Notes for FREDERICK GEORGE CRAWFORD: ~ Office of Naval Records and History Ship's Histories Section Navy Department HISTORY OF THE USS LISCOME BAY (CVE 56) The first "baby flattop" to be lost as a result of enemy action in the Pacific, the USS LISCOME BAY (CVE 56) was torpedoed by an enemy submarine on the 24th of November 1943. She was the only ship lost during 19 major raids against 15 Japanese bases by our big carrier task forces which ranged from the Solomons to Marcus Islands, and from the Marshalls to the Marianas and Palau groups. The LISCOME BAY was the only ship lost in the Gilbert Islands operation. The escort aircraft carrier, USS LISCOME BAY, was built as a Maritime Commission hull in the yards of the Kaiser Company, Incorparated, at Vancouver, Washington. Before completion the ship was-converted to an escort carrier and acquired by the Navy on the 7th of August 1943. Following the usual procedure of naming Navy escort carriers for islands, bays, and sounds of the United States (as well as important United States operations, battles, and engagements), the CVE 56 was named for Liscome Bay on the coast of Alaska. The LISCOME BAY was placed in commission on the same day of her acquisition--August 7, 1943. The LISCOME BAY was fitted out at the Naval Air Station, Astoria, Oregon, during the remainder of August and early September, after which she proceeded to the Puget Area on September 7th. She next steamed for Seattle, Washington, arriving on the 14th and two days later weighed anch'or for San Francisco, California. After mooring at the Alameda Air Station in San Francisco Bay on September 18th the escort carrier got underway for San Diego, California on the 20tb. Arriving in San Diego waters oil September 22nd the LISCOME BAY underwent intensive shakedown drills and exercises off San Diego and San Pedro until October 21st when she set course for Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii. On the 28th of October the carrier entered Pearl Harbor, mooring at Ford Island. After additional,drills and operational exercises in Hawaiian waters the LISCOME BAY set forth upon what was to be her first and last battle mission--i@ba-t of the Gilbert Islands invasion. The U.S. naval force, of which the LISCOME BAY was a part, invaded the Gilberts on November 20, 1943. After a series of raids in the south and central Pacific and a 7-day systematic pounding from the air, the most powerful U.S. naval force assembled in the Pacific up to that time threw 1,500- tons'of shells and 1,000 tons of bombs at Tarawa Atoll and Makin Island on that date. At the same time, Mili and Jaluit were pounded by interdicting raids. Besides the LISCOME BAY, this great force included the carriers SARATOGA, ESSEX, BUNKER HILL, LEXINGTON, YORKTOWN, PRINCETON, INDEPENDENCE, BELLEAU WOOD, COWPENS, MONETEREY, CHENANGO, NASSAU, and BARNES. ~ Page 2 USS LISCOME BAY) The invasion bombardment began at 5 a.m. and 76 hours later Tarawa and Makin Islands were in United States hands--at a tremendous cost. The invasion and occupation of the Gilberts was supported by approximately 900 carrier-based aircraft, which flew 2,278 action sorties in a wide variety of missions. The more important of these were the neutralization of enemy air bases, direct support of the landings and,subsequent ground operations, interception of enemy air raids, and-@'diver'sionary raids such as the strike on Nauru Island which preceded the landings. In these actions, the LISCOME BAY'S planes played their part well, participating mainly in the operations against Makin Island. Throughout the operation the Japs attacked viciously by air but these attacks were successfully driven off by the carrier-bas'ed planes. When the islands were finally in U.S. hands the forces began a retirement. In the early hours of November 24, 1943, aboard the USS LISCOME BAY, planes were being readied for their flights at dawn. There was no warning of a submarine in the area until about 5:10 a.m. when a lookout shouted: "Christ, here comes a torpedo!" The missle struck an instant later with a shattering roar, the lights went out, and flames licked high above the flight deck. Explosions followed. Bombs and ammunition were set off, and some of the little carrier's planes were burled into the sea. The LISCOME BAY'S death struggle was sbort--she went down some twenty minutes later surrounded by flaming oil--but from the @lame-lighted melee of confusion and destruction