ACV-9 was named for a sound in North Carolina (NS0300931).

(Map courtesy of Google Maps.)

Photo No.: CVE9-1211
Date: 15 January 1942
Subject: USS Bogue going down ways, Sea/Tac yards.

Bogue, ex-Steel Advocate, just after her launch at the Seattle-Tacoma Shipyard, January 15, 1942.

USS Bogue (CVE-9) commissioning ceremony at the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Washington, 26 September 1942.

U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-266407.

USS Bogue (ACV-9) off Puget Sound Navy Yard on 27 October 1942.

Starboard side view showing the general design features of the class.

Photograph was taken by LT W. O. Moore in Puget Sound, Washington, 3 November 1942. Photograph from the Naval Historical Center's "L" File (#USN 266410, National Archives and Records Administration photo # 80-G-266410). (Thanks to Omer S. Olson, who provided this information).

USS Bogue (ACV-9), aerial view while in Puget Sound, Washington. Photographed by Lieutenant W.O. Moore, 3 November 1942.

U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-266413

Puget Sound, Washington, 3 November 1942.

Seattle Branch of the National Archives photo, Record Group 181.

A rescue boat from USS Bogue (ACV-9) bringing in survivors from a crash landing. Photographed by F.B. Larrick, 4 December 1942.

U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-266418

Unidentified crash off Bogue, late-1942/mid-1943.

A cold day (early 1943?).

USS Bogue (ACV-9), crash of F4F-4 Wildcat (# 12108) during turnup prior to catapult launching, release ring, NAF 87711-7, failed. Plane taxied off bow and crashed. Pilot, Lieutenant R.L. Johnson, was uninjured. Photographed by J.W. Gardner, 27 May 1943.

U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-266422

Underway, circa June 1943.

Note the national insignia on aircraft is a white star on a blue circle and lacks the white rectangles and red outline added by order of Army-Navy Specification AN-I-9a of 29 June 1943. The mast forward of the island carries the HF/DF antenna, an essential device for ASW against German U-boats in the Atlantic; it was installed in May 1943.

(Thanks to Omer S. Olson, who helped date this photograph).

USS Bogue (ACV-9) underway near Norfolk, 20 June 1943. Official US Navy photo, now held in the National Archives (# 80-G-71314).

The light area across the port side of the flight deck amidships is smoke from the uptake on that side; the corresponding uptake on the starboard side can be detected roughly halfway between the island and the flight deck rounddown. (Thanks to Robert Hurst.)

"Old Glory Streams in the Breeze, as Escort Carrier "B" [USS Bogue] Sails for a U-boat Hunt"

"Soon her fighters and torpedoplanes, warming up on deck, will take off to search the seas for submarines and to protect the convoy from surface attack. On the voyage this baby flattop was credited with six "very probable kills" in her four-day battle against a Nazi wolf pack of 11 subs [...] No raider approached the convoy closer than 18 miles. Carrier men, noting the glassy wake at the left and the Stars and Stripes blowing across the deck, can tell that the ship is turning into the wind for launching planes."

("The National Geographic Magazine," November, 1943).

Bogue and Prince William classes. ONI 54-CV, Division of Naval Intelligence, Identification and Characteristics Section, 11-43.

Photos of USS Bogue (ACV/CVE-9), 24 June 1942.

Nice view of USS Bogue (CVE-9) underway, June 1944.

Takes help to get an Avenger out of the catwalk! This VC-69 plane (#11) went into a Bogue's catwalk on 19 June 1944.

Composite Squadron (VC) 69 patch, possibly one the RKO Radio Pictures/Max Berman & Sons reproductions.

On 24 June 1944, while operating from USS Bogue (CVE-9), VC-69 sank the Japanese submarine I-52.

Boxing aboard USS Bogue (CVE-9). Final heavyweight bout—Willard (left) vs. Beers (right, winner). Photograph released on 2 July 1944.

USS Bogue (CVE-9) underway in camouflage Measure 32, Design 4A. Atlantic Ocean, circa 1944-1945.

Bogue joined the Atlantic Fleet in February 1943. On March 5 she began the escort of convoys to mid-ocean and return. Although USS Santee (ACV-29) had previously operated on "Hunter-Killer" duty, Bogue was the center of the first of the "Hunter-Killer" groups assigned to convoy escort.

(List of Axis submarines sunk or attacked by USS Bogue Task Groups).

