USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56)

USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56)
source
Ship caption	USS *Liscome Bay* underway in 1943
Ship country	United States
Ship name	*Liscome Bay*
Ship namesake	Liscome Bay in Alaska
Ship builder	Kaiser Shipyards
Ship laid down	9 December 1942
Ship launched	19 April 1943
Ship sponsored by	Mrs. Ben Moreell
Ship commissioned	7 August 1943
Ship identification	Hull symbol: CVE-56
Ship fate	Sunk by Imperial Japanese Navy submarine *I-175*, 24 November 1943
Ship honors	1 Battle star

USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56) was a Casablanca-class escort carrier of the United States Navy during World War II. Commissioned in mid-1943, the ship was assigned to support amphibious operations in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Her brief service ended catastrophically when she was torpedoed and sunk during the Battle of Makin, resulting in one of the highest single-battle losses of life for the U.S. Navy in the Pacific war.

Construction and commissioning

The vessel was constructed under a Maritime Commission contract by the Kaiser Shipyards in Vancouver, Washington, as part of a massive wartime shipbuilding program. Laid down on 9 December 1942, she was launched on 19 April 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Ben Moreell, wife of the head of the United States Navy Civil Engineer Corps. The escort carrier was commissioned into active service on 7 August 1943 under the command of Captain Irving D. Wiltsie. Following a brief shakedown period off the West Coast of the United States, she was assigned to the Pacific Fleet.

Service history

After completing training exercises, *Liscome Bay* departed San Diego in October 1943, transporting aircraft and personnel to Pearl Harbor. She was then assigned to Task Force 52, commanded by Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner, to provide close air support for the upcoming Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign. Her air group, Composite Squadron 39 (VC-39), flew a mix of F4F Wildcat fighters and TBF Avenger torpedo bombers. Her primary mission was to support the landings on Makin Atoll, part of Operation Galvanic.

Sinking

In the early morning hours of 24 November 1943, *Liscome Bay* was operating approximately 20 miles southwest of Makin Island. The task force was maneuvering to launch aircraft for the day's operations when the Imperial Japanese Navy submarine *I-175*, commanded by Sunao Tabata, penetrated the screen. At 05:10, a single torpedo struck the carrier's starboard side near the ammunition magazines and aviation fuel storage. A cataclysmic secondary explosion, likely of the ship's own bombs and torpedoes, erupted, tearing the vessel apart. *Liscome Bay* sank within 23 minutes. The destroyer USS *Morris* (DD-417) and other escorts conducted rescue operations under the threat of further submarine attack, but of the over 900 officers and men aboard, only 272 were saved. Among the 644 lost were Captain Wiltsie and the ship's executive officer, as well as Pearl Harbor hero and Navy Cross recipient Doris Miller.

Aftermath and legacy

The loss of *Liscome Bay* was a profound shock, highlighting the vulnerability of escort carriers to submarine attack and triggering an immediate review of damage control procedures and ammunition handling protocols within the fleet. The disaster was reported in American newspapers, though details were initially censored to protect morale. The sinking remains one of the deadliest single-ship losses in U.S. naval history. The wreck site, located in over 15,000 feet of water, has not been extensively surveyed. The sacrifice of her crew is memorialized on the Honolulu Memorial of the American Battle Monuments Commission.

Awards and recognition

For her brief World War II service, USS *Liscome Bay* was awarded one battle star for her participation in the Battle of Makin. The names of her crew who were lost are inscribed on the Walls of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. No subsequent U.S. Navy vessel has been named *Liscome Bay*.

Category:Casablanca-class escort carriers Category:World War II aircraft carriers of the United States Category:Ships built in Washington (state) Category:1943 ships