emerged reports of conspicious gallantry and courage that will long be remembered in the Navy's traditions ... Mortally wounded, one officer organized repair parties, tried to get the fire hoses into operation,-he'lped wounded men over the side,and-- when hope was-finally abandoned--went into the water himself. There he lost consciousness and was carried along by Lieutenant Commander J.R. Rowe, Medical Corps, USN, until the doctor discovered he was dead. I One sailor, trapped below decks, finally groped his way to a ladder so overcrowded he couldn't make his way up. He then climbed a superheated steam pipe, severely burning both his bands. To;escape the flames another man climbed up electric wires forty feet to a gun plot. An officer whose appendix had been removed only six days beforb, swam to safety; another . who hag undergone the-.same sort of operael'on was drowned.-before he could be picked up. Survivors praised the "splendid" conduct of Lieutenant Commander Rowe, the senior medical officer, whose concern for the safety of his patients and efforts in administering to the wounded aboard the rescue ship, despite a'leg injury, were outstanding. "The explosion," said Dr. Rowe, "came with no warning. There was a yellow flash and a roar. As I started to pick myself up, there was a second explosion and I was again on the deck. Dr. Rowe rushed to the operating room to get the patients ready for the evacuation. The flight deck was aflame, and Dr. Rowe made a number of trips back and forth through the sick bay area, getting the group together and picking up first aid gear. "It was evident," he said, "from the amount of gray smoke that we would have to evacuate this area. The smoke was very thick and we made the way up mainly by the feel of fresh air. Some of the ladders were blocked by burning bebris. "As we went up we found the first wounded man. He had a broken leg and moving caused him severe pain. There were only two of us to help him, so we decided he would have the best chance if we allowed him to drop into the water. I gave him morphine, put him over the side and allowed him to drop." R.W. Hunt, Boatswain, USN, said that "some time later I saw this man picked up. I am convinced the doctor's action saved, his life." Lieutenant Commander M.U. Beebe, squadron commander, declared, "The Captain and the crew are to be commended for their service." In telling of his experience, Lieutenant Commander said: "I had checked the weather and flight deck crew, and returned to my room. There was a terrific rumbling throghout the ship, and an explosion that lifted me off the deck. The next thing I knew I was trying to get out the dbor in the darkness, but I could find no passage. Fire started, and I don't know how I got there, but I made the flight deck and found it ablaze. There was oil burning on the water, too, near the bow. "The captain ordered all hands to go aft as far as Possible, then go over the side. He and I started aft on what was left of the catwalk. I remembered where an aircraft life raft was stowed, and managed to get it The fire was spreading rapidly, making it apparent that we weren't going to get very far. I called to the captain to go over at this point, but he did not answer .... Beebe was unable to locate Captain Wiltsie, and concluded the skipper had gone farther aft. He then went down a line to the water, and made the raft which was floating but had,,not yet been inflated. Several men collected and swam the raft away from the ship for perhaps a hundred yards where it was inflated and other survivors were picked up. "Shortly afterward," Lieutenant Commander Beebe said, "there were more explosions and the ship made her final diver bow out of the water until the last.,, Daylight crept over the sea about this time and Beebe's party was picked up by apother warship. I Lieutenant Gardner Smith, a radio announcer before the war, went to the open bridge to look for the Captain and found it in shambles. The flight control platform was blocked by the bull horn which had fallen, pinning down two sailors. Both were still alive. The bull horn was so tightly wedged that several attempts had to be made before the men were released. On the bridge it was too hot to put a hand on the rail and the word was being passed to abandon ship. ~ Page 4 (LISCOME BAY) "Once in the water I tried to swim away from the ship but the current carried it down on me," Lieutenant Smith said, "I noticed rounds of