- USS Monterey (CVL-26)
The USS "Monterey" (CVL-26) was an "Independence"-class
light aircraft carrier of theUnited States Navy , in service duringWorld War II and used in training for several years thereafter.Originally laid down as
light cruiser "Dayton" (CL-78) on29 December 1941 byNew York Shipbuilding ,Camden, New Jersey , the ship was reclassified CV-26 on27 March 1942 and renamed "Monterey" four days later, launched28 February 1943 , sponsored by Mrs.P.N.L. Bellinger , and commissioned17 June 1943 , CaptainLestor T. Hundt in command."Monterey" was reclassified CVL-26 on
15 July 1943 , shortly after commissioning, and, after shakedown, departedPhiladelphia for the western Pacific. She reached theGilbert Islands 19 November 1943 , in time to help secureMakin Island . She took part in strikes onKavieng , New Ireland,25 December , as part of TG 37.2, and supported the landings atKwajalein andEniwetok until8 February 1944 . The light carrier then operated with TF 58 during raids in theCaroline Islands ,Mariana Islands , northernNew Guinea , and theBonin Islands from February through July 1944. During this time she was also involved in theBattle of the Philippine Sea on29 April and30 April ."Monterey" then sailed to
Pearl Harbor for overhaul, departing once again on29 August . She launched strikes againstWake Island on3 September , then joined TF 38 and participated in strikes in the southern Philippines and theRyukyus . October through December 1944 were spent in the Philippines, supporting first the Leyte, and then theMindoro landings.Though enemy planes had been unable to damage "Monterey", she did not complete her first full year of service unscathed. In December, she steamed into the path of howling
typhoon Cobra , with winds over 100 knots. At the height of the storm, which lasted 2 days, several planes tore loose from their cables, causing several fires on the hangar deck. During the storm future US PresidentGerald Ford , who served on board the ship, was almost swept overboard. Volunteering to lead a fire fighting team below decks, Ford and his team fought all night to extinguish the fires that threatened his ship.cite web|last=Drury|first=Robert|title=How Lieutenant Ford Saved His Ship|publisher=New York Times|date=2006-12-28
url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/28/opinion/28drury.html?ex=1324962000&en=18ce61fb552d665b&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
accessdate=2008-06-19] "Monterey" arrivedBremerton, Washington , for overhaul, in January 1945. She rejoined TF 58 and supportedOkinawa operations by launching strikes againstNansei Shoto andKyūshū from9 May through1 June . She rejoined TF 38 for the final strike againstHonshū andHokkaidō from1 July to15 August .She departed Japanese waters
7 September , having embarked troops atTokyo , and steamed home, arrivingNew York City 17 October . "Monterey" left behind an impressive and enviable war record. Her planes sank five enemy warships, and damaged others. She was responsible for the destruction of thousands of tons of Japanese shipping, hundreds of planes, and vital industrial complexes. She was assigned "Magic Carpet" duty, and made several voyages betweenNaples and Norfolk. She decommissioned11 February 1947 , and was assigned to theAtlantic Reserve Fleet , Philadelphia Group.With the outbreak of hostilities in the
Korean War , "Monterey" recommissioned,15 September 1950 . She departed Norfolk3 January 1951 , and proceeded toPensacola, Florida , where she operated for the next 4 years under theNaval Training Command , training thousands of naval aviation cadets, student pilots, and helicopter trainees. Between1 October and11 October 1954 , she took part in a flood rescue mission inHonduras . She departed Pensacola9 June 1955 , and steamed to rejoin the reserve fleet. She decommissioned16 January 1956 . Reclassified AVT-2 on15 May 1959 , she remained berthed atPhiladelphia until she was sold for scrapping in May 1971."Monterey" received 11
battle star s for World War II service.References
*DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/m14/monterey-iii.htm
External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-m/cvl26.htm Navy photographs of "Monterey"]
* [http://www.ninesisters.com/monterey.htm USS Monterey] at Nine Sisters Light Carrier Historical Documentary Project
* Photos and story ofGerald R. Ford and the fire aboard the "Monterey" during WWII'sTyphoon Cobra - the rescue operation related to Hurricane flooding inHonduras in 1954. [http://www.morristown.org/monterey.htm]
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