USS Casablanca - Guide 351 

Pinned post for Q&A :)

Only the USN could say, "Let's just build 50 aircraft carriers as an experiment and see if we want to get serious about mass producing them."

My grandfather was an orphaned refugee from the Spanish Civil War, came to Portland and learned to weld building Casablancas. He later used those welding chops to become a successful artist. Very neat video.

One of the most underrated ship classes. Among their crews, CVE was sarcastically said to stand for "Combustible, Vulnerable, and Expendable", but in the end "Kaiser's coffins" were Indispensable.

Interesting fact the Polish navy asked if they could have a Casablanca-class escort carrier and when refused that and the British refused to give the Polish one of their carriers as well. Admiral Swirski in 1944 decided the most logical next step was to takeover the IJN Hosho aircraft carrier, not sure how they planned on doing this and that's all I know about it but that was such a fascinating story and I feel like I need more detail. Also after the war the Polish Navy had huge plans which included building 3 battleships and aquiring 6 Cassablanca-class escort carriers.

Be worth noting that these have skinner unaflow steam engines not standard reciprocating type. Very modern efficient and reliable steam engines.

One of my favorite underrated ship classes. It’s a shame none were preserved as a museum ship considering it was the most numerous class of aircraft carrier ever.

Important to note. Doris Miller, Pearl Harbor-hero and Navy Cross recipient for actions aboard USS West Virginia, died on USS Liscome Bay in the Battle of Mankin. He may have been assigned to something combustible, vulnerable, and expendable in his final hours... *But his new namesake is a Gerald R. Ford-class supercarrier.*

My great-grandfather served aboard a Casablanca-class, the USS Kitkun Bay, from 1944 to 1946. He was there during the Battle of Guam, and was part of Taffy III. He was partly why i served in the Navy from 2017-2022. Thank you for covering her and her sisters Drach!

"just" 50 carriers, more then any other navy could have dreamed of.

I've been a fan of escort carriers for a long time. Bogues are my favorite (because of their multi-theater resume), but the 'Kaisers' deserve their own accolades. Nobody wanted them, 'til the US Navy decided to keep them all. You gotta' love that Kaiser engineers sorted an unwanted engine (even by triple-expansion standards) and gained speed over their turbine stable mates to boot. An escort carrier's only 'armor' was its boldness. Thanks for this Drach.

If someone asks you whether or not Japan could have ever won WW2, just show them this video.

A true workhorse, no flash no thunder, and the ding, ding, ding as they came out of the shipyards must have driven the Japanese crazy!😅😅

Oregonian here, I love the history of ship building in Portland and Vancouver during WW2. Vanport was a town built to house the workers but it sadly was destroyed by a flood in 1948. You can still see the remains of the Vancouver shipyard along the Columbia. The other two shipyards in Portland are near St John's and on Swan Island; the later being converted to a massive dry dock. We also had a few smaller shipyards that produced other vessels such as Tugs, Net Layers, Submarine Chasers, Landing Craft, etc.

My ex-wife’s grandfather was a radioman on Lipscome Bay. As he told it he’d been in the shack most of the day and his buddy finally convinced him to go outside and smoke out there instead of filling the radio shack with smoke. He agreed and as he was lighting up and exhaling his first drag of his smoke he saw the torpedo about a second or two before impact. Because he was outside it blew him overboard, so he was one of the few survivors of her sinking, similar incident happened when he was on the Mississippi, he said he never went on the weather deck after that unless ordered to do so!😂

the Skinner Uniflow isn't exactly a 19th century design, rather it was the end of naval steam engines, the Skinner Uniflow being being the final development of this technology that strangely enough still lives on in the Great Lakes and had been designed in the 1930's. It was a 19th century design as much as the Bugatti WR16 is. It was the last steam engine to successfully compete with Turbines, the end of a matured technology.

