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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

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  • Aviation
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  • Ship History
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
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Alikula Bay (ACV-57)

A bay located east of Egg Harbor and indenting the north coast of Coronation Island which, in turn, lies off the southeastern coast of Alaska. The name, Alikula, is derived from an Indian word meaning "night."

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On 22 January 1943, the name Alikula Bay was assigned to the aircraft escort vessel, ACV-57, a ship which had been laid down on 12 December 1942 under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1094) at Vancouver, Wash., by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Co. However, in keeping with the growing desire to commemorate victories of the then-ongoing global conflict, the ship was renamed Coral Sea (q.v.), on 3 April 1943, less than a month before she was launched

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Alikula Bay (CVE-95), the name reassigned on 28 June 1943, was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1132) on 31 January 1944 at Vancouver, Wash., by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Co.; launched on 18 April 1944; and sponsored by Mrs. Mon C. Wallgren, the wife of the Honorable Mon C. Wallgren, United States senator from the state of Washington.

As it became the practice to rename escort carriers, once assigned the names of "bays in Alaska," for victories in the current war, the name Alikula Bay was changed to Bismarck Sea (q.v.) on 16 May 1944, prior to her commissioning.

 

Published: Thu Mar 26 14:09:26 EDT 2020