USS Langley (CVL-27)
_and_USS_Ticonderoga_(CV-14)_underway_off_Ulithi_on_12_December_1944_(80-G-301354).jpg) USS Langley (CVL-27) and other ships of her task group, December 2, 1944 |
|
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Order | March 18, 1942 |
| Keel laying | April 11, 1942 |
| Launch | May 22, 1943 |
| 1. Period of service |
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|
| Commissioning | August 31, 1943 |
| Decommissioning | February 11, 1947 |
| Whereabouts | Reserve fleet |
| 2. Period of service |
|
| Commissioning | June 2, 1951 |
| Decommissioning | March 20, 1963 |
| Whereabouts | scrapped |
| Technical specifications | |
| displacement | |
| length |
189.7 m |
| width |
21.8 m (waterline) |
| height |
14 m (flight deck) |
| Draft |
7.9 m |
| crew |
1,569 |
| drive |
4 steam boilers |
| speed |
31.6 kn (~ 59 km / h) |
| Range |
5,800 nm (~ 10,700 km) |
| Armament |
1943: |
| Planes |
24 F6F Hellcat , 9 TBF Avenger |
| Callsign |
November - Foxtrot - Quebec- Bravo |
The USS Langley (CVL-27) was an American light aircraft carrier and the sixth Independence- class ship that was created by converting existing Cleveland- class cruiser hulls . As the second ship with this name in the United States Navy , it performed its service in the Pacific theater of the Second World War and was transferred to the reserve fleet after the end of the war. From 1951 to 1963 the Langley served as La Fayette in the French Navy and took part in the Indochina and Algerian Wars and the Suez Crisis .
technology
More about the technology can be found in the article on the class under Independence class
The Langley was approximately 190 meters long and over 33 meters wide and had an operational displacement of 13,000 tn.l. a draft of almost eight meters. Her hull was based on that of the Cleveland -class cruiser and had to be widened due to the more massive superstructure, which it was hoped to reduce the top-heaviness considerably. Despite all the constructive measures, this could never be fully compensated.
Although it was only a little larger than the escort aircraft carrier as an Independence-class carrier , it mainly differed from the escort aircraft carriers by its powerful propulsion system, which meant that its range of applications was similar to that of the large fleet aircraft carriers . The 100,000 hp engine system taken over from the cruisers drove four propellers and brought the ship to a top speed of 31.6 knots .
The rectangular flight deck common at the time was approximately 174 meters long and 22.3 meters wide and had two deck elevators and a catapult . The island had to be kept small for reasons of stability, which is why there was no single, integrated chimney and instead four smaller ones were attached separately. This striking structure only accommodated the navigating bridge , while the operations center was located below the flight deck. The board squadron was during their active service mainly of two dozen F6F Hellcat -Jagdflugzeugen and nine torpedo bombers of the type Grumman Avenger .
In the course of the war were long wave - radars SK and SC-2 as well as the SG - microwave -Radar installed on the ship. Mounted on the island and on an additional mast between two of the chimneys, these devices enabled early warnings up to 180 km away. The Langley's defensive armament consisted of 40 mm L / 60 and 20 mm L / 70 anti-aircraft guns, the number of which varied continuously during the war. In 1944, the 40 mm quadruple flak installed on the fuselage and stern was retrofitted with the Mk 51 fire control system , which could target aircraft up to 3.5 km away and thus fight them more effectively.
In the service of the French Navy, the air group consisted of Avengers and mainly Chance Vought Corsair fighter bombers. In addition to more modern versions of the aforementioned US radar systems, the Langley was later retrofitted with the French DRBV 22 .
Service in the US Navy
Construction and commissioning
The ship was originally commissioned as the light cruiser USS Fargo (CL-85) . After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the subsequent entry of the United States into World War II , there was a shortage of aircraft carriers in the US Navy. As a result, in January 1942 a plan that had been drawn up before the war was put into practice, according to which the existing cruiser hulls were to be converted into aircraft carriers. On March 18, 1942, the Fargo's hull, which was not yet under construction, was selected for conversion to an aircraft carrier, which was laid down on April 11, 1942 at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation in Camden , New Jersey , USA .
