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66-783: The Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation (also operating as Todd Pacific ) was an American corporation which built escort carriers , destroyers , cargo ships and auxiliaries for the United States Navy and merchant marine during World War II in two yards in Puget Sound , Washington. It was the largest producer of destroyers (45) on the West Coast and the largest producer of escort carriers of various classes (56) of any United States yard active during World War II. The Todd Corporation , just having established itself in New York, acquired

132-408: A commercial ship hull, so they were cheaper and could be built quickly. This was their principal advantage as they could be completed in greater numbers as a stop-gap when fleet carriers were scarce. However, the lack of protection made escort carriers particularly vulnerable, and several were sunk with great loss of life. The light carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVL) was a similar concept to

198-649: A completely enclosed hangar when operating in the North Atlantic and in support of the Arctic convoys . Of the U.S.-built escort carriers, Nabob and Puncher sailed on launch from Tacoma to the port of Vancouver , where they were lightly refitted to Royal Navy standard and then crewed by Royal Canadian Navy personnel. Both ships served in the North Atlantic while nominally under the British fleet and carrying aircraft of

264-458: A facility of Vigor Shipyards . in Commencement Bay ( 47°16′46″N 122°24′25″W  /  47.27949°N 122.40705°W  / 47.27949; -122.40705  ( Todd Tacoma Shipyard ) ) Escort carriers (56) Auxiliaries (14) Cargo (5) Ships of World War II produced before 1924 (incomplete) Description of the plant as of January 1940: Photograph of the plant in

330-426: A full-size fleet carrier. The aircraft hangar typically ran only 1 ⁄ 3 of the way under the flight deck and housed a combination of 24–30 fighters and bombers organized into one single "composite squadron". By comparison, a late Essex -class fleet carrier of the period could carry 103 aircraft organized into separate fighter, bomber and torpedo-bomber squadrons. The island (superstructure) on these ships

396-488: A limited period. Once all major aircraft were equipped with refueling probes, it became much easier to fly the aircraft directly to its base instead of shipping it. The last chapter in the history of escort carriers consisted of two conversions: as an experiment, USS  Thetis Bay was converted from an aircraft carrier into a pure helicopter carrier (CVHA-1) and used by the Marine Corps to carry assault helicopters for

462-401: A need for carriers to defend its trade routes in the 1930s. While designs had been prepared for "trade protection carriers" and five suitable liners identified for conversion, nothing further was done – mostly because there were insufficient aircraft for even the fleet carriers under construction at the time. However, by 1940 the need had become urgent and HMS  Audacity was converted from

528-604: A result, construction between the World Wars had been insufficient to meet operational needs for aircraft carriers as World War II expanded from Europe. Too few fleet carriers were available to simultaneously transport aircraft to distant bases, support amphibious invasions, offer carrier landing training for replacement pilots, conduct anti-submarine patrols, and provide defensive air cover for deployed battleships and cruisers. The foregoing mission requirements limited use of fleet carriers' unique offensive strike capability demonstrated at

594-448: A single 5-inch (127 mm) dual-purpose gun mounted on the stern, but the pursuing Japanese cruisers closed to within range of these guns. One of the guns damaged the burning Japanese heavy cruiser Chōkai , and a subsequent bomb dropped by an aircraft hit the cruiser's forward machinery room, leaving her dead in the water. A kamikaze attack sank USS  St Lo ; kamikaze aircraft attacking other ships were shot down. Ultimately

660-425: A slip was not left unoccupied for 82 days only to build another destroyer, no more destroyers were built on H. The same is true for I (54 days gap) and J (40 days gap). Even then Gurke must have followed Rooks with a 25-day gap and the purely analytical approach can't account for that. Ship repairs may be responsible and could cause any length of gap. What is certain is that destroyer production slowed down in 1944. In

726-606: A total of $ 384,352. After the war the United States Navy took over the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding shipyard and for use as part of the United States Navy reserve fleets , also called a mothball fleet . The Pacific Reserve Fleet, Tacoma was used to store the now many surplus ships after World War II . Some ships in the Commencement Bay Reserve Fleet were reactivated for the Korean War . The Navy sold

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792-658: Is also president of this company; J. A. McEachern, of the General Construction Co., being vice-president. This marks the culmination of negotiations with the Maritime Commission to bring a restoration of the shipbuilding industry to the Pacific Northwest. The cooperation of Seattle and Tacoma labor was an important factor in securing the award. The plan involves the rehabilitation of the Todd Tacoma plant for

