USS Takanis Bay (CVE-89)

The USS Takanis Bay (CVE-89) (also CVU-89) was a United States Navy Casablanca-class escort aircraft carrier, named after Takanis Bay[?] on the west side of Yakobi Island[?] in Alaska (near Sitka).

She was laid down under Maritime Commission[?] contract (MC hull 1126) on 16 December 1943 at Vancouver, Washington, by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company[?], launched on 10 March 1944, sponsored by Mrs. Alden R. Sanborn[?], and commissioned on 15 April 1944, Captain A. R. Brady[?] in command.

After shakedown, Takanis Bay operated out of San Diego with Fleet Air, West Coast[?], through the end of hostilities with Japan in mid-August 1945. She tested pilots for carrier operations, and, between 24 May 1944 and 28 August 1945, she qualified 2,509 pilots.

On the latter day, she sailed for Hawaii and was assigned to Carrier Transport Squadron[?], Pacific. In two trips, she returned 1,300 servicemen to San Diego. Late in September, the carrier was assigned to the Operation Magic Carpet fleet which had been established for the sole purpose of bringing veterans home. At San Diego, bunks for 800 passengers were installed in the carrier, and she made two more round trip voyages to Hawaii and one to the Tokyo Bay[?] area to repatriate servicemen.

Takanis Bay arrived at San Pedro, California from her last voyage on 2 January 1946. She moved to Puget Sound in April, where inactivation work was begun, and she was decommissioned on 1 May 1946. Takanis Bay was reclassified CVU-89 on 12 June 1955 and was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 August 1959. She was sold on 29 June 1960 to Hyman-Michaels Company[?], Chicago, Illinois, for scrap.

This article includes information collected from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.