USS ESSEX

World War II

PACIFIC THEATRE

Following her shakedown cruise, Essex steamed to the Pacific in May 1943 to begin a succession of victories which would bring her to Tokyo Bay . Departing from Pearl Harbor , she participated with Task Force 16 (TF 16) in carrier operations against Marcus Island
(31 August 1943); was designated the flagship of TF 14 and struck Wake Island
(5-6 October); participated in carrier operations during the Rabaul strike
(11 November 1943), along with Bunker Hill and Princeton ; launched an attack with
Task Group 50.3 (TG 50.3) against the Gilbert Islands where she also took part in her first amphibious assault, the landing on Tarawa Atoll (18–23 November). Refueling at sea, she cruised as flagship of TG 50.3 to attack Kwajalein (4 December). Her second amphibious assault delivered in company with TG 58.2 was against the Marshall Islands
(29 January–2 February 1944).

Essex, in TG 58.2, now joined with TG 58.1 and TG 58.3 to constitute the
Fast Carrier Task Force, to launch an attack against Truk (17–18 February) during which eight Japanese ships were sunk. En route to the Mariana Islands to sever
Japanese supply lines , the carrier force was detected and received a prolonged aerial attack which it repelled in a businesslike manner and then continued with the scheduled attack upon Saipan , Tinian and Guam (23 February).

After this operation, Essex proceeded to San Francisco for her single wartime overhaul. Following her overhaul, Essex became the carrier for Air Group 15, the "Fabled Fifteen," commanded by the U.S. Navy's top ace of the war, David McCampbell . She then joined carriers Wasp and San Jacinto in TG 12.1 to strike Marcus Island (19–20 May) and Wake (23 May). She deployed with TF 58 to support the occupation of the Marianas (12 June–10 August); sortied with TG 38.3 to lead an attack against the Palau Islands (6–8 September), and Mindanao (9–10 September) with enemy shipping as the main target, and remained in the area to support landings on Peleliu . On 2 October, she weathered a typhoon and four days later departed with TF 38 for the Ryukyus .

For the remainder of 1944, she continued her frontline action, participating in strikes against Okinawa (10 October), and Formosa (12–14 October), covering the

Leyte landings, taking part in the Battle for Leyte Gulf (24–25 October), and continuing the search for enemy fleet units until 30 October, when she returned to Ulithi , Caroline Islands , for replenishment. She resumed the offensive and delivered attacks on Manila and the northern Philippine Islands during November. On 25 November, for the first time in her far-ranging operations and destruction to the enemy, Essex received damage. A kamikaze hit the port edge of her flight deck landing among planes gassed for takeoff, causing extensive damage, killing 15, and wounding 44.

Following quick repairs, she operated with the task force off Leyte supporting the occupation of Mindoro (14–16 December). She rode out the typhoon of 18 December and made special search for survivors afterwards. With TG 38.3, she participated in the Lingayen Gulf operations, launched strikes against Formosa, Sakishima , Okinawa, and Luzon. Entering the South China Sea in search of enemy surface forces, the task force pounded shipping and conducted strikes on Formosa, the China coast, Hainan , and Hong Kong . Essex withstood the onslaught of the third typhoon in four months (20–21 January 1945) before striking again at Formosa, Miyako-jima and Okinawa (26 January–27 January).

For the remainder of the war, she operated with TF 58, conducting attacks against the Tokyo area (16-17, and 25 February) both to neutralize the enemy's air power before the landings on Iwo Jima and to cripple the aircraft manufacturing industry. She sent support missions against Iwo Jima and neighboring islands, but from 23 March-28 May was employed primarily to support the conquest of Okinawa.

In the closing days of the war, Essex took part in the final telling raids against the Japanese home islands (10 July–15 August). Following the surrender, she continued defensive combat air patrols until 3 September, when she was ordered to Bremerton, Washington , for inactivation. On 9 January 1947, she was placed out of commission in reserve. Modernization endowed Essex with a new flight deck, and a streamlined island superstructure, on 16 January 1951 when recommissioned, with Captain A. W. Wheelock commanding.

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