USS Suwannee (CVE-27)

	USS Suwannee underway, after repairs from the kamikaze attacks of October 1944.
History
United States
Name	Markay
Owner	Keystone Tankship Corp.
Ordered	as type (T2-S2-A1) hull, MCE hull 5
Awarded	3 January 1938
Builder	Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Kearny, New Jersey
Cost	$879,864.31
Yard number	151
Way number	5
Laid down	3 June 1938
Launched	4 March 1939
Sponsored by	Mrs. Howard L. Vickery
In service	25 May 1939
Out of service	22 October 1940
Fate	Sold to US Navy, 26 June 1941
United States
Name	Suwannee
Namesake	Suwannee River, in Georgia and Florida
Acquired	26 June 1941
Commissioned	16 July 1941
Decommissioned	21 February 1942
Refit	Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Identification	Hull symbol: AO-33; Callsign: NICO; ;
Recommissioned	24 September 1942
Decommissioned	8 January 1947
Refit	Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Newport News, Virginia
Stricken	1 March 1959
Identification	Hull symbol:; AVG-27 (14 February 1942); ACV-27 (20 August 1942); CVE-27 (15 July 1943); CVHE-27 (12 June 1955); Callsign: NWQD; ;
Fate	Sold, May 1961, scrapped in Bilbao, Spain, June 1962
General characteristics as fleet oiler
Class & type	Cimarron-class oiler
Displacement	7,470 long tons (7,590 t) light ; 25,425 long tons (25,833 t) full load;
Length	525 ft (160 m) wl
Beam	75 feet (23 m)
Draft	32 ft 3 in (9.83 m)
Installed power	4 × Babcock & Wilcox steam boilers (450 psi (3,100 kPa)); 13,500 shp (10,100 kW);
Propulsion	2 × Westinghouse geared steam turbines; 2 × shafts;
Speed	18.3 kn (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph)
Capacity	122,400 bbl (19,460 m3) of oil; 805,000 US gal (3,050,000 L; 670,000 imp gal) of gasoline;
Complement	301 officers and men
Armament	4 × single 5 in (130 mm)/51 cal guns]; 4 × twin Bofors 40 mm (1.6 in) anti-aircraft guns ; 4 × twin Oerlikon 20 mm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft cannons;
General characteristics as escort carrier
Class & type	Sangamon-class escort carrier
Displacement	11,400 long tons (11,583 t) standard ; 24,275 long tons (24,665 t) full;
Length	553 ft 6 in (168.71 m) oa; 503 ft (153 m) flight deck;
Beam	75 ft (23 m); 105 ft (32 m) flight deck;
Draft	30 ft 7 in (9.32 m)
Range	23,920 nmi (44,300 km; 27,530 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	830 officers and men
Armament	2 × 5"/51 caliber guns ; 4 × twin Bofors 40 mm L/60 anti-aircraft guns ; 12 × single Oerlikon 20 mm cannons;
Aircraft carried	25
Aviation facilities	1 × hydraulic catapult; 2 × elevators;
General characteristics 1945
Complement	1,080 officers and men
Armament	2 × quad Bofors 40 mm L/60 anti-aircraft guns; 10 × twin Bofors 40 mm L/60 anti-aircraft guns ; 19 × single Oerlikon 20 mm cannons;
Aircraft carried	32
Aviation facilities	2 × hydraulic catapults
Service record
Commanders	Joseph J. Clark (1942–43)
Operations	World War II
Awards	13 battle stars

USS Suwannee (AVG/ACV/CVE-27), was a US Navy escort carrier of World War II. Originally built as Markay, one of twelve tankers built by a joint Navy-Maritime Commission design. This design was later duplicated and designated a T3-S2-A1 oiler. She was acquired by the Navy in 1941, and renamed Suwannee (AO-33), a Cimarron-class fleet oiler. In 1942, she was converted to a Sangamon-class escort carrier. Originally classified as an "Aircraft Escort Vessel", AVG-27, on 14 February 1942, she was reclassified an "Auxiliary Aircraft Carrier", ACV-27, 20 August 1942, before finally being classified as an "Escort Carrier", CVE-27, 15 July 1943. After the war, she was later classified an "Escort Helicopter Aircraft Carrier" and again redesignated, CVHE-27, 12 June 1955. She was named after the Suwannee River, in Georgia and Florida.