The USS Sitkoh Bay

The USS Sitkoh Bay was actually converted from a Maritime Commission hull into an escort aircraft carrier, and was commissioned in 1944. She carried 28 aircraft and could reach a speed of 19 knots. At 512 feet in length, she required propulsion by four boilers and two propellers. The Sitkoh Bay was armed with 16 40mm guns, 20 20mm guns, and one five inch L/38 gun. Her service to the United State won her three Battle Stars for her action in World War II and one Battle Star for her contribution in the Korean War.

World War II Contributions

Sitkoh Bay's first task was to transport pilots and planes between the front and rear lines in Pearl Harbor, along with trips back and forth to the west coast or the southern and central islands in the Pacific Ocean. She then traveled between the Admiralty Islands and the Marshall Islands to ferry planes to vessels in the 7th and 3rd Fleets. By 1945, Sitkoh focused primarily on supporting the 3rd Fleet in the Ulithi Atoll, Eniwetok Atoll, Apra Harbor, Guam, and Roi Harbor. She was also participating in maneuvers in the Philippines, providing presence in the area around Iwo Jima, and preparing for any call to action in Okinawa. However, her only actual involvement came as she was transferring a Marine Air Group; a Japanese aircraft was aimed directly at her, but Sitkoh Bay's antiaircraft gunners shot down the craft from 300 feet away.

Relied Upon By Many

After the war ended, she again took part in replenishment efforts with the 3rd Fleet. Her voyage during this period saw her sailing from Honshu, then traveling to Eniwetok, Guam, Samar Island, Okinawa, Pearl Harbor, and finally back to San Diego. Such trips became routine for the Sitkoh; she made several more during the next year. However, she was taken out of commission and placed in reserve in Bremerton, Washington, until 1950. When she was again recommissioned, the Sitkoh was assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service. Until 1954, she thus had the job of traversing between the west coast and Japan in support of the United Nation forces in Korea.

The Sitkoh's voyages involved 3 trips to the major ports of call in Pearl Harbor, Yokohama, andYokosuka in Japan, and San Francisco and San Diego in the United States. (In addition, she also carried a crew of Bearcat fighters to the French forces at Saigon.) During 1954, the USS Sitkoh Bay was again placed in reserve and berthed in San Francisco. The following year, she was redesignated a utility aircraft carrier, and three years later, moved to San Diego. The next couple of years saw the Sitkoh Bay reclassified twice more, once as a cargo ship and again as an aircraft ferry, but in 1960 she was decommissioned. The USS Sitkoh Bay was later sold for scrapping.

The only recorded accident involving the USS Sitkoh Bay took place in 1952, when there was a collision with a freighter in the Pacific Ocean. There were no fatalities, and there is sparse data about the amount of damage to either vessel. The Sitkoh Bay was indeed fortunate that their one and only incident did not result in a disabling fire; many carriers whose careers spanned three decades or more incurred several fires on board, and hundreds of aircraft crewmembers lost their lives from onboard infernos. There were few things worse than a fire at sea, with limited resources, small, tight quarters, and no place from which to escape. Therefore, it was acceptable practice before 1970 to include asbestos in with standard insulation materials during the construction of ships, as well as buildings. As a fire and flame retardant that could be molded and wedged into any awkward space, it thus increased protection from the spreading or onset of fires. Unfortunately, it also posed a risk of its own, as the naturally occurring mineral is known to cause a variety of diseases. Once asbestos fibers become wedged inside a person's lungs or stomach, they tend to remain there and can potentially lead to the development of mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused almost exclusively by asbestos. So, if any microscopic asbestos fibers had become disengaged from the sealant around them on the USS Sitkoh Bay, there was a chance they entered the ship's air system and were carried anywhere on board. Below deck, with long intervals at sea and little fresh air to circulate, asbestos may have built up in the air system. Consequently, it is very important that those who served on the USS Sitkoh Baby, and who are now experiencing unusual physical symptoms, to obtain medical consultation.

If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Sitkoh Bay, or have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, Asbestos.com offers a free packet with more information. Enter your contact information in the form on this page and we'll send a copy in the mail.

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