USS Bataan CVL-29

Named in honor of the men who defended the Bataan Peninsula, this ship was initially designed to be named the USS Buffalo CL-99, but was reordered to be designed as an aircraft carrier. Built in 1943, she was finally designated as CVL, an independence class carrier. Others given this designation at the time included the USS Independence, Princeton, Belleau Wood, Cowpens, Monterey, Langley, Cabot and San Jacinto. This ship was the first in the United States Navy to be named after a battle in World War II.

The USS Bataan officially became part of the Navy in November 1943. This 11,000-ton carrier was built in Camden, New Jersey and assigned to sail in the Pacific. During the vessel's shakedown training in the Chesapeake Bay and West Indies, the ship anchored off the Port of Spain and spent a few weeks conducting drills in the Gulf of Paria.

In February, the carrier returned to Philadelphia's Naval Yard for post-shakedown inspections and repairs. During this time, she lost two Hellcat pilots and three men died in the crashes.

In 1944, the Bataan set sail taking part in missions to Japanese holdings in the Far East with Captain V.H. Schaeffer in command and through Pearl Harbor. Her first mission was the attack on Hollandia, New Guinea on April 21 - 24, 1944. She sailed with a fleet that included the USS Hornet CV-12, the USS Belleau Wood CV-24, the USS Cowpens CV-25 and other ships in the 58.1 Task Group.

Following this initial attack on the Japanese, the USS Bataan CVL-29 took part in a number of other air strikes in the Far East. These included strikes again Truk, Satawan, and Ponape at the end of the month, Saipan and Marianas during the summer, two in Bonins in June, and the Battle of the Philippine Sea also in June. After this, the USS Bataan CVL-29 returned to the United States for repairs and renovations.

With successful repairs, the USS Bataan CLV-29 joined another Pacific fleet and between March 17, 1945 and May 30, 1945, she took part in fleet raids supporting the Okinawa operation. This aircraft carrier's fliers were directly involved in assisting the sinking of the Japanese submarine I-56 in April. In July and August, the USS Bataan CLV-29 was involved in strikes against the Japanese Islands.

Following this tour, the Bataan returned to the United States. In 1946, she sailed to Philadelphia's shipyard, and in early 1947, she was officially ordered to be inactive and put on reserve. This ship remained as part of the reserve fleet for over three years, but was then reactivated in July of 1950 to help in the Korean Conflict.

From December 1950 to June 1952, this ship provided support to ground troops in Korea, carrying personnel and supplies to the mainland and launching air strikes against the enemy. After repairs in San Diego late that summer, the vessel set for eastern waters again, operating off of the Korean coast from October 1952 to May 1953.

In 1953, the USS Bataan CVL-29 sailed to San Diego and underwent major renovations. The ship sailed on missions to Pearl Harbor, Kobe, and Yokosuka in Japan. Four more tours were conducted from March to May, with the VMA-312 attacking enemy troops. Special considerations were given to roads, railways, and bridges, with floods hampering communist efforts.

In August of that year, after the liberty of Yokosuka, the Bataan returned to Pearl Harbor to report for inactivation. The ship officially went into reserve again in April 1954 and remained docked in San Francisco until 1959. The carrier was later struck from the Navy's list of reserve ships. The USS Bataan CVL-29 was sold for scrap metal in May of 1961 to the Nicolai Joffee Corp of Beverly Hills, California.

The USS Bataan CVL-29 was 622.5 feet long and traveled at speeds of up to 32 knots. The ship was equipped with 24 Bofors 40 mm guns and 18 Oerlikon 20 mm cannons and carries a crew of 1569 officers and men. While in active duty, she played a vital role in United States success in the Pacific, earning six battle starts during World War II and three battle stars during the Korean Conflict. As a reserve ship, the USS Bataan CVL-29 was assigned as past of the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

The history of this ship, however, has one black spot. Like the vast majority of ships built in this time period, products using asbestos were used during the ship's construction. If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Bataan CVL-29, or have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, contact a qualified asbestos attorney to learn about your legal options. Many have already received compensation to help pay for medical expenses.

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