Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page. Return to Online Library listing

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 99106:  USS Lunga Point in the Mindanao Sea, 3 January 1945

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Lunga Point (CVE-94, later CVU-94 and AKV-32), 1944-1960

USS Lunga Point, a 7800-ton Casablanca class escort aircraft carrier built at Vancouver, Washington, was commissioned in mid-May 1944. That summer she hauled U.S. Army aircraft to New Guinea. After receiving her own air group, she went to the southern Philippines, where she supported the ongoing Leyte campaign in November. In January 1945 Lunga Point participated in the invasion of Luzon, providing air cover for the landings and enduring a series of attacks by Japanese suicide planes. She was also part of the Iwo Jima operation that began in mid-February, and had a close call on the 21st of that month when a burning enemy torpedo plane crashed on her flight deck, but fortunately slid over the side without causing any injuries to her crew or much damage to the ship.

From late March until late June 1945 Lunga Point served off Okinawa, providing air support for the Ryukyus campaign and fighting a running battle with "Kamikazes". In July and early August she covered minesweeping efforts west of Okinawa and took part in an anti-shipping cruise off the China coast. Following Japan's capitulation in mid-August, the carrier helped recover Allied prisoners of war and performed transportation missions. Lunga Point returned to the U.S. in November, then operated in the Pacific until early in 1946. Inactive thereafter, she was decommissioned in October 1946 and laid up at Tacoma, Washington. While in "mothballs" she was twice reclassified, becoming CVU-94 in June 1955 and AKV-32 in May 1959. USS Lunga Point was stricken from the Navy list at the beginning of April 1960 and sold for scrapping in August of that year.

This page features all the views we have concerning USS Lunga Point (CVE-94, later CVU-94 and AKV-32).


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 99106

USS Lunga Point
(CVE-94)

Operating with Task Force 77.4 in the Mindanao Sea, Philippines, 3 January 1945.
Photographed from USS Makin Island (CVE-93).
Lunga Point is painted in Camouflage Measure 33, Design 18A. For drawings of this design, see Photo #s 80-G-174771 (starboard side) and 80-G-174770 (port side).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the Collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Online Image: 90KB; 740 x 610 pixels

 

High-Resolution JPG
Photo #: NH 94876

USS Lunga Point
(CVE-94)

Pitching heavily during a western Pacific storm, October 1945. Another escort carrier is steaming astern, beyond her starboard quarter.
Photographed from USS Makin Island (CVE-93), circa 1944-45.

Courtesy of PHC John Highfill, USN (Retired).

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Online Image: 62KB; 740 x 590 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 94874

USS Lunga Point
(CVE-94)

In heavy seas during a western Pacific storm, October 1945.

Courtesy of PHC John Highfill, USN (Retired).

U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.

Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 600 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-430121

Burning Japanese "Kamikaze" airplane


Slides across the flight deck of USS Lunga Point (CVE-94) before falling into the sea, off Iwo Jima on 21 February 1945.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 66KB; 740 x 610 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: NH 69404

Rear Admiral Calvin T. Durgin, USN
,
Commander Escort Carrier Force, Pacific (left)

Is assisted from at TBM "Avenger" aircraft as he arrives on board USS Lunga Point (CVE-94) on 3 April 1945, during the Okinawa campaign.

Collection of Vice Admiral Calvin T. Durgin. Donated by his daughter, Mrs. Phyllis Durgin Sherrill, 1969.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Online Image: 115KB; 595 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 69405

Rear Admiral Calvin T. Durgin, USN
,
Commander Escort Carrier Force, Pacific (left)

Is welcomed aboard USS Lunga Point (CVE-94) after arriving in a TBM "Avenger" aircraft on 3 April 1945, during the Okinawa campaign.

Collection of Vice Admiral Calvin T. Durgin. Donated by his daughter, Mrs. Phyllis Durgin Sherrill, 1969.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Online Image: 74KB; 740 x 610 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 69409

USS Lunga Point
(CVE-94)

Officers of the U.S. and British Navies on board the ship, 11 September 1945. They are (from left to right, front):
Rear Admiral Ralph S. Riggs, USN, Commander Cruiser Division 12;
Captain R.A.B. Edwards, RN, Commanding Officer, HMS Gambia; and
Captain Joseph L. Kane, USN, Chief of Staff for Commander Escort Carrier Forces, Pacific.

Collection of Vice Admiral Calvin T. Durgin. Donated by his daughter, Mrs. Phyllis Durgin Sherrill, 1969.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Online Image: 81KB; 740 x 605 pixels

 


In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Lunga Point (CVE-94). The following list features some of these images:

The images listed below are NOT in the Naval History and Heritage Command's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."



  • Photo #: 80-G-301305
    USS Lunga Point (CVE-94) en route through the Sulu Sea, Philippines, 4 January 1945. Taken from USS Makin Island (CVE-93).
    Starboard bow surface view.

  • Photo #: 80-G-301307
    As 80-G-301305, but starboard quarter surface view, with a small amount of Makin Island's port flight deck gallery in the foreground.

  • Photo #: 80-G-357954
    USS Lunga Point (CVE-94) with a TBM "Avenger" aircraft flying across the ship's bow. Photograph received by the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory 17 January 1946, but probably taken about a year earlier as the ship is painted in pattern camouflage.
    Starboard bow surface view, with the aircraft overhead banking (left wing high) and flying nearly toward the camera.


    Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval History and Heritage Command.

    The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval History and Heritage Command's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


  • NOTES:

  • To the best of our knowledge, the pictures referenced here are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.

  • Some images linked from this page may bear obsolete credit lines citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center". Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval History and Heritage Command".


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.

    Page made 30 January 2004
    High-resolution image added 31 January 2011