Santee 1942
Sangamon 1943
| No | Name | Yard No | Builder | Laid down | Launched | Comm | Fate |
| ACV26, 7.1943- CVE26 | Sangamon (ex-AO28, ex-Esso Trenton) | 153 | Federal, Kearny // Newport News | 13.3.1939 | 4.11.1939 | 1940 // 25.8.1942 | damaged 4.5.1945, never repaired |
| ACV27, 7.1943- CVE27, 6.1955- CVHE27 | Suwanee (ex-AO33, ex-Markay) | 151 | Federal, Kearny // Newport News | 3.6.1939 | 4.4.1940 | 1940 // 24.9.1942 | helicopter escort carrier 6.1955, stricken 3.1959 |
| ACV28, 7.1943- CVE28, 6.1955- CVHE28 | Chenango (ex-AO31, ex-Esso New Orleans) | 174 | Sun SB, Chester // Bethlehem, Staten Is | 10.7.1938 | 1.4.1939 | 1939 // 19.9.1942 | helicopter escort carrier 6.1955, stricken 3.1959 |
| ACV29, 7.1943- CVE29, 6.1955- CVHE29 | Santee (ex-AO29, ex-Seakay) | 173 | Sun SB, Chester // Norfolk N Yd | 31.5.1938 | 4.3.1939 | 1939 // 24.8.1942 | helicopter escort carrier 6.1955, stricken 3.1959 |
|
Displacement standard, t |
10494 |
|
Displacement full, t |
23875 |
|
Length, m |
160.0 wl 168.6 oa |
|
Breadth, m |
22.9 wl 32.1 oa |
|
Draught, m |
9.32 full load |
|
No of shafts |
2 |
|
Machinery |
2 sets General Electric geared steam turbines, 4 Babcock & Wilcox boilers |
|
Power, h. p. |
13500 |
|
Max speed, kts |
18 |
|
Fuel, t |
oil 4780 |
| Endurance, nm(kts) | 23900 (15) |
|
Armament |
ACV26, 29: 2 x 1 - 127/51 Mk 15, 4 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 12 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, 31 aircraft (F4F Wildcat fighters, SBD Dauntless dive bombers, TBD Devastator, TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, SOC Seagull, F4F-P Wildcat reconnaissance planes) ACV27, 28: 2 x 1 - 127/51 Mk 15, 4 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 12 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4, 31 aircraft (F4F Wildcat fighters, SBD Dauntless dive bombers, TBF/TBM Avenger torpedo bombers, SOC Seagull, F4F-P Wildcat reconnaissance planes) |
| Sensors |
SC, SG radars |
|
Complement |
1080 (1945) |
Aircraft facilities (fd - 3,963 m², ha - 1,268 m² / 6,761 m³): Flight deck: 153.0 x 25.9 m. Hangar: 60.4 x 21.0 x 5.33 m. There were 2 elevators in the center line (6.3 t, 10.4 x 12.8 m). There was 1 H 2 catapult. Aircraft fuel stowage: 674 100 l.
| Year | fighters | dive bombers | torpedo bombers |
| 11/1942 Sangamon | 12 F4F-4 | 9 SBD-3 | 9 TBF-1 |
| 7.1943 Santee | 12 F4F-4 | 9 SBD-5 | 13 TBF-1 |
| 11.1943 Sangamon | 12 F6F-3 | 9 SBD-5 | 9 TBF-1 |
| 10.1944 Chenango | 24 F6F-3 | --- | 9 TBM-1 |
| 4.1945 Santee | 18 F6F-5 | --- | 12 TBM-1 |
Project history: These carriers were laid down as Ò-3 type oil tankers Esso Trenton, Markay, Esso New Orleans and Seakay. Later they were purchased by Navy and commissioned as AO28, 29, 31 and 33. Early 1942 the decision to rebuild them to escort aircraft carriers was accepted, and on February, 14th they were re-classified to AVG (subsequently an index was replaced by CVE). Works were conducted from February till August, 1942. Sangamons were significantly larger than the ships converted from Ñ-3 type vessels. Cargo tanks were extant: ship could carry 12876t of oil fuel, but in practice this possibility did not been used. By the end of war a part of cargo tanks began be used to store ship fuel oil: that has raised the general fuel stowage to 4780t; the endurance has accordingly increased to 23900(15)nm. In comparison with escort carriers rebuilt from dry cargo ships, Sangamon possessed better damage tolerance (for the account of better compartments arrangement), a huge endurance and, thanks to the bigger sizes of flight deck, could carry heavier aircrafts. However planned in 1942 conversion of the same type tankers to aircraft carriers had refused because of crisis of the tanker tonnage, preference was given to cheaper ships of Casablanca class in dry cargo vessel hulls.
Modernizations: 1943, all: - 2 x 1 - 127/51; + 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 12
1944, all: - SC radar; + 1 H 2 catapult (2nd), SC-2 radar
To 1945, Sangamon, Suwanee, Chenango: + 2 x 4 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 6 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 9 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4
To 1945, Santee: + 2 x 4 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 6 x 2 - 40/56 Mk 1.2, 7 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 4
1/1946, Suwanee, Chenango: 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 30, 2 x 4 - 40/60 Mk 2, 10 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 21 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 2 catapults, 31 aircraft, SC-2, SG radars
1/1946, Santee: 2 x 1 - 127/38 Mk 30, 2 x 4 - 40/60 Mk 2, 10 x 2 - 40/60 Mk 1, 19 x 1 - 20/70 Mk 10, 2 catapults, 31 aircraft, SC-2, SG radars
1950s, all: + SLR-2 ECM suite
Naval service: Esso Trenton (Sangamon) and Seakay (Santee) were bought by USN 22.10.1940, Esso New Orleans (Chenango) 31.5.1941 and Markay (Suwanee) 26.6.1941. They were commissioned as fleet tankers in summer 1941.
Sangamon 4.5.1945 was badly damaged by kamikaze hit and never repaired. Suwannee 25.10.1944 was damaged by kamikaze hit, next day she received air bomb hit and returned to service in February, 1945; 24.5.1945 she was damaged by internal explosion and was under repair about one month. Santee 25.10.1944 was damaged by kamikaze and a hit of torpedo from Japanese submarine I56, she was badly damaged and returned to service in March, 1945.
Santee 1942
© Ivan Gogin, 2014-15