Departing San Diego,
California in May 1943, Block Island steamed to Norfolk, Virginia,
to join the Atlantic Fleet. After two trips from New York City to
Belfast, United Kingdom, during the summer of 1943 with cargoes of
Army fighters, she operated as part of a hunter-killer group. During
her four anti-submarine cruises, Block Island′s planes sank two
submarines: U-220 in 48°53′N 33°30′W on 28 October 1943 and U-1059
in 13°10′N 33°44′W on 19 March 1944. She shared credit with
destroyer Corry and destroyer escort Bronstein for the sinking of
U-801 in 16°42′N 30°20′W on 17 March 1944 and with Buckley for U-66
sunk on 6 May 1944 in 17°17′N 32°29′W. Thomas, Bostwick, Borie and
Bronstein sank U-709 on 1 March 1943 and the same day Bronstein got
U-603.
Block Island was torpedoed off the Canary Islands at 20:13 on 29 May
1944. U-549 had slipped undetected through her screen. The submarine
put three torpedoes into the carrier before being sunk herself by
Eugene E. Elmore and Ahrens of the screen in 31°13′N 23°03′W. The
carrier lost 6 men in the attack; the remaining 951 were picked up
by the escort screen.
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