U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers and the Nine Iron Sisters A Paper Presented to the Athenaeum Society of Hopkinsville, Kentucky November 4, 2010 By Hal King U.S.S. Bataan, CVL-29 January 10, 1952 - April 1954 This paper is a reflection of my interest in various aspects of the aircraft carriers of the U.S, Navy from World War Two to the present day. I will not go into many technicalities, just a few facts and events that piqued my interest over the years. On December 7, 1941, the United States Navy had eight aircraft carriers in service. One, the Langley, was little more than a training ship. Only three carriers were assigned to the Pacific Fleet. One of those, Saratoga (CV-3), had just completed an overhaul and was in San Diego. The other two, the Lexington (CV-2) and the Enterprise (CV-6) were on training exercises about a day or two away from Pearl Harbor. Thus two of the prime targets of the December attack were spared to engage in later battles tht helped the Navy hold on in the Pacific until American industry could turn out more ships, eswpecially aircraft carriers. Ameerican industry responded and turned out over a hundred aircraft carriers. During the short period of the Pacific War, basically thirty-four months, 110 aircraft carriers were commissioned, although only 102 were actually in operation. Twelve were designated as CV (Carrier), CVA (Carrier Attack), and CVB (Battle). Some just called them "the big boys". The big boys were vitally important, but it took time to build them, and the Navy needed carriers in a hurry. Thus nine smaller carriers were designated as CVL ... called "light carriers". More about them later. Seventy-nine smaller carriersw were designated as CVE, called "escort" or "jeep" carriers. The CVL'a and CVE's were smaller than the "big boys" and could be built in a much shorter time. I often wonder what happened to all those ships, so a few years ago I decided to find out. Of the eight carriers in service on December 7, 1941, five were sunk in battle. *CV-1, the Langley, and CV-2, the Lexington, were sunk on May 8, 1942 in the Battle of the Coral Sea. Langley was torpedoed and damageded so heavily she was later sunk by our own ships. Lady Lex was sunk by enemy bombers and torpedo planes. *The Yorktown, CV-5, was torpedoed and sunk June 7, 1942 in the Battle of Midway. *CV-7, the Wasp, was torpedoed and sunk September 15, 1942 in the Battle of the Solomon Islands. *And CV-8, the Hornet, was sunk by 9 torpedos and scuttled on October 26, 1942 in the Battle of Santa Cruzs Island. Yes, this is the Hornet that launched the famous Doolittle Raid just a few months earlier, in April. *The Saratoga, CV-3, was used as a test ship after the war and sunk in 1946. *The Ranger, CV-4, and the Enterprise, CV-6, were decommissioned in 1947, sold and scrapped. Seven smaller carriers, one CVL and six VE's were lost to enemy action. They inc luded: *CVL-23, the Princeton, lost October 24, 1942 in the Battle of Santa Cruz Island. A bomb from an enemy plane went through the flight deck and hanger deck setting off fuel explosions on the hanger deck. The only CVL-Iron Lady lost in battle. *CVE-21, the Block Island, May 29, 1943 sunk by three torpedoes Canary Islands. *CVE-56, Liscombe Bay, Novemberv24, 1943 in the Battle of Makin Island. Struck by torpedoes and hit bomb magazines causing explosions. *CVE-63, St. Lo, October 25, 1944, Battle of Leyte Gulf. Struck by a Kamakaze that went through the hanger deck while planes were being refueled, set off fires and explosions. *CVE-73, Gambier Bay, October 25, Battle of Leyte Gulf. Sunk by three enemy cruisers. *CVE-79, Ommaney Bay, sunk by enemy planes January 4, 1945, Sulu Sea. *CVE-95, Bismark Sea, February 21, 1945, Battle of Iwo Jima. Struck by two Kamakazes, went through the ship's ammunition storage causing explosions and took our fire-fighting equipment. The last U.A. Navy carrier lost in WW II. Now let's look into the Navy's effort to get more carriers built and into action and do it quickly. Someone came up with the idea of building smallere carriers which could be accoimplished in a shorter time than conventional carriers. There is a strong story that President Franklin D.Roosevelt came