USS Bogue (CVE-9) underway somewhere in the South Atlantic, date unknown. Note one of her aircraft coming in to land (Mark Felton's collection).

Photo taken from Yanagi: The Secret Underwater Trade between Germany and Japan 1942–1945, by Mark Felton.

USS Bogue (CVE-9) wearing Measure 32/4A camouflage scheme, somewhere in the Atlantic. An Avenger torpedo plane is in a landing pattern. As specified for the CVE-9 class, colors were: Pale Gray (5-P), Light Gray (5-L), Haze Gray (5-H), Navy Blue (5-N), and Deck Blue (20-B), with countershading in White (5-U).

United States National Archives and Records Administration, Photo No. 80-G-249257.

A long distance shot of USS Bogue (CVE-9) wearing scheme 32/4A, probably taken in February 1945, in the Atlantic.

United States National Archives and Records Administration, Photo No. 80-G-303493.

Starboard bow view of USS Bogue (CVE-9) anchored at an unknown location in February 1945. Two Avengers are testing their engines at the front edge of her flight deck.

National Naval Aviation Museum photo (# 1996.488.032.015). Robert L. Lawson Photograph Collection.

USS Bogue (CVE-9) as seen from USS Hayter (DE-212). These photos are believed to have been taken in late April 1945, shortly after USS Frederick C. Davis (DE-136) was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-546. Hayter rescued survivors from Frederick C. Davis and transferred them to Bogue, "using breeches buoys under extremely difficult conditions due to heavy seas and darkness."

U-546 was in turn sunk by other DEs from the Bogue and Core group.

The Statue of Liberty as seen from the USS Bogue, entering New York City, 1945.

Yokosuka, December 1945.

Photo NS0300921. Foreground: Japanese Army Ki-74 long-range reconnaissance bomber (allied code name Patsy), manufactured by Tachikawa Aircraft. Background: Japanese Navy 18-Shi G8N1 "Renzan" attack bomber (Rita), manufactured by Nakajima Aircraft.

Photo NS0300921a. Japanese Army A26 (Ki-77) long-range experimental plane, manufactured by Tachikawa Aircraft. Note damaged Japanese battleship Nagato and several auxiliaries anchored just ahead of Bogue.

(Special thanks to Takenaka Kyoji, who identified the Japanese planes pictured here and provided additional information on them).

Good detail image.

Ray Dunham, AETM2/c, comments: "The Bogue was at anchor in Yokohama Harbor, Tokyo Bay for Christmas,1945. We had taken on some Japanese planes which the photo shows on the flight deck. We left Japan & sailed for San Francisco."

Laurice E. Willoughby, Coxswain, adds: "The photo was taken [...] when the Bogue was entering the San Francisco Bay near the Alameda Naval Air Station." Laurice was a crewman aboard the Bogue until she was placed out of commission in reserve, 30 November 1946 at Tacoma, WA.

Lt. Roy Steinmetz, USN (Ret.), provides the exact date: "8 January 1946 - Arrived Alameda, CA." Lt. Steinmetz was in the Bogue from October 1943 until 28 February 1946.

Bogue's Bell preserved by the Reunion Group.

In addition to the ship's Bell, the following items are on display in the USS Yorktown (CV-10) Museum (Patriots Point, SC):

• Photo of the attack, May 22, 1943, on U-569 by Wm. Chamberlain, VC-9
• Photo of USS Bogue, color scheme when first operating in the Atlantic prior to camouflage
• Personnel of Composite Squadron 42, plus ID Sheet above picture
• Photo of USS Bogue in color scheme, post-war Magic Carpet duty in Pacific (courtesy of Bob Koehler. This is photo 0300903, above; Bob was aboard when the photo was taken)
• Six Plankowner pieces from the flight deck
• USS Bogue Commissioning pennat
• USS Bogue Presidential Unit Citation pennant
• Copy of Presidential Unit Citation Award
• Copy of "Bogue Bulletin", ship's newspaper
• USS Bogue CVE-9 scroll (courtesy of Tom LoRusso)

(Thanks to TDCS Ralph Hiestand, USN (Ret.), USS Bogue Historian and former Newsletter editor, who provided the above information).

USS Bogue Bell. Picture taken while at the Dearborn, Mich., Reunion in September 1995.

NS0300918: Last Bogue & VC-9 cruise, July–August 1943.

