USS Takanis Bay (CVE-89)

Named for an Alaskan bay on Yakobi Island, the USS Takanis Bay was a 9,500-ton Casablanca-class escort carrier that was first launched in March 1944 in Vancouver, Washington. At the time of her first Naval commission in April 1944, the USS Takanis Bay was put under the command of Captain A.R. Brady.

Service Record

Although in the service of the Navy for more than 15 years, the USS Takanis Bay never engaged in combat missions but, instead, was primarily commissioned to train troops and ferry military servicemen. In her first set of missions, the USS Takanis Bay performed shakedowns in San Diego and worked as a part of Fleet Air until the Japanese surrender in August 1945. During this time, she tested and qualified more than 2,500 pilots.

Subsequently, the USS Takanis Bay was ordered to work with the Carrier Transport Squadron, Pacific Fleet to transport 1,300 veterans to San Diego. As with other escort carriers operating at the time, the USS Takanis Bay was then assigned to operation “Magic Carpet,” during which she made two trips from the U.S. to the Far East in an effort to bring veterans home.

After her last voyage, the USS Takanis Bay was ordered to berth at Puget Sound, where she was decommissioned in June 1946. Although she was reclassified as a CVU-89 in June 1955, in August 1959, the USS Takanis Bay was struck from the Naval Register and sold for scrapping (to a Chicago company) in June 1960.