- USS Cowpens (CVL-25)
USS "Cowpens" (CV-25), nicknamed "The Mighty Moo", was an 11,000-ton sclass|Independence|aircraft carrier that served the
United States Navy from 1943–1947.Description
"Cowpens" (named for the
Battle of Cowpens of the Revolutionary War, like her contemporaries USS|Saratoga|CV-3|2, USS|Lexington|CV-16|2, and USS|Yorktown|CV-10|2) was launched17 January 1943 at theNew York Shipbuilding Corporation , inCamden, New Jersey , sponsored by Mrs. M. H. Spruance (daughter ofVice Admiral William F. Halsey ) and commissioned28 May 1943 by CaptainR. P. McConnell . She was reclassified CVL 25 on15 July 1943 .World War II service
1943
Departing
Philadelphia , on29 August 1943 , "Cowpens" arrived atPearl Harbor on19 September to begin the active and distinguished war career which was to earn her aNavy Unit Commendation . She sailed withTask Force 14 for the strike onWake Island on5 October and6 October , then returned to Pearl Harbor to prepare for strikes on theMarshall Islands preliminary to invasion. She sortied from Pearl Harbor10 November to launch air strikes on Mille and Makin atolls between19 November and24 November , andKwajalein andWotje on4 December , returning to her base on9 December .1944
Joining Task Force 58, "Cowpens" sailed from Pearl Harbor on
16 January 1944 for the invasion of the Marshalls. Her planes pounded Kwajalein andEniwetok the last 3 days of the month to prepare for the assault landing on the31 January . UsingMajuro as a base, the force struck atTruk on16 February and17 February and the Marianas on21 February and22 February before putting in to Pearl Harbor4 March . Returning to Majuro, Task Force 58 based here for attacks on the western Carolines; "Cowpens" supplied air and antisubmarine patrols during the raids onPalau ,Yap ,Ulithi , andWoleai from30 March to1 April . After operating off New Guinea during the invasion of Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura) from21 April to28 April , "Cowpens" took part in the strikes on Truk,Satawan and Ponape between29 April and1 May , returning to Majuro on14 May for training.From
6 June to10 July 1944 , "Cowpens" operated in the Marianas operation. Her planes struck the island ofSaipan to aid the assault troops, and made supporting raids onIwo Jima , Pagan, Rota, andGuam . They also took part in theBattle of the Philippine Sea on19 June and20 June , accounting for a number of the huge tally of enemy planes downed. After a brief overhaul at Pearl Harbor, "Cowpens" rejoined the fast carrier task force at Eniwetok on17 August . Then, on29 August , she sailed for the pre-invasion strikes on the Palaus, whose assault was an essential preliminary for the return to thePhilippines . From13 September to17 September , she was detached from the force to cover the landings onMorotai , then rejoined it for sweep, patrol, and attack missions against Luzon from21 September to24 September . "Cowpens", with her task group, sent air strikes to neutralize Japanese bases onOkinawa and Formosa from10 October to14 October , and when USS|Canberra|CA-70|6 and USS|Houston|CL-81|2 were hit by torpedoes, "Cowpens" provided air cover for their safe withdrawal, rejoining her task group20 October . En route to Ulithi, she was recalled when the Japanese Fleet threatened the Leyte invasion, and during theBattle of Surigao Strait phase of the decisiveBattle for Leyte Gulf on25 October and26 October , provided combat air patrol for the ships pursuing the fleeing remnant of the Japanese fleet. Continuing her support of the Philippines advance, "Cowpens"' planes struckLuzon repeatedly during December. During the disastrousTyphoon Cobra on18 December "Cowpens" lost a man: ship's air officer LCDR Robert Price, several planes, and some equipment, but skillful work by her crew prevented major damage, and she reached Ulithi safely on21 December to repair her storm damage.1945
Between
30 December 1944 and26 January 1945 , "Cowpens" was at sea for theLingayen Gulf landings. Her planes struck targets on Formosa, Luzon, the Indochinese coast and theHong Kong -Canton area and Okinawa during January. On10 February , "Cowpens" sortied from Ulithi for the Iwo Jima operation, striking theTokyo area, supporting the initial landings from19 February to22 February , and hitting Okinawa on1 March .On
13 June , following an overhaul atSan Francisco and training at Pearl Harbor, "Cowpens" sailed on for San Pedro Bay, Leyte. Along the way she struck Wake Island on20 June . Rejoining Task Force 58, "Cowpens" sailed from San Pedro Bay on1 July to join in the final raids on the Japanese mainland. Her planes pounded Tokyo, Kure, and other cities ofHokkaidō andHonshū until15 August . "Cowpens" was the first American carrier to enter Tokyo Harbor. Remaining off Tokyo Bay until the occupation landings began30 August , "Cowpens" launched photographic reconnaissance missions to patrol airfields and shipping movements, and to locate and supply prisoner-of-war camps. Men from "Cowpens" were the first Americans to set foot on the Japanese mainland, and were largely responsible for the emergency activation of Yokosuka airfield for Allied use and the liberation of a POW camp near Niigata. Between8 November 1945 and28 January 1946 "Cowpens" made two voyages to Pearl Harbor, Guam, and Okinawa to return veterans on "Magic Carpet" runs.Post-War history
On
3 December 1946 she was placed in commission reserve at Mare Island. On15 May 1959 she was reclassified as an aircraft transport, with a new hull number, AVT 1. Then, just six months later, on1 November she was stricken from the Navy List and sold for scrap.In addition to her Navy Unit Commendation, "Cowpens" received 12
battle star s for World War II service.Commemoration
Each year, the town of Cowpens, SC holds a 4-day festival honoring veterans of USS "Cowpens". "The Mighty Moo Festival" was first held in 1977, with one crewmember of CVL 25 attending. Since then, as many as 115 CVL 25 veterans have attended the festival at once. Also, since the launch and commissioning of USS "Cowpens" (CG 63), the festival has included actively-serving crewmen or women of CG 63 sent by the ship's commanding officer, as well as previously-serving veterans of CG 63. The festival is held from Wednesday through Saturday preceding Father's Day each June. During the 1980s, the town of Cowpens, SC actively petitioned Congress to name another ship "Cowpens", which may have played a direct role in choosing this name for CG 63.
Gallery
References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c15/cowpens.htm
External links
* [http://www.ninesisters.com/cowpens.htm USS "Cowpens"] at Nine Sisters Light Carrier Historical Documentary Project
* [http://www.cowpensvets.org/ USS "Cowpens" Veterans] Veterans web site for CVL 25 and CG 63
* [http://www.cowpensmightymoo.com/ The Mighty Moo Festival] Official web site of The Mighty Moo Festival
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