World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseSteamer Bay, CVE-87, was launched in Feb 1944 and had her trials in Puget Sound. Her first two missions involve ferrying men and aircraft of the United States Marine Corps to New Hebrides and Marshall Islands. Starting from her third mission she directly supported combat crafts, carrying replacement aircraft for Task Force 38, which busied itself with the landings at Palau and the Philippines. After repairs and training at Pearl Harbor from 15 Nov to 5 Dec 1944, she was assigned to Task Group 77.4, which supported the landings at Lingayen Gulf in the Philippines, and was directly involved in combat. She was the target of Japanese air attacks, seeing many of her fellow CVEs damaged, but she sustained little or no damage herself. On 31 Jan 1945, she steamed for Ulithi, preparing for the assault on Iwo Jima.

ww2dbaseSteamer Bay arrived near Iwo Jima on 16 Feb 1945, and with three other escort carriers launched air missions against the Japanese ground defenses. When the landings started, her aircraft provided air cover for the marines. On 1 Apr 1945, she provided similar support for the landing at Okinawa as well. She remained in Okinawa until 26 May.

ww2dbaseOn 10 Jun 1945, after spending some time at Guam for repairs, Steamer Bay joined the Third Fleet and bombarded Sakishima Gunto islands between Okinawa and Taiwan between 14 and 22 Jun.

ww2dbaseOn 10 Aug, Steamer Bay returned to San Diego, where she remained until the end of the war. After the war, she was assigned to the Pacific Reserve Fleet, then she was placed out of commission in Jan 1947. She was sold for scrap on 29 Aug 1959.

Steamer Bay Operational Timeline

Photographs