After months of intensive production the ship on May 22, 1943 was by Mrs. Louise Macy, wife of Harry Hopkins of the then US president, a close confidant of Franklin D. Roosevelt , as USS Langley (registration number CVL-27 baptized) and the Pile to be left. The originally intended ship name USS Crown Point (CV-27) was previously changed on November 13, 1942 in honor of the American astrophysicist and aviation pioneer Samuel Pierpont Langley (1834-1906). When the last construction work was completed, the ship was transferred to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and, after further refitting, put into active service there on August 31, 1943 as the sixth carrier of the Independence class.
Marshall Islands
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After completing the last test and training trips in the Caribbean , the Langley left Philadelphia on December 6, 1943 and moved via the Panama Canal to the Pacific Ocean, where it arrived in Pearl Harbor on December 29 . There she was assigned to Rear Admiral Ginders Task Group 58.4, which also includes her sister ship USS Princeton (CVL-23), the fleet carrier USS Saratoga (CV-3), the cruiser USS Baltimore (CA-68), USS Boston (CA-69) and USS San Juan (CL-54) and eight destroyers . The association left Hawaii on January 19, 1944 and attacked the Marshall Atolls of Wotje and Taroa between January 29 and 31, 1944 to support the amphibious landing operations on the Kwajalein and Majuro atolls . In early February, their planes mainly flew reconnaissance missions to Eniwetok Atoll and destroyed the Japanese airfield on Engebi Island during a three-day air strike . After a short recovery period on Kwajalein, the carrier association returned to Eniwetok to prepare and support the invasion of the atoll under the code name Operation Catchpole . After completing this task, TG 58.4 set course for the New Hebrides archipelago on March 8, where it finally arrived five days later.
After refreshing fuel, ammunition and provisions on the island of Espiritu Santo , the Langley was assigned to TG 58.3 under Rear Admiral Joseph Reeves . The association with the other large warships USS Yorktown (CV-10), USS Lexington (CV-16), USS Princeton (CVL-23), USS Alabama (BB-60), USS Canberra (CA-70) and USS San Juan (CL-54) attacked Japanese bases in the Carolines and Palau Islands in late March . After a stopover at the advanced naval base in Majuro Atoll, the newly established TG 58.3 ( USS Enterprise (CV-6), USS Lexington , USS Langley and USS Princeton , as well as Vice Admiral Willis Lee's support unit consisting of battleships and cruisers ) ran to Hollandia , Dutch New Guinea . There, between April 21 and 24, she supported the landing of US troops under General Robert Eichelberger as part of Operation Reckless . On the way back to Pearl Harbor, where the Langley arrived with her TG on May 11, her carrier aircraft flew attacks on the Japanese naval and air force base on the Truk- Atoll (April 29 and 30). The carrier aircraft of the Langley 35 could damage and destroy enemy aircraft with the loss of only one aircraft.
Mariana Islands and Palau Islands
For the impending invasion of the Mariana Islands , Langley Rear Admiral William Harrills TG 58.4 was assigned to which the USS Essex (CV-9), the sister ship USS Cowpens (CVL-25), the cruiser USS Vincennes (CL-64), USS Houston (CL-81), USS Miami (CL-89), USS San Diego (CL-53) and eleven destroyers were included. On June 6, 1944, the fleet lifted its anchor in the Majuro Atoll and set course for the Mariana Islands . TG 58.4 carrier aircraft sank 14 Japanese ships each in convoy on June 11 and 12 , supported the landings on Saipan and a few days later attacked the Bonin Islands of Chichijima and Iwojima . After the sighting of a Japanese fleet under Admiral Ozawa , which was heading for the Mariana Islands from the northwest, the US commander Admiral Spruance ordered his fleet to withdraw from its actual missions and joined the Japanese in the naval battle in the Philippine Sea (June 19 and 20) against which the Allies could decide for themselves. The Langley remained with her formation in the area and flew mainly attacks against enemy positions on the islands of Rota , Pagan and Guam , before she was ordered to Eniwetok on July 4th to refresh supplies, fuel and minor repairs and overhaul. Ten days later, TG 58.4 set course again for the Marianas, where they intervened in the battles for Guam and Tinian for the next few weeks .
