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NavSource Online: Escort Carrier Photo Archive

USS CAPE ESPERANCE   (CVE-88)
(later CVU-88)

(Ex- TANANEK BAY)
U.S.S. CAPE ESPERANCE
Courtesy of Al Grazevich

USS Cape Esperance (CVE-88)
Courtesy of Gerd Matthes, Germany

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

Unit Awards, Campaign and Service Medals and Ribbons

   

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row: China Service Medal (extended) / American Campaign Medal
2nd Row: Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (2 stars) / World War II Victory Medal / National Defense Service Medal
3rd Row: Korean Service Medal / United Nations Korean Medal / Republic of Korea War Service Medal (retroactive)

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.

Click On Image
For Full Size Image
Size Image Description Contributed
By And/Or Copyright
Name
Tananek (Tonowek) Bay
NS0308814
68k

CVE-88 was initially named Tananek Bay, a misspelling of Tonowek Bay, for a bay located in Alaskan waters, north of the Gulf of Esquibel between Prince of Wales Island and Hecata Island (NS0308814).

Renamed, 6 November 1943, after the battle fought off Cape Esperance, Guadalcanal, at midnight on 11–12 October 1942. An American Task Force commanded by RADM Norman Scott defeated a Japanese force under Rear Admiral Goto Aritomo, which was attempting to bombard Henderson Field, Guadalcanal (NS0308814a).

NS0308814b: US Navy track chart of the battle, 1943. It accurately depicts the movement of US ships (lower tracks), but not of the Japanese ships (upper, darker line), as it was drawn during the war, when only incomplete information was available.

US ships: heavy cruisers San Francisco (CA-38, flag) and Salt Lake City (CA-25); light cruisers Boise (CL-48, severely damaged) and Helena (CL-50); destroyers Laffey (DD-459), Buchanan (DD-484), Duncan (DD-485, sunk), McCalla (DD-488), and Farenholt (DD-491, damaged).

Japanese ships: heavy cruisers Aoba (flag, heavily damaged), Furutaka (sunk), and Kinugasa; destroyers Fubuki (sunk), and Hatsuyuki.

(Maps NS0308814 and NS0308814a courtesy of Google Maps.)

NavSource
Cape Esperance
NS0308814a
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Cape Esperance
NS0308814b
247k Naval History & Heritage Command
World War 2
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308809
145k

USS Cape Esperance (CVE-88) underway, circa 1945. USN photo.

Robert Hurst
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308810
1.67M

"War Cruise of the U.S.S. Cape Esperance CVE-88," commissioning–May 1946. USN.

Robert Hurst
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308815
1.71M

Esperance Action, Extra, Vol. II, No. 1, January 1945.

Tommy Trampp
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308816
94k

Christmas Card, World War II, but specific year unknown.

Tommy Trampp
Collection of Joseph A. Swift
Submitted by his youngest son, Tim Swift
CVE-88 Cape Esperance, J.A. Swift collection
NS0308812
Joe A. Swift aboard USS Cape Esperance (CVE‑88)
105K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance, J.A. Swift collection
NS0308812a
Crossing the Line ceremony, 16 August 1944
61K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance, J.A. Swift collection
NS0308812b
With the ship's mascot
31K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance, J.A. Swift collection
NS0308812c
Joe and some shipmates, in front of the ship's island
38K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance, J.A. Swift collection
NS0308812d
Joe at his workplace
245K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance, J.A. Swift collection
NS0308812e
Group photo
72K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance, J.A. Swift collection
NS0308812f
Joseph A. Swift, USS Cape Esperance (CVE-88)
90K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance, J.A. Swift collection
NS0308812g
Plan of the Day for Friday, 20 July 1945
493K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance, J.A. Swift collection
NS0308812h
Plan of the Day for Friday, 24 August 1945
492K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance, J.A. Swift collection
NS0308812i
Iowa-class battleship
60K
    CVE-88 Cape Esperance, J.A. Swift collection
NS0308812j
Tennis on the flight deck of USS Cape Esperance (CVE-88)
216K
   
