USS St. Lo

	USS St. Lo (CVE-63)
History
United States
Name	Chapin Bay (1942–1943); Midway (1943–1944); St. Lo (1944);
Namesake	Chapin Bay, Alaska; Battle of Midway; Battle of Saint-Lô;
Ordered	as a Type S4-S2-BB3 hull, MCE hull 1100
Awarded	18 June 1942
Builder	Kaiser Shipbuilding Company, Vancouver, Washington
Cost	$6,033,429.05
Yard number	309
Way number	3
Laid down	23 January 1943
Launched	17 August 1943
Sponsored by	Mrs. Howard Nixon Coulter
Commissioned	23 October 1943
Renamed	Midway, 3 April 1943; St. Lo, 10 October 1944;
Stricken	27 November 1944
Identification	Hull symbol: AVG-63; ACV-63; CVE-63;
Fate	Sunk by kamikaze aircraft, 25 October 1944
General characteristics
Class & type	Casablanca-class escort carrier
Displacement	8,188 long tons (8,319 t) (standard); 10,902 long tons (11,077 t) (full load);
Length	512 ft 3 in (156.13 m) (oa); 490 ft (150 m) (wl); 474 ft (144 m) (fd);
Beam	65 ft 2 in (19.86 m); 108 ft (33 m) (extreme width);
Draft	20 ft 9 in (6.32 m) (max)
Installed power	4 × Babcock & Wilcox boilers; 9,000 shp (6,700 kW);
Propulsion	2 × Skinner Unaflow reciprocating steam engines; 2 × screws;
Speed	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Range	10,240 nmi (18,960 km; 11,780 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	Total:910–916 officers and men; Embarked Squadron:50–56; Ship's Crew:860;
Armament	As designed:; 1 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal dual-purpose gun; 8 × 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns; 12 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons; Varied, ultimate armament:; 1 × 5 in (127 mm)/38 cal dual-purpose gun; 8 × twin 40 mm (1.57 in) Bofors anti-aircraft guns; 30 × 20 mm (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons;
Aircraft carried	27 aircraft
Service record
Part of	United States Pacific Fleet
Operations	Battle of Saipan, Battle of Tinian, Battle of Morotai, Battle off Samar, Battle of Leyte Gulf
Awards	Presidential Unit Citation, 4 Battle stars

USS St. Lo (AVG/ACV/CVE–63) was a Casablanca-class escort carrier of the United States Navy during World War II. On 25 October 1944, St. Lo became the first major warship to sink as the result of a kamikaze attack. The attack occurred during the Battle off Samar, part of the larger Battle of Leyte Gulf.