# USS Tinian

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**USS *Tinian*** was a [*Commencement Bay*-class escort carrier](/source/Commencement_Bay-class_escort_carrier) of the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy). The *Commencement Bay* class were built during [World War II](/source/World_War_II), and were an improvement over the earlier [*Sangamon*-class escort carrier](/source/Sangamon-class_escort_carrier), which were converted from [oil tankers](/source/Oil_tanker). They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of [5 in (127 mm)](/source/5%22/38_caliber_gun), [40 mm (1.6 in)](/source/Bofors_40_mm_Automatic_Gun_L/60), and [20 mm (0.8 in)](/source/Oerlikon_20_mm_cannon) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph), and due to their origin as tankers, had extensive fuel storage.

Ordered and constructed during [World War II](/source/World_War_II), *Tinian* never entered active service and was assigned to the [Pacific Reserve Fleet, Tacoma](/source/Pacific_Reserve_Fleet,_Tacoma) after being completed. In June 1955, the ship was reclassified a helicopter carrier and in May 1959, a cargo ship and aircraft ferry. The ship remained in reserve for her entire career and was struck from the [Naval Vessel Register](/source/Naval_Vessel_Register) on 1 June 1970 and sold for [scrap](/source/Ship_breaking).

## Design

Main article: [*Commencement Bay*-class escort carrier](/source/Commencement_Bay-class_escort_carrier)

In 1941, as United States participation in [World War II](/source/World_War_II) became increasingly likely, the [US Navy](/source/US_Navy) embarked on a construction program for [escort carriers](/source/Escort_carrier), which were converted from [transport ships](/source/Transport_ship) of various types. Many of the escort carrier types were converted from [C3-type transports](/source/Type_C3-class_ship), but the [*Sangamon*-class escort carriers](/source/Sangamon-class_escort_carrier) were instead rebuilt [oil tankers](/source/Oil_tanker). These proved to be very successful ships, and the [*Commencement Bay*-class escort carrier](/source/Commencement_Bay-class_escort_carrier), authorized for Fiscal Year 1944, were an improved version of the *Sangamon* design. The new ships were faster, had improved aviation facilities, and had better internal [compartmentation](/source/Compartment_(ship)).[1] They proved to be the most successful of the escort carriers, and the only class to be retained in active service after the war, since they were large enough to operate newer aircraft.[2][3]

*Tinian* was 557 ft 1 in (169.80 m) [long overall](/source/Long_overall), with a [beam](/source/Beam_(nautical)) of 75 ft (23 m) at the [waterline](/source/Waterline), which extended to 105 ft 2 in (32.05 m) at maximum. She [displaced](/source/Displacement_(ship)) 21,397 long tons (21,740 t) at [full load](/source/Full_load), of which 12,876 long tons (13,083 t) could be [fuel oil](/source/Fuel_oil) (though some of her storage tanks were converted to permanently store seawater for [ballast](/source/Ballast)), and at full load she had a [draft](/source/Draft_(ship)) of 27 ft 11 in (8.51 m). The ship's [superstructure](/source/Superstructure) consisted of a small island. She had a complement of 1,066 officers and enlisted men.[4]

The ship was powered by two [Allis-Chalmers](/source/Allis-Chalmers) geared [steam turbines](/source/Steam_turbine), each driving one [screw propeller](/source/Screw_propeller), using steam provided by four [Combustion Engineering](/source/Combustion_Engineering)-manufactured [water-tube boilers](/source/Water-tube_boilers). The propulsion system was rated to produce a total of 16,000 hp (12,000 kW) for a top speed of 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph). Given the very large storage capacity for oil, the ships of the *Commencement Bay* class could steam for some 23,900 nautical miles (44,300 km; 27,500 mi) at a speed of 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph).[4]

Her defensive [anti-aircraft](/source/Anti-aircraft) armament consisted of two [5 in (127 mm)](/source/5%22/38_caliber_gun) [dual-purpose guns](/source/Dual-purpose_gun) in single mounts, thirty-six [40 mm (2 in) Bofors guns](/source/Bofors_40_mm_Automatic_Gun_L/60), and twenty [20 mm (1 in) Oerlikon light AA cannons](/source/Oerlikon_20_mm_cannon). The Bofors guns were placed in three quadruple and twelve twin mounts, while the Oerlikon guns were all mounted individually. She carried 33 planes, which could be launched from two [aircraft catapults](/source/Aircraft_catapult). Two elevators transferred aircraft from the [hangar](/source/Hangar) to the [flight deck](/source/Flight_deck).[4]

