USS Bougainville (CVE-100) was an Casablanca class

Casablanca class escort carrier

The Casablanca class escort aircraft carriers were the greatest number of not only escort carriers, but also any size aircraft carrier ever built to a like-design by any nation at any time. Fifty were laid down, launched and commissioned within the space of less than two years - 3 November 1942...

 escort carrier of the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

, built and used during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. She was launched on 16 May 1944 by the Kaiser Shipyards

Kaiser Shipyards

The Kaiser Shipyards were seven major shipbuilding yards located mostly on the U.S. west coast during World War II. They were owned by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, a creation of American industrialist Henry J...

 in Vancouver, Washington

Vancouver, Washington

Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Washington. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state with a 2010 census population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010...

, under a Maritime Commission contract; sponsored by Mrs. Sally A. Montfort, wife of Captain

Captain (naval)

Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....

 Montfort, acquired on 18 June 1944; and commissioned the same day, Captain C. A. Bond in command.

World War II

On 25 July 1944, Bougainville departed San Diego and steamed to Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...

 where on 1 August she reported to Commander, Carrier Transport Squadron, Pacific Fleet

United States Pacific Fleet

The United States Pacific Fleet is a Pacific Ocean theater-level component command of the United States Navy that provides naval resources under the operational control of the United States Pacific Command. Its home port is at Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. It is commanded by Admiral Patrick M...

. For the rest of 1944, she transported aircraft to the Marshall

Marshall Islands

The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...

, Admiralty

Admiralty Islands

The Admiralty Islands are a group of eighteen islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the south Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-covered islands form part of Manus Province, the smallest and...

, and Mariana Islands

Mariana Islands

The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...

. Returning to San Diego on 22 December, she underwent a brief period of availability until 7 January 1945.

On 8 February 1945, Bougainville reported to Commander, Service Squadron 8, at Eniwetok and for the next six months provided replenishment throughout the Western Pacific to the various Task Groups (TGs) of Task Forces 58 and 38 (TFs 58 and 38). She rendezvoused with these groups at sea, delivering planes, replacement pilots and aircraft crews to the large fleet carriers. In February-March 1945, she carried out replenishment operations with TG 60.8 during the Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima

Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...

 operation. Until June, she provided vital logistic support to the units of the 5th and 3rd Fleets as they engaged in raids supporting the Okinawa operation.

In August, after a brief period of availability at San Diego, Bougainville returned to Pearl Harbor. During the remainder of the month, she transported aircraft between Pearl Harbor and the Marshalls and Marianas.

Post war

In September, she steamed to Okinawa, where she remained until getting underway on 6 October 1945 to deliver planes and occupation personnel to several Chinese ports. Returning to Okinawa on the 19th, she departed the following day for San Diego. At San Diego, she underwent a brief yard period until 28 November, and then made her final voyage to Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok. She returned to San Diego on 12 January 1946 and reported to the 19th Fleet for inactivation. She sailed from San Diego on 19 January en route to Port Angeles Wash., and then to Tacoma. Bougainville was placed out of commission in reserve there on 3 November 1946. She was reclassified CVU-100 on 16 June 1955.