The USS Wake Island (CVE-65) was a Casablanca-class escort carrier built for the United States Navy during World War II. Constructed under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 1102), she was laid down on 6 February 1943 at the Kaiser Shipyards in Vancouver, Washington. Launched on 15 September 1943 and sponsored by Mrs. Frederick Carl Sherman, she was commissioned on 7 November 1943, with Captain Hames R. Tague in command. The ship’s initial operations included loading supplies, ammunition, and gasoline at Astoria, Oregon, followed by testing and training activities in Puget Sound. After shakedown and availability at San Diego, Wake Island embarked personnel and aircraft of VC-69 before crossing via the Panama Canal to Norfolk, Virginia, in early 1944. Her early service involved transporting personnel and aircraft to the Indian Ocean, making stops at Recife, Cape Town, Diego Suarez, and Karachi, before returning to Norfolk in May. In mid-1944, Wake Island joined Task Group 22.6 as part of an anti-submarine hunter-killer group. Notably, on 2 July, her aircraft successfully sank the German U-543, although confirmation was lacking. The carrier experienced a significant event on 2 August when her escort, USS Fiske, was torpedoed and sunk after a U-boat attack during a patrol off Africa. Wake Island then continued convoy escort duties and aircraft qualification operations, supporting various Pacific campaigns. During the Battle of Iwo Jima, Wake Island provided vital air support, flying numerous spotting sorties and attacking shore installations. She was also active in the Okinawa campaign, supporting landings and engaging enemy aircraft, including kamikaze attacks. On 3 April 1945, she was damaged by a kamikaze, which caused a hole in her side and flooding but was quickly repaired. She participated in strikes against Sakashima Gunto and supported operations until June 1945. In her post-war service, Wake Island conducted aircraft ferry missions, training, and carrier qualification tests, including the historic first jet landing on a carrier in November 1945. She was decommissioned on 5 April 1946, struck from the Naval Vessel Register shortly thereafter, and sold for scrap in April 1946. Throughout her service, she earned three battle stars, marking her significant contribution to the Pacific theater of World War II.

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