## Service history

The first fifteen ships of the *Commencement Bay* class were ordered on 23 January 1943, allocated to Fiscal Year 1944.[2] *Tinian*, named for the [eponymous island](/source/Tinian) captured by US forces in July 1944, was built by the [Todd-Pacific Shipyards](/source/Seattle-Tacoma_Shipbuilding_Corporation) in [Tacoma](/source/Tacoma,_Washington), Washington. Her [keel](/source/Keel) was [laid down](/source/Keel_laying) on 20 March 1945 and her completed [hull](/source/Hull_(watercraft)) was [launched](/source/Ceremonial_ship_launching) on 5 September, after the end of World War II.[5] She was completed in mid-1946 and was accepted by the US Navy on 30 July. The ship was not [commissioned](/source/Ship_commissioning), and was instead assigned to the [Pacific Reserve Fleet](/source/Pacific_Reserve_Fleet), based in Tacoma.[6] Ten of the *Commencement Bay*-class ships saw significant service postwar as [anti-submarine warfare](/source/Anti-submarine_warfare) (ASW) carriers, but they were small and had difficulty operating the new [Grumman AF Guardian](/source/Grumman_AF_Guardian) patrol planes, so the rest of the class remained [laid up](/source/Laid_up), and they were soon replaced in the ASW role by much larger [*Essex*-class aircraft carriers](/source/Essex-class_aircraft_carrier).[7]

She was reclassified as an escort helicopter carrier on 12 June 1955, with the [hull number](/source/Hull_number) CVHE-123. In early June 1958 *Tinian* was taken in tow at Tacoma, Washington, by the US Navy [MSTS](/source/Military_Sealift_Command) tugboat [USNS *Yuma*](/source/USS_Yuma_(AT-94)), destined for [San Diego](/source/San_Diego), [California](/source/California). While very near the Swiftsure Bank [lightship](/source/Lightvessel), [Neah Bay](/source/Neah_Bay), Washington; at the entrance of the [Strait of Juan de Fuca](/source/Strait_of_Juan_de_Fuca), *Yuma* developed engine troubles. *Yuma'*s [distress call](/source/Distress_call) brought [USCGC *Fir*](/source/USCGC_Fir_(WLM-212)) to her rescue. The crew of the *Swiftsure lightship* went to [general quarters](/source/General_quarters), ready to assist. *Fir* then escorted *Yuma* and *Tinian* to safety.[citation needed] *Tinian* arrived at the South Tee Pier in San Diego on 9 June.[6]

The ship was reclassified again in May 1959, now as a cargo ship and aircraft ferry with the hull number AKV-23. She remained in the Navy's inventory, part of the San Diego Group of the Reserve Fleet, until she was struck from the [naval register](/source/Naval_register) on 1 June 1970. She was eventually sold for [scrap](/source/Scrap) to the Levin Metals Company of [San Jose](/source/San_Jose,_California), California on 15 December 1971.[6]

## Notes

1. Friedman 1986, pp. 107–111.

1. Friedman 1983, p. 199.

1. Stille, p. 47.

1. Friedman 1986, p. 111.

1. Silverstone, p. 27.

1. DANFS.

1. Friedman 1983, p. 337.

## References

- Friedman, Norman (1986). ["United States of America"](https://archive.org/details/allworldsfightin00rgre). *Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1906–1921*. London: Conway Maritime Press. pp. 105–133. ISBN 978-0-85177-245-5.
- Friedman, Norman (1983). *U.S. Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated Design History*. Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 978-0-87021-739-5.
- Silverstone, Paul H. (2012). *The Navy of World War II, 1922–1947*. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-86472-9.
- Stille, Mark (2017). *US Navy Escort Carriers 1942–45*. London: Osprey. ISBN 9781472818126.
- ["Tinian (CVE-123)"](https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/t/tinian.html). 27 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2024.

## External links

- [US Department of Homeland Security. United States Coast Guard Historian's Office](http://www.uscg.mil/history/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [USS Tinian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Tinian) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Tinian?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.