About this Unit
USS KULA GULF (CVE-108) was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier commissioned by the United States Navy in May 1945. Named after the Battle of Kula Gulf, the ship served briefly in the Pacific at the tail end of World War II, transporting aircraft and personnel and supporting occupation duties in Japan. After the war, she participated in Operation Magic Carpet, returning American servicemen home, and was decommissioned in 1946. Recommissioned during the Korean War, KULA GULF later served as a training and aircraft transport carrier before being struck from the Navy list in 1969.
Historical Facts
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Namesake: USS KULA GULF (CVE-108) was named after the Battle of Kula Gulf, a significant naval engagement during the Solomon Islands campaign in World War II, fought in July 1943.
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Ship Class: She was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier, one of the final and most advanced classes of escort carriers built by the United States during World War II.
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Commissioning: USS KULA GULF was commissioned on 12 May 1945, too late to see combat in World War II, but she played important roles in the immediate postwar period.
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Builder: The ship was constructed by Todd-Pacific Shipyards, Inc., in Tacoma, Washington.
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Operation Magic Carpet: After the end of WWII, she participated in Operation Magic Carpet, repatriating thousands of American servicemen from the Pacific theater back to the United States.
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Korean War Service: Recommissioned in 1951, USS KULA GULF served during the Korean War as an aircraft transport and training carrier, supporting naval aviation operations.
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Training Role: Between 1951 and 1955, she was used extensively as a training carrier for naval reservists, helping to train future generations of naval aviators.
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Helicopter Carrier Conversion: In the mid-1950s, she was briefly converted for use as a helicopter carrier, supporting experiments and exercises in amphibious warfare tactics using helicopters.
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Decommissioning: USS KULA GULF was finally decommissioned in 1955 and placed in reserve, remaining in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet until being struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1969.
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Final Fate: The ship was sold for scrap in 1971, ending her more than 25-year association with the U.S. Navy, but her service reflected the flexibility and adaptability of escort carriers in the mid-20th century.
