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CHRONOLOGY OF HIGHLIGHTS FOR YEAR 1944
CHRONOLOGY OF HIGHLIGHTS FOR YEAR 1944
6 August
Rear Admiral Monroe Kelley, USN, Commandant,
Third Naval District placed USS BENNINGTON CV-20
in commission at New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn.
Captain James B. Sykes, USN, of Washington, D.C.,
assumed command.
6 - 31 August
Moored starboard side to Pier K, Berth 19, Navy Yard, New York.
Ship in a fitting out status.
1 - 7 September
Moored at Pier K, Berth 19, Navy Yard, New York
Commenced Dock Trials and Rear Admiral A.G. Robinson, USN and Board of Inspection and Survey completed inspection of the ship.
8 - 10 September
Moored starboard side to Pier K, Berth 19, Navy Yard, New York
11 September
Undergoing Dock Trials at Pier K, Berth 19, Navy Yard, New York
12 September
Cleared the dock and stood Down East River and Upper Bay.
Anchored in Berth 20, Upper Bay, New York Harbor.
Underway for dry-dock, Bayonne, New Jersey.
Moored at U.S. Naval Dry-Dock #7, Bayonne Annex, Navy Yard
13 - 20 September
Docked in dry-dock, Bayonne Annex.
21 - 23 September
Left dry-dock. Moored starboard side to Berths #5 & #6
24 September
Underway for anchorage in Gravesend Bay, New York Harbor.
Anchored in Gravesend Bay.
25 September
Underway for Norfolk, Virginia and gunnery operations in company
with USS DALLAS (DD-199) and USS BERNADAU (DD-153)
26 September
Anchored in Berth X, Anchorage A, Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Underway for deperming crib, Lambert's Point, Norfolk, Va.
Moored in deperming crib.
27 September
Underway from Lambert's Point for Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, Va.
Moored starboard side to North Side of Pier #7
28 September
Moored to Pier #7 Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, Va.
29 September
Reported for duty to ComInCh, CinClant, ComAirLant,ComFairNorfolk.
Moored to Pier #7.
Carrier Air Group 82 reported to BENNINGTON for duty.
30 September
Underway for anchorage, Hampton Roads, Va.
Anchored in Berth Z.
1 October
Underway for Chesapeake Bay
Anchored in bay off degaussing range.
2 October
Underway in Chesapeake Bay area.
Landed the first plane (NO. 97 of VF-82),
piloted by, Commander C.L. Heap, Commander of Air Group 82.
Launched first aircraft - free-run take-off.
Also, first catapult take-off.
Anchored in bay off degaussing range.
3 October
Underway in Chesapeake Bay area.
Anchored off Cape Charles.
4 October
Underway for the U.S. Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va.
Moored starboard side to Pier #3,
Berths #23 & #24, Norfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia.
5 October
Moored at the Norfolk Navy Yard.
6 - 11 October
Underway in Chesapeake Bay to conduct Air Operations,
Gunnery Exercises and various drills.
12 October
Moored starboard side to North Side of Pier #7,
Naval Operating Base, Norfolk, Va.
13 October
Moored Pier #7 .
Commander Fleet Air Norfolk, Rear Admiral H.C. Read, USN,
conducted "on reporting" inspection of the ship.
14 October
Moored Pier #7.
Loading provisions, supplies, ammunition, fuel and receiving personnel for cruise to Gulf of Paria.
15 October
Underway for Chesapeake Bay Operations Area.
Landed Air Group VF-37, VB-36 and VT-18.
Anchored in Chesapeake Bay off Windmill Point.
16 October
Underway for shakedown and Gunnery and Calibration Exercises.
Commenced sortie from Chesapeake Bay enroute to Trinidad, BWI.
in the Caribbean. USS DECATUR (DD-341) and the USS ABILE (DD-733) in company.
17 - 20 October
Enroute from Norfolk to Trinidad.
On the 19th of October, Ensign T.J. Conners, A-V(N), USNR, in VF-67,
crashed astern of the BENNINGTON after a strafing run on target sled.
