USS Barnes (AVG-20/ACV-20/CVE-20) was an escort carrier in the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

. She was the second ship to carry her name.

Barnes was laid down under a Maritime Commission contract; transferred to the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 on 1 May 1942; launched on 22 May 1942 by Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding, Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...

; sponsored by Mrs. G. L. Hutchinson, widow of Lieutenant

Lieutenant

A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...

 Hutchinson; and commissioned on 20 February 1943, Captain

Captain (naval)

Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....

 Cato Douglas Glover in command. Originally classified AVG-20, she was reclassified ACV-20 on 20 August 1942, CVE-20 on 15 July 1943, and CVHE-20 on 12 June 1955.

Service history

The major task of Barnes throughout World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 was the transporting of aircraft and personnel from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 to the forward areas of the Pacific. In addition she served as a combat, training and pilot qualifying carrier.

While performing these duties she launched her planes on several raids against Tarawa Atoll

Tarawa Atoll

Tarawa is an atoll in the central Pacific Ocean, previously the capital of the former British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands. It is the location of the capital of the Republic of Kiribati, South Tarawa...

 in the Gilbert Islands

Gilbert Islands

The Gilbert Islands are a chain of sixteen atolls and coral islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are the main part of Republic of Kiribati and include Tarawa, the site of the country's capital and residence of almost half of the population.-Geography:The atolls and islands of the Gilbert Islands...

 operation from 20 November–5 December 1943, and provided invaluable aircraft replenishment to the various task groups of the 3rd Fleet during the western Caroline Islands

Caroline Islands

The Caroline Islands are a widely scattered archipelago of tiny islands in the western Pacific Ocean, to the north of New Guinea. Politically they are divided between the Federated States of Micronesia in the eastern part of the group, and Palau at the extreme western end...

 operation from 6 September–14 October 1944, and the Luzon

Luzon

Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...

 attacks on 19 October 1944.

After Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

's surrender, Barnes remained in the Far East on occupation duty until 3 November 1945. Returning to the United States in March 1946, Barnes remained on the west coast for a period of time and then steamed to Boston, Massachusetts, where she was placed out of commission in reserve on 29 August 1946. Redesignated as a helicopter escort carrier

Helicopter carrier

Helicopter carrier is a term for an aircraft carrier whose primary purpose is to operate helicopters. The term is sometimes used for both ASW carriers and amphibious assault ships....

(CVHE-20) on 12 June 1955, she was stricken for disposal on 1 March 1959.