USS Nehenta Bay

USS Nehenta Bay underway, circa 1944
History
United States
Name	Nehenta Bay
Namesake	Nehenta Bay, Gravina Island
Ordered	as a Type S4-S2-BB3 hull, MCE hull 1111[1]
Awarded	18 June 1942
Builder	Kaiser Shipyards
Laid down	20 July 1943
Launched	28 November 1943
Commissioned	3 January 1944
Decommissioned	15 May 1946
Stricken	1 April 1960
Identification	Hull symbol: CVE-74
Honors and awards	7 Battle stars
Fate	Sold for scrap, 29 June 1960
General characteristics [2]
Class and type	Casablanca-class escort carrier
Displacement	8,188 long tons (8,319 t) (standard) 10,902 long tons (11,077 t) (full load)
Length	512 ft 3 in (156.13 m) (oa) 490 ft (150 m) (wl) 474 ft (144 m) (fd)
Beam	65 ft 2 in (19.86 m) 108 ft (33 m) (extreme width)
Draft	20 ft 9 in (6.32 m) (max)
Installed power	4 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers 9,000 shp (6,700 kW)
Propulsion	2 × Skinner Unaflow reciprocating steam engines 2 × screws
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Range	10,240 nmi (18,960 km; 11,780 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	Total: 910 – 916 officers and men Embarked Squadron: 50 – 56 Ship's Crew: 860
Armament	As designed: 1 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal dual-purpose gun 8 × 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns 12 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons Varied, ultimate armament: 1 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal gun 8 × twin 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns 30 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons
Aircraft carried	27
Aviation facilities	1 × catapult 2 × elevators
Service record
Part of:	United States Pacific Fleet (1944–1946) Atlantic Reserve Fleet (1946–1960)
Operations:	Mariana and Palau Islands campaign Battle of Okinawa Operation Magic Carpet

USS Nehenta Bay (CVE-74) was a Casablanca-class escort carrier of the United States Navy. She was named after Nehenta Bay, located within Gravina Island. Built for service during World War II, the ship was launched in November 1943, and commissioned in January 1944, and served in support of the Mariana and Palau Islands campaign and the Battle of Okinawa. Postwar, she participated in Operation Magic Carpet. She was decommissioned in May 1946, when she was mothballed in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Ultimately, she was sold for scrapping in June 1960.