Korea—The 1950s
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308818
85k

"BREMERTON, WASH. July 15[, 1950]—'DEMOTHBALLING' U.S. ESCORT CARRIER—The Escort-carrier USS Cape Esperance was in U.S. Naval drydock here today undergoing repairs and reactivation for service. The ship, part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet, has been inactive for more than three years. It saw service in World War II. (AP WIREPHOTO)"

David Buell
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308805
455k

USS Cape Esperance (CVE-88) raising the flag as the ship is recommissioned for Korean War service, at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, 5 August 1950. Members of the color detail are (from left to right): Quartermaster First Class Howard L. Foley, USNR; Seaman Bobby G. Young, USN; Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Alva L. Dixon, USN; Seaman Apprentice Raymond E. Garcia, USN; and Seaman Cesar C. Abrajano, USN.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the All Hands collection at the Naval History & Heritage Command (NH&HC), # NH 97005.

Courtesy of Scott Koen & ussnewyork.com
Larger copy courtesy of NH&HC
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308801
50k Undated, showing her deck crammed with aircraft. USN
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308813
140k

Ferrying aircraft, date and location unknown.

Richard Miller, BMCS, USNR (Ret.)
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308819
96k

Ferrying aircraft in the 1950s, location unknown.

David Buell
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308802
102k

Cape Esperance in the 1950s, as a T-CVU (Utility Carrier civilian manned by the Military Sea Transportation Service). She is carrying Navy Banshees and Skyraiders and has been stripped of guns and all but navigational radar. Not long afterwards the Casablanca-class were replaced as aircraft transports by Bogue-class ships, more economical to operate.

Photo and text from U.S. Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated Design History, by Norman Friedman.

Robert Hurst
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308803
191k

USNS Cape Esperance (T-CVE 88) underway en-route to Korea carrying six Air Force F-84E Thunderjets, two North American F-86 Sabres, eight North American LT-6G Texans, four Lockheed F-80C Shooting Stars, four Navy Grumman F6F-5K Hellcats and five De Havilland Canada L-20 Beaver liaison aircraft. The LT-6Gs were used by the USAF for battlefield surveillance and forward air control duties over Korea. The F6F-5K drones were used by Guided Missile Unit 90 to carry a single 2,000 lb bomb to attack bridges in Korea, flying from USS Boxer (CV-21). They were radio-controlled from an escorting AD Skyraider.

Note single 5" gun aft.

National Naval Aviation Museum photo (# 1996.488.034.014).

Robert Hurst
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308827
1.14M

The first U.S. Air Force North American F-86A Sabre fighters arrived in Korea in November 1950 aboard the Military Sea Transportation Service carrier USNS Cape Esperance (T-CVE 88).

National Museum of the United States Air Force photo, # 100604-F-1234S-132.

Robert Hurst
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308806
287k

"The first shipment of light bombers to be transferred to Thailand under the Mutual Defense Program. These SB2C Curtiss Hell Divers [and SNJ Texans] spotted on the flight deck of the USS Cape Esperance (CVE-88) arrive at Bangkok, Thailand for further transfer."

Official U.S. Navy Photograph # 708240, dated 1 June 1951.

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No. 1996.488.166.039. Robert L. Lawson Photograph Collection.

Mike Green
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308826
38k

North American AT-6 Texan trainers as deckload of USNS Cape Esperance (T-CVE 88) in 1951. The Texans were delivered to Thailand.

Naval Aviation News, September 1951 issue, p.18.

Robert Hurst
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308825
1.05M

Photo of USNS Cape Esperance (T-CVE 88) taken in November 1951 when the carrier brought over the first load of new F-86E Sabre fighters that were badly needed to fight the MiG-15s. They were destined for the 51st Fighter Wing at Suwon AB. Photo Ted Coberly.

Photo scanned from Naval Aviation in the Korean War. Aircraft Ships and Men. Warren Thompson. Published in Great Britain by Pen & Sword Books, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S70 2AS. ISBN 978 1 84884 488 9.

Robert Hurst

The return of Air America aircraft in 1952 aboard USNS Cape Esperance (T-CVE 88), shown here docked at an unidentified location. The ship, along with the freighter Flying Dragon, were loaded with dismantled Curtiss C-46 Commando and Convair CV-240-14 aircraft. They sailed from Hong Kong and evacuated Chinese Nationalist aircraft in danger of seizure by the Chinese Communists. Note that the carrier’s 40mm quadruple mounts were not operational after her 5 August 1950 recommissioning, as evidenced by the protective cocoons.

