World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseOriginally allocated for Lend Lease for the United Kingdom on 11 Nov 1942, USS Sargent Bay was reallocated back to the United States Navy on 21 Jun 1943. After commissioning on 9 Mar 1944 and the subsequent shakedown, she ferried aircraft to the Central Pacific, and the joined the US Navy 3rd Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United States on 17 Aug. On 18 Aug, she departed Pearl Harbor for Eniwetok in the Marshall Islands and Manus in the Admiralty Islands. On 6 Nov, she departed to ferry aircraft to the Philippine Islands area, then remained in the region (operating out of Ulithi in the Caroline Islands) to support fleet carriers until 27 Jan 1945. On 16 Feb 1945, she was dispatched for Iwo Jima, Japan to cover the landing operations, remaining there until 11 Mar. On 16 Mar, Captain William Rassieur, who had been her commanding officer since commissioning, was relieved by Captain Richard Oliver. Between 25 Mar and 20 Jun, she operated off Okinawa, Japan to support the operations on that island, though between 7 and 18 Apr she was called away to support the Logistics Support Group and between 15 May and 2 Jun she was at Guam, Mariana Islands to receive repairs. On 23 Jun, she arrived at Leyte, Philippine Islands for upkeep, and then sailed for San Pedro, California, United States for overhaul, arriving on 9 Aug. When the overhaul completed, the war was already over. She made four trips for Operation Magic Carpet to bring American servicemen back to the United States. On 23 Mar 1946, she arrived at Boston, Massachusetts for inactivation. On 28 Mar, Captain Oliver was relieved by Commander Milton Worley, who oversaw the inactivation process. She was decommissioned on 23 Jun 1946 and placed in reserve on 23 Jul. She was sold to the J. C. Berkwitt Company on 30 Jul 1959, which scrapped her in Antwerp, Belgium in Sep 1959.

Sargent Bay Operational Timeline

Photographs

Visitor Submitted Comments

Show older comments