Original text by Jack Greer. Updated Fall 2009.
CVE 106 USS Block Island was a Commencement Bay class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was the second ship to carry her name, done in honor of the first one, CVE 21 which served in the Atlantic and was sunk by a German submarine on 29 May 29 1944. On 10 June 1944 a new carrier was launched as Sunset Bay by Todd-Pacific Shipyards of Tacoma, WA, it was sponsored by Mrs. E. J. Hallenbeck (mother of Major Pappy Boyington). This carrier was renamed and commissioned as CVE 106 USS Block Island on 30 Dec 1944 with Captain Francis M. Hughes in command. Most of the original CVE 21 crew was assigned to CVE 106 which was unique in US Navy history.
The USS Block Island arrived off the shore of Okinawa on 3 May 1945 to support invasion operations. on 16 June 1945 she steamed to Leyte where she participated in operations. She also took part in the Balikpapan operations. Following the cessation of fighting with Japan she was directed to Taiwan to provide evacuation of Allied prisoners. She was placed in service in reserve on 28 May 1946.
On 29 May 1946, Block Island was moved to Annapolis to serve as a Naval Academy training ship for midshipmen.The vessel was recommissioned on 28 April 1951. She remained active during the Korean War and was placed in reserve 27 August 1954. CVE 106 was eventually sold for scrap and stricken from Navy records.
Construction
Following the sinking of CVE 21 Captain Hughes had asked the U.S. Navy to keep the crew together and assign them a new ship, his persistence paid off when the Navy ordered that the carrier Sunset Bay, which was under construction in the same shipyard as CVE 21, be renamed USS Block Island on 5 Jul 1944.
After completing about 30 days survivors’ leave, the crewmen traveled cross-country by rail to the Tacoma, WA area. A selected number of of personnel were housed at the Navy Receiving Barracks in Tacoma just off the docks of the shipyard where CVE 106 was being built. With over 800 crew members the logistics were a problem. Where were they to be housed and and what were they going to be doing while the ship is being completed? All of these crew members had served on an active carrier and were well trained on carrier maintenance and ships repairs and also knew the ins and outs of a ship’s structure. The Navy decided to have some of the crew members work right along with the ship yard workers while the ship was being built. Instead of getting up in the morning with nothing to do many of the men reported directly to the ship just after breakfast. The picture at left is of the “Keel” which was the employee and information newspaper of the shipyard where both ships were built. The December issue carried the story of the sinking of CVE-21 and the flag shown was placed at half mast in recognition of those who lost their lives when CVE-21 was sunk.The photo above right shows a brand new CVE 106 riding high in the water.
Jack Greer, the USS Block Island Association’s first webmaster was one of those 800 crew members in Tacoma and remembers his days at the shipyard:
CVE 106 was commissioned as Block Island on 30 December 1944 with Captain Francis Massie Hughes in command. Of the 63 officers and 857 men who made up the initial crew of the Block Island, 52 officers and 660 men were veterans of service on CVE 21. This new carrier was larger than her predecessor by about 9,000 tons. Her flight deck was 60 feet longer but 5 feet narrower than CVE 21. She could carry 34 planes and a crew of 1,066.
The Tacoma Times, Thursday, December 28, 1944
To Commission Block Island
Probably the most dramatic moment in the history of shipbuilding in the Northwest will be when Old Glory is run up on the flag-staff of the USS Block Island here Saturday afternoon, at 3 o’clock.
For it will be the second time that a fighting vessel of the same name has been commissioned during the present war-at the same shipyard-built by most of the same men and women who saw their labor go into completion of the original escort carrier bearing the now-famous name. Workers at the local yard of Todd Pacific Shipbuilders, Inc., have a special place in their hearts for the words,. Block Island.
But more unique in the annals of naval tradition: The crew of the first Block Island, which was sunk in the Atlantic last may, will formally take over its name-sake at the simple but impressive commissioning ceremony. It is the first time in this war, probably in the U.S. Navy history, that a crew will have been, transferred intact from one vessel to another under such circumstances. A large percentage of the crew is made up of men from Tacoma and the Northwest.
