AcePilots Home World War Two Ships Home US Navy Page Aircraft Carrier Page
Arguably, the Essex class carriers contributed more to winning the naval war in the Pacific than any other weapon. Twenty-four of the the 874 foot long carriers were built.
Thoughtfully, they were designed to just fit through the locks of Panama Canal. The 27,000 ton carriers could carry up to 91 aircraft: dive bombers, torpedo bombers, and fighters. Originally built with a straight flight deck (and so shown in the pictures below), Essex was modified in 1955 for an angled flight deck, to allow greater flexibility in operations.
The
fourth Essex (CV-9) was launched 31 July 1942 by Newport News
Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. sponsored by Mrs. Artemus L. Gates, wife
of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air; and commissioned 31
December 1942, Captain D. B. Duncan commanding. She was reclassified
(CVA-9) on 1 October 1952, and (CVS-9) on 8 March 1960.
Following her shakedown cruise Essex sailed to the Pacific
in May 1943
to begin a succession of victories which would bring her to Tokyo Bay.
Departing Pearl Harbor, she participated with TF 15 in carrier
operations against Marcus Island (31 August 1943); was designated
flagship of TF 14 and struck Wake Island (5-6 October); launched an
attack with TG 50.3 against the Gilbert Islands where she also took
part in her first amphibious assault, the landing on Tarawa (18-23
November). Refueling at sea, she cruised as flagship of TG 50.3 to
attack Kwajalein (4 December). Her second amphibious assault delivered
in company with TG 58.2 was against the Marshalls (29 January-2
February 1944).
Essex in TG 58.2 now joined with TG 58.1 and 58.3, to constitute
the
most formidable carrier striking force to date, in launching an attack
against Truk (17-18 February) during which eight Japanese ships were
sunk. En route to the Marianas to sever Japanese supply lines, the
carrier force was detected and received a prolonged aerial attack which
it repelled in a businesslike manner and then continued with the
scheduled attack upon Saipan, Tinian and Guam (23 February).
After this operation Essex proceeded to San Francisco for her
single
wartime overhaul. She then joined carriers Wasp (CV-18) and San Jacinto
(CVL-30) in TG 12.1 to strike Marcus Island (19-20 May) and Wake (23
May). She deployed with TF 58 to support the occupation of the Marianas
(12 June—10 August); sortied with TG 38.3 to lead an attack against the
Palau Islands (6-8 September), and Mindanao (9-10 September) with enemy
shipping as the main target, and remained in the area to support
landings on Peleliu. On 2 October she weathered a typhoon and 4 days
later departed with TF 38 for the Ryukyus.
For the remainder of 1944 she continued her frontline action,
participating in strikes against Okinawa (10 October), and Formosa
(12-14 October), covering the Leyte landings, taking part in the battle
for Leyte Gulf (24-25 October), and continuing the search for enemy
fleet units until 30 October when she returned to Ulithi, Caroline
Islands, for replenishment. She resumed the offensive and delivered
attacks on Manila and the northern Philippine Islands during November.
On 25 November, for the first time in her far-ranging operations and
destruction to the enemy, Essex received injury. A kamikaze hit
the
port edge of her flight deck landing among planes gassed for takeoff,
causing extensive damage, killing 15, and wounding 44.
This "cramped her style" very little. Following quick repairs we
find
her with 3d Fleet off Luzon supporting the occupation of Mindoro (14-16
December). She rode out the typhoon of 18 December and made special
search for survivors afterwards. With TG 38.3 she participated in the
Lingayen Gulf operations, launched strikes against Formosa, Sakishima,
Okinawa, and Luzon. Entering the South China Sea in search of enemy
surface forces, the task force pounded shipping and conducted strikes
on Formosa, the China coast, Hainan, and Hong Kong. Essex
withstood the
onslaught of the third typhoon in 4 months (20-21 January 1945) before
striking again at Formosa, Miyakp Shima and Okinawa (26-27 January).
During the remainder of the war she operated with TF 58, conducting
attacks against the Tokyo area (16-17, and 25 February) both to
neutralize the enemy's airpower before the landings on Iwo Jima and to
cripple the aircraft manufacturing industry. She sent support missions
against Iwo Jima and neighboring islands, but from 23 March to 28 May
was employed primarily to support the conquest of Okinawa.
In the closing days of the war, Essex took part in the final
telling
raids against the Japanese home islands (10 July-15 August). Following
the surrender, she continued defensive combat air patrols until 3
September when she was ordered to Bremerton, Wash., for inactivation.
On 9 January 1947 she was placed out of commission in reserve.
Modernization endowed Essex with a new flight deck, and a
streamlined
island superstructure, on 15 January 1951 when recommissioned, Captain
A. W. Wheelock commanding.
After a brief cruise in Hawaiian waters she began the first of three
tours in Far Eastern waters during the Korean war. She served as
flagship for Carrier Division 1 and TF 77. She was the first carrier to
launch F2H "Banshee" twin-jet fighters on combat missions; on 16
September 1951 one of these planes, damaged in combat, crashed into
aircraft parked on the forward flight deck causing an explosion and
fire which killed seven. After repairs at Yokosuka she returned to
front-line action on 3 October to launch strikes up to the Yalu River
and provide close air support for U.N. troops.
On 1 December 1953 she started her final tour of the war, sailing the
China Sea with the Peace Patrol. From November 1954 to June 1955 she
engaged in training exercises, operated for 3 months with the 7th
Fleet, assisted in the Tachen Islands evacuation, and engaged in air
operations and fleet maneuvers off Okinawa.
In July 1955 Essex entered Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for
repairs and
extensive alterations, including installation of an angled flight deck.
Modernization completed, she rejoined the Pacific Fleet in March 1956.
For the next 14 months the carrier operated off the west coast, except
for a 6-month cruise with the 7th Fleet in the Far East. Ordered to
join the Atlantic Fleet for the first time in her long career, she
sailed from San Diego on 21 June 1957, rounded Cape Horn, and arrived
in Mayport, Fla., on 1 August.
In the fall of 1957 Essex participated as an antisubmarine
carrier in
the NATO exercises, "Strike Back," and in February 1958 deployed with
the 6th Fleet until May when she shifted to the eastern Mediterranean.
Alerted to the Middle East crisis on 14 July 1958 she sped to support
the U.S. Peace Force landing in Beirut, Lebanon, launching
reconnaissance and patrol missions until 20 August. Once again she was
ordered to proceed to Asian waters, and transitted the Suez Canal to
arrive in the Taiwan operational area where she joined TF 77 in
conducting flight operations before rounding the Horn and proceeding
back to Mayport.
Essex joined with the 2d Fleet and British ships in Atlantic
exercises
and with NATO forces in the eastern Mediterranean during the fall of
1959. In December she aided victims of a disastrous flood at Frejus,
France.
In the spring of 1960 she was converted into an ASW Support Carrier and
was thereafter homeported at Quonset Point, R.I. Since that time she
has operated as flagship of Carrier Division 18 and Antisubmarine
Carrier Group Three. She conducted rescue and salvage operations off
the New Jersey coast for a downed blimp; cruised with midshipmen, and
was deployed on NATO and CENTO exercises. In November she joined the
French navy in Operation "Jet Stream" and since that time has continued
her widespread activities in protection of freedom and peace.
Essex received the Presidential Unit Citation, and 13 battle
stars for
World War II service; 4 battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation for
Korean war service.
Sources: Public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships
and pictures from my father's 1943 Naval Recognition Manual
Continue the discussion at the Ships Forum or email me (photos of WW2 ships welcome).
Copyright 2007, by Acepilots.com. All rights reserved.