Back row: Fogde, Connely, Heim, Stewart, Puckett, Walker, Menary, Sheela, Perabo
Middle: Horn, Doty, Stearns, Weigle, Donnahoe, Killefer, Fryatt, McAuslan, Hodgson, Chamberlain
Front row: Kuhn, Johnson, McSoley, Biros, Drane (CO), Roberts, Harding, Balliett, Fowler

This photo must have been taken between July 23 (the date Jack Menary came aboard) and August 23 (the date VC-9 was detached from the Bogue.) Probably on August 2, 3 or 4 when Bogue was in Casablanca, French Morocco.

NS0300918a: Roy C. Ferguson, ACOM, is far right, second row, and 5th from left, front row, in NS0300918b. Ferguson was the "Leading Chief" in the Aviation Ordnance Department while in the Bogue, from August of 1942 until October of 1943. He was transferred to CASU-21, Norfolk Naval Air Station and was the "Leading Chief" of ordnance there, too. So "Fergie" was Omer Olson's supervisor in 1944 and 1945.

Escort Scouting Squadron Nine (VGS-9) / Composite Squadron Nine (VC-9): The Squadron was originally established on 6 August, 1942 as Escort Scouting Squadron Nine {VGS-9} at the Sand Point Naval Air Station, Seattle, WA. It was redesignated Composite Squadron Nine {VC-9} on 1 March 1943. The squadron embarked the Bogue for duty, 22 November 1942 at San Diego, CA. Lt. Comdr. William M. Drane, USN, was the squadron's first Skipper. The VC-9 Squadron was detached from the Bogue 23 August 1943. The squadron, with its new skipper, Lt. Comdr. Howard M. Avery, next embarked on USS Card (CVE-11), commanded by Captain Arnold J. Isbell, 23 September.

For its action on two cruises aboard the Bogue, VC-9 received the first of its three Presidential Unit Citations.

VC-9 Avenger pilots & their Flight Crews, 1942–1943
Pilot	Radioman	Turret Gunner
LT(JG) Letson S. Balliett	James H. Finch ARM 1/c	?
LT E. W. Biros	?	?
LT(JG) Wm. F. Chamberlain	James O. Stine ARM 2/c	Donald L. Clark AMM 2/c
LT(JG) Stewart E. "Kid" Doty	R. E. Pollock S 1/c	Arthur N. Cox AMM 2/c
LCDR William M. Drane	?	?
LT(JG) Frank D. Fogde	?	?
LT(JG) W.S. "Munk" Fowler	Clement Wojcik ARM 2/c (1)	Harold E. Bucholz AMM 3/c
LT(JG) Harry F. Fryatt	?	?
ENS Charles H. Goodchild	Thaddeus C. Bartoszek ARM 3/c	?
ENS Edwards R. Hodgson	?	?
LT(JG) Stewart B. Holt	?	?
LT(JG) Roger C. "Bud" Kuhn	Mitchell S. Gos ARM 2/c	David A. Smith AMM 3/c
ENS Jack Menary	McClure & P. E. Sams (ratings & duties not known)
LT(JG) Alexander C. McAuslan	?	?
ENS J. O. Pfeffer	C. M. Marlette, Jr. ARM 3/c	G. S. Laughlin S1/c
LT Howard S. Roberts	Norman O. Newman ARM 3/c	Wrex C. Boyd AOM2/c
ENS Barton C. Sheela	?	?
LT(JG) Robert L. Stearns	E. L. Myers S 1/c	Frank Dittmer AOM 3/c
LT(JG) Donald E. Weigle	?	?
LT Frank M. "Pop" Whitaker (2)	?	?
(1) Wounded 8 June 1943 while attacking U-118. (2) Was transferred in early 1943.
Some of the VC-9 Wildcat fighter pilots were:
LT Richard S. Rogers; LT(JG) H. C. Carby; LT(JG) Elbert S. Heim; LT(JG) Robert J. Johnson; LT(JG) Phil Perabo; LT(JG) David O. Puckett; LT(JG) R. L. Steward; LT(JG) Raymond J. Tennant; ENS Jesse P. Ebarb; ENS Joseph D. Horn; ENS T. Killefer.
The Squadron had other Avenger and Wildcat pilots and Avenger crewmen not mentioned by name in "The History of Composite Squadron Nine."

