After the close of the Civil War, the United States Navy went into a stage of decline and by the time of President Garfield’s administration in 1881 it had deteriorated so far that a survey was conducted and found that only 52 of the Navy’s 142 vessels were operational. However at the start of the 1880s, naval officers were extremely alarmed about the vulnerably of the nation as a whole. This alarm finally led to a half-dozen large modern warships – transforming the Navy so suddenly that it became to be called “The New Navy.”
The Navy, as written previously, has participated in the many conflicts that the United States has been involved, a role that is still prevalent in this dangerous 21st century. There are many photos available showing the different war ships of the Navy over the years from the first battleship “The USS Texas” - commissioned 1892 - to photos of The Flying Squadron,1898, to The Great White Fleet in 1907 to the USN’s first aircraft carrier USS Langely to the photo of General Douglas MacArthur signing the Japanese surrender document aboard the USS Missouri.
However, to return to a segment of history that is little known in this part of the world is the participation of the USS Chenango in World War II.
The USS Chenango’s life did not begin with its participation in World War II, but as a civilian tanker Esso New Orleans built under a Maritime Commission (AO-31) and owned by Standard Oil Company. She was constructed by the Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Chester, Pennsylvania, first “laid down July 10,1938” sponsored by Mrs. Rathbone and launched April 1, 1939. After being commissioned, The Chenango was assigned to the Naval Transportation Service and provided tanker duty in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific as far as Honolulu. It was in Aruba, N.W.I. February 16, 1942 when a German submarine shelled one refinery on the island. After that beginning action (a prelude of the war to come), she was decommissioned March 16,1942 for conversion to an escort carrier.
After this conversion was complete (ACV-28) on September 19, 1942 and carrying Army aircraft , the Chenango sailed October 23rd with the “Torch” assault force bound for North Africa and November 10, flew off her aircraft to the newly captured Port Lyautey, French Morocco. Completing this mission, she put into port at Casablanca November 13, refueling 21 destroyers and returned to Norfolk, Virginia November 30, crossing the Atlantic during a hurricane which caused extensive damage to her.
Repaired, the Chenango sailed for the Pacific in mid-December and arrived in Numea Jan. 13, 1943. She joined the escort carried group which provided air cover for supply convoys which were supporting in the participation of the Solomon Islands. At that time, one of her air groups was forwarded to Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, giving close support to the Marines ashore. A major duty of Chenango was to provide sentry duty off this hotly contested island. The capture of Guadalcanal is well documented in assorted history books, movies and need not be repeated again here!
Returning to Chenango’s participation in the Solomons, her planes provided an air escort for The St. Louis and Honolulu after they were damaged in the Battle of Lolombangara July 13, 1943.
Again Chenango would be re-designated CVE-28 (aircraft carrier lighter than air) on July 15 and returned to Mare Island August 18 for yet another overhaul. On completion of this latest overhaul, she then acted as a training carrier until October 19. Steaming from San Diego, she participated in the Gilbert Islands invasion November 5th, 1943. During this latest invasion, the Chenango’s planes covered the advance of the attack force, bombed and strafed beaches ahead of the invading troops and protected off-shore convoys. She then returned to San Diego for yet another period of training duty.
On January 13, 1944, steaming from San Diego, she would again provide support in the invasion landings on Roi, Kwajalein and Eniwetok in the Marshalls operations. Protecting the service group refueling fleet units engaged in the Palua strikes, Chenango on April 7, 1944 arrived at Espirito Santo, where she sortied for landings at Aitape and Hollandia (now Jayapura) April 16-May 12, joining the Task Group TG53.7 for the invasion of the Marianas. Once again her planes crippled airfield installations, sank enemy shipping and hammered harbor forces on Pagan Island – all this while conducting valuable photographic reconnaissance on Guam. From July 8 she joined in the daily poundings of Guam in preparation of the island’s invasion. She would return to Manus August 13 to replenish and again conduct training.
As a preparation of the stepping-stone to the Philippines, Sept.10-29,1944, Chenango would join in the neutralization of enemy airfield in the Halmahera in support of the Morotai invasion for the above invasion. Preparing at Manus, she cleared on Oct. 12 to aid in the softening up strikes on Leyte again in preparation of the invasion landings Oct. 20.
Chenango and her sister ship Sangamon were attacked on the afternoon of D-Day by three Japanese planes; however she was successful in shooting down all three and capturing one of the pilots. Again sailing for Morotai for new aircraft, she was not in action waters in the Battle of Leyte Gulf; however she returned Oct. 28 to again provide new planes for her victorious sister escort carriers, who were successful in holding the Japanese feet off from Leyte. The following day, she sailed for yet another overhaul to Seattle Washington until Feb. 9, 1945.
Editor’s Note: Part IV of this five-part series will appear in Friday’s Evening Sun.