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NavSource Online: Escort Carrier Photo Archive


Courtesy of CAPT Gene Oleson, CHC, USN (Ret)

USS SIBONEY   (CVE-112)
(later AKV-12)


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 / Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
2nd Row: World War II Victory Medal / Navy Occupation Service Medal ("Asia" and "Europe" clasps) / National Defense Service Medal


Flag Hoist/Radio Call Sign: November - Juliet - Romeo - Foxtrot
CLASS - COMMENCEMENT BAY
Displacement 21,397 Tons (full load), Dimensions, 557' 7" (oa) x 75' x 30' 8" (Max)
Armament 2 x 5"/38AA 36 x 40mm, 20 x 20mm, 33 Aircraft.
Machinery, 16,000 SHP; Allis-Chambers, Geared Turbines, 2 screw
Speed, 19 Knots, Crew 1066.

Operational and Building Data

Initially named Frosty Bay. Renamed Siboney on 26 April 1944.

Reclassified as a Cargo Ship and Aircraft Ferry, and redesignated AKV-12, on 7 May 1959.

Fate: Decommissioned at Philadelphia, 15 February 1957. Struck from the Navy list, 1 June 1970. Sold to Union Minerals and Alloys Corp., New York, June 1971. Scrapped in Kearny, NJ.


Click On Image
For Full Size Image
Size Image Description Contributed
By And/Or Copyright
Name
Frosty Bay
NS0311222
67k

CVE-112 was initillay named Frosty Bay for an estuary at the north end of Seward Passage, south of Bradfield Canal, Alexander Archipelago, Alaska (NS0311222).

Renamed Siboney, 26 April 1944, after a town near Santiago, Cuba, where United States troops landed during the Spanish-American War (1898) (NS0311222a).

Ships that had previously borne the name:

  1. A transport.

(Maps NS0311222 and NS0311222a courtesy of Google Maps. Illustration NS0311222b, "Landing Horses from Transport Boats off Siboney, June 21, 1898," from Hero Tales of the American Soldier and Sailor as Told by the Heroes Themselves and their Comrades: The Unwritten History of American Chivalry (1899), by James W. Buel.

NavSource.
Siboney
NS0311222a
53k
Siboney
NS0311222b
730k Tommy Trampp.
1945–1956
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311201
153k Newly completed, Siboney steams through Puget Sound on 24 May 1945. She had two flight deck catapults: a short "H 2-1" (stbd) and a long "H 4C" (port). Note the prominent antennas of the air search and fighter-control radars (SK-2 and SP) on her mast. Robert Hurst.
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311226
238k

The sunken Japanese training vessel (former cruiser) Iwate off Kure, Japan, in October 1945. She was sunk by US air attacks on 24 July 1945. This photo was taken by a plane from USS Siboney (CVE-112).

Official US Navy photo, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-351365.

Yu Chu.
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311204
42k

USS Siboney (CVE-112) at anchor, date and location unknown.

Mario Canevaro
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311219
79k

Undated image of the escort carrier USS Siboney (CVE-112) tied up pierside. U.S. Navy photo.

Robert Hurst
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311216
39k

USS Siboney (CVE-112) underway, date and location unknown.

San Diego Air & Space Museum photo, catalog # SHIPS01574.

Ron Reeves
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311223
278k

USS Siboney (CVE-112) underway, date (late 1940s?) and location unknown. Note flight deck markings for blimp operations.

David Buell
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311205
98k

Air Officer, Commanding Officer, Executive Officer. Exact date and location unknown (the year was 1949).

Mario Canevaro
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311206
75k

This Avenger (probably assigned to Composite Squadron 31 (VC-31)) missed the arresting wire on April 19, 1949. It ended up crashing into the island. The pilot survived, but a photographer, who was filming the landing, was killed; it was believed at the time that he was hit by the prop.

Mario Canevaro was a signal man assigned to the blinker light which was just below the escape hatch where the photographer lost his life.

Mario Canevaro
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311207
101k
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311208
84k
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311208a
94k

Five more photos, as above.

Milton W. Irwin explains: "I served aboard the USS Siboney in 1948 and 1949. I have many pictures including the crash of the TBM in 1949 where my photographer friend was killed. I was nozzleman on fire and rescue on the flight deck at the time of the crash and took a few pictures after the crash."

Milton W. Irwin (Electrician)
USS Siboney 1948–1949
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311208b
93k
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311208c
98k
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311208d
80k
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311208e
86k
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311208f
261k

One more photo, as above.

Pieter Bakels
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311224
350k

USS Siboney (CVE-112) underway in the North Atlantic Ocean off Atlantic City, New Jersey, 25 September 1949.

Courtesy of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, George D. McDowell Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Collection.

Mike Green
Larger copy courtesy of Temple University Libraries,
via Michael Mohl
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311224a
190k

An LSO waves to incoming plane on the USS Siboney (CVE-112) flight deck, 25 September 1949.

Courtesy of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, George D. McDowell Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Collection.

Temple University Libraries,
via Michael Mohl
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311225
254k

Crew and guests stand on the flight deck of USS Siboney (CVE-112) for safety prayer during reactivation ceremonies, 22 November 1950. The Philadelphia Naval Station is seen in the background.

Courtesy of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, George D. McDowell Philadelphia Evening Bulletin Collection.

Temple University Libraries,
via Michael Mohl
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311220
403k

USS Siboney (CVE-112) at anchor off Toulon, France, 26 October 1951. There are TBM Avengers of VS-32 "Norsemen" (tail code "SR") and F4U Corsairs of a VC-4 "Nightcappers" Det. ("NA") parked aft of the island, and a single HO3S helicopter forward.

