Ships
- USS Puget Sound (CVE-113) Commissioned her, 18 June 1945
- USS Hornet (CV-12) Captain from 14 February 1946 · Relieved on 14 August 1946
Source-limited. The Naval History and Heritage Command has a modern biographical file for him ("Coe, Charles Frederick"), but this run could not reach the NHHC site. The facts below come from other sources.
Charles Frederick Coe was born on 6 April 1901 in Springfield, Illinois. He entered the Naval Academy and graduated with the Class of 1923. He became lieutenant commander on 23 June 1938, temporary commander on 1 January 1942, commander on 30 June 1942 and temporary captain on 1 May 1943.
At the end of the war he commissioned the escort carrier Puget Sound (CVE-113) at Tacoma on 18 June 1945. She was one of the last of the Commencement Bay class, a bigger and better escort carrier built on a tanker hull. He commanded her until Captain Walter F. Rodee relieved him on 11 February 1946. Three days later, on 14 February 1946, he took command of the fleet carrier Hornet (CV-12) and kept her until 14 August 1946, through the period when she was ending her war service.
He was promoted to rear admiral on 1 October 1950. He died in January 1974 in Alexandria, Virginia, at the age of 72.
Open items: his wartime staff and aviation billets before 1945. NHHC's biographical file should cover these. One search summary linked him to an AirSols (Aircraft, Solomons) chief-of-staff post, but it is left out because no primary source confirming it was opened.
Sources
uboat.net, Allied Warship Commanders: Charles Frederick Coe (born 6 Apr 1901 Springfield, Ill.; died Jan 1974 Alexandria, Va.; USNA 1923; ranks; commands).
NHHC/DANFS, "Puget Sound I" (commissioning 18 June 1945, Capt. Charles F. Coe).
NavSource, CVE-113; Hornet CV-12 commanding officers list (caltech.edu/~drmiles).