USS Munda

{{short description|Casablanca-class escort carrier of the US Navy}} {{good article}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}} {{Infobox ship |section1={{Infobox ship/image |image=USS Munda (CVE-104) in San Francisco Bay 1945.jpeg |image_caption=USS ''Munda'' (CVE-104) in San Francisco Bay, 1945 }}

|section2={{Infobox ship/career |hide_header= |country=United States |flag={{USN flag|1946}} |name=*''Tonowek Bay'' *''Munda'' |namesake=*Tonowek Bay, Prince of Wales Island, Alaska *Battle of Munda Point |ordered=as a Type S4-S2-BB3 hull, MCE hull 1141{{sfn|Kaiser Vancouver|2010}} |awarded=18 June 1942 |builder=Kaiser Shipyards |original_cost= |yard_number= |way_number= |laid_down=29 March 1944 |launched=27 May 1944 |sponsor= |christened= |completed= |acquired= |commissioned=8 July 1944 |recommissioned= |decommissioned=24 April 1946 |in_service= |out_of_service= |renamed= |reclassified= |refit= |struck=1 September 1958 |reinstated= |homeport= |identification=Hull symbol: CVE-104 |motto= |nickname= |honors=1 Battle star |captured= |fate=Sold for scrap on 17 June 1960 |notes= |badge= }}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics |hide_header= |header_caption={{sfn|Chesneau|Gardiner|1980|p=109}} |class={{sclass|Casablanca|escort carrier}} |type= |displacement={{Casablanca class displacement}} |length={{Casablanca class length}} |beam={{Casablanca class beam}} |height= |draft={{Casablanca class draft}} |depth= |decks= |power={{Casablanca class power}} |propulsion={{Casablanca class propulsion}} |speed={{Casablanca class speed}} |range={{cvt|10240|nmi}} at {{cvt|15|kn}} |boats= |complement= *Total: 910 – 916 officers and men **Embarked Squadron: 50 – 56 **Ship's Crew: 860 |sensors= |EW= |armament={{Casablanca class armament}} |armor= |aircraft=27 (combat functionality) |aircraft_facilities= *1 × catapult *2 × elevators |notes= }}

|section4={{Infobox ship/service record |header_caption= |partof= *United States Pacific Fleet (1944–1946) *Pacific Reserve Fleet (1946–1958) |codes= |commanders= |operations=*Operation Magic Carpet |victories= |awards= }} }}

'''USS ''Munda'' (CVE-104)''' was the last of fifty United States Navy {{sclass|Casablanca|escort carrier}} built for service during World War II. She was named after the Battle of Munda Point, which occurred on the island New Georgia, a part of the Solomon Islands in 1943. The ship was launched in May 1944, and commissioned in July, and served as an aircraft transport and as a replenishment escort carrier in the Pacific Theatre. Postwar, she participated in Operation Magic Carpet, the repatriation of U.S. forces from bases scattered around the Pacific. She was decommissioned in April 1946, when she was mothballed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet. Ultimately, she was sold for scrapping in June 1960.

==Design and description== {{main|Casablanca-class escort carrier}} thumb|alt=A blueprint showing the side profile of an aircraft carrier.|left|A side profile of the design of {{USS|Thetis Bay|CVE-90|2}}.|page=3 ''Munda'' was a ''Casablanca''-class escort carrier, the most numerous type of aircraft carriers ever built. Built to stem heavy losses during the Battle of the Atlantic, they came into service in late 1943, by which time the U-boat threat was already in retreat.{{sfn|Friedman|1983|p=174}} Although some did see service in the Atlantic, the majority were utilized in the Pacific, ferrying aircraft, providing logistics support, and conducting close air support for the island-hopping campaigns.{{sfn|Adcock|1996|p=30}}{{sfn|Y'Blood|2012|pp=56–60}} The ''Casablanca''-class carriers were built on the standardized Type S4-S2-BB3 hull, a lengthened variant of the {{sclass|Doyen|attack transport|0}} hull, and specifically designed to be mass-produced using welded prefabricated sections. This allowed them to be produced at unprecedented speeds: the final ship of her class, {{USS|Munda|CVE-104|2}}, was delivered to the Navy just 101 days after the laying of her keel.{{sfn|Ross|1993|p=8}}{{sfn|Y'Blood|2012|p=34}}

