USS Chenango (CVE-28)

The second USS "Chenango" (CVE-28) (originally designated as oiler AO-31, after redesignation as escort aircraft carrier, was first ACV-28) was launched on 1 April 1939 as "Esso New Orleans" by the Sun Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, in Chester, Pennsylvania, sponsored by Mrs. Rathbone; acquired by the United States Navy on 31 May 1941; and commissioned on 20 June 1941 as AO-31, with Commander W. H. Mays in command.

ervice as oiler

Assigned to the Naval Transportation Service, "Chenango" steamed in the Atlantic, the Caribbean, and the Pacific as far as Honolulu on tanker duty. "Chenango" was present at Aruba, N.W.I., 16 February 1942 when a German submarine shelled one of the island's refineries. She was decommissioned at New York 16 March 1942 for conversion to an escort carrier.

Conversion and combat service as escort carrier

Her conversion complete, she was recommissioned as ACV-28, on 19 September 1942. Carrying Army aircraft, "Chenango" sailed on 23 October with the Torch assault force bound for North Africa, and on 10 November, flew off her aircraft to newly won Port Lyautey, French Morocco. She put into Casablanca on 13 November to refuel 21 destroyers before returning to Norfolk, Virginia, on 30 November 1942, battling through a hurricane en route which caused extensive damage.

Quickly repaired, "Chenango" was underway for the Pacific by mid-December 1942. Arriving at Nouméa 18 January 1943, she joined the escort carrier group providing air cover for supply convoys supporting the invasion and occupation of the Solomons. One of her air groups was sent to Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, to give close support to Marines ashore. One of "Chenango"'s duties during this period was to stand sentry off the fiercely contested island. As part of her Solomons operations, "Chenangos planes formed an air umbrella to escort to safety USS|St. Louis|CL-49|2 and USS|Honolulu|CL-48|2 after the cruisers were damaged in the Battle of Kolombangara on 13 July 1943. Redesignated CVE-28"' on 15 July 1943, "Chenango" returned to Mare Island 18 August 1943 for an overhaul, then acted as training carrier for new air groups until 19 October, Then she steamed from San Diego to join the Gilbert Islands invasion force at Espiritu Santo, 5 November. During the invasion of Tarawa from 20 November through 8 December, her planes covered the advance of the attack force, bombed and strafed beaches ahead of the invading troops, and protected off-shore convoys. She returned to San Diego for another period of training duty.

Steaming from San Diego on 13 January 1944, "Chenango" supported the invasion landings on Roi, Kwajalein and Eniwetok in the Marshalls operation. After protecting the service group refueling fleet units engaged in the Palau strikes, "Chenango" arrived at Espiritu Santo 7 April. She sortied for the landings at Aitape and Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura) (16 April–12 May), then joined TG 53.7 for the invasion of the Marianas. Her planes crippled airfield installations, sank enemy shipping, and hammered harbor facilities on Pagan Island, as well as conducting valuable photographic reconnaissance on Guam. From 8 July, she joined in daily poundings of Guam, preparing for the island's invasion. She returned to Manus on 13 August to replenish and conduct training.

From September 10 to 29 September 1944, "Chenango" joined in the neutralization of enemy airfields in the Halmaheras in support of the invasion of Morotai, stepping-stone to the Philippines. After preparations at Manus, "Chenango" cleared 12 October to conduct softening up strikes on Leyte in preparation for the invasion landings 20 October. "Chenango", and her sister ship USS|Sangamon|CVE-26|2, were attacked by three Japanese planes on the afternoon of D-Day, and shot down them all, capturing one of the pilots. Sailing to Morotai to load new aircraft, "Chenango" was not in action waters during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, but returned 28 October to provide replacement aircraft to her victorious sister escort carriers, who had held the Japanese fleet off from Leyte. The next day, she sailed for overhaul at Seattle, Washington, until 9 February 1945.

After the overhaul period, she again sailed west, arriving at Tulagi in the Solomons on 4 March 1945. "Chenango" conducted training, then sortied from Ulithi 27 March for the invasion of Okinawa. She gave air cover in the feint landings on the southern tip of the island, then was assigned to neutralize the kamikaze bases in Sakashima Gunto. On 9 April, a crash-landing fighter started a raging fire among the strike-loaded aircraft on "Chenango"'s deck. Skillful work by her crew saved the ship from serious damage and she remained in action off Okinawa until 11 June. After escorting a tanker convoy to San Pedro Bay, "Chenango" sailed 26 July to join the logistics force for the 3rd Fleet, then engaged in the final offensive against Japan.

Postwar service and scrapping

Following the cease-fire, "Chenango" supported the occupation forces and evacuated some 1,900 Allied prisoners of war and 1,500 civilians from slave labor camps. She cleared Tokyo Bay on 25 October, and after a brief overhaul at San Diego, returned to "Magic Carpet" duty, transporting veterans from Okinawa and Pearl Harbor to the West Coast. "Chenango" sailed from San Pedro, California, on 5 February for Boston, and was placed out of commission in reserve there 14 August 1946. She was reclassified CVHE-28 on 12 June 1955, stricken from the Navy Vessel Register 1 March 1959, sold and removed from naval custody 12 February 1960.

"Chenango" was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation and received 11 battle stars for World War II service.

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