Escort Carrier USS St. Lo (CVE-63)

Escort Carrier USS St. Lo (CVE-63)
Ship name	USS St. Lo (CVE-63)
Ship class	Casablanca-class escort carrier
Builder	Kaiser Shipbuilding Company
Laid down	15 October 1942
Launched	15 March 1943
Commissioned	15 May 1943
Decommissioned	27 November 1944 (sunk)
Fate	Sunk 25 October 1944
Namesake	Saint-Lô
Displacement	10,400 tons (full load)
Length	512 ft (156 m)
Beam	65 ft (20 m)
Draft	20 ft (6.1 m)
Propulsion	Skinner Unaflow reciprocating steam engines
Speed	19 kt
Complement	~890 officers and men
Aircraft	~27 aircraft

Escort Carrier USS St. Lo (CVE-63) was a Casablanca-class escort carrier of the United States Navy that served during World War II and was the first major warship lost to a kamikaze attack. Commissioned in 1943 and originally named Alchiba (CVE-63) before being renamed for the Saint-Lô campaign, she operated in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, providing air cover for convoys, supporting amphibious operations, and participating in the Battle of Leyte Gulf where she was struck and sunk. The ship's loss influenced naval doctrine, damage control, and anti-aircraft tactics in late-war operations.

Construction and commissioning

St. Lo was laid down at the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company yard in Vancouver, Washington under a Maritime Commission contract during the US wartime shipbuilding expansion led by Henry J. Kaiser. Launched on 15 March 1943 and commissioned on 15 May 1943, she was part of the mass-produced Casablanca-class escort carrier program designed to replace early war carrier losses such as USS Wasp (CV-7) and USS Hornet (CV-8). Her commissioning ceremony included naval officials from the Pacific Fleet and representatives from Washington (state). The ship’s early service included shakedown operations and carrier qualifications that linked her to Naval Air Stations and training squadrons operating Grumman F4F Wildcat and SBD Dauntless types.

Design and specifications

As a Casablanca-class vessel, St. Lo featured the standardized hull and machinery intended to permit rapid construction similar to Liberty ship production. Her dimensions matched sister ships like USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73) and USS Liscome Bay (CVE-56), with a length of 512 feet and a full-load displacement near 10,400 tons. Propulsion came from Skinner Unaflow reciprocating steam engines that produced approximately 9,000 shaft horsepower for a top speed around 19 knots, enabling operations with convoy groups and Task Force 77. Armament included multiple 5-inch/38 caliber dual-purpose guns, 40 mm Bofors, and 20 mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons, mirroring arrangements aboard escort carriers like USS Altamaha (CVE-6). The flight deck and hangar were configured to carry roughly 27 aircraft, including Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers and Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters for anti-submarine warfare and close air support. Her complement of approximately 890 officers and enlisted reflected combined air and ship crews typical of the class.

Service history

After shakedown, St. Lo performed escort and anti-submarine patrols in the Atlantic Ocean and later transferred to the Pacific Theater where she joined Task Group 77.4 and carrier support groups operating from the Philippine Sea to the South China Sea. Her air groups provided combat air patrols, reconnaissance, and close air support during operations connected to the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign, Marianas campaign, and the Leyte operations. St. Lo worked alongside escort carriers such as USS Fanshaw Bay (CVE-70), USS Kitkun Bay (CVE-71), and USS Cape Esperance (CVE-88), integrating with cruiser and destroyer screens including USS Honolulu (CL-48) and USS Reno (CL-96). Crewmembers gained experience in carrier operations, flight deck handling, and coordinated anti-aircraft defense against Japanese aircraft including Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters and Aichi D3A Val dive bombers.

Battle of Leyte Gulf and sinking

In October 1944 St. Lo was assigned to Task Unit groups supporting the Leyte Gulf landings as part of Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kinkaid's 7th Fleet and operating in coordination with Admiral William F. Halsey's Third Fleet actions. On 25 October 1944, during what became the Battle off Samar, St. Lo was operating with "Taffy 3" escort carriers and their destroyer escort screen including USS Johnston (DD-557), USS Hoel (DD-533), and USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413). Taffy 3 fought against a vastly superior Imperial Japanese Navy surface force under Vice Admiral Takeo Kurita, and later faced organized kamikaze attacks from Japanese Special Attack Units. At approximately 10:50, St. Lo was struck by a kamikaze aircraft that penetrated the flight deck, detonating near the hangar where avgas and ordnance were stored. The ensuing fires triggered catastrophic secondary explosions, including aircraft and ammunition detonations, leading to rapid loss of power and structural integrity. Despite valiant damage control efforts and the assistance of escorting destroyers and carriers USS White Plains (CVE-66) and USS Kalinin Bay (CVE-68), St. Lo capsized and sank within hours. The action resulted in significant casualties among her crew and air group, and survivors were rescued by nearby ships including USS Dennis (DE-405) and USS Eversole (DE-404).

Awards and honors

For her service, crew, and sacrifice during the Leyte operations, St. Lo and her personnel were recognized within the United States Navy honors system; survivors and participants received campaign ribbons such as the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and various unit citations associated with the Philippine Liberation campaign. Individual crew members were later awarded decorations including the Bronze Star Medal and Navy Cross for actions during the Battle off Samar rescue and defense efforts. The ship’s loss is frequently cited in analyses of kamikaze effectiveness and influenced post-event recommendations by Chief of Naval Operations staff on escort carrier protection and damage control doctrine.

Wreck, legacy, and memorials

The wreck of St. Lo rests on the floor of the Leyte Gulf and is a subject of naval history, underwater surveys, and remembrance by veterans’ organizations such as the U.S. Navy Veteran community and National WWII Museum affiliates. Her sinking became emblematic of the courage of escort carrier crews and the lethal evolution of air-sea tactics in late World War II, influencing subsequent carrier escort designs and anti-aircraft training in the United States Navy. Memorials include ship plaques, veterans’ reunion monuments in Saint-Lô and Norfolk, Virginia, and commemorative exhibits at institutions like the National Museum of the Pacific War and the Naval Aviation Museum that feature artifacts, oral histories, and interpretations of the Battle off Samar. The legacy of St. Lo endures in literature on naval warfare, academic studies of kamikaze operations, and in annual memorial services honoring those lost during the Philippine campaign.

Category:Casablanca-class escort carriers Category:Ships sunk by kamikaze aircraft Category:World War II shipwrecks in the Pacific Ocean