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NavSource Online: Escort Carrier Photo Archive

USS SARGENT BAY   (CVE-83)
(later CVU-83)



Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - X-Ray - Yankee

Unit Awards, Campaign and Service Medals and Ribbons


Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: American Campaign Medal / Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (6 stars) / World War II Victory Medal
2nd Row: Navy Occupation Service Medal ("Asia" clasp) / Philippine Presidential Unit Citation / Philippine Liberation Medal (1 star)

CLASS - CASABLANCA
Displacement 7,800 Tons, Dimensions, 512' 3" (oa) x 65' 2" x 22' 4"(Max)
Armament 1 x 5"/38AA 8 x 40mm, 12 x 20mm, 27 Aircraft.
Machinery, 9,000 IHP; 2 Skinner, Uniflow engines, 2 screws
Speed, 19 Knots, Crew 860.

Operational and Building Data

 Originally classified AVG-83, was reclassified ACV-83 on 20 August1942,
allocated to Great Britain, under Lend Lease, on 11 November,
reallocated to the United States on 21 June 1943; reclassified CVE-83
on 15 July. laid down on 8 November 1943; launched on
31 January 1944, and commissioned on 9 March 1944.

Decommissioned to reserve on 23 July 1946.
Reclassified "Utility Aircraft Carrier" and redesignated CVU-83 on 12 June 1955, while in reserve.

FATE Struck from the Navy list on 27 June 1958


Click On Image 
For Full Size Image
Size Image Description Contributed
By And/Or Copyright
Name
Sargent Bay
NS0308320
174k

AVG-83 (later ACV-83, CVE-83 and CVU-83) was named Sargent Bay for an estuary off Behm Canal, between Cactus and Tramp Points, on the east coast of Revillagigedo Island (opposite Rudyerd Bay), Alexander Archipelago, Alaska (NS0308320). Sargent Bay was a local navigators' name obtained in 1904 by Henry Clifford Fassett, U.S. Bureau of Fisheries.

(Map courtesy of Google Maps.)

NavSource
Construction
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308309
18k

Mrs. Rissie Farrnick of the Salvage shop, flower girl, presents flowers to the sponsor. Sargent Bay, Vancouver's 29th escort carrier, was launched on Monday, January 31, 1944 and sponsored by Mrs. Edith W. DeBaun, wife of Captain George H. DeBaun, a ranking naval flier. Attendants were Mrs. O. M. Mikkelson, matron of honor, and Mrs. Farrnick.

(From "Bo's'n's Whistle," Vol. 4, No. 3; February 11, 1944; page 7.)

Courtesy of Ron Gough,
Bea Dee, Ltd.,
Kaiser Vancouver / Swan Island & Oregon Shipyards website
World War II
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308312
186k

Commissioned on 9 March 1944, USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83) is being moved by tugs at the Kaiser Shipbuilding Yard at Vancouver, Washington, 25th March.

Susan Weikel Morrison, daughter of LT Weikel, comments:

This photo shows the aft configuration quite well and reminds me of something else Dad said about his experience aboard [Sargent Bay]. When the ship was under attack, his position was gunner on the aft deck below the flight deck. He said it was a lousy position because you had to be very careful not to pivot the gun too high or you would hit the end of the flight deck above you, and since attacks were from the air, this was a big problem!

Mike Green
Tommy Trampp
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308319
113k

Undated overhead view of USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83) during World War II.

Courtesy of William H. Davis, 1976.

Naval History and Heritage Command, photo # NH 84836.

Mike Green
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308322
213k

Undated photo of an FG-1D Corsair launching from USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83).

Tommy Trampp
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308315
159k

Undated photo of FM Wildcats on patrol.

Jerry Wintermute
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308310
81k

USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83) at anchor, circa 1944, location unknown. USN photo.

Robert Hurst
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308316
276k

Bow and stern views, 30 May 1944, off the California coast. Painted in Measure 32, Design 15A camouflage. Part of the 40-mm AA battery is under tarpaulins.

Gerd Matthes, Germany
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308316a
213k

Aerial view of USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83) at San Pedro, 30 May 1944, wearing camouflage scheme Measure 32, Design 15A. The colors are dull black, ocean gray and light gray with some pale gray for counter shading.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo # 19-LCM-CVE83-1.

Courtesy of C. Lee Johnson, usndazzle.com,
via Mike Green
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308301
65k

This is a photo of FM-2 Wildcat D-12. It has just crashed into the barrier on USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83). The date is August 27, 1944. The pilot was LT(JG) Bob Hambley of VC-79. He survived the crash,and is still with us.

Frank Harmon
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308305
182k

USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83) underway, 250 miles from the Philippines, 1,000 feet height, 26 October 1944.

Sargent Bay was camouflaged in Measure 32, Design 15A (thanks to Aryeh Wetherhorn.)

