USS Sangamon (CVE-26) was an American escort aircraft carrier, the keel of which was laid down in March 1939, launched in November of the same year, and commissioned in 1940. The ship had an overall length of 169 meters and a beam of 34.8 meters. The standard displacement was about 11,600 tons, and the maximum speed did not exceed 18 knots. Since 1942, the onboard armament consisted of: 12 127-mm guns, 8 40-mm anti-aircraft guns or 12 20-mm anti-aircraft guns. The ship could accommodate a maximum of 25 aircraft.
USS Sangamon (CVE-26) was originally named Esso Trenton and was an oil tanker. The ship was requisitioned by the United States Navy in 1942 and commissioned as a fleet tanker. In 1939-1941, it operated mainly in the Atlantic, participating in the so-called neutrality patrols. However, in 1942, the ship was sent to the shipyard and converted into an escort aircraft carrier. It is noteworthy that the conversion was very successful and led to the creation of a valuable combat unit. USS Sangamon (CVE-26), already as an escort aircraft carrier, served as air support for Operation Torch (November 1942), and in 1943 it was transferred to the Pacific, where it supported, among other things, the activities of American troops on Tarawa. In 1944, it participated in operations against Japanese units on the Kwajalein Islands, Marshall Islands, but most of all it was very active during the fighting in the Philippines. In 1945, the unit indirectly supported the amphibious operations against Okinawa. USS Sangamon (CVE-26) was decommissioned in November 1945 and scrapped shortly thereafter.