Approximately 1,000 high ranking naval officers, city officials, guests and the ship’s crew, will assemble on the ship’s hangar deck to witness the simple ceremonies, shorn of trimmings to fit the tempo of war, and presided over by Capt. J. L. McGuigan, USN, superintendent of shipbuilding in the Tacoma area.
He will call upon Capt. F. M. Hughes, USN, who was in command of the old Block Island, to accept command of the new ship. Capt. McGuigan will also introduce O. A. Tucker, Todd vice president and general manager, who will speak briefly.
A feature of the ceremonies, to follow piping aloft of the colors and posting of the ship’s first watch, will be a presentation by Todd workers, to the crew, of a bronze plaque bearing a replica of the old Block Island, and a fund for the ship’s welfare section.
The workers will be represented by Mrs. Jewell Greening, a fellow employee, who will make the presentation in honor of her son, Lt. Col. Charles Ross Greening, now a prisoner of war in Germany. Lt. Col. Greening, a Tacoman, was One of Doolittle’s raiders who participated in the first bombing of Tokyo when they took off from the USS Hornet on April 18, 1942.
Another feature of the ceremony will be awarding of medals and citations to 23 members of the Block Island crew by Rear Adm. J. J. Ballentyne, Commander Fleet Air, Seattle. Crew members hold the presidential unit citation for their previous record with the old Block Island.
The escort carrier Block Island, which will be commissioned Saturday, is larger and more powerful in all respects than its predecessor.
The commissioning Saturday will be the second addition of a ship of this new type to Uncle Sam’s navy in just a bit over a month. Its sister ship, the USS Commencement Bay, also built in Tacoma’s Todd yards, was commissioned Nov. 27.
The Block Island and the Commencement Bay are the two largest ships of their class ever built in the northwest, and the two largest allweld ships in the world.
Operational Training
Departing Tacoma 10 Jan 1945 CVE 106 ran brief exercises, loaded ammunition and supplies from the Puget Sound Navy Yard and additional supplies at Seattle until 20 Jan 1945. She headed for San Francisco arriving 22 Jan 1945. She took on a number of damaged aircraft and departed for San Diego arriving 24 Jan 1945.
The crew of CVE 106 was preparing for an entirely different kind of war than they had fought in the Battle of the Atlantic. The war in the Pacific with Japan depended on naval superiority. Island hopping from Australia to Japan with sea battle after sea battle was much different than the war with Germany. Task Forces in the Pacific were large and involved hundreds of ships including battleships, cruisers, large aircraft carriers, full size destroyers, troopships, tenders and supply ships. Unlike the Atlantic Ocean the US submarines controlled the Pacific Ocean rather than the enemy. CVE 106 and the crew had to defend against enemy surface vessels, enemy aircraft and other actions. The aircrews and pilots had to defend and attack enemy aircraft, ships, land based guns, and at the same time provide protection to the allied troops undertaking the task of retaking the islands from the Japanese.
There were six major Escort Carrier Forces in the Pacific when the CVE 106 Block Island went into service. Six admirals commanded least 38 carriers, 50 escort ships, tankers, supply ships, and 90 aircraft squadrons with more than 700 planes. CVE 106 Block Island was the flagship of Carrier Division 27 which included seven carriers. This was dramatically different than the one carrier plus four escorts that made up Atlantic task forces. The esprit de corps that had existed with the small task forces in the Atlantic was not possible in the large groups of the Pacific. The comradeship among CVE 106 Navy crewmen remained strong as they had developed a bond in combat, during the sinking, and as a group of survivors. That bond is still there today and is always apparent at their annual reunions.
For the Block Island one of the biggest changes was the transfer of over 90% of the Navy “air department” personnel. They were replaced by Marine Air Groups. That caused more than 400 Navy personnel that had served on the CVE 21 Block Island to be spread all over the world.
