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Allied Warships

USS Block Island (ii) (CVE 21)

Escort carrier of the Bogue class


USS Block Island shortly before her loss.

NavyThe US Navy
TypeEscort carrier
ClassBogue 
PennantCVE 21 
Built bySeattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corp. (Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.) 
Ordered 
Laid down19 Jan, 1942 
Launched6 Jun, 1942 
Commissioned8 Mar, 1943 
Lost29 May, 1944 
Loss position31.13N, 23.03W (See a map)
 
HistoryOn 29 May 1944, U-549 slipped undetected through the screen of the hunter-killer group TG 21.11, formed around the USS Block Island (CVE 21) and fired at 20.13 hours three T-3 torpedoes on the carrier, one or two of them struck and caused her to sink northeast of Canary Islands in position 31º13'N, 23º03'W. At 20.40 hours USS Barr (DE 576) was damaged by a Gnat in the stern and a second Gnat missed the USS Eugene E. Elmore (DE 686). But the U-boat was then attacked and sunk by the latter destroyer escort and USS Ahrens (DE 575). 

Hit by U-boat
Sunk on 29 May, 1944 by U-549 (Krankenhagen).


Noteable events involving Block Island (ii) include:

28 Oct, 1943
The German submarine U-220 was sunk in the North Atlantic, in position 48º53'N, 33º30'W by depth charges from two Avenger and Wildcat aircraft of the American escort carrier USS Block Island. (see map)

17 Mar, 1944
The German submarine U-801 was sunk in the mid-Atlantic near the Cape Verde Islands, in position 16º42'N, 30º28'W, by a Fido homing torpedo from 2 Avenger aircraft (VC-9) of the US escort carrier USS Block Island and depth charges and gunfire from the US destroyer USS Corry and the US destroyer escort USS Bronstein. (see map)

19 Mar, 1944
The German submarine U-1059 was sunk south-west of the Cape Verde Islands, in position 13º10'N, 33º44'W by depth charges from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft of the US escort carrier Block Island (VC-6). (see map)

6 May, 1944
The German submarine U-66 was sunk west of the Cape Verde Islands, in position 17º17'N, 32º29'W, by depth charges, ramming and gunfire from Avenger and Wildcat aircraft of the US escort carrier USS Block Island and by the destroyer escort USS Buckley. (see map)


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