up with the idea. Navy planners had other ideas, but after much debatethe Roosevelt plan won out, and the idea became a reality much faster than one might imagine. The Navy had several cruisers under construction and decided to convert nine of them int carriers. The Cleveland class cruisers were not ideal for conversion into carriers but apparently were better than anything else available at the time or even on the horizon. It is not our purpose here to go into all the technical shortcomings. The conversions began January 1942, and all nine were commissioned in 1943. All were built by the New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden, New Jersey, with the building time reduced to under 14 months for the last of the class. The cruiser hull was completed up to the main deck and designed as a carrier from there on up. They had a displacement of 11,000 to 13,000 tons, a length of 600 feet. The flight deck was only 552 feet in length and 73 feet wide. The hanger deck was 285 feet long and 55 feet wide. These ships had very little armament and had small storage for aviation ordinance and fuel. Refueling at sea was a common practice. But they were on-line and into action quickly. And they did see a lot of action in the Pacific theater. They were officially named the Independence class carriers. CVL's ... light carriers. And someone called them "The Nine Iron Sisters". The light carriers' air group was originally to be mixed and a smaller version of the fleet carrier air group. This mixed group included 24 F4F Grumman Wildcat fighters, 12 Douglas Dauntless dive bombers, and nine Grumman Avenger torpedo planes. When the larger F6F Hellcat replaced the F4F fighters, fewer fighters could be carried; and the air group was reduced to 12 fighters, 9 dive bombers, and 9 torpedo planes. In November 1943 the air group was set at 25 Hellcats and 9 Avengers. By the end of the war the air groups were converted into all fighter planes composed of 36 Hellcats and Corsairs. The quick conversion of the nine Independence class carriers was a significant achievement. Even with these small air groups the Iron Sisters represented the equivalent of four larger fleet carriers. Keeping in mind that they entered service before the expected arrival of the new fleet carriers, the smaller CVL's proved to be an important insurance policy. The smaller flight decks resulted in a higher accident rate, and the smaller spaces for planes, equipment, and personnel resulted in uncomfortable living conditions, but the overall result was considered a success. CVL-22 Independence. First action Marcus Islands raid. Torpedoed/severly damaged by enemy planes November 1943. Repaired and returned to action for Phillipine invasion and Leyte Gulf. Earned eight battle stars. Used in atomic tests ar Bikini Atoll in 1946. Used as weapons trials target until sunk in 1951. CVL-23 Princeton. Only Independence class CVLlost in battle. Saw actrion at Taeawa, Truck, Phillipine Sea. On October 24, 1944, during the Battle of Leyte Gulf she was hit by a single enemy bomb which penetrated to the hanger deck and ignited airceraft ffuel, causing numerous explosions. Damage caused her to be scuttled. CVL-24 Belleau Wood. Participated Truck, Phillipine Sea, Leyte Gulf, Okinawa, and Japanese homeland. Damaged by Kamikaze but returbed to action. Earned 12 battle stars. After the war she was loaned to France 1953, returned 1960, and scrapped 1962. CVL-25 Cowpens. Saw more action than all the otheer CVL's, suffered no battle damage. Did suffer damage in December 1944 typhoon. Decommissioned 1947 and scrapped in 1062. CVL-26 Monterey. Action in Gilbert Islands, Truk, Phillipine Sea, Leyte Gulf, Okinawa, and raids on Japan. Damaged in December 1944 typhoon. Earned eleven battle stars. Decommisioned 1947, reactivated 1950 and used as a training carrier, Scrapped in 1970. CVL-27 Langley. Named in honor of CV-1 which was sunk in February 1942. Action at Kwajalein. Suffered light bomb damage, missed last stages of war, earned nine battle stars, decommissioned 1947, loaned to France, returned in 1963 and scrapped in 1964. CVL-28 Cabot. Longest serving Iron Sister. Saw action at Kwajalein, Truk, Phillipine Sea, Leyte Gulf, Okinawa. Suffered