On 3 Feb 1945 an initial contingent of 226 officers and men of Marine Carrier Air Group One reported aboard CVE 106. Planes and support personnel from Marine Fighting Squadron 511 followed. On 4 Feb 1945 CVE 106 proceeded to an area off of San Diego to conduct flight operations. The honor of the first takeoff went to the group commander, Lt. Colonel John F. Dobbin. Augmenting VMF-511 was VMTB-233 equipped with TBM-3 Avengers. The photo at left shows the distinctive white block with I insignia that was added after leaving Pearl Harbor and then later removed to prevent Japanese identification.
Four different types of missions of aircraft operated from the decks of the FBI (“Fighting Block Island”) and made its nights as busy as its days. CVE pilots flew as many as four long support missions every day, which Rear Admiral Durgin had said, “Meant nine hours in the air of constant flying and fighting. That’s too much.” The Block Island had twelve Corsairs (F4U-1D and FG-1) which fought brilliantly by day. Ten Hellcats (F6F-5N) continued the battle into the night. Twelve Avengers (TBM-3) launched torpedoes and bombs at strategic points. The painting at right shows the Corsair with the distinctive Block Island Marine Squadron insignia painted on the tail.
On 10 Feb 1945 Block Island departed with DD 779 Douglas H. Fox for 10 days operational training off San Clemente and San Nicolas islands. On 14 Feb 1945 the planes from CVE 106 were to conduct strikes with live ammunition against a bombing area on San Clemente. Dobbin led the morning flight but found the weather unsatisfactory and returned to the ship. One plane crashed due to engine failure but the pilot was rescued. That afternoon six Avengers, three Corsairs, and two Hellcats were launched to continue training. A severe storm approached rapidly so Block Island recalled all aircraft. One Avenger successfully landed but the others were unable to land so they were vectored to San Nicolas about 120 miles away. The weather prevented landing and as a result eight aircrew and seven planes were lost.
Combat Operations
Most of the next several weeks were devoted to training first in the San Diego area and later in the Pearl Harbor, HI area. On 17 Apr 1945 CVE 106 sailed for Ulithi in the Carolinas with DD 748 Harry E. Hubbard. While anchored in Ulithi Captain Hughes reported that his ship was ready for duty. She now headed for Okinawa to provide close air support. CVE 106 was escorted by DE 183 Samuel S. Miles and DD 388 Helm. The photo at right shows a silhouette of CVE 106 with Corsairs, Hellcats, and Avengers on her flight deck 30 Apr 1945. On 10 May 1945 Block Island launched her first offensive mission vectoring her TBM-3s to drop bombs and fire rockets at Japanese positions near the town of Naha. That afternoon eight TBMs and eight Corsairs launched from the flight deck led by Colonel Dobbin toward the airfields at Hirara and Nobara in the Sakashima Gunto. The attack was successful, however, one TBM was hit by enemy fire and crashed losing all crew; a second plane took a hit but managed to return and ditched near the Block Island and the crew was rescued. This first day of combat operations was completely different than what the crew had experienced in the Atlantic.
Over the next ten days CVE 106 participated in similar operations off of Okinawa. On 22 May 1945 she headed for Kerama Retto for replenishment. Back on line her planes bombed Shuri Castle, the Japanese strong point in southern Okinawa, helping to destroy that fortress. On 27 May 1945 VMF-233 lost its commanding officer, R.C. Maze. He was leading a fighter sweep and dove for a rocket attack on boatyards but his plane never recovered from the dive and he crashed into the water. He was replaced by the XO of the squadron, James Secrest.
On 29 May 1945, the one year anniversary of the sinking of CVE 21, Block Island launched 28 attack sorties on airfields at Ishigaki and Miyako using bombs that had been specially autographed by the CVE 106 crew (see photo at right). One TBM and crew was lost in the operation. CVE 106 lost another plane and pilot, an F6F-5N, in a strafing run on 16 Jun 1945, it would be the last plane CVE 106 lost. Five days later Okinawa was declared secured, 82 days after the invasion had begun. That same day Block Island now the flagship for Carrier Division 27 under the command of Rear Admiral Dixwell Ketcham, sailed for the Phillipines. Between 4 May and 6 Jun CVE 106 flew 1,202 sorties. The Block Island crew had gained great skill when on 20 May she received urgent orders; fourteen minutes later the first plane was in the air as a total of eight planes were launched in just 4 minutes.