Drach does the work and speaks with authority. No one is perfect. I doubt anyone thinks he is anymore than they might think that of any of us are perfect. He does his homework and he has a broad and deep knowledge of what he speaks about. I can learn from Drach. I have been a history nut for most of my life. That means I have a huge amount of data that I have absorbed. That doesn’t mean my database is accurate or in the proper context. My sense is that Drach has earned his eagles and I can benefit from his knowledge. This is how his channel should be- a source of digested knowledge that is clearly explained. If I were to disagree it is incumbent on me to prove any point I would want to put forward. Well Done Drach - so far…. We now expect continuous excellence. I think you are good with that.

Hi Drach, Do like the new music.

Henry J built 50 aircraft carriers over the objections of the Admirals, then he established a whole new health care system over the objections of the AMA-and succeeded both times.

My dad helped build these ships. One day my dad's crew boss got injured and my dad was put in charge of the crew. After delegating tasks to the crew my dad went about his own work. Shortly thereafter half the manhole covers in the shipyard were blown sky high. My dad and the rest of the crew were questioned by the FBI who were investigating the incident as possible sabotage. Turned out one of the guys on the crew was colorblind and too afraid of losing his job to tell anyone. He couldn't see the color coding on the oxygen and acetylene lines and got them swapped around. I guess the old crew boss had known and made sure he never got that job, but my dad didn't know so when he gave the task to the guy the guy just said to himself "fuck it. fifty-fifty odds."

My Grandpa came to Vanport, from Tennessee, and my Grandma from North Dakota. That's how they met, working on ships there. My Grandma would be suspended on the side of a ship, welding, and my Grandpa would come along, eating a sandwich, and chat with her as she worked! I wish I knew what ships they worked on!

Also used to ferry replacement aircraft (and pilots) out to the fleets so they wouldn't have to go back to Hawaii or the West Coast to make up combat losses. I've always had a soft spot for the Casablanca-class. Just something about the whole idea of an escort carrier and having them properly, purpose-designed and built for it tickles my fancy. Pity that they were so soon obsolete, but history is like that.

Not only did they do much for landing operations, the Casablancas also served in anti-surface-ship roles far more often than most people realize, including for part of Samar where they pretty much decided the result of the battle (but that was hardly the only time they did anti-surface work). The Little Giants covers CVE ops in significant detail.

I like this pick for the new intro music I do still miss the old track though

Live in Chicago. Have visited U-505 since I could walk. Amazing how the capture happened.

The Guadalcanal was not on escort duty, it was out actively hunting U-Boats. "The Happy Time" was decidedly over.

The beauty of the Sangamons was that as converted T3 tankers they could carry an absolutely massive fuel load. This served them well in the North Africa landings, where they continuously refueled the DDs on station. They carried a crazy amount of draft, though (32 ft for a fully-loaded Sangamon vs 20 for a Casablanca).

I do a lot of sailing on the Columbia. The remnants of those dockyards are still pretty distinct over at the Washington side.

After my family moved back to the Portland atea in '74, my Dad took my brother and me to what's left of the Kaiser shipyard in Vancouver. Even aftet that visit, we didn't know that the Cadablanca class had been built there. All we knew about was the Liberty ships. Even though it was only about 30 years after the last ship went down the ways into the Columbia, there was almost nothing left but broken concrete slabs where the ships were built and some pilings rotting in the river where the they were tied up after their launch. Pity the shipyard wasnt preserved as a museum.

The Gambier Bay and the St. Lo were lost about eleven months (Oct. 1944) after the Liscombe Bay (Nov. 1943) and not one month as stated.

Both of my paternal grandparents built liberty ships in that shipyard. They made the drive every day from Kalama WA. My grandfather was a welder and grandmother a literal rosey the riveter.

Portland Oregon resident here, love seeing our history. We can really crank em' out, given proper motivation! Love our port city!

3.5 months to build an aircraft carrier, let's be real, the Japanese never stood a chance.

My father served aboard CVE81 USS Rudyerd Bay during the war, and immediately following the war when the ship served as part of the "Magic Carpet Fleet" bringing Marines and Soldiers back to the US mainland for mustering out.

This represents what made America great. Used exactly and no more resources then necessary to do their job efficiently. Consideration was also given to survivability.

A remarkable class for sure. Not the least of which because the entire class, near enough, was completed in eighteen months. From the laying down of the first to the commissioning of the last.

