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NavSource Online: Escort Carrier Photo Archive

USS SHAMROCK BAY   (CVE-84)
(later CVU-84)

USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84)
Courtesy of Don McGrogan, Popular Patch,
via Mike Smolinski


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign: November - Kilo - Yankee - Bravo

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 (3 stars) / World War II Victory Medal
2nd Row: Navy Occupation Service Medal ("Asia" clasp) / Philippine Presidential Unit Citation / Philippine Liberation Medal

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.

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Size Image Description Contributed
By And/Or Copyright
Name
Shamrock Bay
NS0308412
156k

CVE-84 was named for a bay on the Alaskan coast, at the head of West Shamrock Inlet, on central Baranof Island, Alexander Archipelago. The bay was given this descriptive name by the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (USC&GS) in 1929, "because its charted outline resembles a shamrock."

(Image: Google Maps.)

NavSource
Construction
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308405
10k

Launched on Friday, February 4, 1944 Vancouver's 30th carrier, USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84) was christened by Mrs. James R. Dudley. CAPT Frank T. Ward, who would be Shamrock Bay's first commanding officer, delivered the principal address.

(From "Bo's'n's Whistle," Vol. 4, No. 4; February 25, 1944; page 7.)

Courtesy of Ron Gough,
Bea Dee, Ltd.,
Kaiser Vancouver / Swan Island & Oregon Shipyards website
World War II
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308404
25k

USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84) at Astoria, Oregon, about a month after commissioning (April 1944). Painted in Measure 33, Design 10A.

Seattle Branch of the National Archives. Record Group 181.

Tracy White,
Researcher @ Large
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308406
148k

USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84), left foreground, about to leave Pier Number Two at Astoria, Oregon, 6 April 1944. Photographed from an airplane attached to Shipley Bay.

The other two escort aircraft carriers visible are not definitely identified, but they may be USS Saginaw Bay (CVE-82), top, and USS Shipley Bay (CVE‑85), center.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command (#NH 106710).

Naval History & Heritage Command, via Robert Hurst
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308406a
96k

This image is cropped from photo NS0308406, above. USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84) is painted in camouflage Measure 33, Design 10A.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command (#NH 106710-A).

Naval History & Heritage Command, via Bob Crawford
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308416
682k

An aerial, port side photo of USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84), 18 April 1944, wearing Measure 33, Design 10A camo, using Navy Blue (5-N), Haze Gray (5-H) and Pale Gray (5-P). Photo taken by Squadron ZP-32.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), photo # 80-G-233948.

Courtesy of C. Lee Johnson, usndazzle.com,
via Mike Green
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308413
119k

Many aircraft carriers were used to ferry aircraft to the front lines and USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84) was no exception. US Army Air Force P-47Ds in Shamrock Bay's hangar bay in July of 1944 as she delivers them to Casablanca, North Africa. Note the basketball hoop and backboard in the upper left-hand corner and movie screen in the center background.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-335714.

Tracy White,
Researcher @ Large
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308401
671k

An aerial, port side photo of USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84) off Norfolk, 31 August 1944, wearing Measure 32, Design 4A camo. She was carrying damaged Army aircraft from Casablanca. Photo taken by Squadron ZP-12.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), photo # 80-G-453363.

Courtesy of C. Lee Johnson, usndazzle.com,
via Mike Green
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308415
891k

Aerial starboard quarter view of USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84) off the East Coast, 26 October 1944. The escort carrier wore camouflage 32/4A while in the Atlantic, and would leave Norfolk to return to the Pacific on 11 November 1944. This photo was taken by ZP-12, out of Lakehurst NAS.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), photo # 80-G-286094.

Courtesy of C. Lee Johnson, usndazzle.com, via Mike Green
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308408
103k

USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84) steams away from Norfolk Navy base on 11 November 1944 as she begins her return to the Pacific Ocean and heads towards war. Note the extra supplies lashed to the top of her aft gun's ammunition clipping room.

National Archives photo (# 80-G-289883).

Tracy White,
Researcher @ Large
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308408a
202k

The 28 aircraft of Composite Squadron (VC) 42 are tied down between Shamrock Bay's two elevators, 11 November 1944, as she steams east away from Norfolk and towards the Panama Canal, which she reached six days later. As a composite squadron, VC-42 was assigned a mixture of 16 FM-2 Wildcats and 12 TBM-3 Avengers, all of which are parked in view here.

National Archives photo (# 80-G-289887).

Tracy White,
Researcher @ Large
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308408b
153k

Shamrock Bay's starboard side shows off her Camouflage Measure 33/10A pattern well, as she steams away from the waning sun and the east coast, 11 November 1944, to rendezvous with sister ship Wake Island (CVE-65) and two escort destroyers for the trip south.

National Archives photo (# 80-G-289885).

Tracy White,
Researcher @ Large
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308408c
548k

USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84), as above.

National Archives and Records Administration photo, # 80-G-289888.

Courtesy of C. Lee Johnson, usndazzle.com,
via Mike Green
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308409
142k

The Royal Baby shares his milk (likely spoiled) with a polliwog during a Neptune Party on December 21, 1944.

National Archives photo (# 80-G-335706).

Tracy White,
Researcher @ Large
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308410
85k

A rocket-armed TBM-3 Avenger of VC-94 prepares for a catapult launch from USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84), to support the invasion of Okinawa in April of 1945.

National Archives photo (# 80-G-335707).

Tracy White,
Researcher @ Large
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308414
105k

FM-2 Wildcat of VC-94 runs up its engines before launch from USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84) to participate in a strike on Okinawa in April of 1945.

National Archives photo (# 80-G-335715).

Tracy White,
Researcher @ Large
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308411
153k

Loading rockets on the folded wing of a TBM-3 Avenger of VC-94 between strikes on Okinawa, aboard USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84). The yagi antenna of the aircraft's ASB radar is visible on the left.

National Archives photo (# 80-G-335708).

Tracy White,
Researcher @ Large
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308402
69k USS Shamrock Bay (CVE-84) as seen from USS Sangamon (CVE-26). Both are leaving Kerama Retto on May 4, 1945. USN
Ex-USS Shamrock Bay
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay + CVE-66 White Plains
NS0308403
333k

In reserve, South Boston Naval Annex, circa 30 May 1958. White Plains (CVE-66) to the right.

© Richard Leonhardt
CVE-84 Shamrock Bay
NS0308407
491k

Ex-Shamrock Bay was scrapped at Hong Kong. Newspaper clips, December 1959.

Ron Reeves
For more photos and information about this ship, see:

Read the USS SHAMROCK BAY (CVE-84 / CVU-84) DANFS History entry

Crew Contact and Reunion Information
Date:  
Place:  
Contact: Anthony Mammola,
President, USS Shamrock Bay Assoc.
Address: 7 North Meadow Road, Old Saybrook, Connecticut 06475-4126
Phone: (860) 388-9170
E-mail: amammola@sbcglobal.net
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: 3 November 2021