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.)

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

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

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

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

"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)"

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.

Ferrying aircraft, date and location unknown.

Ferrying aircraft in the 1950s, location unknown.

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.

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).

"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.

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.

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.

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.

In dry dock. Date and location unknown.

-

Island.

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

Oakland Tribune, Saturday, 12 January 1952.

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.

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).

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.