Photo by Marius Bar, Toulon, France.

Jaume Cifré Sánchez
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311217
83k

A series of eight photos taken during a Navy/Marine Corps exercise to develop the assault helicopter concept (1951–52), involving USS Siboney (CVE-112) and Marine Helicopter Squadron (HMX) 1.

Courtesy of LIFE magazine.

Pieter Bakels
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311217g
131k

Two Piasecki HRP-2 (BuNo 111831 and 111832; only five HRP-2's were built) and three HRP-1 Rescuers, HMX-1, on the flight deck of USS Siboney (CVE-112). Destroyer USS O'Hare (DD-889) is steaming alongside Siboney.

CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311217a
118k

Piasecki HRP-2's and HRP-1's Rescuers, HMX-1 squadron, on the flight deck of USS Siboney (CVE-112). Note destroyer USS O'Hare (DD-889) astern of Siboney and a blimp in flight in the background.

CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311217f
141k

A Piasecki HRP-1 takes off from USS Siboney (CVE-112), while two HRP-2's await their turn on the flight deck. Destroyer USS O'Hare (DD-889) is steaming astern of Siboney.

CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311217b
106k

Marines board their HRP-1 and -2 helicopters, from squadron HMX-1, on the flight deck of USS Siboney (CVE-112).

CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311217c
91k

USMC helicopters from HMX-1 squadron in flight over USS Siboney (CVE-112).

CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311217d
113k

Briefing in the hangar deck of USS Siboney (CVE-112).

CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311217e
129k

Helicopters fly over USS Siboney (CVE-112). (This photo is dated April 1951.)

CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311215
134k

Sikorsky HRS-1/2 troop-carrying helicopters of Marine Helicopter Transport Squadrons (HMR) -261 and -262 aboard the escort carrier USS Siboney (CVE-112). USN photo (1952?).

Robert Hurst
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311221
205k

USS Siboney (CVE-112), Mediterranean Cruise 1953 (16 September–1 December).

LCDR Ralph J. Adams was a pilot attached to Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 1 "Seahorses" aboard Siboney.

Michael Adams, MCSE, son of LCDR Ralph J. Adams
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311221a
460k
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311221b
266k
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311227
969k

The January 1954 issue of Saga: True Adventures for Men magazine featured "The Widow-Makers," an article about USS Siboney (CVE-112) and her squadron of AF-2 Guardians.

Mike Apperti
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311209
43k

USS Siboney (CVE-112) in UK waters, circa 1956. On the flight deck are S2F-1 Trackers from VS-22 "Checkmates" and VS-30 "Sea Tigers." Photo Wright & Logan, Southsea, England.

From Jane's Fighting Ships, 1956–57 edition.

Thanks to Bob Kowalski, who was a pilot with VS-30 for that cruise and identified the Trackers. Bob adds: "We also had 2 AD-3Q and 2 AD-4Q [Skyraiders] with us. I seem to remember them as being from VC-4 ([tail code] 'NA') and their role was as target tows, obviously for the other ships in our Task Group."

Robert Hurst
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311214
104k

Undated picture of the escort carrier USS Siboney (CVE-112) underway, location unknown. Note aircraft and crewmen on her flight deck. Photo U.S. Navy official.

From Jane's Fighting Ships 1961–62 edition.

Robert Hurst
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311210
333k

USS Siboney (CVE-112) operating U.S. Marine Corps HRS helicopters during the mid-1950s. The original photograph was received in May 1956.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command (#NH 106717-KN).

Naval History & Heritage Command, via Robert Hurst
Larger copy submitted by Mike Green
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311202
111k Both elevators are clearly outlined in this 3 February 1956 photo. By this time Siboney and her sister ships had a considerably reduced gun armament. She was fitted with the new, standard ASW island and the main air search radar (the largest antenna on the mast) was now an SPS-6B. U.S. Navy photo.
The Crew
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311228
52k

"[M]y father[, Earl O. Daugherty,] standing on a torpedo bomber. He went out to the war on the Siboney and was between the west coast and Hawaii when the war ended. He later went on to Japan/South Pacific on the Siboney and came back to the US on another light carrier. At the time the photo was taken he was at Brown Field with his air group waiting for the brand new Siboney to finish working up. He was a mechanic with the air group but his primary job on the ship was running the rear elevator."

Rene R. Daugherty
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311218
984k

Crew of USS Siboney (CVE-112), 21 October 1949. CAPT Herbert L. Hoerner, USN, Comdg. CDR Charles B. Lanman, USN, Exec Off.

Milton W. Irwin (Electrician)
USS Siboney 1948–1949
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311212
62k

Electrical Div Warrant Officer, Gmeiner.

CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311213
332k

This photo may have been taken in October–December 1949, during a large Exercise in the North Atlantic-Arctic circle. The man in the front row, center, with the other man sitting on his left knee, appears to be Becky's uncle, Jesse Thomas Smith.

If you can identify any of the men in this photo, or when/where it was taken, please let us know.

Becky Smyth.
Memorabilia
CVE-112 Siboney
NS0311211
45k Ship's patch, "Siboney, Nulli Secunda" ("Second to None.") Gerd Matthes, Germany.

For more photos and information about this ship, see:

Read the
USS SIBONEY (CVE-112 / AKV-12) DANFS History entry
Crew Contact and Reunion Information
Date:  
Place:  
Contact: Lester Dambach
Address:  
Phone: (717) 684-4407
E-mail:  
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: 27 February 2022