858-596: Is set for redevelopment as part of the Port's Commencement Bay Industrial Development District. Robert Moran , great-granduncle of the company, died in 1943. The "Plant A" destroyer facility produced a single civilian ship, the luxury ferry Chinook , launched in 1947, but by 1952 oil terminals had been established in the spot. The original repair yard continued to be part of the Todd Corporation, now building new civilian and military ships and it remains active to this day as

924-594: The Blue Ridge class . Unlike almost all other major classes of ships and patrol boats from World War II, most of which can be found in a museum or port, no escort carrier or American light carrier has survived; all were destroyed during the war or broken up in the following decades. The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships records that the last former escort carrier remaining in naval service—USS Annapolis —was sold for scrapping 19 December 1979. The last American light carrier (the escort carrier's faster sister type)

990-529: The N -class submarines N-1 , N-2 and N-3 as well as 14 cargo ships of mostly 7,500dwt also were built in Seattle. In addition to the government contracts, the Tacoma yard built 2 cargo ships (named Red Hook and Hoboken after 2 of Todd's New York Harbor locations), 1 diesel freighter, 2 passenger ships and 6 barges. The Red Hook found its way into Imperial Japanese Army service as Naruo Maru and

1056-492: The Battle of Leyte Gulf . They lacked the speed and weapons to counter enemy fleets, relying on the protection of a Fast Carrier Task Force . However, at the Battle off Samar , one U.S. task force of escort carriers and destroyers managed to successfully defend itself against a much larger Japanese force of battleships and cruisers. The Japanese met a furious defense of carrier aircraft, screening destroyers, and destroyer escorts. Of

1122-679: The Battle of Taranto and the Attack on Pearl Harbor . Conversion of existing ships (and hulls under construction for other purposes) provided additional aircraft carriers until new construction became available. Conversions of cruisers and passenger liners with speed similar to fleet carriers were identified by the U.S. as " light aircraft carriers " ( hull classification symbol CVL) able to operate at battle fleet speeds. Slower conversions were classified as "escort carriers" and were considered naval auxiliaries suitable for pilot training and transport of aircraft to distant bases. The Royal Navy had recognized

1188-559: The Battle of the Atlantic , escort carriers were used to protect convoys against U-boats . Initially escort carriers accompanied the merchant ships and helped to fend off attacks from aircraft and submarines. As numbers increased later in the war, escort carriers also formed part of hunter-killer groups that sought out submarines instead of being attached to a particular convoy. In the Pacific theater, CVEs provided air support of ground troops in

1254-586: The Fleet Air Arm . The attack on Pearl Harbor brought up an urgent need for aircraft carriers , so some T3 tankers were converted to escort carriers; USS  Suwannee is an example of how a T3 tanker hull , AO-33, was rebuilt to be an escort carrier. The T3 tanker size and speed made the T3 a useful escort carrier. There were two classes of T3 hull carriers: Sangamon class and Commencement Bay class. The U.S. discovered their own uses for escort carriers. In

1320-566: The Great Seattle Fire destroyed most of the central business district. Moran's leadership in coordinating the recovery activities won him a second term in the following month's election. Through the period of his mayoralty, he was instrumental in the successful rebuilding of businesses, including Moran Bros., which were destroyed in the fire. His political connections were also very helpful in securing government contracts for his shipbuilding company. Among his administration's rebuilding efforts

1386-629: The Klondike Gold Rush when, among other projects, they built a fleet of twelve 176-foot (54 m) paddlewheel riverboats ( hull Nos. 9–20 ), which were successfully delivered to the Yukon River . In 1888, 31-year-old Robert Moran was elected the Republican mayor of Seattle. In those early years, the town's mayors were elected in July for a one-year term. Near the end of his service, on June 6, 1889,

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1452-634: The Moran Mansion —surrounded at that time by 7,800 acres (32 km ) of land—that is now the centerpiece of Rosario Resort. He sold the shipbuilding company for an undisclosed price between US$ 2.5 and 3.5 million in 1906. Moran spent the remainder of his life in retirement on Orcas Island. In 1916, he had a 132-foot (40 m) yacht built called the Sanwan , though it seems that ship saw little use. Influenced by chance encounters with conservationist John Muir , he donated 2,700 acres (1,100 ha) of Rosario to

