aircraft, U-Boats reigned supreme. business, turning out vessels for The first recognized both British and American navies. the need for “at sea” air cover and Initial American escort carriers to set about converting merchant see action in the Atlantic were ships with catapults. Called CAM members of the Bogue-class. They (Catapult Assisted Merchant) were approximately 495-ft in length, ships, these crude-looking vessels displaced 7800-tons, contained carried modified Hawker geared turbine propulsion systems, Hurricane fighters and some and had a maximum speed of 18- BY JAMES E. success was enjoyed initially kts. Armament consisted of two 5- WISE, JR. against long-range Luftwaffe in/38-cal dual-purpose weapons, ten aircraft such as the Focke-Wulf Fw 40mm twins, and 27 20mm anti- 200 Condor. aircraft guns. The aircraft The USS Bogue and her The first operable unit was the U-Boat in Atlantic waters during In June 1941 the first true complement usually included 16 USS Bogue (CVE-9), joining the World War II was the “escort escort carrier, HMS Audacity, went Grumman/Eastern Wildcats (F4F or fellow CVEs, Wildcats, and fleet in March. The idea was a carrier” and its small band of to sea. Before being sunk later FM-1) and twelve Grumman/Eastern Avengers helped break the roving U-Boat killer group gallant airmen. that same year, the small vessel -bombers (TBF or TBM) or composed of an escort carrier During the early years proved its worth by contributing to SBD Dauntless dive-bombers. Of all stranglehold Nazi equipped with Wildcats and of the war, U-Boat the destruction of five U-Boats. the early escort carriers, none Avengers, which could use bombs, captains enjoyed easy Soon, the rush was on by both the enjoyed more success than USS Germany had developed depth charges, or torpedoes, kills due to British and United States to Bogue (CVE-9). During 24-months in the North Atlantic screened by old or the lack of Allied convert merchant hulls to escort of Atlantic operations Bogue aircraft WWII German postcard showing a escorts. Hence, they surface screen flattops. The US Navy received its and surface screen vessels U-Boat at sea is captioned, istory tends to record the quickly earned the name vessels and air first escort carrier, accounted for the destruction of Auf der Brucke eines Deutschen U-Bootes which translates “On the victory over Hitler’s “Woolworth Brigade.” protection. Once USS Long Island, in 13 U-Boats. bridge of a Germnan Submarine.” HU-Boats in the Atlantic as And when the Atlantic Fleet the lumbering June 1942. Shortly Named after Bogue Sound in the result of the defense of Commander-in-Chief relayed columns of thereafter American , CVE-9 was shipyards went full commissioned at the Puget Sound Bogue at anchor during February 1945 northern transatlantic convoys. orders to the CVE group cargo-laden with two Avengers far forward. With its This popular opinion could not be commanders to hunt down ships sailed steam into the Navy Yard on 26 September 1942. small size, every inch of deck and further from the truth. On 24 May wherever beyond the “Woolworth Carrier” After transiting to Norfolk, hangar space was utilized. 1943, Adm. Doenitz directed all HF/DF fixes indicated range of land- U-Boat captains, “The situation in their presence, it was the closest based patrol the North Atlantic now forces a they would come to having an open temporary shift of operations to season on the high seas in the areas less endangered by aircraft.” tradition of John Paul Jones. The U-Boat operations were shifted to first group to hit the hunting the mid-Atlantic and the Germans grounds, and the most successful, anticipated a second slaughter to was that lead by the Bogue, Allied shipping, similar to the Wolf commanded by Capt. Giles E. Pack victories a year earlier. What Short. This is their story. they had not counted on were the One of the major factors which escort carriers — CVEs capable of stopped the carrying about 24 aircraft as additional protection to the vulnerable convoys.

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