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Wreck of USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) | Second World War 1939-1945, military, aircraft, shipwreck, aircraft carrier, United States Navy

Northern Mariana Islands / Northern Islands / Settlement /
 Second World War 1939-1945, military, aircraft, shipwreck, aircraft carrier, United States Navy

The USS Bismark Sea was the 40th Casablanca Class Escort Aircraft Carrier (CVE) built for the United States Navy, laid down at the Kaiser Vancouver Shipyard in January 1944 and commissioned into service with the US Pacific Fleet in May of the same year.

Assigned to the US 7th Fleet at Ulithi Atoll, the Bismarck Sea and her crew steamed to the Philippine Islands where they provided air support to US forces fighting on Leyte Island before moving up the archipelago and taking part in the Lingayen Gulf landings in January 1945. Retiring to Ulithi for a period of upkeep, reprovisioning and rest for her crew, Bismarck Sea arrived off the small volcanic island of Iwo Jima on February 16th after escorting a reinforcement convoy from Ulithi to the front lines.

Disengaged from her convoy the Bismarck Sea began providing close air support for the troops fighting on Iwo Jima which involved almost nonstop air operations from well before dawn to well after dark every day. Crews aboard ship found no respite in between busy flight recovery and launching cycles from the ever-present threat of massed Kamikaze attack by Japanese aircraft, something they were first exposed to in the Philippines.

In the early afternoon of February 21st the Bismarck Sea had launched her scheduled afternoon strike and was maneuvering out of the combat area when her task force came under Kamikaze attack by a small group of Japanese aircraft. Despite her evasive maneuvering and a pall of AA fire thrown up by her gunners and those on her escorts, a single Japanese aircraft managed to weave through her defenses and slammed into the Bismarck Sea's Starboard hull directly beneath her 40mm battery. The plane's motor punched through the unarmored steel of the Carrier's hull and hangar deck before striking the armored casing around the forward magazines, causing several large fires which were soon spreading through the ship and threatening to set off the explosive-filled compartment. Damage control teams flooded her magazines and raced to confront the rapidly spreading fires as her Captain maneuvered his vessel to keep the flames forward, and after a few hours of tenacious efforts the gasoline fires were nearly under control.

Unfortunately another wave of Kamikaze's were soon overhead, eager to destroy the damaged American Carrier. Obscured by smoke from her own fires, Bismarck Sea's gunners again tried in vain to repel the coordinated suicide attack, but another aircraft penetrated her defenses and slammed into her rear flight deck elevator, severing her fire main and coating much of her hangar bay in gasoline-fed flames. Now severely damaged and with no way to fight the rapidly spreading fire onboard, the Bismarck Sea was ordered abandoned.

As her surviving crew swam clear of the ship to nearby Destroyers, the onboard fires reached the Bismarck Sea's rear magazines and set off an enormous explosion that sealed the Carriers fate. As her escorts withdrew from the area, the burning hulk of the Bismarck Sea sank Stern-first at this location on February 21st, 1945 with 318 of her crew still aboard ship.

For her actions during the Second World War, USS Bismarck Sea was awarded three Battle Stars.

www.navsource.org/archives/03/095.htm
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Coordinates:   24°2'21"N   141°18'49"E

Comments

  • james bixler (guest)
    i didnt know we have a ship that was called U.S.S BISMARCK SEA HOW COME THAT I DIDNT HEAR ABOUT IT
  • Ken Cruse (guest)
    RD3 Ken Cruse here from USS Suribachi AE-21 1967 Commanded by Captain Billie C. Spell who had been aboard the Bismarck Sea during the attack and became a survivor as well as a Captain Extraordinaire of the Suribachi. Captain Spell was an excellent fighter pilot and a Superior leader of Sailors!
  • alayna (guest)
    Because it wasn't a very important ship except to those who fought on it or the families of those veterans. I used to argue with every teacher that my grandfather was on the USS Bismarck Sea on the USA side and I was always told no. So, every year my grandmother would go to the school with my grandfathers medals to prove yes indeed we had a USS Bismarck Sea.
  • Chris Andrews (guest)
    My Uncle was on the Bismarck Sea when it was hit and sunk by the kamikaze planes. My Dad just recently within the past 3 to 5 years told me all about it. Apparently when it was sunk many of the sailors ended up in the water for hours. Something like 8 to 12 hours for some of them such as my Uncle. He swam under the flames in the water and came up in the middle of the fire because he figured the Kamikaze planes that were strafing the water would straf out away from the flames. That is exactly what they did and he was able to survive. My Dad said my Uncle felt really bad for his buddy who didn't follow. I guess he always felt he could have done more. There was so much chaos at that time I would bet getting someone to follow you into the middle of some flames in the water may have been pretty hard. We have a picture of him when they had just pulled him from the water. It was strange to see because he was covered in oil from the sinking ship. The only reason we know it's my Uncle is him and my Dad looked a lot alike being brothers and all. When I looked at the picture I actually at first thought it was my Dad. Which was impossible as my Dad was the youngest of 7 and at that time he was probably 8 or 9. It took my Uncle years to finally admit that the picture was him. I guess the experience was pretty traumatic. I have heard many Veterans who have experienced this type of thing rarely want to talk about it. Nevertheless I am now 56 myself and my Uncle is still my hero!
  • john o'neil (guest)
    My uncle, Patrick J. Looney, was in the water as well, but did not survive.
  • Jannine Bursau (guest)
    My father was also on the USS Bismarck Sea when it was attacked and he survived after being in the water for over 12 hours. He never wanted to talk about war so I only know bits and pieces and that he was severely injured from the explosions. I have so much respect for these men and Veterans that protect our free country. Thank You is never enough.
  • Jannine Bursau (guest)
    They were all important ships and men!
  • Tom Stoddard (guest)
    My father LTJG Edward I. Stoddard was killed when the ship was sunk. He was assistant communications officer.
  • Diana Moungie Gaisser (guest)
    My Dad, Robert Moungie, was on the Bismarck Sea when it was hit. He survived over eight hours in the shark infested water with shrapnel in his head. There were many bodies surrounding him that had been eaten by sharks. He lived to be 86 and still had a piece of shrapnel in his head. I miss him. God Bless all veterans!
  • Steve Watkins (guest)
    My Uncle Marvin C Watkins from Red River County Texas was on the USS Bismarck and did not survive
  • David Sperling (guest)
    My mom was engaged to a man on the USS Bismarck Sea. All I know is they called him "Scotty" he was killed when the Kamikazee pilots hit the ship. His loss effected her all of the rest of her life. She has asked that the photo she still has of him be buried with her when she's finally set to rest. They were in North Dakota just as he was being drafted into the war.
  • Robert K. Pennington (guest)
    My cousin Robert L. Myers was on the Bismark Sea when it was sunk by the Japanese kamikaze planes. He did not survive the attack. He was from California. I only seen him once when he visited us in Mt Vernon, Mo. I'm looking for a book about The Bismark Sea and it's crew. Bob Pennington guest.
  • Larry Reed (guest)
    My Uncle Billie Eugene Reed was serving on board and did not survive the sinking.
  • Gus Walton (guest)
    My Uncle, Robert Hillman was on the ship when it went down. He was rescued three hours later and lived to be 93. He just passed yesterday
  • James Pyatt (guest)
    My oldest half uncle, Glenn Pyatt, CM2, was one of the 318 that went down with the ship and did not survive, I credit his service and sacrifice for my own enlistment in the US Navy 39 years later.
  • Show all comments
This article was last modified 13 years ago