damage from kamikaze off Luzon. Served as training carrier thru 1955, loaned to Spain 1972, returned 1989, and scrapped 2000. Was the last CVL to survive. CVL-29 Bataan. Commissioned November 1943. Saw her first action at Hollandia/New Guinea April 1944 and participated in battles in the Phillipine Sea, Okinawa, and raids on Japan. Bataan patrolled the Japanese coastline and was present at the treaty signing in Tokyo Bay. She was decommissioned and mothballed 1947, recommissioned 1950, and conducted three deployments off Korea in 1951-1952-1953, becoming the only Independence class carrier, the only Iron Sister, to see combat action after the Second World War. She was decommissioned for the last time in April 1954 and scrapped in 1959. Bataan earned a total of 132 battle stars, six in WWII and seven in Korea. CVL-30 San Jacinto. Commissioned December 1943. Saw action in the Phillipine Sea and continual action thereafter. Earned 5 battle stars. Decommissioned 1947, scrapped 1979. Now let's sail into today's navy and the changing role of what most of us would considerev aircraft carriersbut the Navfy considers a fleet of extremely versatile ships as a different category and certainly have a different role in today's challenges. I take it upon myself to name one of these groups "The New Iron Sisters". They are designated LHD's. LHD. This is the Navy designation that means "Amphibious Assault Ship". They are ships of the "Wasp Class", another Navy designation. At this time there are eight LSD's with aq ninth under construction. The eight are: Wasp, Essex, Kersarge, Boxer, Bataan, BonHomme Richard, Iwo Jima, Makin Island, and the ninth, Trent Lott. I present the USS Bataan LHD-5 as an example of what the men and women of the LHD's do. I use the Bataan LHD-5 because it is named after USS Bataan CVL-29. I served as a crew member of Bataan-29 on the second and third Far Eastern/Korean deployments in 1952-53 and helped put her out of commission in April 1954. Through the USS Bataan Association the Navy invited former crew members of CVL-29 to the commissioning of LHD-5 on September 20, 1977, in Pascagoula, Mississippi. So you see, I have a special interest in Bataan LDH-5. The principal mission of the Wasp class ships is to enable the Navy/Marine Corps team to accomplish a seamless transition from the sea to a land battle. LHD's are designed to lay off a troubled area and insert Marine forces ashore by helicopters, air-cushioned landing craft, and hovercraft. They also carry a squadron of Harrier aircraft. LHD's are fully capable of amphibious assault and special force operations as well as non-combatant evacuation and other humanitarian missions. The new USS Bataan LHD-5 maintains a 600 bed hospital with three operating suites. The Bataan accomodates 3,200 crew members including an 1,800 man Marine battle force with the vehicles and weapons needed to accomplish a successful assault. Bataan is the first US Navy ship designated from the keel up with special quarters for women with living areas for 450 female officers and enlisted personnel. The following isw a mere mention of what Bataan LHD-5 has done during the past few years. September 19, 2001 to April 20, 2002: deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, North Arabian Sea, and Persian Gulf, participating in Operation Bright Star and Operation Enduring Freedom. During Enduring Freedom, Bataan's Marine force marched 700 miles into Afghanistan in support of thev War on Terrorism. Also in 2002, Bataan's planes launched air strikes and close air support missions 24 hours av day, seven days a week during the major combat phases of Operation Iraqui Freedom. Bataan continued operating in the Iraq/Middle East area in 2003 and 2004. In 2005 Bataan joined in support of Joint Task Force Katrina search and rescue relief efforts in the New Orleans-Gulfport-Biloxi areas. Bataan was the first Navy ship on the scene August 30 and sapent 19 days supporting relief efforts and ,moved more than 160,000 pounfds of supplies to the area. In February 2006 Bataan worked with the 160th Special Operations Unit from Fort Campbell, Ky., to complete "over water" qualifications. Bataan made routine deployments against the War on Terroroism in 