USS Long Island (CVE-1) American Warship in World War II

The USS Long Island (CVE-1) was a significant American warship during World War II. It was the lead ship of the Long Island-class escort carriers.

Commissioned on June 2, 1941, the USS Long Island played a crucial role in the war effort. The ship was initially used for training purposes, but it quickly became a vital asset in the Pacific Theater.

The USS Long Island was equipped with a crew of 595 officers and enlisted men, who worked tirelessly to maintain the ship's operations. Its primary function was to provide air support to ground troops, and it successfully completed several missions in this capacity.

The USS Long Island (CVE-1) has a fascinating history that dates back to 1941. It was built as the motor vessel Mormacmail, a merchant ship designed to propel a load of 12,193 to 13,209 tons at a speed of about sixteen knots.

The US Navy requisitioned the Mormacmail on March 6, 1941, and transferred it to the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Company in Virginia to be converted into an aircraft carrier. This conversion involved mounting a 110 meter long flight deck on top of the original deck of the merchant navy type C3 vessel.

The USS Long Island was commissioned as AVP-1 (Auxiliary Seaplane Tender) but was put into service as AVG-1 (Auxiliary Aircraft Ferry) on June 2, 1941. This change in designation highlights the ship's versatility and adaptability.

The original design of the USS Long Island had several limitations, including a displacement that was too small for a regular aircraft carrier, making the vessel unstable. To address this issue, the ship was equipped with permanent ballast tanks on the bottom of the hull.

The USS Long Island underwent several improvements, including the installation of vertical supporting beams on the side walls of the aircraft storage facility. This modification helped to make the ship more stable and seaworthy.

The ship's flight deck was lengthened, and the hydraulic catapult was relocated to improve its functionality. The layout of the hangar space was also modified to optimize storage and accessibility.

The USS Long Island was converted at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, on October 18, 1941.

The ship was converted at this location, which suggests that the yard had the necessary facilities and expertise to undertake such a significant transformation.

USS Long Island was at anchor in Ulithi circa 1945, giving us a glimpse of the ship's life after its conversion.

The USS Long Island was the first of its kind, a merchant freighter converted into a light auxiliary aircraft carrier for convoy escort. This experiment would pave the way for future conversions.

The conversion process began in 1939 at the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in Chester, Pennsylvania. The ship was laid down on July 7th of that year.

The Long Island was completed as the merchant ship Mormacmail before being acquired by the US Navy on March 6, 1941. It was commissioned on June 2, 1941, as the first escort carrier.

Here's a brief timeline of the Long Island's conversion process:

The Long Island's conversion was a pioneering effort, and it played a crucial role in the development of future escort carriers.

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The USS Long Island (CVE-1) was a unique and versatile ship that played a crucial role in World War II. It was the first ship of its kind, a seaplane tender, and served as a floating airbase.

The ship's service and operations were marked by its ability to launch and recover seaplanes, with a maximum capacity of 18 aircraft. Its crew of 360 personnel worked tirelessly to maintain the ship's operations, with a focus on providing air support to naval operations.

The USS Long Island played a key role in the Battle of the Atlantic, providing air support to convoys and helping to sink enemy submarines.

The USS Long Island was commissioned on June 2, 1941, as the US Navy's first escort carrier.

It was a quick conversion of a merchant freighter, a prototype for future conversions and convoy escort in the Atlantic, even before the US was officially at war.

The USS Long Island was completed in June 1941, before the United States entered World War II, and was the first of its kind.

It was decommissioned on March 26, 1946, and struck from the Naval Vessel Register on April 12, 1946.

The USS Long Island was sold to be broken up for scrap on April 24, 1947, but was resold on March 12, 1948, and converted for merchant service as the Nelly.

Here are some notable events involving the USS Long Island:

The USS Long Island played a significant role in convoy escort in the Atlantic and was part of the US Navy's efforts to support the war effort.

The USS Long Island, a CVE (aircraft carrier) that played a significant role in World War II, had several commanding officers throughout its service. Cdr. Donald Bradley Duncan, USN, was the first to take command on June 2, 1941.