ammunition going off in all directions. I picked up a seaman and we swam aft, beyond the stern. A depth charge went off, injuring two sailors who were with me but it did not hurt me. ,,I was on my back at the time and not over 100 feet from what was left of the stern. The hangar deck was ablaze, the fantail gone, a portion of the after starboard side was gone, and the ship sank stern first with- in three minutes after my getting clear of the stern-" Aerographer L.D.Blakely was in the water and watched the ship turn slowly over as it began its death plunge. "I watched her go," he said, suction, only a loud hissing.,, "and heard her death gurgle. There was no After the torpedo hit, Blakely Said, "The ship was heaving and sounded as if she was breaking up. The lights had gone, but burning oil, deck and planes made it almost as light as day within. We went outside and conditions there--railings torn off, life rafts gone, oil every- where, fire ragingi and ammunition exploding--made me think the starboard side was safer. With some of the men, I tried to get through the passageway to starboard but there were more explosions and fire broke out, so we stumbled back. More explosions followed. "I went forward in a stream of men. Some were jumping over the side and I stopped others from throwing boxes of ammunition overboard and crawled'onto the flight deck.! We tried to organize a fire party to move the water hose but the@e was no water and no pressure. After slipping in the oil and crawling over tangled wire, I went down the line into the water.,, A Gunner's Mate, first class, Hubert Joseph Bissett, USN, said, "I would like to bring attention to the conduct of R.L. Abbot, Seaman, I/c. He remained at his station and helped to stamp out several fires and threw hot ammunition overboard. This was the last I saw of him until I reached our raft about 200 yards from the shi,p. I asked him'where his life jacket was and found out he had given it -to an injured man. After our rescue I talked to some of our men and was told that Abbot had helped an injured sa'ilor from the burning flight deck, giving him his life jacket. This action must have saved that man's life." Chief Shipfitter L.A. Ashley, who was in the shipfitter's shop, gave this account: I "I had just finished mustering the repair party when there was a heavy explosion which blew an elevator loose and caused a large fire I was close to the shop door and the blast was so severe it blew my clothes, including my shoes and rubber life belt, right off me. We had no communications because the power and lights went off. "When we got past the elevator pit we found the way blocked by more fire on the hangar deck, so we worked our way up twisted ladders and found a mass of wreckage. We made it to the catwalk on the flight deck level and broke out fire hoses but it was useless. There was nothing we could do to save the ship, so I went over the side and.swam clear." ~ Paqe (LISCOME BAY) "One of .the repair party asked, "What shall we do now, Chief?" The surrounding area was a mass of flames by this time. "The only way out was to get a fire plug, so I called "Let's make a run for it through the flames and try to get water on the fire!. Of such were the stories of heroism, sacrifice, and horror that came out of the fiery holocaust in which the LISCOME BAY met her end Out of the LISCOME BAY'S total complement of 911 men, 53 officers and 591 enlisted men were declared missing or dead in the tragedy. AT the time of her torpedoing, the CVE 56 was under the command of Captain I.D. Wiltsie, USN, and was carrying the flag of Rear Admiral H.M. Mullinix. Both of these men were among the number of those who died with the ship. 11 A Navy Department Communique, dated December 2, follows: 1943, read as 111. The USS LISCOME BAY (an escort carrier) was sunk as a result of being torpedoed by a submarine on November 24, 1943, in the Gilbert Islands operation. ., 112. The next of kin of casualties aboard the LISCOME BAY will be notified as soon as possible." ~ 'The USS LISCOME BAY (CVE 56) earned but one engagement star on the Asiatic-Pacific Area Service Ribbon in her short World Warll career. This battle star was awarded for the Gilb6rt Is "land Operation--November 13 to December 8, 1943. Her dates of participation were November 20-24, 1943. OVERALL LENGTH BEAM ~ STATISTICS 512 feet DISPLACEMENT 108 feet SPEED 7,800 tons 19 knots Compiled: November 1950 hts
