View source for USS Copahee

{{short description|Bogue-class escort carrier of the US Navy}}
{{morefootnotes|date=October 2024}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
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|Ship image=USS Copahee (CVE-12) underway in the Pacific Ocean on 8 July 1944 (80-G-276964).jpg
|Ship caption=USS ''Copahee'' in 1944
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1941}}
|Ship name=USS ''Copahee''
|Ship namesake=[[Copahee Sound]] in South Carolina
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|Ship laid down=18 June 1941
|Ship launched=21 October 1941
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|Ship commissioned=15 June 1942
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|Ship decommissioned=5 July 1946
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|Ship struck=1 March 1959
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|Ship fate=Scrapped in 1961
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|Ship class={{sclass|Bogue|escort carrier}}
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|Ship displacement=7,800&nbsp;tons
|Ship length={{convert|495.7|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|111.5|ft|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship propulsion=2 boilers (285&nbsp;psi); 1 steam turbine; 1 shaft; 8,500&nbsp;shp (6.3&nbsp;MW)
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|Ship speed=16.5&nbsp;knots (30.6&nbsp;km/h)
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|Ship complement=890 officers and men
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'''USS ''Copahee'' (CVE-12)''' was a {{sclass|Bogue|escort carrier}} that served in the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War II]].  Originally classified '''AVG-12''', was changed to '''ACV-12''', 20 August 1942; '''CVE-12''', 15 July 1943; and '''CVHE-12''', 12 June 1955.

She was laid down on 18 June 1941, as ''Steel Architect'', under [[Maritime Commission]] contract (hull 169) in [[Tacoma, Washington]] by [[Todd Pacific Shipyards]], launched 21 October 1941; sponsored by Mrs. W. M. Wells; acquired by the United States Navy on 8 February 1942; and commissioned 15 June 1942, [[Commander (United States)|Commander]] J. G. Farrell in command.

==Service history==
Sailing from [[Alameda, California|Alameda]] 5 September 1942, ''Copahee'' arrived at [[Nouméa]] 28 September with her cargo of planes, stores and passengers. From 7 October to 11 October, she cruised toward [[Guadalcanal]] to launch 20 Marine fighter planes and 18 SBD-3s of VMSB-141 for [[Henderson Field (Guadalcanal)|Henderson Field]], then returned to [[San Diego, California]] 29 October for overhaul.

After training at [[Pearl Harbor]], ''Copahee'' sailed to San Diego, arriving 25 February 1943 to begin transport duty carrying aircraft, aviation stores and personnel to the forward bases in the [[New Hebrides]], [[Fiji]]s, and [[New Caledonia]] as well as islands in the [[Hawaii]]an chain, departing San Diego on 10 March 1943 until 7 June 1943.

Between 2 September 1943 and 19 January 1944, she made two voyages to deliver aircraft at [[Townsville]] and [[Brisbane]], Australia, and one to Pearl Harbor. She sailed from San Diego 10 April to ferry aircraft from Pearl Harbor to [[Majuro]] until 3 June, when she began supporting the [[Mariana Islands|Marianas]] operation by supplying replacement pilots and aircraft to carriers of the 5th Fleet. On 28 July 1944, she returned to San Diego, California with a load of captured Japanese planes (13 [[Mitsubishi A6M]] Zeros and 1 [[Nakajima B5N]] "Kate") and equipment (37 engines) to be used for intelligence and training purposes.

After overhaul, ''Copahee'' returned to transport duty. Until the end of the war she made six voyages from Alameda, carrying her vital cargo to [[Manus Island|Manus]], Majuro, [[Guam]], [[Saipan]], and Pearl Harbor. From 6 September to 21 December 1945, she participated in [[Operation Magic Carpet]], returning homeward-bound servicemen from Saipan, Guam, [[Eniwetok]], and the [[Philippines]] to the west coast. She returned to Alameda 21 December 1945, and was decommissioned and placed in reserve at Tacoma, Washington, 5 July 1946.

''Copahee'' was redesignated as a helicopter escort carrier ('''CVHE-12''') on 12 June 1955.  Stricken for disposal on 1 March 1959, ''Copahee'' was sold for scrap in 1961.{{citation needed|date=April 2016}}

==Awards==
''Copahee'' received one [[battle star]] for World War II service.

==References==
{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/copahee.html}}

{{reflist}}

{{Bogue class escort carrier}}
{{Type C3-S-A1 ships}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Copahee (Cve-12)}}
[[Category:Bogue-class escort carriers of the United States Navy]]
[[Category:Ships built in Tacoma, Washington]]
[[Category:1941 ships]]
[[Category:World War II escort aircraft carriers of the United States]]