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USS Bennington CV-20

Named after an American Revolutionary battle in Vermont, the USS Bennington CV-20 was an instrumental part of the Navy for many years. While there are some problems with this ship in regards to sailor asbestos exposure, it is important to learn about the USS Bennington CV-20's history.

In 1943 and 1944, the USS Bennington CV-20 was built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York. She was designed to travel at speeds up to 33 knots and weighed about 27,100 tons. At a length of 872 feet, this ship was meant to carry 3,448 men as an Essex class short hull fleet carrier. The USS Bennington CV-20 was sponsored by Mrs. Melvin J. Maus, wide of a Minnesota congressman at the time. When the ship was commissioned in 1944, Captain J. B. Sykes was put in command of the ship.

The USS Bennington CV-20 left port for the first time on December 15, 1945. She traveled through the Panama Canal on December 21, 1945 and arrived at Pearl Harbor on January 8, 1945. From there, the ship sailed to Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands to join Task Force 58.1. She reached this destination on February 8, 1945 and took part in air strikes against the Japanese home islands from February 16, 1945 to February 25, 1945. From February 18 to March 4 of that year, the ship participated in attacks against Volcano Islands and on March 1 of that year, the ship participated in attacks against Okinawa in support of the March 18 through March 11 Okinawa campaign by the United States.

After Okinawa, the USS Bennington CV-20 moved through the East China Sea to again participate in attacks against the Japanese home islands. On the way, they sank the Japanese battleship Yamato, the Japanese light cruise Yahagi, and four Japanese destroyers. The carrier wasn't damaged in this battle, but was in need for repair after a June 5, 1945 typhoon off the coast of Okinawa. She went to Leyte for repairs on June 12, 1945, leaving on July 1 of that year to take part in the July 10 air raids on Japan. These raids lasted until August 15, 1945.

In the fall of this year, Japan surrendered, and the USS Bennington CV-20 took part in the early September flight celebrations over Tokyo. The ship stayed in these eastern waters until October 21, 1945 before leaving for the United States. She arrived in San Francisco on November 7, 1945 and was transported through the Panama Canal to the shipyard at Norfolk, Virginia. She underwent an overhaul and on November 8, 1946, the USS Bennington CV-20 was deactivated and put on reserve.

In October of 1950, the USS Bennington CV-20 was modernized by shipbuilders. The United States Navy estimates that over 11 million man hours were put into renovating the USS Bennington CV-20 to make her ready for work in the Navy once again. During the SCB-27A conversion, her desk was extended 43 feet and widened 8 feet. This allowed the ship to now launch jet aircraft. In addition, the 5-inch guns were removed from the flight deck. In their stead, smaller and more efficient 3-inch guns were added.

With the ship then deemed the "most most modern carrier in the fleet," Captain David B. Young took command in November of 1952. a few months later, Marine Air Group 14 reported for duty on the ship, and they completed training and routine flights off the coast of Florida. After minor repairs, the USS Bennington CV-20 completed a shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay Navel Base.

From May 1953 to May 1954, the ship cruised along the eastern coast of North America and through the Mediterranean. On May 26, 1954, fluid in one of the ship's catapults exploded, starting a chain reaction that killed 103 crewmen and seriously injured over 200 more of the personnel on board. The ship docked at Rhode Island for repair and accident investigation.

From June 1954 to March 1955, the ship was completely rebuilt. In April 1955, those killed in the 1954 tragedy were honored and 178 crewmen were recognized for their heroism. The USS Bennington CV-20 returned to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet in September 1955, and later served with the Pacific Fleet in the Far East.

In 1959, the USS Bennington CV-20 was re-designated at an ASW support Carrier and took part in the 1960 Laotian Crisis as well as three tours during the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1968. She was the primary recovery fleet for Apollo 4 in 1967. The ship was officially decommissioned once again in January of 1970 and was taken off of the Navy's list of reserve ships in 1989. The ship was sold to an Indian company in 1994 to be used for scrap.

If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Bennington CV-20, 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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