USS Suwannee (CVE-27)

USS ''Suwannee'' (CVE-27), was built as the civilian oiler ''Markay'', in 1939, before being acquired by the US Navy, in 1941, and renamed ''Suwannee'' (AO-33), after the tradition of naming fleet oilers after rivers. In 1942, she was converted to a and retained her name. Originally classified as an "Aircraft Escort Vessel", AVG-27, on 14 February 1942, she was reclassified an "Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier", ACV-27, 20 August 1942, before finally being classified as an "Escort Carrier", CVE-27, 15 July 1943. After the war, she was later classified an "Escort Helicopter Aircraft Carrier" and again redesignated, CVHE-27, 12 June 1955.

Construction

''Markay'' was laid down on 3 June 1938, at Kearney, New Jersey, by the Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., under a Maritime Commission contract (MC Hull 5); launched on 4 March 1939; sponsored by Mrs. Marguerite Vickery (née Blanchard), wife of Howard L. Vickery; delivered to the Keystone Tankship Corporation, and operated by that company until acquired by the Navy, on 26 June 1941. Keystone Tankship Corp., in turn delivered the vessel at Baltimore, Maryland. Renamed ''Suwannee'' (AO-33), the ship was commissioned "in ordinary", an inactive status, on 9 July 1941, then placed in commission, on 16 July 1941.

World War II

After operating for six months as an oiler with the Atlantic Fleet, ''Suwannee'' was designated an "Aircraft Escort Vessel", AVG-27, on 14 February 1942, and decommissioned, on 21 February, at Newport News, Virginia, for conversion to a . On 20 August, she was redesignated an "Auxiliary Carrier", ACV-27, and was recommissioned as such on 24 September 1942, Captain Joseph J. Clark in command.

1942

Less than a month after commissioning, ''Suwannee'' was underway from Hampton Roads, for the invasion of North Africa. She joined as the other carrier attached to the Center Attack Group whose specific objective was Casablanca, itself, via Fedhala, just to the north. Early in the morning of 8 November, she arrived off the coast of Morocco, and for the next few days, her Grumman F4F Wildcats maintained combat and anti-submarine (ASW) air patrols, while her Grumman TBF Avengers joined ''Ranger''s in bombing missions. During the Naval Battle of Casablanca from 8–11 November, ''Suwannee'' sent up 255 air sorties and lost only five planes, three in combat and two to operational problems.

On 11 November, off Fedhala Roads, her ASW patrol sank what was reported to be a German U-boat, but which was later determined to have been , one of the three French submarines which sortied from Casablanca, on the day of the assault. She was the first escort carrier to score against an enemy submarine, and she helped to prove the usefulness of her type in ASW.

''Suwannee'' remained in North African waters until mid-November, then sailed, via Bermuda, for Norfolk, Virginia. She arrived back at Hampton Roads, on 24 November, and stayed until 5 December, when she got underway for the South Pacific.

1943

The auxiliary carrier transited the Panama Canal, on 11–12 December, and arrived at New Caledonia, on 4 January 1943. For the next seven months, she provided air escort for transports and supply ships replenishing and bolstering the Marines on Guadalcanal, as well as for the forces occupying other islands in the Solomons group. During that span of time, she visited Guadalcanal, Efate, and Espiritu Santo in addition to New Caledonia. She was reclassified as an "Escort Carrier", CVE-27, on 15 July 1943.

She returned to the United States at San Diego, California, in October, and by 5 November, was back at Espiritu Santo. On 13 November, she departed to participate in the Gilbert Islands operation. From 19–23 November, she was a part of the Air Support Group of the Southern Attack Force, and her planes bombed Tarawa