''Munda'' was {{cvt|512|ft|3|in}} long overall ({{cvt|490|ft}} at the waterline), had a beam of {{cvt|65|ft|2|in}}, and a draft of {{cvt|20|ft|9|in}}. She displaced {{cvt|8188|LT|lk=on}} standard, which increased to {{cvt|10902|LT}} with a full load. To carry out flight operations, the ship had a {{cvt|257|ft}} hangar deck and a {{cvt|474|ft}} flight deck. Her compact size necessitated the installation of an aircraft catapult at her bow, and there were two aircraft elevators to facilitate movement of aircraft between the flight and hangar deck: one each fore and aft.{{sfn|Chesneau|Gardiner|1980|p=109}}{{sfn|Ross|1993|p=19}}{{sfn|Y'Blood|2012|pp=34–35}}

She was powered by four Babcock & Wilcox Express D boilers that raised {{cvt|285|psi|lk=in}} of steam at {{cvt|577|F}}. The steam generated by these boilers fed two Skinner Unaflow reciprocating steam engines, delivering {{cvt|9000|hp|lk=in}} to two propeller shafts. This allowed her to reach speeds of {{cvt|19|kn|lk=in}}, with a cruising range of {{cvt|10240|nmi|lk=in}} at {{cvt|15|kn}}.{{sfn|Ross|1993|pp=19–20}} For armament, one {{cvt|5|in|mm|0}}/38 caliber dual-purpose gun was mounted on the stern. Additional anti-aircraft defense was provided by eight Bofors {{cvt|40|mm|in|2}} anti-aircraft guns in single mounts and twelve Oerlikon {{cvt|20|mm|in|2}} cannons mounted around the perimeter of the deck. By 1945, ''Casablanca''-class carriers had been modified to carry twenty Oerlikon cannons and sixteen Bofors guns; the doubling of the latter was accomplished by putting them into twin mounts. Sensors onboard consisted of a SG surface-search radar and a SK air-search radar.{{sfn|Chesneau|Gardiner|1980|p=109}}{{sfn|Ross|1993|pp=20–21}}

Although ''Casablanca''-class escort carriers were intended to function with a crew of 860 and an embarked squadron of 50 to 56, the exigencies of wartime often necessitated the inflation of the crew count. They were designed to operate with 27 aircraft, but the hangar deck could accommodate much more during transport or training missions.{{sfn|Chesneau|Gardiner|1980|p=109}}{{sfn|Ross|1993|pp=20–21}}

==Construction== She was laid down on 29 March 1944, under a Maritime Commission contract, MC hull 1141, by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington. The vessel was originally designated ACV-104, but was redesignated CVE-104 on 15 July 1943. She was initially named after Tonowek Bay, located within Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, 23 September 1943, and renamed ''Munda'' on 6 November 1943, in honor of the Battle of Munda Point, in the Solomon Islands, which was fought in July and August of that year. ''Munda'' was launched on 27 May 1944, sponsored by Mrs. James E. Dyer, to be accepted and commissioned on 8 July 1944, under the command of Captain L. A. Pope.{{sfn|Kaiser Vancouver|2010}}{{sfn|DANFS|2016}}

==Service history== ===World War II=== thumb|left|''Munda'' transporting a load of aircraft, circa 1945. Upon being commissioned, ''Munda'' underwent a shakedown cruise down the West Coast. She was then assigned to Carrier Transport Squadron Pacific, which shuttled aircraft and crew to bases in the West Pacific. On 16 August, she departed the West Coast, carrying 71 aircraft and 251 military passengers. She steamed for the island of Espiritu Santo, in the New Hebrides, arriving on 1 September. She then stopped at Finschhafen and Manus Island, both part of the Territory of New Guinea, before heading back to the West Coast. She proceeded to Alameda, California, where she made a brief layover. She then made another transport run, arriving back on 5 December, before making a third run on 12 December. She made three more runs until mid-1945, for six transport missions in total. During one of these runs, Captain Welton Dana Rowley took over command of the vessel on 13 May 1945.{{sfn|Navsource|2019}} On 3 July, she sailed for Eniwetok, of the Marshall Islands, where she was assigned to become a replenishment escort carrier, supporting the Third Fleet's frontline Fast Carrier Task Force as part of Task Group 30.8, the Fleet Oiler and Transport Carrier Group.{{sfn|Y'Blood|2012|p=121}} Replenishment escort carriers such as ''Munda'' enabled the frontline carriers to replace battle losses, and to stay at sea for longer durations.{{sfn|DANFS|2016}}

