USS Cowpens (CVL-25)

Coordinates: 7°15′00″N 151°15′00″E / 7.250°N 151.250°E / 7.250; 151.250
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other ships with the same name, see USS Cowpens.

USS Cowpens, with sister ship USS Independence in distance, August 1944
History
United States
NameCowpens
NamesakeBattle of Cowpens
BuilderNew York Shipbuilding Corporation
Laid down
Launched17 January 1943
Commissioned28 May 1943
Decommissioned13 January 1947
Reclassified15 May 1959 (as AVT-1, while in reserve)
IdentificationHull number CVL-25
Nickname(s)The Mighty Moo
Honors and
awards		Navy Unit Commendation, 12 Battle Stars
Fate1 November 1959 Stricken from Navy List. Sold for scrap in 1960.
Notes
  • Reordered March 1942
  • (as aircraft carrier USS Cowpens (CV-25))
General characteristics
Displacement11,000 tons
Length622.5 ft (189.7 m)
Beam
  • 71.5 ft (21.8 m) (waterline)
  • 109 ft 2 in (33.27 m) (overall)
Draft26 ft (7.9 m)
Speed32 knots (59 km/h; 37 mph)
Complement1,569 officers and men
Armament26 ×
Bofors 40 mm guns
Armor1.5 in-5 in belt, 3 in main deck, 0.38 in bridge
Aircraft carriedGrumman
TBF Avenger

USS Cowpens (CV-25/CVL-25/AVT-1), nicknamed The Mighty Moo, was an 11,000-ton Independence-class light aircraft carrier that served the United States Navy from 1943 to 1947.[1]

Cowpens, named for the

William F. Halsey Jr.) and commissioned on 28 May 1943 by Captain R. P. McConnell. She was reclassified CVL-25 on 15 July 1943. Cowpens completed her active service at the end of 1946.[2]

Service history

World War II

1943

Departing

Wotje on 4 December, returning to her base on 9 December.[3]

1944

Joining

Eniwetok the last 3 days of the month to prepare for the assault landing on 31 January. Using Majuro as a base, the force struck at Truk on 16–17 February and the Mariana Islands on 21–22 February before putting into Pearl Harbor on 4 March. Returning to Majuro, Task Force 58 based here for attacks on the western Carolines; Cowpens supplied air and antisubmarine patrols during the raids on Palau, Yap, Ulithi, and Woleai from 30 March to 1 April. After operating off New Guinea during the invasion of Hollandia from 21 to 28 April, Cowpens took part in the strikes on Truk, Satawan and Ponape from 29 April to 1 May, returning to Majuro on 14 May for training.[4]

From 6 June to 10 July 1944, Cowpens operated in the Marianas operation. Her planes struck the island of

Pagan Island, Rota, and Guam. They also took part in the Battle of the Philippine Sea on 19–20 June, accounting for a number of the huge tally of enemy planes downed. After a brief overhaul at Pearl Harbor, Cowpens rejoined the fast carrier task force at Eniwetok on 17 August. Then, on 29 August, she sailed for the pre-invasion strikes on the Palaus, whose assault was an essential preliminary for the return to the Philippines. From 13 to 17 September, she was detached from the force to cover the landings on Morotai, then rejoined it for sweep, patrol, and attack missions against Luzon from 21 to 24 September.[5]

Cowpens, with her task group, sent air strikes to neutralize Japanese bases on

Typhoon Cobra on 18 December, Cowpens lost a man: ship's air officer Lieutenant Commander Robert Price, several planes, and some equipment, but skillful work by her crew prevented major damage, and she reached Ulithi safely on 21 December to repair her storm damage.[6]

1945

USS Cowpens in 1945

From 30 December 1944 to 26 January 1945, Cowpens was at sea for the

Indochinese coast and the Hong Kong-Canton area and Okinawa during January. On 10 February, Cowpens sortied from Ulithi for the Iwo Jima operation, striking the Tokyo area, supporting the initial landings from 19 to 22 February, and hitting Okinawa on 1 March.[7]

On 13 June, following an overhaul at San Francisco and training at Pearl Harbor, Cowpens sailed on for

Honshū until 15 August. Cowpens was the first American carrier to enter Tokyo Harbor. Remaining off Tokyo Bay until the occupation landings began on 30 August, Cowpens launched photographic reconnaissance missions to patrol airfields and shipping movements, and to locate and supply prisoner-of-war camps. Men from Cowpens were the first Americans to set foot on the Japanese mainland, and were largely responsible for the emergency activation of Yokosuka airfield for Allied use and the liberation of a POW camp near Niigata. From 8 November 1945 to 28 January 1946 Cowpens made two voyages to Pearl Harbor, Guam, and Okinawa to return veterans on "Magic Carpet" runs.[8]

Post-war

On 3 December 1946, Cowpens was placed in commission reserve at Mare Island. On 15 May 1959, she was reclassified as an aircraft transport, with a new hull number, AVT-1. Then, on 1 November, she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register and sold for scrap.[9]

Awards

In addition to her Navy Unit Commendation, Cowpens received 12

battle stars
for World War II service.

Commemoration

Each year, the town of Cowpens, South Carolina, holds a 4-day festival honoring veterans of Cowpens. "The Mighty Moo Festival" was first held in 1977, with one crewmember of CVL-25 attending. Since then, as many as 115 CVL-25 veterans have attended the festival at once. Also, since the launch and commissioning of the USS Cowpens (CG-63) in 1991, the festival has included actively serving crewmen or women of CG-63 sent by the ship's commanding officer, as well as previously serving veterans of CG 63. The festival is held from Wednesday through Saturday preceding Father's Day each June. During the 1980s, the town of Cowpens, South Carolina, actively petitioned Congress to name another ship Cowpens, which may have played a direct role in choosing this name for CG-63.

Gallery

References

  1. ^ Gareth L. Pawlowski, “Flat-Tops and Fledglings: A History of American Aircraft Carriers” 1971, p203
  2. ^ Gareth L. Pawlowski, “Flat-Tops and Fledglings: A History of American Aircraft Carriers” 1971, p203
  3. ^ Gareth L. Pawlowski, “Flat-Tops and Fledglings: A History of American Aircraft Carriers” 1971, p204
  4. ^ Gareth L. Pawlowski, “Flat-Tops and Fledglings: A History of American Aircraft Carriers” 1971, p205
  5. ^ Gareth L. Pawlowski, “Flat-Tops and Fledglings: A History of American Aircraft Carriers” 1971, p205
  6. ^ Gareth L. Pawlowski, “Flat-Tops and Fledglings: A History of American Aircraft Carriers” 1971, p206
  7. ^ Gareth L. Pawlowski, “Flat-Tops and Fledglings: A History of American Aircraft Carriers” 1971, p206
  8. ^ Gareth L. Pawlowski, “Flat-Tops and Fledglings: A History of American Aircraft Carriers” 1971, p206
  9. ^ Gareth L. Pawlowski, “Flat-Tops and Fledglings: A History of American Aircraft Carriers” 1971, p207

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to USS Cowpens (CVL-25).

7°15′00″N 151°15′00″E / 7.250°N 151.250°E / 7.250; 151.250

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