After a week in the Philippines, Block Island weighed anchor and set course for Borneo. She was accompanied by CVE 107 Gilbert Islands, CVE 27 Suwannee, and six destroyers. On 30 Jun 1945 amphibious landings commenced at dawn. Over the next three days aircraft from the Block Island flew 98 sorties providing bombing, strafing, and air cover to support the invasion. No aircraft or crew were lost in the CVE 106 operation. On 3 Jul 1945 an inbound Japanese plane was shot down by an F6F-5N.
Block Island sailed to Guam where Captain Wallace Beakley relieved Captain Hughes. CVE 106 was anchored in Apra Harbor when the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. After completing some repairs CVE 106 with CVE 29 Santee and four destroyers sailed for Leyte Gulf on 13 Aug 1945. The next day formal word was received of the Japanese surrender. Admiral Ketcham ordered three volleys of 40mm fire and a 21 gun salute from the 5 inch batteries. The ship’s chaplain, Gordon MacInnes, offered prayers and a minute of silence.
For the members of the crew, most of which had served their country fighting the Germans in the Atlantic and the Japanese in the Pacific, Admiral Ketcham congratulated them “On a job well done”.
POW Rescue
CVE 106 Block Island, CVE 29 Santee and four destroyers were dispatched to Korea to assist in mine clearing operations. Severe storms including a tropical typhoon slowed their mission as they circled southeast of Formosa (now Taiwan ). Allied Command had been made aware of several large POW camps on Formosa. The sail to Korea was scrubbed and the task force was ordered to northern Formosa.
On the evening of 4 Sep 1945 Admiral Ketcham drafted a proclamation to the Japanese commander informing him of the impending evacuation of all Allied and civilian prisoners. A flight of Corsairs dropped copies on the proclamation on the harbor and airfield. While negotiations were in progress Admiral Ketcham decided to risk sending a plane in to speed the POW release. Captain Dick Johnson, flying a TBM set down on the airstrip and became the first Allied plane to land on Formosa. His passenger, Major Peter Folger, told the airfield commander to take him to the POW camps at once. The photo at right shows Major Folger and Captain Johnson on the ground after landing on Formosa.
Before long a a stream of planes filled with medicine and food from the carriers began landing. About 9,000 pounds of provisions were flown ashore. The POW camps housed over 1,200 men from several nations, many of them veterans of Singapore and Bataan, who were malnourished and mistreated. Some historians believe the Formosa camps were among the most brutal of the Japanese. On 5 Sep 1945 the American marines commandeered trains and transported the first group of survivors to the dock where the destroyer escorts DE 326 Thomas J. Gary and DE 329 Kretchmer took them from dockside to the carriers. The next day, 6 Sep, Gary and Kretchmer once again entered the harbor along with two more destroyer escorts DE 327 Brister and DE-328 Finch to evacuate most of the remaining ambulatory POWs. Each of the destroyer escorts transported about 50 POWs to Manila.
The hanger decks became hospitals as hundreds of cots were set up for the survivors. Hot showers, clean clothes, and good food helped transition the former POWs back from a living hell. USS Block Island received 474 survivors and CVE 29 USS Santee took about the same number. After all the POWs were aboard, the task group sailed for Manila in the Philippines to hand off the survivors to hospitals, the second step in the journey home.
There were 97 POWs who were just too sick and weak to be moved by the DE’s, so they were left in the care of the POW camp doctors. On September 6th, the British Royal Navy entered Keelung Harbor as the US DE’s were pulling out and after making contact with the POWs had them moved to the New Zealand hospital ship HMNZHS Maunganui for the journey to Manila. Thus all the POWs were evacuated safely, but sadly several more died on board the ships on their way to freedom.
The formal “job well done” is below and on the left. Below and on the right is the actual text for radio transmission. Anyone can recognize and quickly understand the text of this communique, however, it will take a Radioman to recognize that the form that is used is an original document as it was used by the Navy in WWII.
