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USS Rendova CVE-114

The USS Rendova, commissioned a few months after World War II ended, served her country during the Korean War, earning two Battle Stars for her actions. She was actually laid down eighteen months earlier, and had two other earlier names (Mosser Bay and Willamette) before her maiden voyage as Rendova. She was considered a Naval Commencement Bay class escort carrier, and carried 1,066 sailors. She was 557 feet long and reached 19 knots per hour. Her armament consisted of 2 x 5 inch 127 mm guns and 36 x 40 mm guns, in addition to 34 aircraft. Rendova's propulsion was from geared turbines.

Starts and Stops

After finishing her first shakedown, she was assigned to the 1st Fleet in February. However, two months later, she lost all of her complement except for a crew of maintenance workers. During the next year, Rendova stayed at her home base of San Diego; although she housed the administrative headquarters for Carrier Division 15, and was thus considered still active. By 1947, she was ready again for full duty, and conducted training exercises off shore and in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands. In 1948, Rendova transported AT-6 training planes in her cargo for the Turkish air force. This "good will" trip took her through the Panama and Suez Canals, and from there into the Indian and Pacific Oceans. After a short voyage to Tsingtao, she returned home to face more training maneuvers, leaving in1949 to begin missions in Tsingtao and Okinawa. By 1950, it was time for an overhaul; Rendova thus left the 1st Fleet for Bremerton. When done, she was berthed with the Pacific Reserve Fleet during a temporary decommissioning.

Sent to the Frontlines

The USS Rendova was recommissioned in 1951 when she was needed to report for duty. After a training period off Okinawa, she sailed to Kobe to relieve the USS Sicily. Her other missions included assisting Marine Fighter Squadron 212 by transporting their equipment, planes and personnel, and conducting aircraft carrier qualifications for the squadron. After embarking on a voyage to the Yellow Sea to relieve the HMS Glory, she launched her first close air support sortie. For the remainder of that year, Rendova maintained a presence off the west coast of Korea and recorded 1,743 sorties. She also flew armed and photo reconnaissance missions, rendered SAR assistance and enforced the U.N. blockade. The USS Rendova made history on November 17, l951, when she set a new record for sorties in one day-a total of 64. The following fall, Rendova participated in Operation Ivy, which was a series of atomic tests in the Marshall Islands. She was again placed on reserve in 1953, but continued training activities with the Pacific Fleet. Her next deployment, in 1954, was in the capacity of "hunter-killer carrier" in the Western Pacific. Returning to her home state, the Rendova continued training exercises out of Long Beach, before being sent to Mare Island. There she received a preinactivation overhaul, prior to her decommission in 1955. The Rendova was kept a member of the Navy's Reserve Fleet until struck from the Navy list in 1971.

The USS Rendova is a good example of the fact that a battleship didn't need to be huge or employ a great deal of sophisticated equipment to get the job done. She proved to be a steady, dependable worker who achieved everything she was asked to do, with timely results and recognizable quality, and no significant loss due to accidents. Many ships close to her age and size suffered a large number of collisions or disasters, and several of those involved on-board fires.

The Navy attempted to prevent fires on vessels at all cost, since the onset of one could mean death for the entire crew. Therefore, it was common practice for shipbuilders in the 1940's to routinely add asbestos to construction materials, as additional insulation insurance. Since asbestos was widely recognized for its flame and heat-retardant properties, it seemed the ideal solution for any environment posing high risk, which included warships. With their need for high-temperature propulsion, internal electrical systems and contained living conditions, there was constant heat generation in one maintenance facility or another. Combined with the risk of a fire spreading throughout the close quarters, limited resources, and lack of escape routes, a ship had to take whatever precautions it could. Plus, since asbestos could be shaped and molded into any form, it was perfect for the tiny and awkward spaces of vessels. In the majority of cases, asbestos was not an immediate danger, since it was sealed. However, if the sealant became worn or damaged, asbestos fibers easily escaped and entered the general air circulation. That meant that anyone on board could have been exposed to errant, microscopic asbestos fibers, and wouldn't have even known about it until recently, since physical damage takes decades to appear.

If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Rendova, 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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