Jerry Wintermute
USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) had a near collision with USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83) after breaking away from her mooring, 6 November 1944, in Ulithi Atoll.

Note: The original mount card caption has Bismarck Sea listed as Bismark Bay (CVE-59), which is incorrect. CVE-59 was USS Mission Bay and was off Africa at this time. CVE-95 was named Bismarck Sea. Both Sargent Bay and Bismarck Sea were in the Pacific.

Sargent Bay's War Diary reads:

"At 1045 General Quarters was sounded when a bogey bearing 060°, 14 miles, was picked up. Fighters were ordered to standby to scramble. At 1051 word came over the TBS that this was a real alert. At 1054 bogey merged with land, and Condition Red was set throughout the anchorage."

"In the midst of this Red condition the anchor chain of the U.S.S. Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) broke, and the ship, anchored in the adjacent berth [(Berth 152)], on this ship's starboard, started drifting in the direction of the Sargent Bay, broadside toward this ship's bow. When only a few yards ahead, the Bismarck Sea got underway, and she started forward, missing this ship's bow by approximately fifteen (15) feet. At 1117 she dropped starboard anchor in berth assigned."

"At 1105 bogey showed friendly, and at 1120 General Quarters was secured."

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photos.

CVE-95 & CVE-83
NS0309512
735 Kb
NARA photo 80-G-263876
CVE-95 & CVE-83
NS0309512a
389 Kb
NARA photo 80-G-263877
CVE-95 & CVE-83
NS0309512b
419 Kb
NARA photo 80-G-263878
CVE-95 & CVE-83
NS0309512c
762 Kb
NARA photo 80-G-263879
  CVE-95 & CVE-83
NS0309512d
732 Kb
NARA photo 80-G-263880
CVE-95 & CVE-83
NS0309512e
801 Kb
NARA photo 80-G-263881
 
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308326
905k

Commander Eddie Peabody, playing the banjo (right) is shown aboard USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83), 14 November 1944.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), photo # 80-G-263895.

NARA
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308327
423k

Cake-cutting ceremony to celebrate the 1,000th landing on USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83), made by Ensign Thomas L. Clary, Jr., A-V(N), USNR, Composite Squadron (VC) 79, 28 November 1944. The 1,000th landing on the ship was made by ENS Clary on 25 October, but due to the carrier's anchorage for three weeks thereafter, and exigencies of war, the ceremony had to be deferred.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), photo # 80-G-263901.

NARA
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308328
554k

A Christmas program on hangar deck of USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83) during "Happy Hour," 24 December 1944.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), photo # 80-G-263928.

NARA
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308330
651k

Barrier crash of FM-2 Wildcat, D-4, Bu# 47301, Composite Squadron (VC) 79, on the flight deck of USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83), 20 January 1945. Pilot was Lieutenant Robert M. Johnson.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), photo # 80-G-263975.

NARA
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308314
103k

Composite Squadron (VC) 79 plane over the side. VC-79 operated from USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83) between March 1944 and February 1945.

Jerry Wintermute
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308329
1.09M

USS Robert F. Keller (DE-419) collided with USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83), 3 January 1945.

Sargent Bay's War Diary reads:

At 1516 U.S.S. Robert F. Keller, by direction of OTC, made approach to deliver official mail. During the approach the DE struck the side of this ship aft of frame 126, directly below the main deck. A 16" hole between frames 125 and 126, three feet (3') below the main deck, resulted.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-263933.

NARA
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308331
650k

Loading two Marine OY-1 Sentinels aboard USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83) at Saipan, Mariana Islands, 13 February 1945.

From the ship's War Diary:

In order to load two OY-1 aircraft aboard, by arrangement of COMPHIBSPAC representative with CTU 94.4.2, it was necessary, because of unfavorable sea condition in the outer harbor, for the ship to get underway and anchor in berth L-51, Saipan inner harbor, where the planes were received from an LCT.

Two second lieutenants from Squadron VMO-5, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, reported on board for temporary duty as observers.

NS0308331: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-264005.

NS0308331a: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-264006.

NS0308331b: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-264007.

NARA
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308331a
715k
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308331b
429k
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308313
210k

Chichi Jima, Bonin Islands (Ogasawara Gunto), on 16 February 1945, under attack by aircraft from Task Group 52.2 (including Sargent Bay's VC-79), and in 2009.

Jerry Wintermute
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308313a
302k
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308321
1.17M

Aboard USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83), an ordnanceman is pushing a bomb dolly loaded with two 100 lb. bombs to a plane for a strike on Iwo Jima, 19 February 1945.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), photo # 80-G-264024.

NARA
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308302
75k

Okinawa Campaign, 1945 — Ships in Kerama Retto anchorage spread an anti-kamikaze smoke screen, 3 May 1945, seen from USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83). TBM and FM-2 aircraft are on her flight deck. Ship in left center is USS Pinkney (APH-2), which had been damaged by a Kamikaze on 28 April. Photographed by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Oliver E. Pfeiffer.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-342629).