1518-771: The Royal Navy , was a small and slower type of aircraft carrier used by the Royal Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy , the United States Navy, the Imperial Japanese Navy and Imperial Japanese Army Air Force in World War II . They were typically half the length and a third the displacement of larger fleet carriers , more-lightly armed and armored, and carried fewer planes. Escort carriers were most often built upon

1584-593: The Seattle Construction and Drydock Company (a.k.a. The Moran Brothers Shipyard of Klondike Gold Rush fame) in Seattle Harbor during World War I some time in 1916. The yard was acquired in 1918 by Skinner & Eddy , which had quickly risen to become a major force in Northwest Pacific shipbuilding. Todd moved his Seattle operation to nearby Harbor Island where a repair facility was constructed. In 1917

1650-460: The Union Iron Works yard, no new keels were laid after April 1944 and slipways apparently went unused by September 1944. TODO: this facility was very active in the interwar period, including some big conversion jobs. WW2 conversions of ... (incomplete) TODO: this yard became one of two big cold war era shipyards in Seattle, the other being Lockheed. Of the 6 steel shipyards building for

1716-454: The helicopter and the jet fighter , and with this a complete rethinking of its strategies and ships' tasks. Although several of the latest Commencement Bay -class CVE were deployed as floating airfields during the Korean War , the main reasons for the development of the escort carrier had disappeared or could be dealt with better by newer weapons. The emergence of the helicopter meant that helicopter-deck equipped frigates could now take over

1782-429: The island-hopping campaign. In this role they provided air cover for the troopships and flew the first wave of attacks on beach fortifications in amphibious landing operations. On occasion, they even escorted the large carriers, serving as emergency airstrips and providing fighter cover for their larger sisters while these were busy readying or refueling their own planes. They also transported aircraft and spare parts from

1848-578: The 151 aircraft carriers built in the U.S. during World War II, 122 were escort carriers, though no examples survive. The Casablanca class was the most numerous class of aircraft carrier, with 50 launched. Second was the Bogue class , with 45 launched. In the early 1920s, the Washington Naval Treaty imposed limits on the maximum size and total tonnage of aircraft carriers for the five main naval powers. Later treaties largely kept these provisions. As

1914-628: The British asked the U.S. to build on their behalf six carriers of an improved Audacity design, but the U.S. had already begun their own escort carrier. On 1 February 1941, the United States Chief of Naval Operations gave priority to construction of naval auxiliaries for aircraft transport. U.S. ships built to meet these needs were initially referred to as auxiliary aircraft escort vessels ( AVG ) in February 1942 and then auxiliary aircraft carrier ( ACV ) on 5 August 1942. The first U.S. example of

1980-578: The British, the first U.S. escort carriers were converted merchant vessels (or in the Sangamon class , converted military oilers). The Bogue -class carriers were based on the hull of the Type C3 cargo ship . The last 69 escort carriers of the Casablanca and Commencement Bay classes were purpose-designed and purpose-built carriers drawing on the experience gained with the previous classes. Originally developed at

2046-447: The CVE's role in a convoy while also performing their usual role as submarine hunters. Ship-mounted guided missile launchers took over much of the aircraft protection role, and in-flight refueling eliminated the need for floating stopover points for transport or patrol aircraft. Consequently, after the Commencement Bay class, no new escort carriers were designed, and with every downsizing of

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2112-487: The CVEs were called "Kaiser coffins" in honor of Casablanca-class manufacturer Henry J. Kaiser . Magazine protection was minimal in comparison to fleet aircraft carriers. HMS  Avenger was sunk within minutes by a single torpedo, and HMS  Dasher exploded from undetermined causes with very heavy loss of life. Three escort carriers— USS  St. Lo , Ommaney Bay and Bismarck Sea —were destroyed by kamikazes ,

2178-470: The North Atlantic, they supplemented the escorting destroyers by providing air support for anti-submarine warfare. One of these escort carriers, USS  Guadalcanal , was instrumental in the capture of U-505 off North Africa in 1944. In the Pacific theater , escort carriers lacked the speed to sail with fast carrier attack groups, so were often tasked to escort the landing ships and troop carriers during

2244-449: The Royal Navy to provide air scouting, to ward off enemy long-range scouting aircraft and, increasingly, to spot and hunt submarines. Often additional escort carriers joined convoys, not as fighting ships but as transporters, ferrying aircraft from the U.S. to Britain; twice as many aircraft could be carried by storing aircraft on the flight deck as well as in the hangar. The ships sent to the Royal Navy were slightly modified, partly to suit