''Munda'' met Task Group 30.8 on 20 July, and began to provide aircraft to replace losses sustained in raids against the Japanese home islands. The replenishment escort carrier fleet would meet with the Fast Carrier Task Force on designated rendezvous days, during which supplies, munitions, and aircraft would be transferred. During this time, she was anchored off Guam, where she received aircraft, munitions, and other supplies. She stopped at Guam on 26 July, before rejoining her task group on 3 August. She met with, and resupplied the Third Fleet on 3 August, 7 August, and 11 August. She departed her formation on 13 August, to head back to Guam and was en route, when the Japanese surrender was announced. After rejoining her task group, she supported the landings of Allied forces in the occupation of Japan, remaining on station through the first week of the occupation. On 10 September, she steamed into Tokyo Bay, shortly after the signing of the official surrender document.{{sfn|DANFS|2016}}

''Munda'' departed Tokyo Bay on 2 October, whereupon she joined the Operation Magic Carpet fleet, which repatriated U.S. servicemen from around the Pacific. She took part in several Magic Carpet runs until 1946, when she was released from the fleet. She proceeded to Port Angeles, Washington, arriving on 18 January 1946. There, inactivation work was conducted, and she was subsequently decommissioned on 13 September, and mothballed as part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was redesignated as a utility aircraft carrier, '''CVU-104''', on 12 June 1955. She was transferred to Bremerton, Washington on 29 April 1958. There, she was struck from the Navy list on 1 September, and sold for scrapping on 17 June 1960 to General Ore Co., New York. She was ultimately broken up in Japan throughout October 1960. She received one battle star for her World War II service.{{sfn|Hazegray|1998}}{{sfn|DANFS|2016}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Sources== ===Online sources=== {{refbegin}} * {{cite DANFS | url = https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/m/munda.html| title = Munda (CVE-104)| publisher = Naval History and Heritage Command | date = 27 April 2016| access-date = 3 December 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190707034520/https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/m/munda.html|archive-date=2019-07-07| ref = {{sfnRef|DANFS|2016}}}} * {{cite web| url = http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/kvancouver.htm| title = Kaiser Vancouver, Vancouver WA| publisher = ShipbuildingHistory.com| date = 27 November 2010| access-date = 14 November 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190616103407/http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/emergencylarge/kvancouver.htm|archive-date=2019-06-16|ref = {{sfnRef|Kaiser Vancouver|2010}}}} * {{cite web| url= https://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/us_esc2.htm| title= World Aircraft Carriers List: US Escort Carriers, S4 Hulls| publisher= Hazegray.org| date= 14 December 1998| access-date= 14 November 2019| ref= {{sfnRef|Hazegray|1998}}| archive-date= 19 November 2021| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211119084210/https://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/us_esc2.htm| url-status= dead}} * {{cite web | last = Peña| first = Fabio| url = https://www.navsource.net/archives/03/104co.htm| title= USS Munda (CVE-104) (later CVU-104) – Commanding Officers|website=NavSource | date= 12 November 2019| access-date= 7 March 2020| ref= {{sfnRef|Navsource|2019}}}} {{refend}}

===Bibliography=== {{refbegin}} * {{citation|last= Adcock|first= Al|title= Escort Carriers in Action - Warships No. 9|year= 1996|publisher= Squadron/Signal Publications|location= Carrollton, Texas|isbn= 9780897473569}} * {{citation|last= Chesneau|first= Robert|last2= Gardiner|first2 = Robert|title= Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1922–1946|year= 1980 |publisher= Naval Institute Press |location= London, England|isbn= 9780870219139}} * {{citation|last= Friedman|first= Norman|author-link= Norman Friedman|title= U.S. Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated Design History|year= 1983|publisher= Naval Institute Press|location= Annapolis, Maryland|isbn= 9780870217395}} * {{citation|last= Ross|first= Al|title= The Escort Carrier Gambier Bay|year= 1993|publisher= Conway Maritime Press|location= London, England|series= Anatomy of the Ship|isbn= 9781557502353}} * {{citation|last= Y'Blood|first= William|author-link= William T. Y'Blood|title= The Little Giants: U.S. Escort Carriers Against Japan|year= 2012|publisher= Naval Institute Press|location= Annapolis, Maryland|isbn= 9781612512471}} {{refend}}

==External links== * {{navsource|03/104}}

{{Casablanca class escort carrier}} {{Kaiser Vancouver Shipyard}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Munda (Cve-104)}} Category:Casablanca-class escort carriers Category:World War II escort aircraft carriers of the United States Category:Ships built in Vancouver, Washington Category:1944 ships Category:Pacific Reserve Fleet, Bremerton Group Category:S4-S2-BB3 ships