Archives, Loomis Dean photographer.

CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308820
 
181K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308820a
 
179K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308820b
 
106K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308820c
 
152K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308820d
 
132K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308820e
 
127K
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308820f
Overhead starboard bow view of USNS Cape Esperance (T-CVE 88) being docked with tug boat assistance to two Navy YC open, non-self propelled lighters to facilitate the plane unloading.
252K
 
Mike Green
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS1428111601
171k

YC-1116 and another unidentified YC alongside escort carrier Cape Esperance, location unknown, 1952. General Claire Lee Chennault and an unidentified associate are observing the docking of the carrier and SS Sea Dragon with their load of former CATC C-46 and Convair CV-240-14 aircraft.

Photo from Archives, Loomis Dean photographer.

Mike Green
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308821
62k

In dry dock. Date and location unknown.

Doris A. Burns
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308821a
65k
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308821b
59k
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308822
60k

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CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308823
60k

Island.

CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308824
598k

"'Worst Trip Ever,' Says Storm-Tossed Skipper"

Oakland Tribune, Saturday, 12 January 1952.

CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308804a
258k

USNS Cape Esperance (T-CVU 88) at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, with a cargo of Navy and Air Force aircraft during the mid-1950s. Aircraft visible on her flight deck include AD Skyraider attack planes, F2H Banshee fighters and at least one U.S. Air Force F-100 Super Sabre.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command (NH&HC), NH 52440.

NH&HC,
via Mike Green
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308804
187k

USNS Cape Esperance (T-CVU 88) at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, with a cargo of Navy and Air Force aircraft during the mid-1950s. Aircraft visible on her flight deck include AD Skyraider attack planes, F2H Banshee fighters and at least one U.S. Air Force F-100 Super Sabre.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command (# NH 52441).

Naval History & Heritage Command via Robert Hurst
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308804b
418k

USNS Cape Esperance (T-CVU 88) at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, with a cargo of Navy and Air Force aircraft during the mid-1950s. Aircraft visible on her flight deck include AD Skyraider attack planes, F2H Banshee fighters and at least one U.S. Air Force F-100 Super Sabre. Note Neoga (YTB-263) alongside.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command (NH&HC), NH 52444.

NH&HC,
via Mike Green
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308811
105k

USNS Cape Esperance ferrying aircraft, exact date and location unknown.

Gerhard Mueller‑Debus
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308817
174k

USS Cape Esperance (T-CVE 88), antenna arrangement, port view 300°, San Francisco Naval Shipyard, NY1-1897-(G-S)-10-15-54. 15 October 1954.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # rg19nn-b1584-005-001.

NARA
CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308817a
265k

USS Cape Esperance (T-CVE 88), antenna arrangement, port view 315°, San Francisco Naval Shipyard, NY1-1898-(G-S)-10-15-54. 15 October 1954.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # rg19nn-b1584-005-002.

CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308817b
249k

USS Cape Esperance (T-CVE 88), antenna arrangement, [b]ow view looking aft, San Francisco Naval Shipyard, NY1-1900-(G-S)-10-15-54. 15 October 1954.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # rg19nn-b1584-005-003.

CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308817c
182k

USS Cape Esperance (T-CVE 88), antenna arrangement, stern view looking forward, San Francisco Naval Shipyard, NY1-1902-(G-S)-10-15-54. 15 October 1954.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # rg19nn-b1584-005-004.

CVE-88 Cape Esperance
NS0308817d
213k

USS Cape Esperance (T-CVE 88), antenna arrangement, port view 270°, San Francisco Naval Shipyard, NY1-1903-(G-S)-10-15-54. 15 October 1954.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # rg19nn-b1584-005-005.


For more photos and information about this ship, see:

Read the USS CAPE ESPERANCE (CVE-88 / CVU-88) DANFS History
Crew Contact And Reunion Information

Contact Name: Mr. Stephen T Baran
Address:5050 Ocean Beach Blvd, Apt 3 Cocoa Beach, FL, 32931-3762
Phone: 407-784-0245
E-mail: None

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

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Last update: 12 July 2024