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NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

USS Thetis Bay (LPH-6)
ex
USS Thetis Bay (CVHA-1) (1955 - 1957)
USS Thetis Bay (CVE-90) (1944 - 1955)

International Radio Call Sign:
November - Kilo - Yankee - Tango NKYT

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba)
Second Row - American Campaign Medal - Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (1) - World War II Victory Medal
Third Row - Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (1-Cuba, 3-Quemoy-Matsu, 2-Vietnam)

Thetis Bay Amphibious Assault Ship (Helicopter):

Laid down, 23 December 1943, as a Casablanca Class Escort Aircraft Carrier under Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1127) at Kaiser Shipbuilding Co., Vancouver, WA.

Launched, 16 March 1944

Commissioned USS Thetis Bay (CVE-90), 21 April 1944, CAPT. Donald E. Wilcox US Navy, in command

During World War II USS Thetis Bay was assigned to the Asiatic-Pacific Theater and participated in the following campaign:

**Asiatic-Pacific Campaign**
Campaign and Dates
Third Fleet operations against Japan 10 to 18 July 1945 25 July to 15 August 1945

Decommissioned in January 1947

Laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet Tacoma, WA. Group

Withdrawn from Reserve Fleet for conversion to an Assault Helicopter Carrier

Designated Assault Helicopter Carrier (CVHA-1), 1 July 1955

Converted at San Francisco Naval Shipyard, Hunters Point

Recommissioned USS Thetis Bay (CVHA-1), 1 September 1955, CAPT. Thomas W. South US Navy, in command

Redesignated Amphibious Assault Ship (Helicopter) (LPH-6), 28 May 1957

Decommissioned and struck from the Naval Register 31 March 1964

USS Thetis Bay (CVE-90) earned one battle star for World War II service

Final Disposition, sold for scrapping in December 1964 to Peck Iron and Metal Co., Portsmouth, VA.

LPH Specifications:
Displacement 7,800 t.(lt), 11,000 t.(fl)
Length 512' 3"
Beam 65' 2"
Draft 22'6" (max)
Speed 19.3 kts
Complement 900
Troop Accommodations 938
Armament four twin 40mm AA gun mounts
Propulsion

