Launched 1913 (according to sources dealing with her as the Wolverine) as the coal-burning side paddle wheeler Seeandbee at the American Ship Building Company at Wyandotte, Michigan for the Cleveland and Buffalo Transit Company. The website www.ech.cwru.edu claims she started her service as an inland steamship 6 November 1912 which could transport 1.500 passengers thanks to her four decks (www.acbs-bslol.com says 6 decks) including a ballroom, 510 staterooms and 24 lounges. Since 1913 her start point was the E.9th.St. Pier and was she active on the line Cleveland-Buffalo. Her first arrival at Buffalo was 19 June 1913. In 1939 she was sold to the C&B Transit Company of Chicago when her original was liquidated due to financial problems and until being sold in 1942 she steamed on a regular scheme. Paul M. Somer wrote in his book Lake Michigan’s aircraft carriers that’s he was launched 9 November 1912.
Acquired by the USS Navy 12 March 1942 and work started 6 May to convert her into a training aircraft carrier to serve on Lake Michigan. The renaming into Wolverine was ordered 2 August and she was commissioned 10 days later at Buffalo, New York. Her sister ship was the USS Sable (IX-81). Decommissioned 7 November 1945, stricken 28 November the same year, handed over to the Maritime Commission 26 November and sold for scrapping in December 1947 at Cleveland, Ohio.
Displacement 7,200 long tons or 7.300 tons and with the dimensions 500’x 98 x 15,5’, her flight deck had a length of 550’. Her 4 coal burning and engines provided 8.000 ihp or 6.000 kW allowing a speed of 28 knots. Her crew numbered 270 men. In fact it was just a landing platform missing hangars and elevators, and the so-called wind over deck demands played a very important roll. Without enough wind flights were almost impossible while the Wolverine wasn’t able to make herself enough speed to compensate lacking wind.
In the magazine Life dated 14 September 1942 p. 130-131 are some photo’s published dealing with the conversion into an aircraft carrier.
Acquired by the USS Navy 12 March 1942 and work started 6 May to convert her into a training aircraft carrier to serve on Lake Michigan. The renaming into Wolverine was ordered 2 August and she was commissioned 10 days later at Buffalo, New York. Her sister ship was the USS Sable (IX-81). Decommissioned 7 November 1945, stricken 28 November the same year, handed over to the Maritime Commission 26 November and sold for scrapping in December 1947 at Cleveland, Ohio.
Displacement 7,200 long tons or 7.300 tons and with the dimensions 500’x 98 x 15,5’, her flight deck had a length of 550’. Her 4 coal burning and engines provided 8.000 ihp or 6.000 kW allowing a speed of 28 knots. Her crew numbered 270 men. In fact it was just a landing platform missing hangars and elevators, and the so-called wind over deck demands played a very important roll. Without enough wind flights were almost impossible while the Wolverine wasn’t able to make herself enough speed to compensate lacking wind.
In the magazine Life dated 14 September 1942 p. 130-131 are some photo’s published dealing with the conversion into an aircraft carrier.
