.gif)
USS Langley (CVL-27)
Encyclopedia
USS Langley (CVL-27) was an 11,000-ton that served the United States Navy
from 1943 to 1947, and French Navy
as the La Fayette
from 1951 to 1963. Named for Samuel Pierpont Langley
, American scientist and aviation pioneer, Langley received nine battle stars for World War II service. CVL-27 carried on the name and tradition of , the first US Navy aircraft carrier, which had been sunk on 27 Feb 1942. She later served in the French Navy
as La Fayette
.
_and_others_in_ulithi.jpg)
Langley was built at Camden, New Jersey
. She was originally ordered as the light cruiser , but by the time her keel
was laid in April 1942, she had been redesigned as an aircraft carrier
, using the original cruiser hull and machinery. Commissioned in August 1943, Langley went to the Pacific
late in the year and entered combat in World War II
during the Marshall Islands operation in January-February 1944. During the next four months, her planes attacked Japan
ese positions in the central Pacific and western New Guinea
. In June 1944, she took part in the assault on the Marianas and in the Battle of the Philippine Sea
.
Langley continued her war role through the rest of 1944, participating in the Palaus Operation
, raids on the Philippines
, Formosa
and the Ryukyus, and the Battle of Leyte Gulf
. In January-February 1945, she was part of the Third Fleet
's foray into the South China Sea
, the first massed carrier attacks on the Japanese Home Islands and the invasion of Iwo Jima
. More combat activity followed in March-May, as Langley's planes again hit targets in Japan and supported the Okinawa operation. Overhauled in the U.S. in June and July, she was en route back to the Pacific war zone when the war ended in August.
Following service transporting Pacific veterans home, Langley went to the Atlantic Ocean
, where she carried out similar missions in November 1945 - January 1946. Inactive at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, during the remainder of 1946, the carrier was decommissioned there in February 1947.
under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program
. After more than a decade of French Navy
service as La Fayette
, she was returned to the United States
in March 1963 and was sold for scrap a year later.
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...
from 1943 to 1947, and French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
as the La Fayette
La Fayette (R96)
The La Fayette was an 11,000-ton that served French Navy as the from 1951 to 1963. She was the first French vessel named after the 18th century general Marquis de Lafayette...
from 1951 to 1963. Named for Samuel Pierpont Langley
Samuel Pierpont Langley
Samuel Pierpont Langley was an American astronomer, physicist, inventor of the bolometer and pioneer of aviation...
, American scientist and aviation pioneer, Langley received nine battle stars for World War II service. CVL-27 carried on the name and tradition of , the first US Navy aircraft carrier, which had been sunk on 27 Feb 1942. She later served in the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
as La Fayette
La Fayette (R96)
The La Fayette was an 11,000-ton that served French Navy as the from 1951 to 1963. She was the first French vessel named after the 18th century general Marquis de Lafayette...
.
Career
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...
. She was originally ordered as the light cruiser , but by the time her keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
was laid in April 1942, she had been redesigned as an aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
, using the original cruiser hull and machinery. Commissioned in August 1943, Langley went to the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
late in the year and entered combat in 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...
during the Marshall Islands operation in January-February 1944. During the next four months, her planes attacked 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...
ese positions in the central Pacific and western New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. In June 1944, she took part in the assault on the Marianas and in the 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...
.
Langley continued her war role through the rest of 1944, participating in the Palaus Operation
Battle of Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, was fought between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, from September–November 1944 on the island of Peleliu, present-day Palau. U.S...
, raids on the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, 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...
and the Ryukyus, 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...
. In January-February 1945, she was part of the Third Fleet
Third Fleet
The name Third Fleet can refer to:* United States 3rd Fleet* Third Fleet , part of the British effort of the late eighteenth century to colonise Australia* IJN 3rd Fleet, Imperial Japanese Navy...
's foray into the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
, the first massed carrier attacks on the Japanese Home Islands and the invasion of 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...
. More combat activity followed in March-May, as Langley's planes again hit targets in Japan and supported the Okinawa operation. Overhauled in the U.S. in June and July, she was en route back to the Pacific war zone when the war ended in August.
Following service transporting Pacific veterans home, Langley went to the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, where she carried out similar missions in November 1945 - January 1946. Inactive at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, during the remainder of 1946, the carrier was decommissioned there in February 1947.
Later career
Langley was taken out of "mothballs" early in 1951, refurbished and transferred to FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program
Mutual Defense Assistance Act
The Mutual Defense Assistance Act was a United States Act of Congress signed by President Harry S. Truman on 6 October 1949. For US Foreign policy, it was the first U.S. military foreign aid legislation of the Cold War era, and initially to Europe...
. After more than a decade of French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
service as La Fayette
La Fayette (R96)
The La Fayette was an 11,000-ton that served French Navy as the from 1951 to 1963. She was the first French vessel named after the 18th century general Marquis de Lafayette...
, she was returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in March 1963 and was sold for scrap a year later.
External links
- navsource.org: USS Langley
- hazegray.org: USS Langley
- Angel on the Yardarm: The Beginnings of Fleet Radar Defense and the Kamikaze Threat - Review of book by John Monsarrat, who served aboard Langley during major battles of the Pacific War from January 1944 to May 1945.
- USS Langley at Nine Sisters Light Carrier Historical Documentary Project