You mentioned the last Escort carriers were scrapped in the 1960's. Look at the movie Magnum Force with Clint Eastwood. There is a chase at the end that ends up on what looks like an escort carrier. That movie I believe was made in 1972-73. I wonder if there was another class of escort carrier or they were Casablanca class vessels? Just a scrap of useless information from a Lunatic mind. Love these guides on Saturday, Coffee and a Guide.

Admiral Daniel Gallery's book "U-505" is full of great stories about his time as Captain of USS Guadalcanal in addition to the story of the actual boarding and capture of the submarine. Not only were Gallery's the first to conduct 24 hour flight operations off an escort carrier, they even managed to conduct flight operations with the captured submarine in tow, which was considered so unlikely Gallery had the ship cinematographer film it for proof.

You packed a lot into only eight minutes. I new several people that had worked in the Vancouver yard. One in particular remarked that working there was some of the happiest days of her life, " As a 19 year old woman I was to do thing that a woman had never before been allowed to do". She worked on the Casablanca's out of a shop that moved as the construction progressed, starting on the ground and then lifted to the flight when there was room for it. I highly recommend the following two book for anyone interested the Portland-Vancouver WWII ship production: "War on the Home Front"', by Chauncey Del French, and "Liberty Factory", by Peter Mash. Both a available on line.

My Father Kenneth McLaughlin WT/3 served aboard USS Gambier Bay. He crossed the bar in 1969 when I was 3.

I like the intro music.

Three months to build a baby carrier! truly a part of American history I am proud of. Wish we could get some of that can-do hard working attitude these days.

Another Great short Documentary. My Only Comment is that both My Mother and Our Aunt were Welder's on those Particular Ship's. What the USA did once they Entered the War. And Ramped up the Industry of Democracy with it's Tremendous Effort's. There wasn't anything They couldn't really Accomplish. The Results we're Fantastic. Thank You.

I live just outside of Vancouver WA. There is a cool park on the Columbia with an observation tower where you can see all the old Kaiser Shipyard slipways.

I’ve never seen actual names for escort carriers before! In documentaries you usually just hear something like “and several escort carriers.”. Thanks Drach!

Very cool, my grandfather served as radioman on the 24th of the Casablanca class USS Savo Island. He was in a little shindig known as the Battle of Leyte Gulf, which my grandfather called "a rather minor battle."

I had an employer that served on the USS Wake Island (CVE-65) in the Pacific as a Machinist Mate. He was the Petty Officer of the Watch in engine room when the Wake Island was hit by a Japanese plane in the bow on April 3rd 1945 off of Okinawa. He said he was sitting on a stole watching the gauges one moment and the next moment he found himself laying on the deck when the aircraft hit the bow.

"We'll always have a five minute guide"

Sir. Thanks. Among the honored heroes who went down with the USS Liscome Bay was Dory Miller.🇺🇸

Gotta give Kaiser credit, dude could pump out ships at 3/4 impulse speed.

3 and a half months for an entire aircraft carrier...😮 That's cooking lads!

“Of all the ship joints in all the world, she had to sail into this one.” - Richard Blaine.

Obviously a different class of small US carrier, but four of them went to breakers are the Richmond end of the Richmond San Rafael Bridge in SF CA Bay area. This would have been mid to late 70's as we did not move to CA till '70. We would pass them on the way to skin diving for abalone on the coast. Only decades later I would see them again in a Dirty Harry movie.

My father served as an Electrician's Mate aboard the CVE-111 Vella Gulf. He said the most dangerous thing he ever did in WWII was to be hung in a bosun's chair over the edge of the flight deck to change the running lights in a high sea up in Puget Sound! :)

I have photos of U.S.S. Ommaney Bay (CVE 79) sinking, taken by a family member from his ship U.S.S. Abbot DD 629.

Interesting side note on Vancouver, WA. It actually predates both its now larger neighbor to the south, Portland. AND the much more well known Vancouver, BC.

I prefer this music to the other new one

Excellent timing. I just took my model of the CASABLANCA out of the package yesterday. However, I do not plan to build all 50 of them.

