USS Admiralty Islands (CVE-99)

USS Admiralty Islands (CVE-99)

USS Admiralty Islands (CVE-99) was a United States Navy Casablanca-class escort aircraft carrier, named after the Admiralty Islands group north of New Guinea, scene of fighting early in 1944.

Laid down as USS Chaplin Bay, under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1136) on 26 February 1944 by the Kaiser Shipyards, Vancouver, Washington, she was renamed Admiralty Islands on 26 April 1944, launched on 10 May 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Homer N. Wallin, and commissioned at Astoria, Oregon, on 13 June 1944, Captain J. D. Barner in temporary command. Later that day, command of the ship passed to Captain M. E. A. Gouin.