Notes for FREDERICK GEORGE CRAWFORD: ~ Office of Naval Records and History Ship's Histories Section Navy Department HISTORY OF THE USS LISCOME BAY (CVE 56) The first "baby flattop" to be lost as a result of enemy action in the Pacific, the USS LISCOME BAY (CVE 56) was torpedoed by an enemy submarine on the 24th of November 1943. She was the only ship lost during 19 major raids against 15 Japanese bases by our big carrier task forces which ranged from the Solomons to Marcus Islands, and from the Marshalls to the Marianas and Palau groups. The LISCOME BAY was the only ship lost in the Gilbert Islands operation. The escort aircraft carrier, USS LISCOME BAY, was built as a Maritime Commission hull in the yards of the Kaiser Company, Incorparated, at Vancouver, Washington. Before completion the ship was-converted to an escort carrier and acquired by the Navy on the 7th of August 1943. Following the usual procedure of naming Navy escort carriers for islands, bays, and sounds of the United States (as well as important United States operations, battles, and engagements), the CVE 56 was named for Liscome Bay on the coast of Alaska. The LISCOME BAY was placed in commission on the same day of her acquisition--August 7, 1943. The LISCOME BAY was fitted out at the Naval Air Station, Astoria, Oregon, during the remainder of August and early September, after which she proceeded to the Puget Area on September 7th. She next steamed for Seattle, Washington, arriving on the 14th and two days later weighed anch'or for San Francisco, California. After mooring at the Alameda Air Station in San Francisco Bay on September 18th the escort carrier got underway for San Diego, California on the 20tb. Arriving in San Diego waters oil September 22nd the LISCOME BAY underwent intensive shakedown drills and exercises off San Diego and San Pedro until October 21st when she set course for Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii. On the 28th of October the carrier entered Pearl Harbor, mooring at Ford Island. After additional,drills and operational exercises in Hawaiian waters the LISCOME BAY set forth upon what was to be her first and last battle mission--i@ba-t of the Gilbert Islands invasion. The U.S. naval force, of which the LISCOME BAY was a part, invaded the Gilberts on November 20, 1943. After a series of raids in the south and central Pacific and a 7-day systematic pounding from the air, the most powerful U.S. naval force assembled in the Pacific up to that time threw 1,500- tons'of shells and 1,000 tons of bombs at Tarawa Atoll and Makin Island on that date. At the same time, Mili and Jaluit were pounded by interdicting raids. Besides the LISCOME BAY, this great force included the carriers SARATOGA, ESSEX, BUNKER HILL, LEXINGTON, YORKTOWN, PRINCETON, INDEPENDENCE, BELLEAU WOOD, COWPENS, MONETEREY, CHENANGO, NASSAU, and BARNES. ~ Page 2 USS LISCOME BAY) The invasion bombardment began at 5 a.m. and 76 hours later Tarawa and Makin Islands were in United States hands--at a tremendous cost. The invasion and occupation of the Gilberts was supported by approximately 900 carrier-based aircraft, which flew 2,278 action sorties in a wide variety of missions. The more important of these were the neutralization of enemy air bases, direct support of the landings and,subsequent ground operations, interception of enemy air raids, and-@'diver'sionary raids such as the strike on Nauru Island which preceded the landings. In these actions, the LISCOME BAY'S planes played their part well, participating mainly in the operations against Makin Island. Throughout the operation the Japs attacked viciously by air but these attacks were successfully driven off by the carrier-bas'ed planes. When the islands were finally in U.S. hands the forces began a retirement. In the early hours of November 24, 1943, aboard the USS LISCOME BAY, planes were being readied for their flights at dawn. There was no warning of a submarine in the area until about 5:10 a.m. when a lookout shouted: "Christ, here comes a torpedo!" The missle struck an instant later with a shattering roar, the lights went out, and flames licked high above the flight deck. Explosions followed. Bombs and ammunition were set off, and some of the little carrier's planes were burled into the sea. The LISCOME BAY'S death struggle was sbort--she went down some twenty minutes later surrounded by flaming oil--but from the @lame-lighted melee of confusion and destruction emerged reports