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After the completion of Operation Forager , the Langley fleet arrived again on August 13 in Eniwetok Atoll and was placed under Admiral William Halsey's Task Force 38 . In Rear Admiral Frederick Shermans TG 38.3 with u. a. the other warships USS Lexington (CV-16), USS Essex (CV-9), USS Princeton (CVL-23), USS Alabama (BB-60), USS Massachusetts (BB-59), USS Indiana (BB-58) , USS South Dakota (BB-57), USS Washington (BB-56), USS Reno (CL-96), USS Santa Fe (CL-60), USS Birmingham (CL-62), USS Mobile (CL-63) and 15 other destroyers, the task force of the Langley left the Marshall Islands in late August. Preparatory attacks followed on the Palau archipelago (September 9 and 10) and on enemy airfields on the Philippines islands of Mindanao and Visayas . A few days later, the fleet association turned back to the Palau Islands to support the landings on Peleliu and Angaur , which began in mid-September . Then, from September 20, the association attacked targets on Luzon and Japanese ships in Manila Bay and the former US Army airfields Nichols Field and Clark Field . On October 6th, the Langley fleet left the naval base in Ulithi Atoll, which had only been set up a few weeks earlier, and attacked strategic targets on the Ryūkyū Islands and Formosa (now Taiwan) in order to return to the Philippines as promised by General Douglas MacArthur to secure that was imminent.
Philippines and Typhoon Cobra
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From October 18, the Philippines turned back and air strikes on Japanese positions in the greater Manila area intensified. Two days later, US troops from Lieutenant General Walter Krueger's 6th US Army landed on the Philippines island of Leyte , which were monitored by Task Groups 38.1 (Vice Admiral John McCain ) and 38.4 (Rear Admiral Ralph E. Davison ). Meanwhile, TG 38.2 (Rear Admiral Gerald Bogan) and Langley's fleet attacked strategic positions on the islands of Cebu , Negros , Panay , Mindoro and Visajan . On October 24, TG 38.3 was about 60 nm east of the Polillo Island off the main island of Luzon when its carrier aircraft attacked a Japanese battleship fleet under Admiral Takeo Kurita in the Sibuyan Sea to the south . At the same time, a flying bomb from a Japanese fighter plane hit a sister ship of the Langley , the USS Princeton (CVL-23), so badly that the fires it started could not be brought under control. The extinguishing work was made even more difficult by detonations of individual ammunition depots, so that the Princeton had to be sunk by its own destroyers in the late afternoon. On the same day, land-based Allied reconnaissance aircraft sighted a Japanese fleet formation comprising four aircraft carriers about 200 nm north of Luzon and traveling south. Admiral Halsey immediately ordered all available ships of his task force north to intercept the enemy fleet. In a sea battle lasting several hours, the US carrier aircraft sank all four Japanese aircraft carriers the following day. Langley's planes were among them. a. involved in the sinking of the Zuiho and the Zuikaku , which was the last to be sunk by the six porters who were involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor (→ Sea and Air Battle in the Gulf of Leyte ).
The fleet arrived in Ulithi at the end of the month, where it was supplemented by the aircraft carrier USS Ticonderoga (CV-14). Throughout November, their carrier aircraft attacked port facilities and airfields in the Philippines. On November 25, fighter jets from the Langley and Essex could see the light cruiser Yasoshima ( 15 ° 45 ′ N , 119 ° 45 ′ E ), three troop carriers ( 15 ° 40 ′ N , 119 ° 45 ′ E ) and the cargo ships Manei Maru and Sink Kasagisan Maru in the port of San Fernando ( 16 ° 37 ′ N , 120 ° 19 ′ E ).
