USS Bogue

Bogue was laid down on 1 October 1941, as Steel Advocate under Maritime Commission contract, MC hull #170, by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding, in Tacoma, Washington. Bogue was launched 15 January 1942; sponsored by Mrs. W. Miller, Jr., the wife of Lieutenant Commander Miller; transferred to the United States Navy 1 May 1942; and commissioned 26 September 1942, Captain G. E. Short in command.[3]

After an extensive shakedown and repair period Bogue joined the Atlantic Fleet in February 1943, as the nucleus of the pioneer American anti-submarine hunter-killer group.[3]

During March and April 1943, she made three North Atlantic crossings but sank no submarines. She departed on her fourth crossing on 22 April. On 21 May 1943, her Avengers from VC-9 damaged the German submarine U-231. Bogue claimed her first kill on 22 May, when her Avengers sank U-569 at 50°40′N 35°21′W and also damage U-305.[3][4]

On 4 June 1943, during her fifth North Atlantic cruise, her planes damaged U-228, U-603, and U-641. The next day , 5 June, U-217 is sunk at 30°18′N 42°50′W. On 8 June, U-758 is damaged and U-118 is sunk on 12 June, at 30°49′N 33°49′W.[3][5]

On 23 July 1943, during her seventh patrol, her planes sank U-527 at 35°25′N 27°56′W and damaged U-648.[5] The destroyer George E. Badger, of Bogue's screen, sank U-613 at 35°32′N 28°36′W, while she was enroute to lay mines off the coast of Jacksonville, Florida.[3][6]

Bogue's eighth patrol was her most productive with three German submarines sunk. U-86 was sunk by her planes on 29 November 1943, at 39°33′N 19°01′W. On 30 November, aircraft from Bogue damaged U-238 east of the Azores.[7] On 12 December, her aircraft damaged U-172. On 13 December, her escort Osmond Ingram was damaged by gunfire from U-172. Aircraft from Bogue, with the aid of the destroyers George E. Badger, Du Pont, Clemson, and Osmond Ingram, sink U-172 at 26°19′N 29°58′W.[8] On 20 December, U-850, enroute to the Indian Ocean, was sunk by planes at 32°54′N 37°01′W.[9][3]

Bogue had a break from her anti-submarine operations during January and February 1944, when she carried a cargo of United States Army fighter aircraft to Glasgow, Scotland. The carrier then returned to her anti-submarine role. On 13 March 1944, her Avengers, from VC-95, teamed with British Fortress Mk IIs from 220 Squadron, the destroyers Haverfield and Hobson, and the RCN River-class frigate Prince Rupert to sink U-575 at 46°18′N 27°34′W.[10][3]

On 5 May 1944, Bogue and her escorts departed Hampton Roads, Virginia, for a cruise that netted two more submarines and lasted until 2 July. Francis M. Robinson, of the screen, sank the Japanese submarine RO-501 (ex-German U-1224) on 13 May, and Bogue's Avengers sank the Japanese submarine I-52 at 15°16′N 39°55′W, on 24 June.[11][3] During the next cruise, from 24 July to 24 September 1944, Bogue's planes sank another German submarine, U-1229, on 20 August at 42°20′N 51°39′W.[12][3]

Following her return in September 1944, Bogue operated on training missions out of Bermuda and Quonset Point, Rhode Island, until February 1945, when she made a trip to Liverpool, England, with US Army planes.[3]

In April 1945, Bogue put to sea again as an anti-submarine vessel, forming part of Captain George J. Dufek's Second Barrier Force during Operation Teardrop. On 24 April 1945, her escort Frederick C. Davis was torpedoed and sunk by U-546. Bogue's accompanying escorts, Flaherty, Neunzer, Chatelain, Varian, Hubbard, Janssen, Pillsbury and Keith sank U-546 at 43°53′N 40°07′W.[13] This was the last of 13 submarines sunk by Bogue and her escorts.[3]

With the war in the Atlantic over, Bogue moved to the Pacific, arriving at San Diego on 3 July 1945. She then steamed westward to Guam, arriving on 24 July. She made a trip to Adak, Alaska, 19 August to 6 September 1945, and then joined the "Operation Magic Carpet" fleet returning servicemen from the Pacific islands. She was placed out of commission in reserve on 30 November 1946, at Tacoma, Washington.[3] She was redesignated CVHE-9, 12 June 1955, and struck from the Navy list on 1 March 1959.[3]

In 1960, she was sold to the Hyman-Michaels Co., of Chicago, Illinois, and towed from Bremerton to Everett, Washington, for scrapping.[2]

Bogue received a Presidential Unit Citation and three battle stars for her World War II service.[3]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Bogue (CVE-9).

• Photo gallery of Bogue at NavSource Naval History
• hazegray.org: USS Bogue
• Hunter-Killer Groups