two Skiner, Uniflow vertical triple-expansion reciprocating steam engines

four 285 psi boilers

one propeller 9,000 SHP

Click On Image For Full Size Image	Size	Image Description	Contributed By
USS Thetis Bay (CVHA-1)
	161k	*PCU Thetis Bay* (CVHA-1) drydocked at Naval Shipyard Hunters Point while undergoing conversion from CVE-90 to CVAH-1*, November 1955. Photo # NY1-4519-L-11-55* from the collections of NARA San Francisco, Naval Shipyard Hunters Point San Francisco CA Historic Shipyard Photographic Collection 1904-1974.	Tracy White
	149k	*USS Thetis Bay* (CVHA-1)** Commissioning Ceremony Program	Robert M. Cieri
NY1-9787-L-7-56	49k	*USS Thetis Bay* (CVHA-1)** dockside at Naval Shipyard Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA., circa July 1956. The HUP-2 helicopter taking off was probably performing flight deck tests for the newly converted helicopter carrier. Photos from the collections of NARA San Francisco, Naval Shipyard Hunters Point San Francisco CA Historic Shipyard Photographic Collection 1904-1974.	Tracy White
NY1-9789-L-7-56	39k		Tracy White
MSR-10576-L-8-56	72k	*USS Thetis Bay* (CVHA-1)** off Naval Shipyard Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA., 15 August 1956. Photos from the collections of NARA San Francisco, Naval Shipyard Hunters Point San Francisco CA Historic Shipyard Photographic Collection 1904-1974.	Tracy White
MSR-10573-L-8-56	76k		Tracy White
	48k	Stern view of *USS Thetis Bay* (CVHA-1)** off Naval Shipyard Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA., 15 August 1956. Photos from the collections of NARA San Francisco, Naval Shipyard Hunters Point San Francisco CA Historic Shipyard Photographic Collection 1904-1974.	Gerd Matthes
	345k	Port stern quarter view of *USS Thetis Bay* (CVHA-1)** off Naval Shipyard Hunters Point, San Francisco, CA., 15 August 1956. Photos from the collections of NARA San Francisco, Naval Shipyard Hunters Point San Francisco CA Historic Shipyard Photographic Collection 1904-1974.	Gerd Matthes
	79k	*USS Thetis Bay* (CVHA-1)** underway, probably in San Francisco Bay, 15 August 1956. Photo # MSR-10575-L-8-56 (August 15 1956) from the collections of NARA San Francisco, Naval Shipyard Hunters Point San Francisco CA Historic Shipyard Photographic Collection 1904-1974.	Tracy White
	577k	*USS Thetis Bay* (CVHA-1)** underway at slow speed, 17 November 1956, location unknown. US Navy photo # NH 106713 from the collections of the US Naval History and Heritage Command.	Bill Gonyo and Gerd Matthes
	588k	*USS Thetis Bay* (CVHA-1)** underway, 17 November 1956, location unknown.	Gerd Matthes
	80k	*USS Thetis Bay* (CVHA-1)** underway, circa 1955-56. US Navy photo from "All Hands" magazine, December 1959 issue	Joe Radigan MACM USN Ret.
USS Thetis Bay (LPH-6)
	11k	*USS Thetis Bay* (LPH-6)** off Luzon, Philippine Islands,February. 1958, during vertical envelopment exercises with Marine Corps Test Unit 1	Charles Zarek Sgt. USMC 1956-1958 7th Comm BTN, 1st MAR DIV
	5k
	10k
	13k
	26k	*USS Thetis Bay* (LPH-6)** underway, date and location unknown. US Navy photo.	.
	84k	*USS Thetis Bay* (LPH-6) underway, sometime between May 1959 (when she was redesignated (LPH-6)** and December 1961 when she was redeployed to the Atlantic Fleet and arrived at Norfolk), She has aboard Marine Squadron HMRL-163, ("YP" tail code) a Pacific Fleet squadron which became HMM-163 in February 1962. US Navy photo.	Robert M. Cieri
	91k	*USS Thetis Bay* (LPH-6) moored pierside at Naval Station, San Diego, CA., May 1960. Photo taken from USS Kearsarge (CVS-33)**.	Photo by Gary R Schreffler
	524k	Aerial view of *USS Thetis Bay* (LPH-6)** arriving at Portland, OR. for the Rose Festival, 5 June 1960.	Gerd Matthes
	320k	*USS Thetis Bay* (LPH-6) arriving at Hamburg, Germany in the spring of 1963. LPH-6** was carrying special aircraft required for President John F. Kennedy's visit to Germany in June, 1963.	Gerhard Mueller-Debus
	421k	*USS Thetis Bay* (LPH-6)** moored at Hamburg, Germany in the spring of 1963 during President Kennedy's visit to Germany.	Gerd Matthes

View the US Thetis Bay (LPH-6 / CVHA-1 / CVE-90)
DANFS history entry located at the US Naval Historical Center

Commanding Officers
CAPT. South II, Thomas Winfield, ;RADM	20 July 1956 - 19 April 1957
CAPT. Compton, James Richard,	19 April 1957 - 29 May 1958
CAPT. Gillette Jr., Norman Campbell, :RADM	29 May 1958 - 25 March 1959
CAPT. Gibson, Charles Edward,	25 March 1959 - 25 April 1960
CAPT. Houck, Herbert Norman	25 April 1960 - 17 February 1961
CAPT. Curtis Jr., Walter L. :VADM	17 February 1961 - 18 February 1962
CAPT. Epes Jr., Horace Hardaway, ;RADM	18 February 1961 - 30 March 1963
CAPT. Hanley Jr., Michael Joseph,	30 March 1963 - 20 February 1964
CAPT. Dumas, Glenn Irven.	20 February 1964 - 31 March 1964

Courtesy Wolfgang Hechler and Ron Reeves

Crew Contact And Reunion Information
U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation - Navy Log
Fleet Reserve Association

Additional Resources and Web Sites of Interest
No Information Available

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Last Updated 30 November 2009

NavSource Online: Amphibious Photo Archive

USS Thetis Bay (LPH-6)ex USS Thetis Bay (CVHA-1) (1955 - 1957) USS Thetis Bay (CVE-90) (1944 - 1955)

USS Thetis Bay (LPH-6)
ex
USS Thetis Bay (CVHA-1) (1955 - 1957)
USS Thetis Bay (CVE-90) (1944 - 1955)