Between December 3 and 11, 1944, the fleet anchored in Ulithi Atoll and then continued its air raids on Luzon. One week later the entire fleet, cruising approx. 500 nm east of the Philippines, was surprised by Typhoon Cobra . Because of their structural defects rolled the Langley heavy in the of hurricanes raging sea, but suffered in contrast to her sister ship USS Monterey (CVL-26) only minor damage, with the typhoon total of 793 US deaths, the loss of three destroyers and about 150 aircraft demanded.
Indochina
This was followed by air strikes on Formosa and Luzon to the effect from 9 January during operation of Mike I held invasion of Luzon in Lingayen Gulf to cover. The association then headed for the South China Sea in order to attack Japanese ships and airfields in occupied French Indochina a few days later as part of Operation Gratitude . The most important destinations were in Saigon , Cam Ranh Bay , Quy Nhơn and Tourane . Attacks on Japanese bastions in Hong Kong , Hainan and Canton followed between January 15 and 16, and five days later on the Pescadoren and Sakishima Islands and again on Luzon and Formosa. After photo reconnaissance flights, including over Okinawa, the Langley returned to Ulithi with the fleet association at the end of January.
On February 10, the Langley in Rear Adm. Arthur W. Radfords TG 58.4 ( USS Yorktown (CV-10), USS Randolph (CV-15) and USS Cabot (CVL-28)) left Ulithi and began airstrikes a week later the greater Tokyo area . The carrier also supported the invasion of Iwojima, which began a few days later . On February 21, the aircraft carrier was hit by a flying bomb during a Japanese counter-attack, which caused minor fires. Although flight operations could be resumed after about 2½ hours, the structural damage was greater than expected, so that the Langley had to leave the fleet.
Okinawa and main Japanese islands
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Since no stay in the shipyard was necessary, the Langley could be repaired in Ulithi and so rejoined Radford's TG 58.4 at the beginning of March. In a new composition, with the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise (CV-6), USS Intrepid (CV-11), USS Yorktown (CV-10) and the sister ship USS Independence (CVL-22), the battleships USS Missouri (BB-63) , USS New Jersey (BB-62) and USS Wisconsin (BB-64), the newer heavy cruisers USS Alaska (CB-1) and USS Guam (CB-2), the light cruisers USS Flint (CL-97) and USS San Diego (CL-53) and a good dozen destroyers, the naval association left the Caroline Islands on March 14, heading for the main Japanese islands. Four days later, the first air strikes began on the islands of Kyushu , Honshu and Shikoku , on which mainly naval, air force bases and industrial plants in centers such as Kure , Nagoya and Osaka were attacked. Later in the month the focus was shifted to Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands in preparation for and support for the invasion of Okinawa , which began in late March . Starting in April, Radford's Task Group was supplemented with the aircraft carriers USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) and USS Shangri-La (CV-38), which should be very valuable in the next few weeks. In order to support the heavy fighting raging on Okinawa, Vice Admiral Marc Mitscher's TF 58 constantly cruised around the island and was exposed to sometimes violent Japanese air raids, in which mostly Kamikaze planes were now used. On May 12th TG 58.4 was ordered to Ulithi to take up provisions, ammunition and fuel. The Langley was ordered back to the United States via Pearl Harbor , where it arrived in San Francisco on June 3 .
For the next two months, the Langley underwent an urgently needed overhaul at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard . On August 1, the ship was able to leave the west coast again and arrived at Pearl Harbor a week later. There the ship and the carrier combat group prepared for their imminent mission, which was no longer to take place because the Japanese Empire surrendered on August 15, 1945.
Operation Magic Carpet and Decommissioning
The Langley nevertheless left Hawaii heading west and transported US soldiers back to the United States on two transpacific voyages as part of Operation Magic Carpet . Then she moved back over the Panama Canal into the Atlantic Ocean , where she arrived in Philadelphia on October 1, 1945. There it was rebuilt accordingly and left the east coast in mid-November to bring US Army troops home from the European theater on two trips by early January 1946 . On May 31, the Langley was assigned to the reserve fleet at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and finally officially taken out of service on February 11, 1947. The aircraft carrier was awarded nine Battle Stars for its service in World War II .