2310-1134: The Shipping Board in Puget Sound, Todd Construction was the only one not located in Elliott Bay . This yard was located in the same rectangular area on the Hylebos Waterway as the World War II era yard and it also had 8 slipways. Description of the plant including a map: Historical trivia: Five ships (listed below) built in the yard where acquired from the USSB in the early 30s by Swayne & Hoyt and given Point names, In addition, Point Ancha (ex- Delight ), Point Bonita (ex- Sacramento ), which were built in Seattle. The Red Hook and Hoboken were never USSB property though. TODO: Show how this naming scheme started in Portland by Albina Engine & Machine Works , from where Swayne & Hoyt picked it up. The Kennecott

2376-711: The U.S. to remote island airstrips. A battle in which escort carriers played a major role was the Battle off Samar in the Philippines on 25 October 1944. The Japanese lured Admiral William Halsey, Jr. into chasing a decoy fleet with his powerful 3rd Fleet . This left about 450 aircraft from 16 small and slow escort carriers in three task units ("Taffies"), armed primarily to bomb ground forces, and their protective screen of destroyers and slower destroyer escorts to protect undefended troop and supply ships in Leyte Gulf. No Japanese threat

2442-610: The behest of the United Kingdom to operate as part of a North Atlantic convoy escort, rather than as part of a naval strike force, many of the escort carriers produced were assigned to the Royal Navy for the duration of the war under the Lend-Lease act. They supplemented and then replaced the converted merchant aircraft carriers that were put into service by the British and Dutch as an emergency measure until dedicated escort carriers became available. As convoy escorts, they were used by

2508-407: The big carriers, and procedures for launch and recovery were the same as well. The crew size was less than 1 ⁄ 3 of that of a large carrier, but this was still a bigger complement than most naval vessels. U.S. escort carriers were large enough to have facilities such as a permanent canteen or snack bar, called a gedunk bar , in addition to the mess. The bar was open for longer hours than

2574-493: The brunt of the fight. The Taffy ships took dozens of hits, mostly from armor-piercing rounds that passed right through their thin, unarmored hulls without exploding. USS  Gambier Bay , sunk in this action, was the only U.S. carrier lost to enemy surface gunfire in the war; the Japanese concentration of fire on this one carrier assisted the escape of the others. The carriers' only substantial armament—aside from their aircraft—was

2640-499: The captured German merchant ship MV Hannover and commissioned in July 1941. For defense from German aircraft, convoys were supplied first with fighter catapult ships and CAM ships that could carry a single (disposable) fighter. In the interim, before escort carriers could be supplied, they also brought in merchant aircraft carriers that could operate four aircraft. In 1940, U.S. Admiral William Halsey recommended construction of naval auxiliaries for pilot training. In early 1941

2706-569: The company also set foot in Tacoma, where the first work on facilities of an entirely new yard was underway in January 1917 and the first ship, the Tacoma , was launched on March 28, 1918. 3 of 10 Omaha -class light cruisers and 23 cargo ships of 7,500dwt were built in the Tacoma yard (including Jacona , which survived till at least 1971), the Caldwell -class destroyer USS  Gwin  (DD-71) and

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2772-549: The construction of the hulls, the completion and outfitting of the vessels to be performed at the plant of the Todd Seattle Dry Docks Inc., in Seattle. Following the enactment of the Two-Ocean Navy Act , Seattle-Tacoma was awarded contracts to build 25 destroyers. The government invested $ 9 million in a new destroyer construction facility on Harbor Island which was then built starting October 15, 1940 next to

2838-635: The escort carrier in most respects, but was fast enough to operate alongside fleet carriers. Escort carriers were too slow to keep up with the main forces consisting of fleet carriers, battleships, and cruisers. Instead, they were used to escort merchant ship convoys , defending them from enemy threats such as submarines and planes. In the invasions of mainland Europe and Pacific islands, escort carriers provided air support to ground forces during amphibious operations . Escort carriers also served as backup aircraft transports for fleet carriers, and ferried aircraft of all military services to points of delivery. In

2904-592: The existing repair dock founded in 1918. In February 1942 Todd bought out Kaiser's holding and sold the companies own interests in Permanente Metals and on June 1, 1944 the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation was renamed to Todd Pacific Shipyards, Inc. . Todd sold the Tacoma shipyard to the Navy after the war ended, which in turn sold the site to the Port of Tacoma in 1959. Today the site

