USS Princeton (CV-37)

The fifth USS "Princeton" (CV-37) (also CVA-37, CVS-37, LPH-5) was a United States Navy Sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier (later refit into a "Boxer"-class amphibious assault ship LPH).

History

CV-37 was laid down as "Valley Forge" at the Philadelphia Navy Yard 14 September 1943, renamed "Princeton" 21 November 1944, launched 8 July 1945, sponsored by Mrs. Harold Dodds; and commissioned 18 November 1945, Captain John M. Hoskins in command. Captain Hoskins had previously been skipper of the light carrier USS|Princeton|CVL-23, which was lost at the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Following shakedown off Cuba, "Princeton", with Air Group 81 embarked, remained in the Atlantic and operated with the 8th Fleet until June 1946. Then transferred to the Pacific Fleet, she arrived at San Diego on the 31st, and departed again 3 July to carry the body of Philippine President Manuel Quezon back to Manila for burial. From Manila, "Princeton" joined the 7th Fleet in the Marianas, becoming flagship of TF 77. During September and October, she operated in Japanese and Chinese waters, then returned to the Marianas where she remained until February 1947. Maneuvers in Hawaiian waters preceded her return to San Diego until 15 March. She cruised the West Coast, Hawaiian waters, and the Western Pacific (1 October–23 December) during 1948. She then prepared for inactivation and on 20 June decommissioned and joined other capital ships in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

Reactivated with the outbreak of hostilities in Korea fifteen months later, "Princeton" recommissioned 28 August 1950. Intensive training refreshed her Reservist crew and on 5 December she joined TF 77 off the Korean coast, her planes and pilots (Air Group 19) making possible the reinstitution of jet combat air patrols over the battle zone. She launched 248 sorties against targets in the Hagaru area to announce her arrival, and for the next six days continued the pace to support Marines fighting their way down the long, cold road from the Chosin Reservoir to Hungnam. By the 11th, all units had reached the staging area on the coast. "Princeton"'s planes, with other Navy, Marine, and Air Force squadrons, then covered the evacuation from Hungnam through its completion on the 24th.

Interdiction missions followed and by 4 April "Princeton"'s planes had rendered 54 rail and 37 highway bridges inoperable and damaged 44 more. In May, they flew against the railroad bridges connecting Pyongyang with Sunchon, Sinanju, Kachon, and the trans-peninsula line. Next, they combined close air support with raids on power sources in the Hwachon Reservoir area and, with the stabilization of the front there, resumed interdiction. For much of the summer they pounded supply arteries, concentrating on highways, and in August "Princeton" got underway for the United States, arriving at San Diego on the 21st.

Eight months later, on 30 April 1952, "Princeton" rejoined TF 77 in the combat zone. For 138 days her planes flew against the enemy. They sank small craft to prevent the recapture of offshore islands; blasted concentrations of supplies, facilities, and equipment behind enemy lines, participated in air-gun strikes on coastal cities, pounded the enemy's hydroelectric complex at Suiho on the Yalu River to turn off power on both sides of that river, destroyed gun positions and supply areas in Pyongyang; and closed mineral processing plants and munitions factories at Sindok, Musan, Aoji, and Najin.

Reclassified CVA-37 (1 October 1952), "Princeton" returned to California 3 November for a two month respite from the western Pacific. In February 1953, she was back off the Korean coast and until the end of the conflict launched planes for close air support, "Cherokee" strikes against supply, artillery, and troop concentrations in enemy territory, and against road traffic. She remained in the area after the truce, 27 July, and on 7 September got underway for San Diego.

In January 1954, "Princeton" was reclassified CVS-37 and, after conversion at Bremerton, Washington, took up antisubmarine/ Hunter-Killer (HUK) training operations in the eastern Pacific. For the next five years she alternated HUK exercises off the West Coast with similar operations in the western Pacific and, in late 1957-early 1958, in the Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf area. Reclassified again, 2 March 1959, she emerged from conversion as an amphibious assault carrier, LPH-5. Capable of transporting a battalion landing team and carrying helicopters in place of planes, "Princeton"'s mission became that of vertical envelopment--the landing of Marines behind enemy beach fortifications and providing logistics and medical support as they attack from the rear to seize critical points, cut enemy supplies, sever communications, and link up with assault forces landed on the beaches. Since this was a Marine Corps mission, Marines made up a major portion of the ship's company in the Air, Operations, and Supply Departments.