Service in the French Navy
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The Langley stayed in Philadelphia for the next few years until it was transferred to France on January 8, 1951 under the Mutual Defense Assistance Act . After repair and modernization work at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, the ship was put into active service in the French Navy on June 2 as the La Fayette (R96) . Your current name is reminiscent of the Marquis de La Fayette (1757-1834), who fought on the side of the colonists against the British during the American War of Independence . The La Fayette remained in US waters during the summer months, where the French crew were familiarized with the ship. The air group , consisting of F6F Hellcat fighters (including versions suitable for night flight) and TBM Avenger torpedo bombers , completed a total of 2040 flight hours as well as 1160 landings (32 of them at night) and 139 catapult launches. The aircraft carrier then went to Europe, where it was received in a solemn ceremony on September 11 at the Toulon naval base . Later, the La Fayette was ordered to French Indochina to intervene in the newly ignited battles against the Việt Minh . The aircraft carrier remained in the crisis region until June 1953 and fought with its Hellcats and Helldiver in the Indochina War (the air group was awarded the Croix de guerre ).
After modernization in France, during which it was equipped with Corsair fighter-bombers, the La Fayette remained mostly in the Mediterranean, where it took part in numerous NATO maneuvers and intervened in the Algerian War that began in 1954 . In October 1956, she made up the Franco-British fleet in the Suez Crisis alongside the aircraft carrier Arromanches (R95) and other ships . After the devastating earthquake in the Moroccan port city of Agadir , which claimed between 10,000 and 15,000 lives on the evening of February 29, 1960, the crew of La Fayette took part in the international rescue and reconstruction effort. After the end of the Algerian crisis, the aircraft carrier took part in the evacuation of French citizens.
On March 20, 1963, the La Fayette in Philadelphia was put out of active service in the French Navy and on the same day removed from the Naval Vessel Register of the US Navy. A few months later, the ship was sold to the Boston Metals Company and scrapped. In the almost twelve years in the service of the Marine nationale française , the La Fayette (formerly USS Langley (CVL-27)) covered a total distance of 350,000 nm (~ 648,200 km). 19,805 aircraft landings were carried out.
Commanding officers
| Rank | Surname | Beginning of the appointment | End of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea captain | Henri Ruyssen | June 2, 1951 | January 7, 1952 |
| Sea captain | Robert Barthélémy | January 7, 1952 | 17th November 1952 |
| Sea captain | Léon Allain | 17th November 1952 | March 16, 1954 |
| Sea captain | Pierre Ponchardier | March 16, 1954 | November 25, 1955 |
| Sea captain | Francis Lainé | November 25, 1955 | June 7, 1957 |
| Sea captain | Charles Vedel | June 7, 1957 | July 31, 1959 |
| Sea captain | Etienne d'Arbois de Jubainville | July 31, 1959 | July 13, 1960 |
| Sea captain | Gérald Mesny | July 13, 1960 | October 7, 1961 |
| Sea captain | Marcel Duval | October 7, 1961 | March 20, 1963 |
See also
- USS Langley , for other ships of the same name
- List of historical aircraft carriers
- List of US Navy aircraft carriers
literature
- Stefan Terzibaschitsch : US Navy aircraft carrier - fleet aircraft carrier / escort aircraft carrier . 3. Edition. Bernard & Graefe, Bonn 2001, ISBN 3-7637-6200-0 .
Web links
- History of USS Langley (CVL-27) in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (English)
- Photos of the USS Langley (CVL-27) to the Naval Historical Center. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014 ; accessed on March 23, 2020 .
- USS Langley on NavSource Online
- More photos (English)
- USS Langley as La Fayette R96 in the French Navy (French)
- Angel on the Yardarm: The Beginnings of Fleet Radar Defense and the Kamikaze Threat - Memoirs by John Monsarrat (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ CVL Radio & Flag Call Signals. In: ninesisters.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013 ; Retrieved March 22, 2008 .
- ↑ CVL-27 Langley II. In: pacific.valka.cz. Retrieved March 23, 2008 .
- ↑ a b netmarine.net. Retrieved March 24, 2008 .