2970-402: The first 30 ships the allocation based on keel laid and launch dates can only be None of the 10 Gearings could have occupied the slip where Isle Royale was built. None of the 5 Sumners or Rooks could have been built at G, H, I, J. Rowan must have been built on G. At least 2 Gearings must have been built following a Gearing and no 3 Gearings could have been built on the same slip. Assuming

3036-505: The first wave of amphibious warfare operations. Later, Thetis Bay became a full amphibious assault ship (LHP-6). Although in service only from 1955 (the year of her conversion) to 1964, the experience gained in her training exercises greatly influenced the design of today's amphibious assault ships . In the second conversion, in 1961, USS  Gilbert Islands had all her aircraft handling equipment removed and four tall radio antennas installed on her long, flat deck. In lieu of aircraft,

3102-533: The hangar deck now had 24 military radio transmitter trucks bolted to its floor. Rechristened USS  Annapolis , the ship was used as a communication relay ship and served dutifully through the Vietnam War as a floating radio station, relaying transmissions between the forces on the ground and the command centers back home. Like Thetis Bay , the experience gained before Annapolis was stricken in 1976 helped develop today's purpose-built amphibious command ships of

3168-597: The initial 2-ways stage (launch of the Cape Alava ): on Harbor Island ( 47°35′21″N 122°20′53″W  /  47.58903°N 122.3481°W  / 47.58903; -122.3481 ) in 2 separate facilities at the north end of the island. In 1918 Todd moved out of the seattle waterfront and opened a repair facility on the northwestern corner. In 1940 additional slipways were added on the northeastern end. The expansion had all 5 building ways upon initial completion (2 destroyers each). In June 1945, 5 destroyers were building,

3234-408: The largest ships to meet such a fate. Allied escort carriers were typically around 500 ft (150 m) long, not much more than half the length of the almost 900 ft (270 m) fleet carriers of the same era, but were less than 1 ⁄ 3 of the weight. A typical escort carrier displaced about 8,000 long tons (8,100  t ), as compared to almost 30,000 long tons (30,000 t) for

3300-447: The mess and sold several flavors of ice cream , along with cigarettes and other consumables. There were also several vending machines available on board. In all, 130 Allied escort carriers were launched or converted during the war. Of these, six were British conversions of merchant ships: HMS  Audacity , Nairana , Campania , Activity , Pretoria Castle and Vindex . The remaining escort carriers were U.S.-built. Like

3366-568: The navy, the CVEs were the first to be mothballed. Several escort carriers were pressed back into service during the first years of the Vietnam War because of their ability to carry large numbers of aircraft. Redesignated AKV (air transport auxiliary), they were manned by a civilian crew and used to ferry whole aircraft and spare parts from the U.S. to Army, Air Force and Marine bases in South Vietnam . However, CVEs were useful in this role only for

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3432-750: The other battles). Many escort carriers were Lend-Leased to the United Kingdom, this list specifies the breakdown in service to each navy. In addition, six escort carriers were converted from other types by the British during the war. The table below lists escort carriers and similar ships performing the same missions. The first four were built as early fleet aircraft carriers. Merchant aircraft carriers (MAC) carried trade cargo in addition to operating aircraft. Aircraft transports carried larger numbers of planes by eliminating accommodation for operating personnel and storage of fuel and ammunition. tons (standard) The years following World War II brought many revolutionary new technologies to naval aviation, most notably

3498-452: The shipyard to the Port of Tacoma in 1959. The ships stored at Pacific Reserve Fleet, Tacoma were either scrapped or moved to other reserve fleets . Download coordinates as: Escort carrier The escort carrier or escort aircraft carrier (U.S. hull classification symbol CVE), also called a "jeep carrier" or "baby flattop" in the United States Navy (USN) or "Woolworth Carrier" by

3564-458: The superior Japanese surface force withdrew, believing they were confronted by a stronger force than was the case. Most of the damage to the Japanese fleet was inflicted by torpedoes fired by destroyers, and bombs from the carriers' aircraft. The U.S. Navy lost a similar number of ships and more men than in the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway combined (though major fleet carriers were lost in

3630-401: The traditions of that service. Among other things the ice-cream making machines were removed, since they were considered unnecessary luxuries on ships which provided a grog ration. The heavy duty washing machines of the laundry room were removed, since "all a British sailor needs to keep clean is a bucket and a bar of soap" (quoted from Warrilow). Other modifications were due to the need for

