_underway_in_1945.jpg) USS Cape Gloucester in 1945
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | USS Cape Gloucester |
| Namesake | Battle of Cape Gloucester |
| Builder | Todd Pacific Shipyards |
| Laid down | 10 January 1944 |
| Launched | 12 September 1944 |
| Commissioned | 5 March 1945 |
| Decommissioned | 5 November 1946 |
| Stricken | 1 April 1971 |
| Fate | Scrapped, 1971 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Commencement Bay-class escort carrier |
| Displacement | 21,397 long tons (21,740 t) |
| Length | 557 ft 1 in (169.80 m) loa |
| Beam | 75 ft (23 m) |
| Draft | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Installed power | |
| Propulsion |
|
| Speed | 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) |
| Complement | 1,066 |
| Armament |
|
| Aircraft carried | 33 |
| Aviation facilities | 2 × aircraft catapults |
USS Cape Gloucester was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy, in service from 5 March 1945 to 5 November 1946. The Commencement Bay class were built during World War II, and were an improvement over the earlier Sangamon class, which were converted from oil tankers. They were capable of carrying an air group of 33 planes, and due to their origin as tankers and were armed with an anti-aircraft battery of 5 in (127 mm), 40 mm (1.6 in), and 20 mm (0.8 in) guns. The ships were capable of a top speed of 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph), had extensive fuel storage. After spending another 25 years in the reserve fleet, the ship was scrapped in 1971.