of conspicious gallantry and courage that will long be remembered in the Navy's traditions ... Mortally wounded, one officer organized repair parties, tried to get the fire hoses into operation,-he'lped wounded men over the side,and-- when hope was-finally abandoned--went into the water himself. There he lost consciousness and was carried along by Lieutenant Commander J.R. Rowe, Medical Corps, USN, until the doctor discovered he was dead. I One sailor, trapped below decks, finally groped his way to a ladder so overcrowded he couldn't make his way up. He then climbed a superheated steam pipe, severely burning both his bands. To;escape the flames another man climbed up electric wires forty feet to a gun plot. An officer whose appendix had been removed only six days beforb, swam to safety; another . who hag undergone the-.same sort of operael'on was drowned.-before he could be picked up. Survivors praised the "splendid" conduct of Lieutenant Commander Rowe, the senior medical officer, whose concern for the safety of his patients and efforts in administering to the wounded aboard the rescue ship, despite a'leg injury, were outstanding. "The explosion," said Dr. Rowe, "came with no warning. There was a yellow flash and a roar. As I started to pick myself up, there was a second explosion and I was again on the deck. Dr. Rowe rushed to the operating room to get the patients ready for the evacuation. The flight deck was aflame, and Dr. Rowe made a number of trips back and forth through the sick bay area, getting the group together and picking up first aid gear. "It was evident," he said, "from the amount of gray smoke that we would have to evacuate this area. The smoke was very thick and we made the way up mainly by the feel of fresh air. Some of the ladders were blocked by burning bebris. "As we went up we found the first wounded man. He had a broken leg and moving caused him severe pain. There were only two of us to help him, so we decided he would have the best chance if we allowed him to drop into the water. I gave him morphine, put him over the side and allowed him to drop." R.W. Hunt, Boatswain, USN, said that "some time later I saw this man picked up. I am convinced the doctor's action saved, his life." Lieutenant Commander M.U. Beebe, squadron commander, declared, "The Captain and the crew are to be commended for their service." In telling of his experience, Lieutenant Commander said: "I had checked the weather and flight deck crew, and returned to my room. There was a terrific rumbling throghout the ship, and an explosion that lifted me off the deck. The next thing I knew I was trying to get out the dbor in the darkness, but I could find no passage. Fire started, and I don't know how I got there, but I made the flight deck and found it ablaze. There was oil burning on the water, too, near the bow. "The captain ordered all hands to go aft as far as Possible, then go over the side. He and I started aft on what was left of the catwalk. I remembered where an aircraft life raft was stowed, and managed to get it The fire was spreading rapidly, making it apparent that we weren't going to get very far. I called to the captain to go over at this point, but he did not answer .... Beebe was unable to locate Captain Wiltsie, and concluded the skipper had gone farther aft. He then went down a line to the water, and made the raft which was floating but had,,not yet been inflated. Several men collected and swam the raft away from the ship for perhaps a hundred yards where it was inflated and other survivors were picked up. "Shortly afterward," Lieutenant Commander Beebe said, "there were more explosions and the ship made her final diver bow out of the water until the last.,, Daylight crept over the sea about this time and Beebe's party was picked up by apother warship. I Lieutenant Gardner Smith, a radio announcer before the war, went to the open bridge to look for the Captain and found it in shambles. The flight control platform was blocked by the bull horn which had fallen, pinning down two sailors. Both were still alive. The bull horn was so tightly wedged that several attempts had to be made before the men were released. On the bridge it was too hot to put a hand on the rail and the word was being passed to abandon ship. ~ Page 4 (LISCOME BAY) "Once in the water I tried to swim away from the ship but the current carried it down on me," Lieutenant Smith said, "I noticed rounds of ammunition going