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USS Bataan CVL-29

Named in honor of the men who defended the Bataan Peninsula, this ship was initially designed to be a light cruiser name 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 this 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 a 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 her shakedown training in the Chesapeake Bay and a preliminary trip to the 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, she 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.

The repairs successful, 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, making her base port in the Philippines, the USS Bataan CLV-29 was involved in strikes against the Japanese Islands.

Following this tour, the ship returned to the United States. In 1946, she sailed to Philadelphia's shipyard, and in early 1947, she was officially places 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, she 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, she returned to the United States via Pearl Harbor to report for inactivation. This ship officially went into reserve again in April 1954 and remained docked in San Francisco until 1959 classified as an auxiliary aircraft transport, when she was 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. She 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 in the ship's creation. If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Bataan CVL-29, or have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, Asbestos.com offers a free packet with more information. Enter your contact information in the form in the right column and we'll send a copy immediately.

Aircraft Carriers Index

USS America USS Antietam CV 36 K USS Antietam CV 36 USS Badoeng Strait CVE 116 USS Bairoko CVE 115 USS Bairoko CVE 115 USS Belleau wood CVL 24 USS Bennington CV 20 USS Bon Homme Richard CVa USS Boxer CV USS Bunker CV USS Cabot CVL 28 USS Constellation CV USS Coral Sea CV USS Corregidor CVE 58 USS Sable ix USS San jacinto CVL USS Saratoga CV USS Saratoga CV3 USS Shangri La

USS Cowpens CVL 25 USS Enterprise CV 6 USS Enterprise CVN USS Essex CV 9 USS Forrestal CV USS Franklin CV 13 USS Hancock CV 19 USS Hornet CV 12 USS Hornet CV 8 USS Independence C1 USS Independence CVL 22 USS Intrepid CV 11 USS Kearsage CV 33 USS Kearsage CV USS Kitty Hawk USS Sicily CVe USS Sitkoh bay USS Tarawa CV USS Ticonderoga CV USS Valley forge CV

USS Lake Champlain CV 39 USS Langley CV 1 USS Langley CVL 27 USS Lexington CV 16 USS Lexington CV 2 USS Leyte CV 32 USS Midway CV USS Oriskany CV USS Phillipine Sea CV USS Point cruz CVE USS Princeton CV USS Princeton CVL USS Randolph CV USS Ranger CV USS Rendova USS Wasp CV 18 USS Wasp CV 7 USS Wolverine IX 64 USS Yorktown CV 10 USS Yorktown CV 5

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