Scott Dyben
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308307
116k

Lt. McNinch, VC-83, leaves VF-4 after water landing, 30 May 1945.

Jerry Wintermute
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308308
153k

Lt. McNinch, VC-83, returned to USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83) after rescue from water by USS Richard S. Bull (DE-402), 30 May 1945.

Jerry Wintermute
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308306a
156k

Ensign H.O. Cullen, VC-83, abandons his sinking FM-2 Wildcat (BuNo 75028).

Note: There must be an error here, since this is the same photo as NS0308307.

Susan Weikel Morrison, daughter of LT Weikel, recalls:

My father said this [type of accident] happened fairly often because the escort carrier deck was far too short for these relatively slow propeller driven planes to get up enough airspeed and thus wing lift to fly. Even though the ship was headed into the wind at maximum speed during take off operations, he said the planes would drop down the water's surface once they left the flight deck and skim the water as they struggled to ascend.

Jerry Wintermute
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308306
91k

USS Spikefish (SS-404) rescues Ens. Cullen (in raft, lower right), VC-83, off Ishigaki Jima, 7 June 1945.

Picture was posted in the ship's library where I was assigned as Chaplain's assistant.

CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308318
87k

USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83), kamikaze suicide plane, Zeke, diving for her target, 7 July 1945. U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-344638).

NARA
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308311
46k

USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83), anchored at San Pedro, California, 29 September 1945. Her simple lines and relatively uncomplicated machinery were designed for rapid mass production. While Pacific Fleet escort carriers shared the antisubmarine mission of their Atlantic counterparts, their major combat task was air support of amphibious operations.

Photo and text from Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS).

Robert Hurst
The Crew
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308323
163k

LT Charles P. Weikel served aboard USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83), as the communications officer, in 1944–1945.

Susan shares with us a couple sea stories:

Shortly after its shakedown cruise, the Sargent Bay was part of the 3rd Fleet under command of "Bull" Halsey. Everyone aboard was pretty inexperienced at what they were doing. Dad, was on the signal light as the ship attempted to get its planes into the air.

A message came in from Halsey: "What's the problem with you? Pull up your pants and get those planes off!" (Or something similar. I definitely recall the pants part of the story.) Dad had to write down the message and take it to the captain who was on an outside walkway with a helmeted gunner stationed under him. The captain turned as red as a beet and pounded on the gunner's helmet for emphasis as he yelled at his crew to hurry up!

 

The Sargent Bay had finished landing operations for the day, so the landing officer had the Fox flag, a red diamond on a white background, hauled down. When the Fox flag was flying, that meant the carrier was ready to land airplanes.

A plane came in low over the horizon toward the carrier. Thinking it was a plane that couldn't find its ship (a common occurrence back then), the officer had the flag run up again. As the plane came closer, almost to the end of the flight deck, the landing signal man yelled, "Meatballs!" and dove headfirst into a compartment at the edge of the flight deck.

The Japanese bomber, sporting a red rising sun on each wing, flew down the flight deck with its bomb bay doors open as everyone frantically ran to their battle stations. It dropped the bombs just beyond the fantail and flew away, its engines roaring.

Susan Weikel Morrison,
daughter of LT Weikel
Memorabilia
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308317
200k

"Christmas Greetings from the officers and men of the U.S.S. Sargent Bay."

This Christmas card was among the possessions of Delmar D. Day, who served aboard Sargent Bay during WW II, when he died. Delmar was Jason's wife's grandfather.

Jason Marshall
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308325
1.11M

USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83). Although "personalized" for each ship, this is in fact a generic image of the Casablanca-class CVEs.

Susan Weikel Morrison,
daughter of LT Weikel
CVE-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308324
1.25M

Plank Owner's Certificate for LT(JG) Charles P. Weikel, USNR.

Susan Weikel Morrison,
daughter of LT Weikel
Ex-USS Sargent Bay
CVU-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308303
59k

In reserve. South Boston Naval Annex, 1959.

© Richard Leonhardt
CVU-83 Sargent Bay
NS0308304
58k

As above.

© Richard Leonhardt

For more photos and information about this ship, see:

Read the USS Sargent Bay (CVE-83 / CVU-83) DANFS History entry

Crew Contact and Reunion Information
Date:  
Place:  
Contact: Jerry Wintermute
Address: 26817 Circle of the Oaks
Newhall, CA 91321
Phone: 661 298 7920
E-mail: Gwintermute@aol.com
Web site:  
Remarks:  

Additional Resources
Hazegray &Underway World Aircraft Carrier Pages By Andrew Toppan.
Escort Carrier Sailors & Airmen Association

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Last update: 31 August 2023