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Photo # 80-G-373816:  USS Essex at sea during the Okinawa campaign, 20 May 1945

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Essex (CV-9, later CVA-9 and CVS-9), 1942-1975

USS Essex, lead ship of a class of 27,100-ton aircraft carriers, was built at Newport News, Virginia. Commissioned on the last day of 1942, she went to the Pacific in May 1943, following shakedown in the Atlantic area. During the rest of that year, Essex took part in raids on Marcus and Wake islands, the invasion of the Gilberts and attacks on Japanese targets in the Marshalls. In 1944, she participated in the Marshalls, Marianas, Palaus, Leyte and Mindoro invasions, the Battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf, and conducted air strikes in the Central and Western Pacific. While operating off the Philippines on 25 November 1944, she was damaged by a Kamikaze suicide attack, but was able to remain in the combat zone. Essex continued her war operations in 1945, supporting the landings at Lingayen Gulf, Iwo Jima and Okinawa, as well as raiding enemy targets in Japanese home waters and elsewhere in the Western Pacific. She returned to the United States shortly after Japan's surrender and was placed out of commission in January 1947.

Essex was modernized in the late 1940s and early 1950s, recommissioning in January 1951 with a strengthened flight deck, new island and many other changes. She made two Korean War deployments, in August 1951 - March 1952 and in July 1952 - January 1953, introducing the F2H "Banshee" jet fighter to combat operations. Her designation was changed to CVA-9 in October 1952. Following the Korean armistice, she went to the Western Pacific twice more, in 1953-54 and in 1955, then underwent a second modernization.

Emerging from the shipyard in 1956 with a new angled flight deck and enclosed "hurricane"bow, Essex was now able to safely operate high-performance aircraft. After another WestPac deployment, she was transferred to the Atlantic Fleet in mid-1957. She participated in the Lebanon intervention in mid-1958, then steamed through the Suez Canal to the Western Pacific to operate in the Taiwan area. Essex returned to the Atlantic via the Cape of Good Hope.

After further Atlantic and Mediterranean exercises, Essex was converted to an anti-submarine warfare support aircraft carrier and redesignated CVS-9 in March 1960. Her pattern of Atlantic and Mediterranean operations continued for nearly another decade, ending with her decommissioning in June 1969. USS Essex was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in June 1973 and sold for scrapping two years later.

This page features selected views of USS Essex (CV/CVA/CVS-9).


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: 80-G-68097

USS Essex (CV-9)


Underway at 1615 hrs. during May 1943, in position 37 05'N, 74 15'E, as photographed from a blimp from squadron ZP-14.
Among the aircraft parked on her flight deck are 24 SBD scout bombers (parked aft), about 11 F6F fighters (parked in after part of the midships area) and about 18 TBF/TBM torpedo planes (parked amidships).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 138KB; 740 x 610 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 80-G-373816

USS Essex (CV-9)


Underway at sea during the Okinawa Campaign, 20 May 1945.
Note that her air group contains both F4U and F6F fighters.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 122KB; 740 x 610 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: NH 97270

USS Essex (CVA-9)


Underway during her first Korean War deployment, circa August 1951-March 1952.
Two F2H-2 "Banshees" of Fighter Squadron 172 (VF-172) are flying by in the foreground, preparing to land. Nearest plane is Bureau # 124954. The other is probably Bu # 124969.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 109KB; 740 x 545 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 98517

USS Essex (CVA-9)


Takes spray over the bow while steaming in heavy seas, 12 January 1960.
Note S2F type airplane at the rear of the flight deck, with its engines turning. Other planes visible, amidships, include AD and F4D types.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 140KB; 740 x 610 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97273

USS Essex (CVS-9)


"As the anti-submarine warfare carrier USS Essex (CVS-9) steamed toward a nine-day visit to Rotterdam, Holland, for the Christmas Holidays, crewmen formed the traditional Dutch equivalent of America's 'Merry Christmas' on the flight deck."
"Essex, the oldest carrier still in operation, is deployed in the Eastern Atlantic as Flagship of Task Group 83.3. Through her visits to English, Dutch and German ports, 'The Fighten'est Ship in the Fleet' is giving our allies a chance to get a first-hand look at an example of America's naval strength."
Photograph and caption were released by the ship's PIO under date of 29 December 1961.
Destroyer in the middle background is USS Robinson (DD-562)
Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 148KB; 740 x 610 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97274

USS Essex (CVS-9)


Underway at sea during a North Atlantic Treaty Organization Mediterranean cruise, 22 June 1967.
Photographed by PHCS(PJ) W.A. Jackman.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 128KB; 595 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-K-698 (Color)

USS Essex (CV-9)

Scene on the flight deck, looking aft from the carrier's island during her shakedown cruise, 20 March 1943.
Planes parked on deck are F6F-3 fighters (in foreground, with wings folded) and SBD-4 scout bombers.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 90KB; 740 x 605 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 80-G-273032

USS Essex (CV-9)


Japanese Kamikaze aircraft explodes after crashing into the carrier's flight deck amidships, during operations off the Philippines, 25 November 1944.
Photographed from USS Langley (CVL-27).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 85KB; 740 x 605 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: 80-G-373777

USS Essex (CV-9)


Receiving provisions via highline from USS Mercury (AK-42) on 27 April 1945, while operating off Okinawa.
Essex crewmen in the foreground are stacking bags of flour.
Note man on Mercury's forward hatch, directing the hoisting of another load from her hold.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 124KB; 590 x 765 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 
Photo #: NH 97271

USS Essex (CVA-9)


"Loaded Down -- Seaman Leroy Kellam ... weighted down with belts of 20 millimeter cannon ammunition, hustles up the flight deck of USS Essex to load a waiting Banshee fighter. These same shells were spitting death at the Communists in North Korea a short time after this picture was taken."
Photograph and caption were released by Commander, Naval Forces, Far East under date of 12 October 1951.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 88KB; 600 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97272

USS Essex (CVA-9)


"Sunset -- All is Calm -- It's the end of another day aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex operating in North Korean waters. An airman lashes a Banshee (F2H) jet fighter to the flight deck as the falling sun draws evening shadows from the slumbering plane."
Photograph and caption were released by Commander, Naval Forces, Far East under date of 8 March 1952.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 88KB; 600 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: K-41696 (Color)

USS Essex (CVS-9)

An E-1B "Tracer" airborne early warning aircraft leaves the carrier's port catapult, during flight operations at sea in November 1967. Five S-2 "Tracker" anti-submarine aircraft are parked on the flight deck's starboard side.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph.

Online Image: 101KB; 740 x 595 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


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Page made 27 May 2000
New image added 4 June 2003