USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24)
USS Belleau Wood underway
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| History | |
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 United States
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| Name: | Belleau Wood |
| Namesake: | Battle of Belleau Wood (France) in June 1918 |
| Builder: | New York Shipbuilding Corporation |
| Laid down: | 11 August 1941 |
| Launched: | 6 December 1942 |
| Commissioned: | 31 March 1943 |
| Decommissioned: | 13 January 1947 |
| Struck: | 1 October 1960 |
| Honors and awards: |
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| Fate: | Sold for scrapping 21 November 1960 |
 France
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| Name: | Bois Belleau |
| Commissioned: | 23 December 1953 |
| Decommissioned: | 12 December 1960 |
| Fate: | returned to US, September 1960 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Independence-class aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: | 11,000 long tons (11,000 t) |
| Length: | 622 ft 6 in (189.74 m) |
| Beam: | 109 ft 2 in (33.27 m) |
| Draft: | 26 ft (7.9 m) |
| Speed: | 31.6 kn (58.5 km/h; 36.4 mph) |
| Complement: | 1,569 officers and men |
| Armament: | 26 × Bofors 40 mm guns |
| Aircraft carried: |
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USS Belleau Wood was a United States Navy Independence-class light aircraft carrier active during World War II in the Pacific Theater, from 1943 to 1945. The ship also served in the First Indochina War under French Navy temporary service as Bois Belleau.
Originally laid down as the Cleveland-class light cruiser New Haven (CL-76), she was finished as an aircraft carrier. Reclassified CV-24 on 16 February 1942 and renamed Belleau Wood on 31 March 1942 in honor of the Battle of Belleau Wood in World War I, she was launched on 6 December 1942 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey; sponsored by Mrs. Thomas Holcomb, wife of the Commandant of the Marine Corps; and commissioned on 31 March 1943, Captain A. M. Pride in command. During the war, she was reclassified CVL-24 on 15 July 1943.
After a brief shakedown cruise, Belleau Wood reported to the Pacific Fleet, arriving at Pearl Harbor on 26 July 1943. After supporting the occupation of Baker Island (1 September) and taking part in the Tarawa (18 September) and Wake Island (5–6 October) raids, she joined TF 50 for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands (19 November–4 December 1943).
Belleau Wood operated with TF 58 during the seizure of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls, Marshall Islands (29 January–3 February 1944), Truk raid (16–17 February); Saipan-Tinian-Rota-Guam raids (21–22 February); Palau-Yap-Ulithi-Woleai raid (30 March–1 April); Sawar and Wakde Island raids in support of the landings at Hollandia (currently known as Jayapura), New Guinea (22–24 April); Truk-Satawan-Ponape raid (29 April–1 May); occupation of Saipan (11–24 June), 1st Bonins raid (15–16 June), Battle of the Philippine Sea (19–20 June); and 2nd Bonins raid (24 June). During the Battle Of the Philippine Sea, Belleau Wood's planes sank the Japanese carrier Hiyō.
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