The USS Prince William (CVE-31), originally designated AVG-31 and later ACV-31, was a United States Navy escort aircraft carrier built during World War II. Laid down on May 18, 1942, by the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Corporation in Tacoma, Washington, the vessel was launched on August 23, 1942, and commissioned on April 9, 1943, under the command of Captain Herbert E. Regan. The ship was named after Prince William Sound in Alaska. Constructed as a CVE (escort aircraft carrier), the Prince William measured approximately 492 feet in length, with a beam of around 69 feet, and was designed to support fleet operations by ferrying aircraft and personnel. After a brief shakedown along the West Coast, she reported for duty with the Pacific Fleet, primarily ferrying aircraft and personnel to forward areas including New Caledonia, Canton Island, Samoa, and Espiritu Santo. Her operations in the Pacific continued until spring 1944, with a brief stint at San Diego for pilot training. In mid-1944, she was reassigned to the Atlantic Fleet, where she shifted her operations to the Atlantic theater, operating out of ports such as Port Everglades and Norfolk. Her duties included unloading aircraft and cargo, qualifying pilots with new navigational equipment like LORAN, and ferrying planes to locations such as Casablanca. By mid-1945, she was transporting aircraft and personnel between the West Coast and Hawaii, supporting ongoing military efforts in the Pacific. After the war ended, Prince William participated in "Magic Carpet" operations, returning military personnel and equipment to the United States for approximately seven months. She was decommissioned on August 29, 1946, and assigned to the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. Reclassified as CVHE-31 in 1955, she remained in reserve until being struck from the Naval Register on March 1, 1959. The vessel was ultimately sold for scrap in Japan in March 1961. The USS Prince William served as a vital logistical and training asset during World War II, reflecting the crucial role of escort carriers in ferrying aircraft, training pilots, and supporting fleet operations across both Pacific and Atlantic theaters.

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