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USS VELLA GULF
CVE-111




USS VELLA GULF CVE-111

FG-1 being waved off during a landing

The ship generally carried 16 FG-1 Corsair fighters 14 TBM torpedo bombers and 2 F6F fighters that also did photo reconnisance work



USS VELLA GULF crew
USS VELLA GULF
crewman
Aviation Machinist Mate 2nd Class Bill Wright
2nd from left



    The ship was named for the Battle of Vella Gulf, a naval engagement in the Solomons campaign of World War II. This engagement was historically significant because it was the first time that destroyers were allowed to operate independent of the cruiser force during the Pacific campaign.
     The battle was fought between the islands of Vella Lavella and Kolombangara on the night of 6 August 1943. In the battle of Vella Gulf, six American destroyers - DUNLAP (DD 394), CRAVEN (DD 392), MAURY (DD 401), LANG (DD 399), STERTT (DD 407), and STACK (DD 406) - engaged a group of four enemy destroyers attempting to reinforce Japanese troops on Kolombangara.
    The American warships closed the enemy undetected with the aid of radar and fired torpedoes which sank HAGIKAZE, ARASHI, and KAWKAZE with no damage to our ships.


First Landing
2nd Lieutenant J.L. Greene



Marine squadron support
Marine Squadron support crew
Lance Corporal Jerome W. Queeney
fourth from right



Over USS VELLA GULF

     Overhead view just prior to
     catapult launch
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