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USS Bunker Hill CV-17

During World War II and the decades following, a number of ships were built for the United States Navy and other branches of the United States military. One of these ships, named after the famous American Revolutionary battle, was the USS Bunker Hill CV-17. Read on to learn a little more about the history of this great aircraft carrier!

The USS Bunker Hill CV-17 was laid down in September of 1941 and launched on December 1942 with Captain J.J. Ballentine in command of the ship. It was sponsored by Mrs. Donald Boynton and commissioned officially on May 24, 1943. This Essex-class aircraft carrier was nicknamed the "Holiday Express" because of the many missions they launched around the holiday season. The USS Bunker Hill CV-17 was built in Quincy, Massachusetts.

After launch and a shakedown cruise, the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 reported to the Pacific via the Panama Canal, participating in the Rabaul strike on November 11, 1943. Around this time, the ship also carried out a number of other missions, including the Gilberts Islands operation, which itself include supporting the landings at Tarawa on November 13, 1943 through December 8, 1943. Later, this ship was also involved in the Kavieng strikes during the Bismarck Archipelago operation, the Marshall Islands operation, and the strikes against Truk. The Truk raid took place in February 1944 and the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 was directly responsible for the support of sinking eight Japanese combatant vessels.

After the strikes on Truk, the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 participated in the Marianas raid; the Palau, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai raids; the Truk, Satawan, and Ponape raids; the Hollandia operation; and the summer Marianas operation, which included the Battle of the Philippine Sea. During this battle, the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 was damaged by a missile that nearly sunk it and instead sprayed it with shrapnel. Two were killed in this battle and over 80 others were injured. However, although damaged, the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 continued on in the battle, and, as a result, was directly responsible for sinking a Japanese carrier and her 476 aircrafts that were on board that ship and many other ships.

After repairs, the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 ran missions in the Caroline Islands, launching strikes against Okinawa, Luzon, and Formosa, during the fall of 1944. On November 6, 1944, the ship returned to the United States and patrolled the Bremerton, Washington area, and in January 1945, the ship once again returned to the Asia's waters. During the rest of 1945 as World War II came to an end, the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 participated in the launches against Iwo Jim, the raids against Honshu by the 5th Fleet, the raids against Okinawa by the 5th and 3rd Fleets, and the East China Sea fast carrier Task Force attack on the Japanese Navy. During this battle, the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 supported the sinking of one cruise, the battleship Yamato, and four destroyers.

Like many ships during World War II, the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 was damaged by kamikazes - Japanese suicide bombers. Two kamikazes attacked her on May 11, 1945, with a 250-kg bomb exploding through the ship and the plane crashing into the USS Bunker Hill CV-17's flight deck. The result was a huge fire, followed by a second suicide bomber. During this tragedy, there were 346 men killed, 43 men missing, and another 264 men wounded. This attack goes down in history as the single most deadly kamikaze attack during World War II against the United States. The USS Bunker Hill CV-17, though badly damaged, managed to make it back to the United States.

After World War II, the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 joined the "Magic Carpet" operation, which helped return troops to the United States. In January 1946, the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 was put in reserves and docked at the Navy's base in Bremerton, Washington. She was reclassified three times while in the reserve fleet, first as a CVA-17 in 1952, then later as a CVS-17 in 1953 and an AVT-9 in 1959. Since the Essex-class carriers survived well during the war, not all were used afterwards. As a result, the USS Bunker Hill CV-17 was not used postwar. It was removed from the Navy's reserve list in 1966 and instead used for a stationary electronics test location in San Diego, California for the net few decades. In 1973, the ship was finally sold for scrap.

Although this ship was not one of the most widely used, she was instrumental in the United States' victories in the Pacific during the 1940s. However, it is important to keep in mind that this ship was built during a time period when products containing asbestos were used. If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Bunker Hill CV-17, 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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