From May until January 1960, "Princeton" trained with Marine units from Camp Pendleton, then deployed to WestPac to train in Okinawan waters. For the next three years she followed a similar schedule, gaining experience in her primary mission. Interruptions came in October 1961 when she rescued 74 survivors of two merchantmen "Pioneer Muse" and "Sheik" grounded on Kita Daito Shima and in April 1962 when she delivered Marine Corps advisors and helicopters to Soc Trang in the Mekong Delta area of the Republic of South Vietnam. From September to November 1962, "Princeton" served as flagship of Joint Task Force 8 during the nuclear weapons test series, Operation Dominic.

In October 1964, "Princeton" exchanged WestPac training for the real thing as she returned to Vietnam and joined the Pacific Fleet's Ready Group in operations against North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces. Combat operations, interrupted in November for flood relief work, continued into the new year, 1965, and culminated in May off Chu Lai as she carried out her primary mission, vertical envelopment, for the first time in combat.

Returning to her homeport, Long Beach, California, after that operation, she transported Marine Aircraft Group 36 to Vietnam in August, and in February 1966 got underway for another tour in the combat zone. Relieving "Okinawa" (LPH-3) as flagship for the Amphibious Ready Group, she engaged the enemy in operations "Jackstay", 26 March–6 April, to clear the Rung Sat Special Zone of Viet Cong guerrillas, and "Osage", 27 April–4 May, to protect Vietnamese in the Phu Loc area from Viet Cong "harassment."

Search and destroy missions against Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army units followed as "Princeton" provided transportation, medical evacuation, logistics and communication support for the amphibious operation "Deckhouse I", 18 June–27 June, in the Song Cau district and the Song Cai river valley, then supported 1st Air Cavalry and 101st Airborne units engaged in "Nathan Hale" to the south of the "Deckhouse I" area. "Deckhouse II" and support for "Hastings" followed as Navy, Marine, and Army units again combined, this time to impede enemy infiltration from the DMZ.

After "Hastings", "Princeton" sailed for home, arriving 2 September. She deployed again to Vietnam, 30 January–19 June 1967, and again ranged along that long embattled, highly indented coast. In March, she assisted in countering an enemy threat to the Marine artillery base at Gio Ling and evacuated wounded from Con Thien mountain. In April, she participated in "Beacon Star", in the Khe Sanh area, and supported search and destroy operations in conjunction with "Shawnee". In May, her helicopters lifted Marines to the DMZ to block enemy forces withdrawing across the Ben Hai river.

A much needed overhaul followed "Princeton"'s return to the west coast and in May 1968 she again sailed west to Vietnam. There, as flagship for Amphibious Ready Group Alpha, she provided amphibious assault carrier services for operations "Fortress Attack" III and IV, "Proud Hunter", "Swift Pursuit", and "Eager Hunter." In December, she returned to the United States and in April 1969 she was designated the prime recovery ship for Apollo 10, the lunar mission which paved the way for Apollo 11 and the first landing on the Moon. Shortly thereafter, on 30 January 1970, she was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register, and sold for scrapping in May 1971.

"Princeton" received 8 battle stars for service during the Korean War.

"Princeton" in film

"Princeton" was featured in the 1952 movie "Flat Top", a story about a group of young and inexperienced Navy pilots on their first missions into combat. Although much of the footage is shot aboard "Princeton", with her hull number in full view, the movie culminates in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, which occurred before "Princeton" was actually commissioned.

See also

* List of aircraft carriers
* List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy

External links

* [http://www.ussprinceton.com USS "Princeton" Vets, Inc. homepage]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-p/cv37.htm Navy photographs of "Princeton" (CV-37)]
* [http://www.hullnumber.com/CV-37 CV-37 Personnel Roster at HullNumber.com]

References

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