24 August 1944. She launched her first strike against the enemy on
15 September 1944. The Marines successfully landed on Peleliu Island and
established a beachhead aided by her planes. From D-Day 29 September
1944, with the exception on one day when bombs and ammunition were
replenished at Kossql Passage, her planes bombed and strafed the Japanese,
and searches for enemy shipping, planes and submarines. She encountered
no air opposition during the operations. By 30 September 1944, when the
airstrip on Peleliu was operational, the Petrof Bay retired to Manus
Island.
The USS Boyd, DD-544, Escorted the PETROF BAY to Pearl Harbor.
From the ship's log of the USS PETROF BAY (CVE-80): "The ship then proceeded to Majuro, arriving 3 May and rejoined Task Force 58 after its successful strike on Truk. There, she unloaded all planes and most aviation spares and materiel and took on duds, planes in need of major overhaul, and salvage equipment. With BARNES (CVE-20) and three destroyers, the ship turned toward the States 7 May, arriving San Francisco Bay 20 May."
On 14 October, the Petrof Bay sortied from Seeadler Harbor, Admiralty Islands, with the Saginaw Bay en route to Leyte Gulf for the first step in the liberation of the Philippines. The two CVE’s rendezvoused with Task Unit 77.4 for "A-day" operation, and made forty air sorties during the landing on this first day. The night after being detached from the task unit, the Petrof Bay joined Task Unit 77.4.1 (Taffy 1), which had been under air attack by enemy planes. From 21 October through 24 October 1944, the Petrof Bay launched air support groups.
On 24 October 1944, contact reports accumulated describing major units of the Japanese fleet moving out to fight what was to be the Battle for Leyte Gulf.
The Japanese Central Force which had earlier been sighted and attacked by planes in the Sibuyan Sea, and which was thought to be withdrawing had slipped through San Bernardino Strait under the cover of darkness, and steamed south toward the eastern entrance to Leyte Gulf. At dawn, Task Unit 77.4.3 (Taffy 3) reported that they were being attacked by heavy units of the Japanese fleet and land-based planes. Two special strikes from the Petrof Bay joined in the air attack against these enemy ships. The attacks by the planes from the CVE’s and the gallant DD’s and DE’s of the Task Unit 77.4.3’s screen turned back the Japanese force. During the two strikes the Petrof Bay’s air group claimed: probable hit on Yamato, two probable hits on Nagato, two on Kongo and one on an unidentified cruiser, plus strafing runs on Yamato, the cruisers, and destroyers.
The Petrof Bay launched a final strike on the retreating enemy. Planes from the Petrof Bay attacked a cruiser of the Mogami class in the San Berardino Strait, scoring two torpedo hits and one probable hit.
On 26 October 1944, the only remaining Japanese force within range of the CVE planes was one light cruiser and four destroyers sighted in the Visayan Sea. The Petrof Bay launched torpedo planes to participate in a strike against the five ships. One plane scored a hit with a 500 pound bomb and a near miss on the cruiser and strafed a destroyer which caught fire and blew up.
While her planes hit the enemy ships, the Petrof Bay fought off attacking Japanese land-based planes. The raids against the ship had begun in earnest on the morning of 25 October 1944. The first warning came appeared on the radar screen at 07:29, a bogey was reported closing on the formation. The Petrof Bay went to General Quarters and remained there for the next 108 hours. The raider eluded combat air patrol and proved to be combination torpedo attack and the beginning of the Japanese sudicide attacks.
!! A personal recollection that has been shared with me was the memory of snacking on cheese, meat and crackers while on station at the gunnery emplacements. !!
Three distinct raids got in and attacked between 0730 and 0810, one after the other. The first plane to dive on the Petrof Bay approched from the starboard bow to be hit by her guns. He turned away from his original target, smoking and hit Suwannee's flight dech. Santee was hit by an aerial torpedo as well as a suicide plane. Later a "judy" made a strafing and bombing attack on the Petrof Bay. The plane dove, without warning, out of the clouds from the port side, strafing as he came in, dropped his bomb, which missed by approximatly ten feet, and flew off.
At noon four Japanese planes started suicide runs on the Petrof Bay from astern. The first plane exploded in mid-air from a hit from the five-inch gun aided gunfire from other ships. The second turned to starboard, smoking, and withdrew. The third plane looped into the clouds, came straight down, missed and hit the water twenty feet in front of the bridge. The plane as it hit water, exploded, drenching the ship with gas. The fourth Japanese plane dove straight for the flight deck, it's tail and wing were shot off as it fell aft of the fantail.