3696-431: The type was USS  Long Island . Operation Torch and North Atlantic anti-submarine warfare proved these ships capable aircraft carriers for ship formations moving at the speed of trade or amphibious invasion convoys. U.S. classification revision to escort aircraft carrier ( CVE ) on 15 July 1943 reflected upgraded status from auxiliary to combatant. They were informally known as "Jeep carriers" or "baby flattops". It

3762-554: The unfinished Seaman  (DD-791) was about to be laid down and 2 destroyer tenders ( Isle Royale  (AD-29) and Great Lakes  (AD-30) - eventually aborted) were using up 1 full slipway each. Although the Seattle yard produced the largest number of destroyers on the West Coast, Union Iron Works was slightly more productive overall with 4 Atlanta s , 9 Benson s , 18 Fletchers , 6 Sumners , 3 Gearings and 12 Buckley s . Contracts awarded 45 of 415 destroyers 1 of 6 Shenandoah -class destroyer tenders For

3828-695: Was USS  Cabot , which was broken up in 2002 after a decade-long attempt to preserve the vessel. Later in the Cold War the U.S.-designed Sea Control Ship was intended to serve a similar role; while none were actually built, the Spanish aircraft carrier  Principe de Asturias and the Thai HTMS ; Chakri Naruebet are based on the concept. For complete lists see: [REDACTED] Media related to Escort carriers at Wikimedia Commons Robert Moran (shipbuilder) A native of New York City , Moran

3894-422: Was sunk in 1944 . Shipbuilding ceased in the Seattle yard in 1920 and in the Tacoma yard in 1924. William H. Todd died May 15, 1932. John D. Reilly became president of Todd Shipyards. In 1939, the old Tacoma shipyard in Commencement Bay was revived (from scratch) by Todd and Kaiser Shipbuilding , initially with two slipways, with the aid of some $ 15 million in capital provided by the U.S. Government this

3960-517: Was 18 when, in 1875, he arrived penniless in Seattle, a frontier outpost in the Pacific Northwest , which had been settled in November 1851, and only incorporated between 1865 and 1869. After years of working on steamboats he earned enough money to send for his family and, by 1882, he and his brothers started a marine repair business at Yesler's wharf . The Moran Brothers Company prospered during

4026-491: Was believed to be in the area, but a force of four battleships , including the formidable Yamato , eight cruisers , and 11 destroyers, appeared, sailing towards Leyte Gulf. Only the Taffies were in the way of the Japanese attack. The slow carriers could not outrun 30-knot (35 mph; 56 km/h) cruisers. They launched their aircraft and maneuvered to avoid shellfire, helped by smoke screens, for over an hour. "Taffy 3" bore

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4092-519: Was eventually increased to eight. Todd Affiliates to build C-1's at Tacoma Yard TODD Shipyards Corporation announces the award of five C- 1 Type B Diesel propelled vessels to the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation, of Seattle, Washington, at a price of $ 2,127,000 each. Associated with them is the General Construction Co. of Seattle and its affiliates. R. J. Lamont, president of the Todd Seattle Dry Docks Inc., of Seattle,

4158-406: Was quickly found that the escort carriers had better performance than light carriers, which tended to pitch badly in moderate to high seas. The Commencement Bay class was designed to incorporate the best features of American CVLs on a more stable hull with a less expensive propulsion system. Among their crews, CVE was sarcastically said to stand for "Combustible, Vulnerable, and Expendable", and

4224-408: Was small and cramped, and located well forward of the funnels (unlike on a normal-sized carrier, where the funnels were integrated into the island). Although the first escort carriers had only one aircraft elevator, having two elevators (one fore and one aft), along with the single aircraft catapult, quickly became standard. The carriers employed the same system of arresting cables and tail hooks as on

4290-510: Was somewhat unusual for its time and one of only 7 diesel motor ships of more than 1,000 tons built in the United States in 1921 and one of 82 built or newly converted worldwide. In 1920 the yard took part in a program to convert Japan-built ships to oil burners on USSB account: SS  Eastern Guide , SS  Eastern Gale , SS  Eastern Victor , SS  Eastern Admiral , SS  Eastern Tempest , SS  Eastern Importer for

4356-551: Was the public overhaul of Seattle's water system and the establishment of a savings and loan association , which later became Washington Mutual . Following his mayoral service, Moran devoted all his efforts to his shipbuilding business and, in 1904, climaxed his career with his shipyard's launch of the USS Nebraska , Washington state 's only battleship. He was told in 1905 that he had one year to live, and retreated to Orcas Island in Puget Sound 's San Juans , where he built

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