The USS Long Island (CVE-1), originally laid down as the cargo liner Mormacmail, was the lead ship of her class and the first escort carrier commissioned by the United States Navy. Built by the Sun Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Chester, Pennsylvania, she was laid down on July 7, 1939, launched on January 11, 1940, and acquired by the Navy on March 6, 1941. She was commissioned on June 2, 1941, under the command of Commander Donald B. Duncan. Constructed from a converted cargo ship, Long Island was repurposed into an escort carrier and played a significant role in early World War II operations. Before the attack on Pearl Harbor, she operated out of Norfolk, Virginia, conducting experimental flights to assess aircraft operations from converted cargo ships, contributing valuable data that improved the combat readiness of subsequent aircraft carriers. Following the Japanese attack, she escorted convoys to Newfoundland and qualified carrier pilots at Norfolk before heading to the West Coast. In mid-1942, Long Island joined Admiral William S. Pye’s Task Force One, providing air cover along the U.S. West Coast during the critical period around the Battle of Midway. She then shifted to carrier pilot training after leaving the formation. In July 1942, she arrived at Pearl Harbor, and after a brief transit to the South Pacific, launched aircraft from a position southeast of Guadalcanal, including Wildcats and Dauntless dive bombers, which played an essential role in the Guadalcanal campaign. Reclassified as ACV-1 in August 1942 and later as CVE-1 in July 1943, Long Island continued to serve throughout the war by transporting aircraft and personnel across the Pacific. After V-J Day, she supported Operation Magic Carpet, repatriating troops. She was decommissioned on March 26, 1946, and struck from the Naval Vessel Register shortly after. Subsequently, she was sold for scrap but was converted into a merchant vessel named Nelly, later Seven Seas, serving as an immigrant carrier, a student hostel, and a migrant hostel until her scrapping in 1977. Throughout her service, USS Long Island earned one battle star for her World War II contributions, marking her as a pioneering and versatile vessel in U.S. naval history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.