2007 and rescued six U.S. service members following a crash in Kenya. Early 2009 Bataan provided humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in support of Operation Haiti. As of February 15, 2010 Bataan's Navy/Marine Corps team had established nine landing zones to distribute aid and treated 1,000 Haitians both aboard Bataan's medical facility and working alongside volunteer physicians at clinics.Bataan has spent much time operating in the Middle East in support of ground troops in Afghanistasn and IOraq. Bataan is attacvhed to the Dwight Eisenhower/Roosevelt Carrier Battle Group. A typical battle group (if there is such a thing as typical) is composed of one or two supercarriers like the Eisenhower or Roosevelt, a destroyer squadron, one or two Aegis guided missile cruisers, two or three guided missile destroyers, one or two attack submarines, and one to three LDH type amphibious assault ships. The amphibious assault ships carry a complement of 1,800 or more Marine troops who can be landed by hover craft, air-cushioned landing craft, and helicopter. The Bataan and other LHD's were built by Northrup-Grumman Ship Systems at Pascagoula, Mississippi. They are 866 feet long and 106 feet wide. Speed about 23.5 mph. Ship's company consists of 66 officers and 1,000 enlisted personnel. Plus a Combat Marine Expeditionary Force of 1,800. The 40,500 ton Bataan LHD-5 accommodates a well-deck that is 267 feet long and 50 feet wide. It carries: *25 light amphibious vehicles (hovercraft and air-cushioned landing craft) *5 M-1 tanks *68 military trucks *12 5 ton trucks *4 rough terrain forklifts *2 generator trailers *2 water trailers *A fuel service trailer *Variety of guided missiles, howitzers, and otherv weapons And of course a variety of special purpose helicopters and Harrier type aircraft. I am sure that there are some among you that may wonder about the "super carriers". There are 12 nuclear powered super carriers in active service. They are designated CVN's. The Enterprise ids the oldest super carrier and was recently refitted and modernized. CVN-65 Enterprise is based in Norfolk, Virginia. There are ten Nimitz class carriers. They are the largest capital ships in the world. They have an overall length of 1,092 feet with a beam of 135 feet at the waterline ?with the flight depth width of 252 to 257 feet. Speed is over 30 knots. Displaces over 100,000 tons. Operates 20 years without refueling. Life expectancy is 50 years. Ship's company (permanent crew) 3,200. Air wing/squadrons bring another 2,500 personnel. Accommodate 85 to 90 fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. All ten were built between 1968 and 2006 in Newport News, Virginia. 68-Niitz, San Diego 69-Dwight D. Eisenhower, Norfolk 70-Carl Vinson, Newport News 71-Theodore Roosevelt, Norfolk 72-Abraham Lincoln, Everett 73-George Washington, Yokosuka, Japan 74-John C. Stennis, Bremerton 75-Harry S. Truman, Norfolk 76-Ronald Reagan, San Diego 77-George H. W. Bush, San Diego Now under construction is the Gerald R. Ford, CVN-78. Similar to the Nimitz class carriers but with several new innovations. Construction started in 2007 and is expected to be in service in 2015 and will replace the Enterprise. Estimated cost including research & development: 14 billion dollars; the ship itself: 9 billion dollars. Now, as we all know, our county historian, William T. Turner, says there is always a Christian County connection to just about everything. You may recall I mentioned earlier that the Bataan LHC-5 assisted in training with the 160th Special Forces Unit at Ft. Campbell. There is another connection. In 2000 I attended a USS Bataan CVL-29 reunion in Norfolk, Virginia. The captain of Bataan LHD-5 was present with several of the crew. The captain was a female, Captain Nora Tyson, of Memphis, Tennessee. I met her, and she asked where I was from. When I answered, "Hopkinsville, Kentucky", she said, "I know just where it is. I graduated from Vanderbilt, and my best friend was from Hopkinsville, and I visited her." Nora Tyson is now an admiral and this year, 2010, became the first woman to command a carrier battle group. My thanks to the United States Navy for an interesting experience and to you for your attention.