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USS Cabot (CVL-28)
Encyclopedia
USS Cabot (CVL-28/AVT-3) was an in the United States Navy
, the second ship to carry the name. Cabot was commissioned in 1943 and served until 1947. She was recommissioned as a training carrier from 1948 to 1955. From 1967 to 1989, she served in Spain as . After futile attempts to preserve her, she was scrapped in 2002.
USS Cabot was laid down as Wilmington (CL-79), redesignated CV-28 on 2 June 1942, renamed Cabot on 23 June 1942 and converted while building. She was launched on 4 April 1943 by New York Shipbuilding Company, Camden, New Jersey
; sponsored by Mrs. A. C. Read. She was reclassified CVL-28 on 15 July 1943 and commissioned on 24 July 1943, with Captain
Malcolm Francis Schoeffel in command.
, Rhode Island with Air Group 31 aboard, on 8 November 1943 for Pearl Harbor
, where she arrived on 2 December. Clearing for Majuro
on 15 January 1944, she joined TF 58 to begin the consistently high quality of war service which was to win her a Presidential Unit Citation. From 4 February to 4 March 1944, she launched her planes in strikes on Roi, Namur
, and the island stronghold of Truk, aiding in the neutralization of these Japanese bases as her part in the invasion of the Marshalls.
Cabot returned to Pearl Harbor for a brief repair period, but was back in action from Majuro for the pounding raids on the Palaus, Yap
, Ulithi
, and Woleai
at the close of March 1944. She sailed to provide valuable air cover for the Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura)
operation from 22–25 April, and 4 days later began to hurl her air power at Truk, Satawan
, and Ponape
. She cleared Majuro again on 6 June for the preinvasion air strikes in the Mariana Islands
, and on 19 June and 20 June launched sorties in the key Battle of the Philippine Sea
, the famous "Marianas Turkey Shoot", which hopelessly crippled Japanese naval aviation. Cabots air group 31 pounded Japanese bases on Iwo Jima
, Pagan, Rota
, Guam
, Yap and Ulithi as the carrier continued her support of the Marianas operation until 9 August.
Preinvasion strikes in the Palaus in September 1944 along with air attacks on Mindanao
, the Visayas, and Luzon paved the way for the long- awaited return to the Philippines. On 6 October, Air Group 29 relieved Air Group 31, and Cabot sailed from Ulithi for raids on Okinawa to provid air cover for her task group during the heavy enemy attacks off Formosa
on 12 October and 13 October. Cabot joined the group which screened "Cripple Division 1", and which had been torpedoed off Formosa, to the safety of the Carolines, then rejoined her group for continued air strikes on the Visayas, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf
on 25 October and 26 October.
Cabot remained on patrol off Luzon
, conducting strikes in support of operations ashore, and repelling desperate kamikaze
attacks. On 25 November, a particularly vicious one occurred. Cabot had fought off several kamikazes when one, already flaming from hits, crashed the flight deck on the port side, destroying the still-firing 20 mm gun platform, disabling the 40 mm Mounts and a gun director: Another of Cabots victims crashed close aboard and showered the port side with shrapnel and burning debris. 62 men were killed or wounded but careful training had produced a crew which handled damage control smoothly and coolly. While she continued to maintain her station in formation and operate effectively, temporary repairs were made. On 28 November, she arrived at Ulithi for permanent repairs.
Cabot returned to action on 11 December 1944, steaming with the force striking Luzon, Formosa, Indo-China, Hong Kong
, and the Nansei Shoto in support of the Luzon operations. From 10 February to 1 March 1945, her planes pounded the Japanese homeland and the Bonins to suppress opposition to the invasion of Iwo Jima. Continued strikes against Kyūshū
and Okinawa in March prepared for the invasion of the latter island. After these prolonged, intensive operations, Cabot was homeward bound for San Francisco for a much-needed overhaul completed in June.
After refresher training at Pearl Harbor with Air Group 32 aboard, the carrier launched strikes on Wake Island on 1 August while en route to Eniwetok. Here she remained on training duty until the end of the war. Sailing on 21 August, she joined TG 38.3 to support the landings of occupation troops in the Yellow Sea
area in September and October. Embarking homeward-bound men at Guam, Cabot arrived at San Diego on 9 November, then sailed for the east coast. Cabot was placed out of commission in reserve at Philadelphia on 11 February 1947.
Recommissioned 27 October 1948, Cabot was assigned to the Naval Air Reserve training program. She operated out of Pensacola
, then Quonset Point, on cruises to the Caribbean, and had one tour of duty in European waters from 9 January to 26 March 1952. Cabot was again placed out of commission in the reserve fleet at the Philadelphia Naval Yard on 21 January 1955. She was reclassified AVT-3 on 15 May 1959.
