On Sat, 26 Jul 2003 20:22:43 -0400, in rec.aviation.military
(Peter Stickney) wrote:

In late '43-'44, a bucketload, if you're willing to count CVEs.
There were quite a few ASW Hunter-killer groups that were all over teh
Atlantic. Not 30 kt ships, but perfectly capable of carrying and

SANGAMON - 18 knots
BOGUE - 18 knots
CASABLANCA - 19 knots
COMMENCEMENT BAY - 19 knots

launching strike aircraft. A typical CVE airgroup was a Squadron of
FM-2s, and a Squadron of TBMs, about 35 aircraft in all. They did

SANGAMON - 30 aircraft
BOGUE - 28 aircraft
CASABLANCA - 28 aircraft
COMMENCEMENT BAY - 33 aircraft

At the time, naval aircraft squadrons usually numbered 18 aircraft. CVE air
groups were split approximately 4:6 (fighters:torpedo planes/bombers), resulting
in a composite squadron (VC) of 12 fighters and 18 torpedo planes/bombers.

carry weapons for Anti-ship as well as Anti-sub combat, and had their
own Destroer Flotilla attached.

Three to six assorted destroyers and destroyer escorts, usually. When CVE-60 USS
Guadalcanal captured U-505, her escort consisted of DE-133 USS Pillsbury, DE-134
USS Pope, DE-135 USS Flaherty, DE-149 USS Chatelain and DE-665 USS Jenks. Her
air group was Composite Squadron Eight (VC-8).