Search results were negative.
21 October
Anchored Berth B-2, Trinidad, BWI (off Naval Air Station)
22 October
Anchored off NAS, Trinidad.
Took on fuel and fresh water.
23 October
Underway for Operating Area off Paria Peninsula, Gulf of Paria, for flight exercises and gunnery operations.
Anchored off Paria Peninsula.
24 -26 October
Underway for area off Paria Peninsula for flight operations and gunnery training exercises.
27 October
Anchored in Berth B-6, Naval Operating Base, Trinidad.
Took on aviation gasoline and fresh water.
28 October - 5 November
Underway in Gulf of Paria off Trinidad for flight operations and gunnery exercises.
6 November
Anchored off Naval Operating Base, Trinidad.
7 November
Anchored off Trinidad receiving fuel, aviation gasoline and fresh water from barges alongside.
8 November
Underway for Hampton Roads, Virginia.
USS DECATUR (DD-341) and USS CHAMPLIN (DD-601) in company.
9 - 12 November
Underway for Hampton Roads, Virginia after shakedown.
13 November
Approaching Virginia Capes, CAG-82 launched planes for NAS Quonset Point, Rhode Island.
14 November
Moored at Pier #7, Naval Operating Base, Norfolk.
Orders from ComAirLant changed aircraft complement of CAG 82
from VF-36, VB-36 and VT-18 to VF-54, VB-24 and VT-18.
15 November
Underway from Norfolk for Damage Control Exercises in Chesapeake Bay.
Enroute to Navy Yard, New York.
16 November
Moored starboard side to South Side of Jetty.
Berth #51 & #52, New York Navy Yard Annex, Bayonne, New Jersey.
17 November - 7 December
Moored starboard side to the South Side of Jetty.
Post-shakedown availability.
8 December
Moored at the New York Navy Yard, Bayonne Annex.
Complement of CAG82 changed from VF-54, VB-24, and VT-18
to VF-73, VB-15 and VT-15; with 36 F4U's to be picked up on the West Coast.
9 -10 December
Moored New York Navy Yard, Bayonne Annex.
11 December
Moored New York Navy Yard, Bayonne Annex.
Ground personnel for Air Group 82 came aboard.
12 December
Moored New York Navy Yard, Bayonne Annex.
13 December
Underway from New York Annex for Naval Anchorage, Gravesend Bay.
Anchored at Gravensend Bay.
14 December
Underway for Delaware Capes and Christobal, Panama Canal Zone.
In company with the DM-27 & DM-30.
Designated as Task Group 27.3
15 December
Underway for Canal Zone.
Air Group 82 consisting of VF-33, VB-24 and VT-18
landed aboard from Norfolk while the ship was off Delaware Capes.
16 - 19 December
Enroute New York to Christobal, Panama Canal Zone.
20 December
Approaching Canal.
Air Group 82 was launched for simulated attacks on the Locks as previously arranged with U.S. ARMY to test defenses.
Moored starboard side to North of Pier #8, Christobal, Panama Canal Zone.
Liberty for half of the crew.
21 December
Made transit of Canal.
Elapsed time of 11 hours and 31 minutes.
Moored starboard side to North Side of Pier #18, Balboa, Canal Zone.
Reported to Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet for Duty.
Liberty for the other half of the crew.
22 December
Underway to San Diego, California.
23 - 28 December
Enroute Balboa, to San Diego, California -
conducted flight operations and gunnery exercises.
29 December
Moored starboard side to Berth K, Naval Air Station, San Diego, California.
30 - 31 December 1944
Moored Berth K, NAS, San Diego.
The BENNINGTON was fueled, aircraft were loaded on-board, provisions and ammunition brought aboard. Embarked passengers.
VMF-123 and VMF-112 reported to Commander Air Group 82 for duty with 18 F4U's (each).
The information above was provided by: Joseph Pires, former SK3
Supply Department - S-1 Division - 1965-1969
USS BENNINGTON HISTORIAN
additional information added as available.
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