USS Nassau ( CVE - 16 ) The USS " Nassau " ( CVE - 16 ) ( originally AVG - 16 then ACV - 16 ) was laid down 27 November 1941 by the Seattle - Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation of Tacoma , Washington , as M . C . Hull No . 234 ; launched 4 April 1942 ; sponsored by Mrs . G . H . Hasselman , Tongue Point , Oregon ; acquired by the Navy 1 May , towed to the Puget Sound Navy Yard , Bremerton , Washington , and converted to an escort aircraft carrier ; and commissioned 20 August , Captain Austin K . Doyle in command . " Nassau " was one of thirty - seven Tacoma - built C3 CVE ' s , of which twenty - six went to the Royal Navy . It was one of the ten Bogue class escort carrier s that served in the U . S . Navy . Service history . On 10 October , " Nassau " arrived at the Naval Air Station , Alameda , California , loaded aircraft , and four days later steamed for Pearl Harbor , thence to Palmyra Island , arriving 30 October . For the next four months , she operated between Palmyra and Nouméa , New Caledonia and Espiritu Santo , New Hebrides . " Nassau " returned to Pearl Harbor 14 February 1943 , embarked personnel and aircraft , and sailed 21 February on a ferry mission to Espiritu Santo . She returned to Pearl Harbor in mid - March and then continued on to Alameda , California . In April , she moved to San Diego and conducted flight training operations , after which she rendezvoused with Task Group 51 . 1 and steamed for Cold Bay , Alaska with Composite Squadron 21 ( VC - 21 ) embarked . " Nassau " got underway on a search mission 4 May and conducted flight operations with Task Force 51 , providing air cover for the occupation of Attu Island from 11 May through 20 May . She returned to San Diego in late May , arrived at Alameda 8 June and onloaded 45 aircraft destined for Brisbane , Australia . She delivered the aircraft 2 July and returned to San Diego via Nouméa , New Caledonia . In August , she trained off San Diego before ferrying planes to Samoa . Returning to San Diego from Samoa , 19 October , " Nassau " embarked Marine Fighter Squadron 225 ( VMF - 225 ) for passage to Pearl Harbor . Arriving 30 October , she conducted air operations off Pearl Harbor during the early days of November and on 7 November , she embarked Fighter Squadron 7 ( VF - 1 ) and steamed for the Gilbert Islands for operations with Task Force 52 . " Nassau " ' s mission was to transport VF - 1 to Tarawa and to send it ashore as soon as facilities were available . The invasion of Tarawa commenced 20 November but encountered bitter resistance . As a result , VF - 1 was assigned combat air patrol and flew bombing and strafing runs from the carrier in support of the assault troops . The squadron flew a total of 106 missions and spent 237 hours of flying time in four days of operations without losing a single plane or pilot . " Nassau " returned to Pearl Harbor on 5 December following flight operations . She then sailed to the Marshall Islands with Task Group 51 . 2 and launched strikes 29 January 1944 against Taroa Field on Maloelap Atoll . The next day , the Task Group centered its operations around Kwajalein , Wotje , and Maloelap Atolls , with " Nassau " conducting both anti - submarine and combat air patrols . " Nassau " returned to Pearl Harbor 3 March , disembarked VC - 66 , and took on aircraft , cargo , and passengers for ferry to the Marshall Islands . Throughout March , ferry missions were performed between Kwajalein , Majuro , and Pearl Harbor . After repairs and alterations at Mare Island Navy Yard , the carrier sailed with 51 aircraft for Finschhafen , New Guinea 5 May . The next four months she performed ferry missions from San Diego to Pearl Harbor , the Admiralties and the New Hebrides Islands . Upon arrival at Seeadler Harbor 1 September , " Nassau " reported to Commander Task Group 30 . 8 . Thus began her tour of duty with Admiral Halsey ' s 3rd Fleet , which made unprecedented naval history in the following months . " Nassau " ' s mission was to operate out of the Admiralties with other escort carriers to provide replacement aircraft and pilots for the attack carriers of Task Force 38 . Steaming in company with the oiler groups , which refueled the ships of the Task Force at sea , " Nassau " made three cruises into the western Pacific . She returned to the Admiralties with disabled aircraft which were destined for shipment to Pearl Harbor or the United States for reconditioning . The first of these replacement trips was in support of the strikes against Palau ; the second in support of operations against the southern and central Philippines . Then Task Force 38 shifted to more northerly targets in the Philippines and Formosa . " Nassau " reached Manus on 20 October . After offloading old aircraft and taking on new ones , she departed on her last replacement trip . Steaming to Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands , she joined up with Task Groups 38 . 1 and 38 . 3 on 28 October and transferred 70 aircraft and 43 pilots to the attack carriers . Task Unit 12 . 6 . 1 , composed of " Nassau " , and four other ships steamed for Pearl Harbor 5 November , arriving 16 November . Two days later , " Nassau " was dispatched to San Diego . Among her passengers were 382 survivors of , which was sunk in the Battle of Leyte Gulf , 24 October 1944 . Another ferry mission to Pearl Harbor followed in mid - November , with three more runs to Guam in December , January 1945 , and February . " Nassau " returned to Alameda , California , 23 March and through the remainder of the war , performed transport and ferry missions between Alameda , Pearl Harbor , Guam , Manus , Samar and Saipan . " Nassau " departed Alameda 13 May 1946 for Tacoma , Washington . On 28 October , she decommissioned and entered the Pacific Reserve Fleet . Designated for modification for aircraft transportation purposes , her classification was changed to CVHE - 16 , 12 June 1955 . Shortly thereafter she transferred to the Bremerton Reserve Group , and was struck from the Navy Register , 1 March 1959 . In June 1961 , she was towed to Japan for scrapping . Awards . " Nassau " received five battle stars for World War II service . References .