VC-9 Honor Roll
ENS J. O. Pfeffer, C. M. Marlette, JR, ARM 3/c & G. S. Laughlin S 1/c	Lost in a midair collision 4 Dec. 1942 in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego.
ENS Jesse P. Ebarb	Lost in plane crash near Virginia Beach, Jan. 1943.
ENS George S. Friend	(Landing Signal Officer). Killed when an F4F plane crashed on landing, 7 February 1943.
LT(JG) R. L. Steward	Lost in a crash off the Bogue on 7 February 1943.
ENS Charles H. Goodchild & Thaddeus C. Bartoszek ARM 3/c	Lost in a plane crash, off the USS Card, 7 October 1943.
ENS Joe W. Roberts	Lost in a plane crash off the USS Mission Bay (CVE-59), 10 January 1944.
LCDR Frank M. "Pop" Whitaker	Commanding Officer of Torpedo Squadron 17, aboard USS Bunker Hill (CV-17). Lost in combat in the Pacific, 2 February 1944.
LT Charles G. Hewitt	Lost in a night catapult from the USS Solomons (CVE-67), 20 April 1944.
LT(JG) Wm. F. Chamberlain, James H. Finch ARM 1/c & Richard G. Hennick AMM 2/c	Lost while attacking U-860, 15 June 1944. (Operating from USS Solomons.)
ENS Harold L. Handschuh & ENS Paul H. Walker	Lost during a search for U-860, 15 June 1944. (Operating from USS Solomons.)
ENS George Edwards, Albert D. Pacyna ARM 2/c & Frank Kuczinski AMM 2/c	Shot down while attacking U-860, 15 June 1944 while on the USS Solomons.
LT Robert J. Johnson	Missing in action during the invasion of southern France, 17 August 1944.
LCDR E. W. "Joe" Biros	Lost in the Pacific in 1944.
LT(JG) Stewart E. "Kid" Doty	Lost in the Pacific in 1944.
LT(JG) Robert L. Stearns	Shot down in the Pacific in 1944 (probably in late June, while operating with Air Group 15, from USS Essex (CV-9).)
LT(JG) H. C. "Hank" Carby	Lost in a plane crash in the Pacific.
Bert Mynard Hargett ARM 3/c	Shot down in the Pacific in 1944 or 1945.
LT(JG) Elbert S. "Stu" Heim	Missing in action, in an attack on Chichi Jima, March or April 1945.
LT(JG) Peter H. Hazard, William P. Bird ARM 1/c & Clarence E. Davis AOM 1/c	Lost in attacking an enemy off Okinawa, 27 March 1945.
ENS Robert William Washburg & ENS Richard E. Quack	Lost in a midair collision off Okinawa, 9 April 1945.

Newspaper clippings.

Unofficial VC-9 emblem, author unknown. A submarine being carried on a pole by a TBF Avenger and an F4F Wildcat.

Oral interview with Leslie McCreath, VC-9 Air Combat Intelligence Officer.

These photos were probably taken aboard USS Bogue (CVE-9) between September 1943 and February 1944.

LT John S. Ireland, Jim's uncle, is in photo NS0300928a, front row, first from left.

(Larger copies available on request.)

"Horrible Homer," a Composite Squadron (VC) 69 TBM-1C Avenger in flight with squadron mates. Date unknown.

VC-69 was embarked aboard USS Bogue (CVE-9), 2 May–3 July 1944.

Eugene L. Conrad, ACOM, USN (second from right), 6 June 1945, at CASU-22, U.S. Naval Air Station, Squantum, Massachusetts. Gene survived the Japanese sinking of USS Yorktown (CV-5), 6 June 1942, at Midway. Transferred to VGS-9, USS Bogue (ACV-9), 22 September 1942 [plankowner]. Enlisted July 1938, retired 1958. Died in 1986.

Roy C. "Fergie" Ferguson, ACOM, (right) shipped into the Navy in March 1928 and served with VGS-9, later VC-9, aboard USS Bogue.

Larger copy available on request.

USS Bogue bakers.

US Navy Photographer was James Erricson Worden.

Chief Petty Officer Yeoman C.E. Blake served aboard USS Bogue (CVE-9) during World War II.

"Icing the beer in Norfolk, Va."

Estate of C.E. Blake, former Chief Petty Officer Yeoman aboard USS Bogue (CVE-9) during World War II.

USS Bogue (ACV-9) Press News, 22 May 1943.

1/700 plastic model from Tamiya.