“For evacuating prisoners of war from Formosa you were nothing short of sensational. To every officer and man in your ships is due resounding applause for shoving your noses into Kiirun before the occupation without thought of self in a most worthy cause. The handling of passengers and their care, like everything else in the operation, was done in the American way, and there is not better.
“I pass to you the message of the Commander of the Seventh Fleet: “Prompt and determined action in the Formosa evacuation under difficult circumstances was a magnificent performance and a God-send to our prisoners. Well done.
Signed Kincaid!’ (Admiral Thomas Kincaid).
The Block Island completed operations including providing cover for the landing of the Chinese 70th army. The photo at left shows American personnel relaxing with Chinese officers on Formosa. The Block Island headed back to the United States mainland via Guam and Hawaii. She arrived San Diego, CA on 11 Dec 1945 and proceed to the east coast arriving Norfolk, VA on 20 Jan 1946.
CVE 106 USS Block Island was given the Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, the Philippine Independence Medal, the Asiatic Pacific Victory Medal and the Navy/USMC Commendation Medal. CVE 106 also received two Naval Admiral Recognition awards, one for the Battle of Boreno and the other for the POW rescue off Formosa. The Philippine Liberation Medal was awarded to all ships and personnel who served in the area from 1944-1945.
Unfortunately a number of courageous Marines did not return home at the end of WWII. By clicking this link you can visit our In Memoriam page.
After several voyages CVE 106 USS Block Island was placed in reserve on 28 May 1946, the day before the second anniversary of the sinking of CVE 21. She was towed to Annapolis where she became a training ship for the midshipmen of the US Naval Academy (see photo at right).
Captain Beakley turned over command of the CVE 106 to Commander Frank Slater who was the officer-in-charge of the carrier at the US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD.
Korean War Era Operations
On 3 Oct 1950 CVE 106 USS Block Island was transferred to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She was towed from Annapolis, MD to Norfolk, VA for dry-docking. CVE 106 was then towed to Philadelphia, PA arriving 25 Oct 1950 for pre-commissioning work. The Block Island was recommissioned on 28 April 1951 with Captain Arthur S. Hill in command. CVE 106 conducted training operations off of Cuba on 5 Jan 1952. She sailed for Norfolk and then on to the Caribbean stopping in a number of ports before returning to Norfolk on 27 Apr 1952.
The high quality photo at left shows the CVE 106 with a number of the VS-22 squadron’s AF-2 Grumman Guardians on her flight deck.
CVE 106 proceeded to Brooklyn Naval Shipyard arriving 25 Feb 1953. Following a month at the yard she returned to the Caribbean area for flight operations. The photo at right clearly shows the CVE 106 involved in a air/sea rescue and recovery operation following an aircraft accident. The plane with only the tail visible is a Grumman AF-2 Guardian which was developed for anti-submarine operations. Only a few were built and service was short lived due to poor performance. In April CVE 106 sailed for the United Kingdom and France. She then operated briefly in the Mediterranean before returning to Norfolk on 25 Jun 1953. Later that fall she completed another Caribbean cruise.
She was placed in reserve 15 Jan 1954 at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The second Block Island never returned to active duty. However, she was scheduled to be converted to an amphibious assault ship but those plans were cancelled in Jun 1958. She was stricken from Navy records on 1 Jul 1959 and sold for scrap to a Japanese company.
References:
CDR Roy L. Swift with Robert J Cressman(1986, Winter). The Tale of Two Block Islands., The Hook, 22-39
Dictionary of American Fighting Ships, www.history.navy.mil/danfs/index.html
Naval Historical Foundation Photographic Service. Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC.
Y’Blood, William(1983). Hunter-Killer: U.S. Escort Carriers in the Battle of the Atlantic. USA:Naval Institute Press.