Cool! My grandfather was the navigator on the USS Mission Bay, CVE-59. They dodnt see much action, but they escorted FDR to the Yalta Conference.

Thank you for this excellent video! My father served aboard the USS White Plains (CVE-66) as an aviation machinist mate (AMM) petty officer first class during the invasion of Saipan in June/July 1944, after having served at CASU-1 and CASU-2 from 1942 until the Mariana Islands Campaign. A piece on the Carrier Aircraft Service Units at Ford Island and Barber's Point and the invasion of Saipan would be awesome.

The CVEs were more successful than anticipated. And 18 CVEs showed what they could really do against a large Japanese task force.

Of all the new intro songs, this one is pretty decent. Nothing will truly replace the OG, but ohwell 💜

Chicago native here, thanking you for the reference to USS Guadalcanal.

Love this. My grandfather served on the Casablanca from her commissioning through to the end of the war. I'm always looking for more information on her in particular.

I like the new intro music

My uncle flew with VC-19 off the Bogue and the Guadalcanal. He was a TBF pilot, he didn’t come home.

The loss of Liscome Bay is always something that stands out, as does HMS Avenger and Dasher, for the sheer ferocity of their sinkings. Obviously a magazine going up will be violent, but it still is unbelievable when reading about the eye-witness accounts. I can't remember who, but when telling of Avenger's loss, a sailor aboard a troopship immediately astern of the escort carrier articulated the swiftness in which Avenger sank by emphasizing she already was under when reaching the smoke of the explosion. Liscome Bay's survivors from below in the engineering spaces reporting walking out at the waterline, still well below decks, and walking out then off of the ship. Water lapping into an exposed engineering compartment that was aflame and had its top peeled off. And of course Dasher just spontaneously exploding and sinking, joining many accidental magazine detonations of warships.

escort carriers are undervalued

My mother-in-law’s first husband was one of those that didn’t survive the sinking of the Bismarck Sea.

US Navy: "This is an experiment. We're not sure if irs gonna work." Also US Navy: "Build 50 of 'em anyeay."

How quickly shipyards and other production facilities were set up and put into operation during WW2 is truly outstanding.

I love these Escort Carriers.

Another advantage over the Bogue/Attacker/Ruler class was that as purpose built ships, they had a flat hanger deck rather than following the curvature of the hull, making aircraft handling easier. However, they performed worse in the heavy North Atlantic seas which is one of the main reasons they went to the Pacific.

Will there be a similar respective about the Sangemon-Class escort carriers? There were only four, but they had a very high reputation because their conversion from tankers to escort carriers meant they had a larger flight deck, a steadier landing deck, and could spend longer times at sea.

For all of the amazing work that Keizer did, very little of his legacy remains.

You have to imagine that a Ship class like CASABLANCA WAS a modern equivalent of a small MISSILE ship. Having 45 missiles // planes etc.

I like this video's intro music the most of the new songs that you've been sampling.

This was very interesting, esp about how they freed up the larger carriers.

Best new intro music so far

Love videos about older ships. Great video

My grandpa served on the USS Windham Bay Casablanca Class Carrier. Never got to here any stories but I know it was hit by a kamikaze and went through a typhoon that had the flight deck get rolled up. Thanks for doing this video. I will make sure to show my kids something that their great-grandfather served on.

My mom built liberty ships and carriers for Kaiser. Great video documentary

Obligatory "My Grandfather Served on the Casablanca" post. I miss you, Grampa, and all your stories about your ship mates on the Casablanca. Thanks for this, Drach.

An uncle of mine that I never got to meet died on Bismarck Sea at Iwo Jima. He was a fireman and would most likely gone down trying to save the ship. My mother said I looked a lot like him.

My father served on two of those, one in WW2 and another in the Korean War.

My grandmother christened the Thetis Bay. I have the inscribed marble and silver cigarette case that was presented to her.

Two were loaned to the French navy post war. The Bellow Wood and Lafayette.

