USS BISMARCK SEA
CVE-95

The USS Bismarck Sea (CVE-95) was the eleventh and last American Aircraft Carrier lost during World War II. She was sunk on February 21, 1945 by a kamikaze attack that occured just after sunset while engaged in the Battle for Iwo Jima. There was a loss of 321 men from the ship's company and the composite squadron VC-86 that was stationed on the ship at the time of the attack.

The above print of the USS Bismarck Sea was produced by artist Ian Hall. He is able to customize each print with a picture and rank patch of a former crew member. Click on the print to go to Ian Hall's website.

 

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USS Bismarck Sea Facts

Launch Date: April 17, 1944

Commission Date: May 20, 1944

STATISTICS

Length............499 feet
Beam..............64 feet
Speed.............18 knots
Displacement...6,730 tons

SHIP'S COMPLEMENT

Officers..........61
Men..............536

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Site Dedication 

I wish to dedicate this site to my grandparents, members of the "Greatest Generation" in modern times.

EM2/C Harold "Gus" Kirchhoff - still serving aboard the USS Bismarck Sea

Kathryn V. Kirchhoff - who never remarried and raised their 3 girls alone.

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USS Bismarck Sea Reunion 2008

Through the process of organizing the Memorial Service for my grandfather I made contact with survivors of the ship. There will be a reunion for the extended Bismarck Sea Family in October 2008. Here is some of the information, please e-mail us for additional contact information if you are interested in attending.

Date: October 5th thru 9th, 2008

Location: The Plaza Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV

Costs

Pre-Registration: $140 per person by late July

Rooms: $38.85 per night (smoking/non-smoking available)

Meals: All meals at the Plaza Hotel will be $7.77

Since I've recently come into contact with these good people I do not wish to post their phone numbers on the web. Should you desire to learn more please send us an e-mail at ussbismarcksea@gmail.com

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Interview with a USS Bismarck Sea Survivor 

The  Link  below  will  direct you  to an  interview  with  USS  Bismarck  Sea  Survivor, Petty Officer 2/C Richard Kaplan. This interview was produced by Netnebraska TV and is posted on YouTube.

PETTY OFFICER 2/C RICHARD KAPLAN INTERVIEW

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USS Bismarck Sea Message Center

Here you can post questions and comments concerning the history and crew of the USS Bismarck Sea. These messages remain posted for 60 days so if you haven't been contacted within that time frame please feel free to post again. I hope this feature might be a clearing house of information for those interested in the USS Bismarck Sea and her crew.

Click Ship's Patch Below to Access Message Center

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