USS Thetis Bay (CVE-90:CVHA-1:LPH-6)

• Origins as an Escort Carrier: USS Thetis Bay (CVE-90) was a Casablanca-class escort carrier, launched on 16 April 1944 and commissioned on 21 July 1944, serving initially in World War II. • Name Significance: The ship was named after Thetis Bay, located on the southeast coast of Alaska, following the US Navy tradition of naming escort carriers after bays or sounds. • World War II Service: During WWII, Thetis Bay participated in several Pacific Theater operations, including providing air cover for troop landings at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. • Kamikaze Threats: The ship and her crew faced significant danger from Japanese kamikaze attacks during the Okinawa campaign but managed to avoid major damage. • Aircraft Ferry Missions: After WWII, Thetis Bay was used extensively to ferry aircraft, personnel, and cargo between the United States and forward bases in the Pacific. • Decommissioned and Reborn: She was decommissioned in 1946 but later converted and recommissioned as the Navy's first assault helicopter carrier (CVHA-1/LPH-6) in 1955, reflecting the Navy's shift to vertical envelopment tactics. • Pioneering Amphibious Assaults: As LPH-6, Thetis Bay became a pioneer in helicopter-borne amphibious assaults, demonstrating the effectiveness of rapid deployment of Marines and equipment via helicopters. • Humanitarian Missions: The ship participated in several humanitarian missions, including disaster relief efforts, and played a key role in exercises and operations during the Cold War era. • Unique Designation History: Thetis Bay was the only ship in the US Navy to bear the CVHA designation, which stood for "Helicopter Assault Carrier," before the category was replaced by the LPH (Landing Platform Helicopter) designation. • Final Decommissioning: USS Thetis Bay was decommissioned for the final time on 1 July 1964, and she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register in 1964, later being sold for scrap in 1966, ending her unique 20-year naval career.