A Knox Class FF would be an interesting ship to look at

My dad joined the US Navy in the summer of 1941 and was on the USS Steamer Bay through the end of WW2

These little CVEs may not look like much compared to the larger Fleet Carriers like Yorktown and Essex classes, but they did a lot for the US Navy in the war. Excluding convoy escorting, ASW work, and ferrying around aircraft, they gave the USN lots of extra flight decks. The USN had the immense luxury of having these CVEs tasked with supporting ground troops, amphibious operations. This freed up the Fleet Carriers and the fast going Independence-class CVLs to worry more about air defense, reconnaissance, and antiship duties. A fantastic example of this was for Saipan in 1944. While US ground troops fought ashore, CVEs were part of a fleet whose sole purpose was supporting the ground effort. Meanwhile the other ships, especially the Fleet Carriers, were looking for trouble from the Imperial Japanese Navy. And the IJN would come looking for trouble too, as they brought their Carriers for the first time since 1942, as well as a massive air attack. I bring this up because of the problems faced by the Japanese in the Battle of Midway, 1942. Nagumo was given a hard mission. Not only was he supposed to subdue the American defenses of Midway in preparation for an amphibious assault, but he had another mission to destroy the US Navy's Carriers. Dealing with land based targets using bombs was not the preferred weapons of armor piercing bombs and torpedoes to be used against capital ships. His Carriers were caught having to be focused on ground attack then all the sudden having to switch to antiship. They lost valuable time switching to ideal weapons for antiship work. Even for the 4 Carriers that Nagumo had, this was a big problem. This was disaster. Meanwhile later in the war, these extra flight decks for the USN let them specialize in all aspects: Air to air, air to ground, and be able to go against warships. These dinky little Escort Carriers look like nothing, but they gave the US Navy freedom. In the end, when you're a soldier on the ground or a sailor aboard some ship, it made absolutely no difference to you if the Hellcat strafing / rocketing you, TBF Avenger bombing / torpedoing you, came from a big expensive Fleet Carrier or some dinky little, cheap, slow going Escort Carrier. In the Battle of Samar, at Leyte Gulf, 1944, Kurita in command of the powerful Center Force was dealing with an incessant swarm of naval aircraft. The Japanese dealing with these planes, the fierce resistance of the destroyers, swore up and down that they were facing Halsey's powerful fleet of Carriers who had a strong escort. They weren't. All they were dealing with were some Escort Carriers trying to (slowly) run away while their Destroyers fanatically fought to buy them time in doing so, and launching their planes towards the Japanese. Halsey's Carriers were nowhere near the area to help.

"Hurry up" Henry Kaiser, one of the US's best and not all that well known weapons of WWII

I have no doubt that Kaiser would have loved to sell 100 hulls to the U. S. Navy ^^

I've long had a soft spot for these little ships. Meant to be little more than ferry vessels, they were developed into very effective combat platforms in their own right: sub-killers in the Atlantic and tactical air support in the Pacific and later Korea.

USS Gambier Bay was the only US carrier sunk to gunfire and one of only three world wide (Glorious sunk by the Battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, and Chyoda being crippled by the carriers Lexington and Intrepid and finished off by the cruisers Wichita, New Orleans, Santa Fe, and Mobile). Of course, she was one of only two carriers to be sunk by battleships, Yamato either directly sank or contributed to her sinking, depending on who you ask, of the ship, scoring a first salvo hit followed by several more, including one that flooded her engine room, immediately cutting her speed to 10 knots as she gradually slowed until left dead in the water.

My father was on one of those Casablanca class. U.S.S. Makin Island

One of my favorite ship classes, for some reason I always loved the idea of little carriers. If you look at the list of how many the US made, it really shows the industrial power we truly had

Again, I would recommend the book "The Men of the Gambier Bay" by Edwin P. Hoyt. It does a splendid job of telling the story of both the ship and her air group from construction/formation to the end. What is amazing is how these little ships were such complete warships in most details. And just what can be accomplished with emergency ships and green crews.

I they were designed by the George Sharpe firm rather than Gibbs & Cox which did design the later Commencement Bay class. My father worked for Gibbs & Cox during this period and never said anything about the Casablanca Class. Th e G&C model shop produced a model of the Commencement Bay class that was displayed at the entrance to the office well after the war was over.

Best new intro so far

Loving the music on this one!!