USS Bogue: The Most Successful Anti-Submarine Warfare Carrier in World War II

Designed to locate and sink German U-boats in the Battle of the Atlantic, the escort carrier USS Bogue (CVE-9) became the most successful Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) carrier of World War II. This book covers the construction and commissioning of the Bogue, as well as the deployment of Naval Aviation composite squadrons that launched missions from the flight deck. Day-to-day operations are chronicled in comprehensive detail, along with developments in ASW tactics and the breaking of Germany’s Enigma Naval Code, which enabled U.S. Navy forces in the Atlantic to take the offensive.

David Lee Russell is a retired Naval Air Intelligence Officer, and former IT director. He is the author of three books on the American Revolution, a book on the history of Eastern Airlines, and two intelligence thriller novels. He lives in Canton, Georgia.

Acknowledgments vi
Introduction 1
1. Birth of the USS Bogue 3
2. Operational Training 18
3. First War Cruise 26
4. Second War Cruise 31
5. Third War Cruise 34
6. Fourth War Cruise 46
7. Fifth War Cruise 56
8. Sixth War Cruise 63
9. Seventh War Cruise 66
10. Eighth War Cruise 78
11. Ninth War Cruise 90
12. 10th War Cruise 102
13. 11th Cruise 119
14. The Last ASW Combat Cruise 132
15. Transport Duty 149
16. USS Bogue Legacy 152
Appendix A. USS Bogue: Commanding Officers 155
Appendix B.. USS Bogue: Executive Officers and Department Heads 156
Appendix C. USS Bogue: Composite Squadrons (VC) Aboard 157
Appendix D. USS Bogue: Presidential Unit Citation 158
Appendix E. USS Bogue: Task Organization in the Atlantic 1943–45 160
Appendix F. USS Bogue: Submarines Sunk or Contacted by Bogue Task Groups 162
Appendix G. Chart of ­U-boat Losses 1939–1945 165
Chapter Notes 167
Bibliography 179
Index 185