off in all directions. I picked up a seaman and we swam aft, beyond the stern. A depth charge went off, injuring two sailors who were with me but it did not hurt me. ,,I was on my back at the time and not over 100 feet from what was left of the stern. The hangar deck was ablaze, the fantail gone, a portion of the after starboard side was gone, and the ship sank stern first with- in three minutes after my getting clear of the stern-" Aerographer L.D.Blakely was in the water and watched the ship turn slowly over as it began its death plunge. "I watched her go," he said, suction, only a loud hissing.,, "and heard her death gurgle. There was no After the torpedo hit, Blakely Said, "The ship was heaving and sounded as if she was breaking up. The lights had gone, but burning oil, deck and planes made it almost as light as day within. We went outside and conditions there--railings torn off, life rafts gone, oil every- where, fire ragingi and ammunition exploding--made me think the starboard side was safer. With some of the men, I tried to get through the passageway to starboard but there were more explosions and fire broke out, so we stumbled back. More explosions followed. "I went forward in a stream of men. Some were jumping over the side and I stopped others from throwing boxes of ammunition overboard and crawled'onto the flight deck.! We tried to organize a fire party to move the water hose but the@e was no water and no pressure. After slipping in the oil and crawling over tangled wire, I went down the line into the water.,, A Gunner's Mate, first class, Hubert Joseph Bissett, USN, said, "I would like to bring attention to the conduct of R.L. Abbot, Seaman, I/c. He remained at his station and helped to stamp out several fires and threw hot ammunition overboard. This was the last I saw of him until I reached our raft about 200 yards from the shi,p. I asked him'where his life jacket was and found out he had given it -to an injured man. After our rescue I talked to some of our men and was told that Abbot had helped an injured sa'ilor from the burning flight deck, giving him his life jacket. This action must have saved that man's life." Chief Shipfitter L.A. Ashley, who was in the shipfitter's shop, gave this account: I "I had just finished mustering the repair party when there was a heavy explosion which blew an elevator loose and caused a large fire I was close to the shop door and the blast was so severe it blew my clothes, including my shoes and rubber life belt, right off me. We had no communications because the power and lights went off. "When we got past the elevator pit we found the way blocked by more fire on the hangar deck, so we worked our way up twisted ladders and found a mass of wreckage. We made it to the catwalk on the flight deck level and broke out fire hoses but it was useless. There was nothing we could do to save the ship, so I went over the side and.swam clear." ~ Paqe (LISCOME BAY) "One of .the repair party asked, "What shall we do now, Chief?" The surrounding area was a mass of flames by this time. "The only way out was to get a fire plug, so I called "Let's make a run for it through the flames and try to get water on the fire!. Of such were the stories of heroism, sacrifice, and horror that came out of the fiery holocaust in which the LISCOME BAY met her end Out of the LISCOME BAY'S total complement of 911 men, 53 officers and 591 enlisted men were declared missing or dead in the tragedy. AT the time of her torpedoing, the CVE 56 was under the command of Captain I.D. Wiltsie, USN, and was carrying the flag of Rear Admiral H.M. Mullinix. Both of these men were among the number of those who died with the ship. 11 A Navy Department Communique, dated December 2, follows: 1943, read as 111. The USS LISCOME BAY (an escort carrier) was sunk as a result of being torpedoed by a submarine on November 24, 1943, in the Gilbert Islands operation. ., 112. The next of kin of casualties aboard the LISCOME BAY will be notified as soon as possible." ~ 'The USS LISCOME BAY (CVE 56) earned but one engagement star on the Asiatic-Pacific Area Service Ribbon in her short World Warll career. This battle star was awarded for the Gilb6rt Is "land Operation--November 13 to December 8, 1943. Her dates of participation were November 20-24, 1943. OVERALL LENGTH BEAM ~ STATISTICS 512 feet DISPLACEMENT 108 feet SPEED 7,800 tons 19 knots Compiled: November 1950 hts
Gravesite Details
Lost at Sea
