ACV-18 was named Altamaha for a river and a sound in the state of Georgia. Altamaha was also the name of a town established in 1540 upon a site located in the present-day state of Georgia. Altamaha was mentioned in the journals of Hernando De Soto's expedition.

(Map courtesy of Google Maps.)

Aerial view of USS Altamaha (ACV-18) underway in Puget Sound, Wash., 27 October (September?) 1942. Note discrepancy between typed and handwritten dates.

Photo from a Division of Naval Intelligence manual, Identification and Characteristics Section, June 1943.

The flight deck of USS Altamaha (ACV-18) loaded with aircraft, 4 November 1942. The carrier had departed San Diego the previous day, and was steaming in convoy for the southwest Pacific.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-375596.

S1/c Stacey following presentation of the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroism aboard USS Lexington (CV-2). USS Altamaha (ACV-18), 14 December 1942.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-375684.

New Year's Cake presented with Captain Jackson R. Tate, USS Altamaha (ACV-18), 1 January 1943.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-375588.

USS Altamaha, Bremerton Naval Shipyard, 1943.

Photo in the National Archives, Seattle, WA.

USS Altamaha (ACV-18), 15 January 1943. 40mm gun "Sally Rand" and 3A crew.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-375649.

Vice Admiral Herbert Fairfax Leary presenting awards aboard USS Altamaha (ACV-18) at Vita Levu, Nandi Bay, Fiji Islands, 26 January 1943. Ensign Francis R. Sanborn, USNR, receives the Navy Cross.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-375660.

USS Altamaha (ACV-18), 6 February 1943. Torpedo decorated to resemble a lion’s head which the crew intends for Tojo! Shown is the Torpedoman who designed the lion’s head.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-375609.

USS Altamaha (ACV-18), 6 February 1943. Bombs aboard dedicated to celebrities. Ordnance crew with bomb dedicated to John H. Mulholland.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-375612.

USS Altamaha (ACV-18), 6 February 1943. Bombs aboard dedicated to celebrities. Officers with bomb dedicated to "Ed" Sedgwick.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-375617.

USS Altamaha (ACV-18), medical boat bag, March 1943.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-375695.

USS Altamaha (ACV-18), 5 March 1943. Bombs aboard dedicated to celebrities. Bomb and ordnance crew with bomb dedicated to musician Jimmy Dorsey.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-375633.

USS Altamaha (CVE-18), 10 April 1943. Close-up of antenna onboard struck by an F4F Wildcat.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-375717.

USS Altamaha (ACV-18), May 1943. Dead reckoning tracer.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-375633.

USS Altamaha (ACV-18), May 1943. Interior of Communications Room showing men performing their tasks.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-375706.

USS Altamaha (ACV-18), May 1943. Interior of Communications Room showing men performing their tasks.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-375707.

USS Altamaha (CVE-18), May 1943. TBF Avengers being loaded onboard.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-375714.

USS Altamaha (CVE-18), 22 June 1943. SO3C Seamew, front view showing method of folding wings. This operation was the first of plane from carrier.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), # 80-G-375720.

The Bogue class were used extensively as aircraft ferries in the later stages of the war. Here USS Altamaha (CVE-18) is seen with a deck load of Army P-51 Mustang fighters off San Francisco, California, on 16 July 1943.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command (# NH 106575).

USS Altamaha (CVE-18) underway 16 July 1943. The ship was commissioned 15 September 1942. National Archives photo (# 80-G-74432).

Note the deck cargo of P-51 Mustang fighters and the carrier's windbreak erected at the forward edge of the flight deck. (Thanks to Robert Hurst.)

45° off centerline view of USS Altamaha (CVE-18) departing Mare Island Navy Yard on 9 Nov 1943. Navy Yard Mare Island, Calif., photo # 7543-43.

Source: Mare Island Naval Shipyard Ship Files, San Francisco NARA.

Port aerial view of USS Altamaha (CVE-18) employed as an aircraft transport, 30 November 1943. The flight deck is loaded with P-47 fighters, which will be assembled when off loaded.

Source: Australian War Memorial, photo No. 302535.

Wartime picture of USS Altamaha (CVE-18) circa 1944, location unknown. Official U.S. Navy photo from Jane's Fighting Ships 1954–1955.

This photo shows the Bogue-class escort carrier USS Altamaha (CVE-18) operating with blimp K-29 on 24 February 1944, in a test off the California coast. The camouflage pattern worn by Altamaha is Measure 33 Design 2A. The colors were: Pale Gray (5-P), Haze Gray (5-H) and Navy Blue (5-N). In this strong sunlight the contrast between panels of pale gray and haze gray is barely visible. K-29 is making a landing approach to Altamaha. Note also that the escort carrier is barely making headway. This photo was probably taken from another blimp from squadron ZP-31.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-220070.

Escort carrier USS Altamaha (CVE-18) operating with blimp K-29 on 24 February 1944, in a test off the California coast. The camouflage pattern worn by Altamaha is Measure 33 Design 2A. In this photo, K-29 has landed on Altamaha. This photo was probably taken from another blimp from squadron ZP-31.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-220074.

This last photo in a sequence shows USS Altamaha (CVE-18) operating with blimp K-29 on 24 February 1944, in a test off the California coast. The camouflage pattern worn by Altamaha is Measure 33 Design 2A. K-29 is just taking off after having landed on Altamaha. This photo was probably taken from another blimp from squadron ZP-31.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-220075.

An F4U Corsair conducts a RATO (Rocket-Assisted Take Off) aboard USS Altamaha (CVE-18), 1 March 1944.

Photo NS0301812, below, is one of the last in the same batch—that explains why the deck is so white.

National Archives photo (80-G-215654), College Park.

An F6F-3 Hellcat getting ready for a jet-assisted take-off from USS Altamaha (CVE-18), on 1 March 1944. A Douglas SBD Dauntless is visible behind the F6F.

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, Photo No. 1996.253.7193.009.

USS Altamaha (CVE-18), 11 April 1944. Crash of TBM Avenger #29 of VC-66 Squadron.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), photo # 80-G-225807.

USS Altamaha (CVE-18). Crash landing of TBM Avenger (J26 of VC-66 Squadron) due to tail hook failure. After swinging around the bridge plane rights itself and begins to nose over.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), photo # 80-G-225814.

USS Altamaha (CVE-18). Crash landing of TBM Avenger (J26 of VC-66 Squadron) due to tail hook failure. Plane noses over against forward end of bridge.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), photo # 80-G-225815.

USS Altamaha (CVE-18) in the New Hebrides, September 1944. The camouflage pattern worn by the ship is Measure 33 Design 2A.

United States National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), Photo No. 80-G-286157.

[The escort carrier USS Altamaha (CVE-18)] was unusual in having a raised uptake on the starboard side aft, as shown in these February 1945 refit photos taken at San Francisco Navy Yard. The circles indicate changes, which appear to have been minor. Note that, to save weight, all her 20mm guns were unshielded; the ultimate 20mm weight saver, the replacement of single mounts by twin mounts, had not yet been carried out.

Photos and text from U.S. Aircraft Carriers: An Illustrated Design History, by Norman Friedman.

A piece of history—A 40mm Mk.2 shell from USS Altamaha (CVE-18), 1945.