USS BENNINGTON

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HISTORY

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saved from url=http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-b/cv20.htm
So that data will not be lost if that site moves or is removed
All links are to their online site
-Posted 10/22/2002-

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Go to Naval Historical Center home page. Go to Online Library listing

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Bennington (CV-20, later CVA-20 and CVS-20), 1944-1993

USS Bennington, a 27,100-ton Essex class aircraft carrier built at the New York Navy Yard, was commissioned in August 1944. After shakedown training, she passed through the Panama Canal in December 1944 and arrived in the western Pacific in early February 1945. Her first combat operation took place in that month, when she participated in Task Force 58's raids on the Japanese home islands. Bennington also supported the invasion of Iwo Jima in February, hit the enemy home islands again in March and pounded the Ryukyus until Okinawa was secured in June. In April, her planes took part in the sinking of the huge Japanese battleship Yamato. The carrier suffered damage to her flight deck while steaming through a typhoon in early June. For the last two months of the Pacific War, Bennington joined in more attacks on Japan. She returned to the United States in October 1945 and, after limited operations in the west coast and Hawaiian areas, went to the U.S. east coast in April 1946 and decommissioned there later in the year.

In October 1950, Bennington was brought out of "mothballs" to receive a SCB-27A modernization. When recommissioned in November 1952, she was much more able to handle modern high-performance aircraft and had been redesignated CVA-20. For the next two years, she operated in the Atlantic and made a Mediterranean deployment in October 1953 - February 1954. She also suffered two major accidents: a boiler room explosion in April 1953 and a terrible hydraulic catapult explosion and fire on 26 May 1954. After the latter tragedy, which cost the lives of 103 officers and men, she entered the shipyard for further modernization, which gave her an angled flight deck and enclosed bow.

Bennington transferred to the Pacific in October 1955, and thereafter frequently operated with the Seventh Fleet in Asiatic waters. In June 1959, she became an anti-submarine warfare support aircraft carrier with the new designation CVS-20. She was in the Far East during the 1960-61 Laotian Crisis, guarding the fleet against the possibility of hostile submarine involvement, and also 1964 as the fighting in Vietnam intensified. After United States' forces became actively involved in the conflict, Bennington had three tours of duty off Southeast Asia, in 1965, 1966-67 and 1968. She decommissioned in January 1970 and entered the Reserve Fleet at Bremerton, Washington. Nearly two decades later, USS Bennington was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. She was sold in September 1993 and subsequently towed across the Pacific Ocean to be scrapped in India.

This page features selected views of USS Bennington.

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 97579 USS Bennington (CV-20) Underway during her shakedown, in the western Atlantic or Caribbean area, 20 October 1944. She is painted in camouflage Measure 32, Design 17a (#1). Note tanker in the left distance. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 117KB; 740 x 600 pixels
Photo #: 80-G-289645 USS Bennington (CV-20) Photographed from a plane that has just taken off from her flight deck, during the ship's shakedown period, 20 October 1944. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 65KB; 740 x 605 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.
Photo #: USN 1036055 USS Bennington (CVA-20) Passes the wreck of USS Arizona (BB-39) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Memorial Day, 31 May 1958. Bennington's crew is in formation on the flight deck, spelling out a tribute to the Arizona's crewmen who were lost in the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Note the outline of Arizona's hull and the flow of oil from her fuel tanks. Official U.S. Navy Photograph. Online Image: 86KB; 740 x 610 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system as Photo # 428-N-1036055.
Photo #: NH 97580 USS Bennington (CVS-20) Refueling at sea from USS Mispillion (AO-105), 20 August 1963. USS Alfred A. Cunningham (DD-752) is taking on fuel from off the oiler's starboard side. Photographed by PH2 Hobbs. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 146KB; 740 x 600 pixels
Photo #: NH 97581 USS Bennington (CVS-20) Underway on 5 March 1965. Photographed by PH3 Rassmussen. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 102KB; 740 x 605 pixels
Photo #: NH 97582 USS Bennington (CVS-20) Underway off the coast of California, 25 November 1967. Photographed by Dolenga. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 520 pixels
Photo #: 80-G-K-4945 (Color) USS Bennington (CV-20) One of the carrier's officers inscribes a bomb "For Gael!" in memory of a departed shipmate, prior to strikes on Japanese targets, circa May 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 83KB; 580 x 765 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.
Photo #: 80-G-K-4946 (Color) USS Bennington (CV-20) Grumman F6F-5 "Hellcat" fighters prepare for takeoff, circa May 1945. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Online Image: 82KB; 590 x 765 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.
Photo #: NH 97583 USS Bennington (CVA-20) Captain W.F. Raborn, the carrier's Commanding Officer, presents awards to members of her crew in recognition of their heroic actions during the catapult explosion and fire of 26 May 1954. Photographed on 7 August 1954. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 168KB; 740 x 615 pixels
Photo #: USN 1052379 "Beyond the Peaceful Sunset, A Shooting War" Sunset scene on board USS Bennington (CVS-20), operating with the Seventh Fleet near South Viet Nam, 16 December 1960, during the Laotian Crisis. View looks forward on the flight deck, past parked S2F "Tracker" anti-submarine aircraft. Other units deployed near South Viet Nam at that time included the attack carrier USS Lexington (CVA-16), several destroyers and a three-ship amphibious force carrying 1400 Marines. Official U.S. Navy Photograph. Online Image: 77KB; 740 x 605 pixels Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system as Photo # 428-N-1052379.
Photo #: NH 97584 USS Bennington (CVS-20) A Grumman S-2E "Tracker" ready for launching from the carrier's starboard catapult, 30 November 1967. Photographed by PH3 Pickett. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center. Online Image: 92KB; 740 x 605 pixels

Go to Naval Historical Center home page.

Page made 3 April 2001
Link added 8 October 2001