James L. Noles, Jr. (July 1, 2004). All Guts, No Glory., Air & Space Magazine
USS Block Island Association. CHIPS newsletters, vol. 1-23
Rear Admiral Dixwell Ketcham was given command of Aircraft Carrier Division 27. He chose CVE 106 USS Block Island to be the flagship of his carrier division. He served on CVE 106 until the end of World War II.
Captain Francis Massie Hughes fought hard to have the Navy keep the surviving crew members of CVE 21 intact to become the crew members of CVE 106. His efforts were successful and he was given command of CVE 106 when it was commissioned for service in the new world of the Pacific. Capt. Hughes served as Captain of CVE 106 until August 1, 1945.
A Naval Academy graduate, Captain Beakley took command of CVE 106 on 6 August 1945 until its return to the states in December of 1945. He was in command of the CVE 106 for the rescue of allied POWs from the Japanese prison camps on Taiwan. Marine Col. A. D. Cooley, from the Admirals Command, led the POW recovery operations on the island of Formosa (now Taiwan).
He was born 17 Jun 1906 in Green Bay, WI. Flatley was an aerial-gunnery expert and World War II ace in the Pacific. As Executive Officer (XO) of Fighter Squadron VF-42, he was one of the key participants in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942—the first carrier-vs.-carrier duel. Flatley was awarded the Navy Cross for “extraordinary heroism and conspicuous courage” during the Battle of the Coral Sea.
Lt. Colonel John F. Dobbins, USMC, holder of a Navy Cross for the destruction of eight Japanese planes in the Guadalcanal Campaign commanded the Marines. Two powerful squadrons fought the Japanese, Marine Fighting Squadron 511 (VMF-511) and Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 233 (VMTB-233). The pilots were experienced men who had splendid records in Marine Aviation in earlier campaigns. The unusual combination of Navy and Marine aviation units required many adjustments but worked out well under the splendid leadership of cooperating officers. John Dobbins retired as a brigadier general after flying 125 combat missions and earning the Navy Cross, the Distinguished Flying Cross and three Air Medals. He passed away in Winter Park, FL in 1995 at the age of 83.
As noted on the page CVE 106 Firsts the second Block Island was the first U.S. Naval Aircraft Carrier to have an all Marine Air Group. The Block Island’s directive was to support Pacific operations which was an island by island strategy of amphibious landings and battles to remove the entrenched Japanese Army. This required air support, which was difficult from land based facilities. The Marines successfully lobbied the US Government to allow Marine Air Groups to operate from aircraft carriers.
Major R. Bruce Porter came aboard CVE 106 on 2 Feb 1945 with Marine Squadron VMF-511 as the Executive Officer and designated as Flight Leader of the F6F-5N Hellcat night fighters. Bruce and the other pilots of VMF-511 who were assigned to the carrier had previous land based combat service in the Pacific but had not ever worked from a carrier.
The day that President Roosevelt died Major Porter was given his own squadron and left the Block Island. However, his squadron was based at Okinawa and it was there that Major Porter downed three more Japanese planes, two being in one night, and as such gained the “Ace Award”. Major Porter not only received credit for the five known kills he also had an additional 4 probable kills. At right is a picture provided by Bruce Porter of one of his Japanese Kills. Note the radar dome on the wing of this F6F5 (n). This radar dome and the belly gas tank made it possible to fly at night while serving as “Combat Air Patrol”. The Japanese aircraft is almost obscured by the smoke trail leading from that plane.
The pilots, be it Air Force, Navy or Marine, like to spruce up their aircraft with all sorts of paintings. Being the first Marine pilots to operate in mass off a Navy Carrier they wanted the square block for Block Island and the M to show that they were Marines. (see photo on right) The Navy, in their effort to keep the Japanese from knowing that the Marines now had their own Carrier, ordered that the identification be removed. With an all out effort the next day for as many aircraft as possible “flat Black” was the plan of the day. At Okinawa alone 2,516 Japanese aircraft were destroyed either in the air or at shore bases. Marines captured Yontan Airbase and at the air base taken over from the Japanese at Kerama Retto, destroyed another 506 on the ground. The “Baby Flatops” were on the line at Okinawa far longer than the Task Force 58 large carriers.