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At 2232, one of the destroyers in the screen had a sound contact. A 90-degree emergency turn was mad and almost imediatly thereafter two torpedoes straddled the Petrof Bay, one twenty yards on the port side and the other passing under the overhang on the starboard side.
!! E.N. Parrish who has contributed much to this web site, was below decks at this time and remembers hearing them go by. !!
Coolbaugh attacked with depth charges and was believed successful in destroying the submarine. During the night of 28 October the Petrof Bay retired to the fueling area. That night the ship returned to rendezvous wit TU 77.4.2, Tg 77.2 and TG 77.3 and, in company with them, triumphantly and proudly procedded to Manus Island.
Next, the Petrof Bay, as a part of Task Unit 77.4.5, departed for the traffic lanes leading to Leyte 19 November arriving in the area 23 November.
In mid-january 1945 the ship was detached from Task Group 77.3 and ordered to report for duty to Task Group 77.4, to prevent runsbeing made by the enemy from and into Manila. Direct support was furnished 29-30 January for the landings in the San Narcisco and San Antonio areas.
With the reconquest of Luzon well underway, Petrof Bay departed for Ulithi.
The fortress island of Iwo Jima stood in the path of the advancing Americans and was needed as a base for fighter escorts for the B-29 raids on Tokyo and the Japanese empire. After being in port for only five days, Petrof Bay departed Ulithi, underway for Iwo Jima. On 15 February 1945she arrived at the objective area in company with Task Group 52.19, the Advance Movement Group.
As the battleships, cruisers and destroyers began shelling the island, planes from the CVE's began strafing and bombing attacks. The troop tranports arrived 18 February and the Marines established a beachhead the next day. Planes from the Petrof Bay supported these landing and furnished the troops with air support during the operations, making 786 air sorties.
By 7 March the airstrip on Iwo Jima was fully operational and the ship was ordered to retire to Ulithi via Guam. Iwo Jima was the last operation for the ship's original squadron VC-76, and at Guam they were disembarked and VC-93 embarked 10 March.
As part of TU 52.1.2 the ship departed 21 March, escorting TG 54.1, Fire Support Group, to furnish air cover and air support in the invasion and capture of Okinawa. As Marines landed on Kerama Retto, Petrof Bay's new squadron (VC-93) got it's first y=taste of combat during strikes supporting the operation. Anti-aircraft fire was exceptionaly heavy and accurate. The day before the landings on Okinawa the escort carriers planes supported landings on Kiese Shima. Thereafter, she launched daily strike groups, patrols and speial missions.
"L" Day was 1 April 1945, Easter Sunday, and the landingson Okinawa were made at 0830 with slight opposition, planes from the Petrof Bay precceded the troops.
The unit was ordered to attack and neutraize Sakishima Gunto, 13 April, and the first strike was launched from 228 miles away. Heavy anti-aircraft fire was encountered and two planes were shot down, but the piols rescued. On 16 April the formation was back southeast of Okinawa.
During the period from 9 May until 26 May 1945 the ship furnished direct air support, on-target air and anti-submarine patrol. During the Okinawa operation Petrof Bay's combat air patrol shot down 17 enemy planes.
On 26 May Petrof Bay departed for Guam, where she arrived and entered Apra Harbor 30 May. Composite Squadron 93 was disembarked and Composite Squadron 90 embarked for transportation to Pearl Harbor. On 19 June Petrof Bay moored at the Navel Operating base, Terminal Island, San Pedro, California, for a general overhaul.
Petrof Bay sailed for Pearl Harbor 14 August. The next day, Japan accepted the tearm of the Potsdam Ultimatum. The carrier procceded to Tokyo Bay, returning to the states 11 October with veterans of the Pacific war. Docking at San Pedro, she disembarked the veterans, picked up a load of replacements and again set out for Pearl Harbor. By 31 October she was again in San Francisco. She sailed through the Golden Gate and procceded on a southwesterly course to the Marianas. Arriving at Guam 13 Decembar, the carrier loaded another group of veterans into her emergency quarters and sailed home, arriving San Pedro 18 January 1946.
Departing San Pedro, she steamed south, touching at San Diego, and transiting the Panama Canal, steamed up the eastern seaboard to Norfolk. From there she headed northwar again, mooring at Boston, Mass. 23 February 1946. On 31 July 1946, she was placed out of commission, in reserve, in the Boston Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She was reclassified CVU-80 on 12 June 1955. She was struck from the Naval Vessal Register 27 June 1958, and sold 30 June 1959 to J. Berkurt and scrapped.
A personal note: It is sad that not one of the Casablanca class carriers was saved for posterity.