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In 1967, after over twelve years in "mothballs", Cabot was loaned to Spain
, in whose navy she served with the name of and was equipped with the AV-8S Matador. The loan was converted to a sale and USS Cabot was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 August 1972. Dedalo was stricken from the Spanish Navy
in August 1989 and given to a private organization in the U.S. for conversion to a museum ship
.
It was designated as a National Historic Landmark
on 29 June 1990. The ship spent most of the 1990s tied to a dock in New Orleans. The private groups attempting to preserve her as a memorial were unable to pay creditors, so, on 10 September 1999, the ship was auctioned off by the U.S. Marshals Service
to Sabe Marine Salvage. Its designation as a National Historic Landmark was withdrawn on 7 August 2001. Scrapping of the hulk was completed in 2002. Her island, a small stub of metal and glass, was preserved and is on exhibit at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola
in Florida since 2007, the last relic of over 100 light aircraft carriers
of World War II.
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...
, the second ship to carry the name. Cabot was commissioned in 1943 and served until 1947. She was recommissioned as a training carrier from 1948 to 1955. From 1967 to 1989, she served in Spain as . After futile attempts to preserve her, she was scrapped in 2002.
USS Cabot was laid down as Wilmington (CL-79), redesignated CV-28 on 2 June 1942, renamed Cabot on 23 June 1942 and converted while building. She was launched on 4 April 1943 by New York Shipbuilding Company, Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
; sponsored by Mrs. A. C. Read. She was reclassified CVL-28 on 15 July 1943 and commissioned on 24 July 1943, with 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....
Malcolm Francis Schoeffel in command.
World War II (1943-1947)
Cabot sailed from Naval Air Station Quonset PointNaval Air Station Quonset Point
Naval Air Station Quonset Point was a United States Naval Base in Quonset Point, Rhode Island that was deactivated in 1974. Next to NAS Quonset Point was Camp Endicott at Davisville, home of the Naval Construction Battalions known as the Seabees. Quonset Point also gave its name to the Quonset hut,...
, Rhode Island with Air Group 31 aboard, on 8 November 1943 for Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, where she arrived on 2 December. Clearing for Majuro
Majuro
Majuro , is a large coral atoll of 64 islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district of the Ratak Chain of the Marshall Islands. The atoll itself has a land area of and encloses a lagoon of...
on 15 January 1944, she joined TF 58 to begin the consistently high quality of war service which was to win her a Presidential Unit Citation. From 4 February to 4 March 1944, she launched her planes in strikes on Roi, Namur
Roi-Namur
Roi-Namur is an island in the northern part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands.Occupied by Japanese forces prior to World War II, it was the target of the U.S. 4th Marine Division in the Battle of Kwajalein, in February 1944....
, and the island stronghold of Truk, aiding in the neutralization of these Japanese bases as her part in the invasion of the Marshalls.
Cabot returned to Pearl Harbor for a brief repair period, but was back in action from Majuro for the pounding raids on the Palaus, Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
, Ulithi
Ulithi
Ulithi is an atoll in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, about 191 km east of Yap. It consists of 40 islets totalling , surrounding a lagoon about long and up to wide—at one of the largest in the world. It is administered by the state of Yap in the Federated States of...
, and Woleai
Woleai
Woleai is a coral atoll of twenty-two islands in the eastern Caroline Islands in the Pacific Ocean, and forms a legislative district in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia and is located approximately west-northwest of Ifalik and northeast of Eauripik...
at the close of March 1944. She sailed to provide valuable air cover for the Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura)
Jayapura
Jayapura City is the capital of Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea. It is situated on Yos Sudarso Bay . Its approximate population in 2002 was 200,000....
operation from 22–25 April, and 4 days later began to hurl her air power at Truk, Satawan
Satawan
Satawan Atoll is part of the Mortlock Islands in the Caroline Islands, administratively part of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. Captain James Mortlock discovered two sets of islands on 19 and 27 November 1795. Confusingly, both were later called Mortlock Islands...
, and Ponape
Pohnpei
Not to be confused with Pompeii, the ancient city destroyed by Vesuvius in AD 79.Pohnpei "upon a stone altar " is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia , situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group...
. She cleared Majuro again on 6 June for the preinvasion air strikes in the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
, and on 19 June and 20 June launched sorties in the key Battle of the Philippine Sea
Battle of the Philippine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea was a decisive naval battle of World War II which effectively eliminated the Imperial Japanese Navy's ability to conduct large-scale carrier actions. It took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War...
, the famous "Marianas Turkey Shoot", which hopelessly crippled Japanese naval aviation. Cabots air group 31 pounded Japanese bases on Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima
Iwo Jima, officially , is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which lie south of the Ogasawara Islands and together with them form the Ogasawara Archipelago. The island is located south of mainland Tokyo and administered as part of Ogasawara, one of eight villages of Tokyo...
, Pagan, Rota
Rota (island)
Rota also known as the "peaceful island", is the southernmost island of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and the second southernmost of the Marianas Archipelago. It lies approximately 40 miles north-northeast of the United States territory of Guam...
, Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, Yap and Ulithi as the carrier continued her support of the Marianas operation until 9 August.
Preinvasion strikes in the Palaus in September 1944 along with air attacks on Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
, the Visayas, and Luzon paved the way for the long- awaited return to the Philippines. On 6 October, Air Group 29 relieved Air Group 31, and Cabot sailed from Ulithi for raids on Okinawa to provid air cover for her task group during the heavy enemy attacks off Formosa
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
on 12 October and 13 October. Cabot joined the group which screened "Cripple Division 1", and which had been torpedoed off Formosa, to the safety of the Carolines, then rejoined her group for continued air strikes on the Visayas, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf
Battle of Leyte Gulf
The Battle of Leyte Gulf, also called the "Battles for Leyte Gulf", and formerly known as the "Second Battle of the Philippine Sea", is generally considered to be the largest naval battle of World War II and, by some criteria, possibly the largest naval battle in history.It was fought in waters...
on 25 October and 26 October.
Cabot remained on patrol off 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...
, conducting strikes in support of operations ashore, and repelling desperate kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
attacks. On 25 November, a particularly vicious one occurred. Cabot had fought off several kamikazes when one, already flaming from hits, crashed the flight deck on the port side, destroying the still-firing 20 mm gun platform, disabling the 40 mm Mounts and a gun director: Another of Cabots victims crashed close aboard and showered the port side with shrapnel and burning debris. 62 men were killed or wounded but careful training had produced a crew which handled damage control smoothly and coolly. While she continued to maintain her station in formation and operate effectively, temporary repairs were made. On 28 November, she arrived at Ulithi for permanent repairs.
Cabot returned to action on 11 December 1944, steaming with the force striking Luzon, Formosa, Indo-China, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and the Nansei Shoto in support of the Luzon operations. From 10 February to 1 March 1945, her planes pounded the Japanese homeland and the Bonins to suppress opposition to the invasion of Iwo Jima. Continued strikes against Kyūshū
Kyushu
is the third largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include , , and . The historical regional name is referred to Kyushu and its surrounding islands....
and Okinawa in March prepared for the invasion of the latter island. After these prolonged, intensive operations, Cabot was homeward bound for San Francisco for a much-needed overhaul completed in June.
After refresher training at Pearl Harbor with Air Group 32 aboard, the carrier launched strikes on Wake Island on 1 August while en route to Eniwetok. Here she remained on training duty until the end of the war. Sailing on 21 August, she joined TG 38.3 to support the landings of occupation troops in the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
area in September and October. Embarking homeward-bound men at Guam, Cabot arrived at San Diego on 9 November, then sailed for the east coast. Cabot was placed out of commission in reserve at Philadelphia on 11 February 1947.
Post-War (1948-1955)
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, then Quonset Point, on cruises to the Caribbean, and had one tour of duty in European waters from 9 January to 26 March 1952. Cabot was again placed out of commission in the reserve fleet at the Philadelphia Naval Yard on 21 January 1955. She was reclassified AVT-3 on 15 May 1959.
1967-1989
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, in whose navy she served with the name of and was equipped with the AV-8S Matador. The loan was converted to a sale and USS Cabot was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 August 1972. Dedalo was stricken from the Spanish Navy
Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces, one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Armada is responsible for notable achievements in world history such as the discovery of Americas, the first world circumnavigation, and the discovery of a maritime path...
in August 1989 and given to a private organization in the U.S. for conversion to a museum ship
Museum ship
A museum ship, or sometimes memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public, for educational or memorial purposes...
.
Preservation Attempts (1990-2002)
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
on 29 June 1990. The ship spent most of the 1990s tied to a dock in New Orleans. The private groups attempting to preserve her as a memorial were unable to pay creditors, so, on 10 September 1999, the ship was auctioned off by the U.S. Marshals Service
United States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
to Sabe Marine Salvage. Its designation as a National Historic Landmark was withdrawn on 7 August 2001. Scrapping of the hulk was completed in 2002. Her island, a small stub of metal and glass, was preserved and is on exhibit at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola , "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United States Navy base located next to Warrington, Florida, a community southwest of the Pensacola city limits...
in Florida since 2007, the last relic of over 100 light aircraft carriers
Light aircraft carrier
A light aircraft carrier is an aircraft carrier that is smaller than the standard carriers of a navy. The precise definition of the type varies by country; light carriers typically have a complement of aircraft only ½ to ⅔ the size of a full-sized or "fleet" carrier.-History:In World War II, the...
of World War II.
Awards
In addition to the Presidential Unit Citation, Cabot received nine battle stars for World War II service.External links
- USS Cabot (CVL-28) at history.navy.mil
- Air Group 31 (CAG-31) was the 1st carrier air group stationed aboard USS Cabot
- USS Cabot at Nine Sisters Light Carrier Historical Documentary Project
- USS Cabot being scrapped