USS Santee (CVE-29) (originally launched as AO-29, then ACV-29) was an American escort carrier. The second ship with this name, it was launched on 4 March 1939 as Esso Seakay under a Maritime Commission contract (MC hull 3) by the Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company at Chester, Pennsylvania, sponsored by Mrs. Charles Kurz. It was acquired by the United States Navy on 18 October 1940 and commissioned on 30 October 1940 as AO-29.
Prior to her acquisition by the Navy, Esso Seakay had been operated by Standard Oil of New Jersey (Esso) on the west coast. During her commercial service, she set several records for fast oil hauling. Her original model was a type T3-S2-A1 tanker.
World War II
After commissioning, Santee served in the Atlantic. When American neutrality ended on 7 December 1941, Santee was carrying oil for a secret airdrome at NS Argentia, Newfoundland. In the spring of 1942, Santees conversion to an aircraft carrier was begun at the Norfolk Navy Yard.
1942
On 24 August 1942, Santee was commissioned as an escort carrier with designation ACV-29, with Commander William Sample in command. The ACV was fitted with such haste that workmen from Norfolk were still on board during her shakedown training and her decks were piled high with stores. After conversion, nominally completed on 8 September, Santee reported to Task Force 22 (TF 22) and the first plane landed on her flight deck on 24 September.
After shakedown, Santee departed Bermuda on 25 October and headed for the coast of Africa. While the escort carrier was en route on 30 October, an SBD Dauntless being launched from a catapult dropped a depth bomb onto the flight deck. It rolled off the deck and detonated close to the port bow shaking the entire ship, carrying away the rangefinder and a searchlight base, and damaging radar antennas.
Nevertheless, Santee continued steaming with Task Group 34.2 (TG 34.2). On 7 November, the escort carrier, with and and , left the formation and, the following morning, took positions off Safi, French Morocco. Santee launched planes and fueled ships until 13 November, when she rejoined TG 34.2 and returned to Bermuda. The group departed that island on 22 November and anchored in Hampton Roads, Virginia two days later.
1943
After voyage repairs and drydock, Santee got underway with destroyer , on 26 December. On 1 January 1943, Santee anchored at Port of Spain, Trinidad. Two days later, with Eberle and , she headed for the coast of Brazil. After disembarking passengers at Recife, she sailed to join Task Unit 23.1.6 (TU 23.1.6) at sea in tightening the noose on enemy merchant shipping and naval activity in the South Atlantic.
For a month, her planes flew anti-submarine missions and regular patrols. On 15 February, the escort carrier put in at Recife, remaining until 21 February. Back conducting routine sorties in the same manner, Santee operated from 21 February – 2 March when she again put into Recife.
Her next period at sea, which began on 4 March, brought action. On 10 March, light cruiser and destroyer Eberle were investigating a cargo liner which had been spotted by Santees aircraft and which had been tentatively identified as the Karin, a Dutch merchantman. It turned out to be the German blockade runner Kota Nopan (ex-Dutch Kota Pinang). As the Eberle boarding party drew alongside, explosives placed by the abandoning crew detonated, killing eight boarders. On 15 March, Santee set out for Norfolk and anchored at Hampton Roads on 28 March.
Underway again on 13 June, with destroyers , , and , Santee reached Casablanca on 3 July. Four days later, the escort carrier departed the harbor with a convoy of homeward-bound empties. No submarines were sighted, but one of her Avengers made a forced landing in Spain, and its crew was interned. Santees small task group left the convoy on 12 July with orders to operate independently against Nazi submarine concentrations south of the Azores. She remained at this anti-submarine work until 25 July and managed to attack seven surfaced U-boats, at the price of two Dauntlesses.
On the 25th, she joined a west-bound convoy, which reached the Virginia coast on 6 August. On 26 August, Santee, with Bainbridge and , again headed into the Atlantic; and two days steaming brought them to Bermuda.