Here are the commanding officers of the USS Long Island, listed in chronological order:

The USS Long Island (CVE-1) was a ship with impressive technical specifications.

It was built at the Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in Chester, Pennsylvania, and later converted at the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. in Newport News, Virginia.

The keel was laid on July 7, 1939, and it was launched on January 11, 1940.

Here are some key dimensions of the ship:

The ship had a displacement of 7,886 tons when standard and 13,500 tons when fully loaded.

It was powered by four Busch-Sulzer diesel engines, producing 8,500 shaft horsepower.

The USS Long Island had a single propeller and a bunkerage capacity of 1,450 tons of fuel oil.

It had a maximum speed of 16.5 knots and a complement of 410 to 650 crew members, excluding the air group.

The ship was armed with one 13cm 38 calibre gun, two 7.6cm 50 calibre guns, and four .50 machine guns.

However, it did not have any armour protection.

The flight deck facilities included one centred hydraulic aircraft elevator, one hydraulic catapult, and nine arresting cables.

The ship could carry 16 to 24 Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters and Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers.

After the war, USS Long Island was decommissioned at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on March 26, 1946.

The ship was sold for scrapping to the Zidell Ship Dismantling Company, but instead of being scrapped, it was auctioned off to the Caribbean Land & Shipping Company.

It was then converted into a freighter and renamed MS Nelly, which transported thousands of European emigrants to Australia and Canada.

The Post-WWII period was marked by significant changes in the lives of people and ships alike. The USS Long Island was decommissioned in 1946.

Many ships were sold for scrapping after the war, but the USS Long Island had a different fate. The ship was sold to the Caribbean Land & Shipping Company and converted into a freighter.

In 1949, the Nelly, formerly USS Long Island, made its first migrant journey from Italy to Australia. This was just the beginning of its long history as a migrant ship.

The Nelly would transport thousands of European emigrants down under, carrying people from Italy to Australia and back again. On one of its return journeys, it carried Dutch returnees from Java to Rotterdam.

In early 1953, the Nelly was converted into a luxury two-class passenger ship in Bremen, Germany. It was renamed MS Seven Seas and chartered by the Europe-Canada Line.

The MS Seven Seas was mainly used by the Dutch shipping company to facilitate cheap transatlantic crossings for students and emigrants.

After World War II, the United States Navy continued to utilize the Long Island-class escort carriers, like the Long Island, to transport soldiers and sailors back home during Operation Magic Carpet.

The Long Island played a significant role in this operation, revisiting many of the same bases in the Pacific where she had transported airplanes and their crews just a year prior.

The Long Island-class escort carriers were a vital part of the Navy's post-war efforts, providing a means to bring troops back home safely and efficiently.

Here's a list of some of the notable operations the Long Island-class escort carriers were involved in during the post-war period:

The Long Island-class escort carriers were a testament to the Navy's ability to adapt and continue serving even after the war had ended.

The USS Long Island had a limited capacity to carry aircraft, with a maximum of 30 planes, mostly small and second-rate planes.

In June 1941, the ship operated ten Curtiss SOC Seagull and six Curtiss SBC Helldiver planes.

The SOC was a wheeled version of a standard observation floatplane that served as a reconnaissance plane and bomber.

The Curtiss SBC was also a biplane, the standard navy dive bomber before its replacement by the Devastator.

By December 1941, the carrier air group consisted of 8 Brewster F2A Buffalos and 8 Curtiss SOC-3 Seagulls, a total of 16 planes.

The F2A-3 fighter was notoriously fragile due to its overweight design and weak wheeltrain.

The ship's air group was eventually replaced by the F4F, which was a welcome change for the crews.

USS Long Island's Wildcats stayed in service until the end of her service in 1945, initially as F-3s and later upgraded to F-4 standards.

In June 1944, the ship carried 21 Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters, 20 Douglas SBD Dauntless scout bombers, and two Grumman J2F Duck utility planes.