|
Following shakedown off
southern California, Rudyerd Bay ferried planes to Espiritu Santo in
April and May; then she conducted qualification exercises off
California into July. After this, she made another ferry run, this
time to Majuro from 20 July to 26 July, escorted by O'Flaherty. On
her return, she embarked Composite Squadron 77 (VC-77) and, on 8
August, she again headed west. At Eniwetok, she joined Task Group
30.8 (TG 30.8), the fast carrier forces' replenishment group, with
which she arrived at Manus on 31 August.
During early September, she covered the replenishment group as the
Third Fleet supported the Palau campaign. In October, she continued
that cover as strikes against the Philippines began. On 18 October,
she took on survivors of the Houston, transported them to Ulithi;
whence in November, she resumed covering operations which continued
into the new year.
On 29 December, Rudyerd Bay, with Nehenta Bay, tankers, and other
ships, departed Ulithi. In the Philippine Sea until 10 January 1945,
the replenishment group shifted to the South China Sea as the fast
carriers continued support of the Lingayen assault and conducted
strikes against enemy installations and shipping from Indochina to
Formosa. On 22 January, they retired, via the Sulu and Mindanao Seas
and Leyte Gulf, to Ulithi.
Rudyerd Bay remained at Ulithi until 10 February. She then proceeded
to Saipan to prepare for the assault on Iwo Jima. Departing the
Marianas in TG 51.17, she provided air cover for the troop
transports en route to the Volcano Islands, from 16 February to 18
February. On the 18th, she joined TG 52.2 and from then until 8
March, operated to the east of Iwo Jima as VC-77 flew support
missions over the contested island and antisubmarine patrols over
the surrounding waters.
Anchored at Ulithi from 11 March to 20 March, Rudyerd Bay, with
VC-96 now embarked, got underway for the Ryukyus in Task Unit 52.1.2
(TU 52.1.2) on 21 March. On 25 March, she arrived at her position 60
miles to the south of Okinawa and began launching strikes against
enemy positions on Kerama Retto and on Okinawa. With the exceptions
of 1 April and 8 April, VC-96 flew daily support missions until 17
April. On 13 April, 14 April, and 15 April, the squadron target was
shifted from Okinawa Gunto to Sakishima Gunto. On 17 April, Rudyerd
Bay rotated to TG 50.8. For the next 10 days, she provided air cover
for that group, then returned to TG 52.1 and resumed support
missions for the troops fighting ashore. On 8 May, she again joined
TG 50.8, which she covered until retiring from the Ryukyus on 20
May. By that time, VC-96 had flown 1,257 missions in support of the
Okinawa offensive.
Rudyerd Bay arrived at Guam on 23 May, detached VC-96, and embarked
VC-85 as passengers for transport back to the United States.
By the end of July, the escort carrier had completed a shipyard
overhaul and had been reassigned to plane ferry duty. On 1 August,
she departed Alameda for the Marshalls. On 14 August, hostilities
ceased. Rudyerd Bay continued on, discharged cargo and passengers at
Eniwetok, then proceeded to Ulithi and the Philippines, whence she
moved VC-33 to Okinawa. There, she embarked another squadron for the
voyage back to California.
On 8 October, she arrived at San Francisco, underwent repairs and
alterations to enable her to carry troops, then joined the "Magic-Carpet"
fleet. Into the new year, she brought veterans of the Pacific war
back to the United States. On 23 January 1946, she completed her
last trans-Pacific run; and on 18 February, she departed California
for the east coast. Transiting the Panama Canal on 28 February, she
off-loaded aircraft at Jacksonville, Florida, in early March, and
proceeded to Boston to begin inactivation.
Decommissioned on 11 June 1946, Rudyerd Bay, redesignated CVU-81 on
12 June 1955, and AKV-29 in 1959, remained in the Atlantic Reserve
Fleet, berthed at Boston, Massachusetts, until struck from the Navy
List on 1 August 1959. In January 1960, she was sold to Cantieri
Navali Santa Maria, Genoa, Italy, for scrapping. |
