short hull Essex class carrier Yorktown II |
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Laid down on 3 August 1942 as the Kearsarge, CV 12 was renamed the Hornet II during production, after the loss of the original Hornet at the Battle Of Santa Cruz. Launched on 30 August 1943, Hornett II was commissioned on 29 November 1943. She was one of the first group of the Essex class, also known as the "short hull" group. Later ships of the class were slightly longer and had space for an additional 40mm anti-aircraft quad below the front edge of the flight deck. Hornet II saw heavy action in the Pacific, including the Battle Of The Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf, raids on Okinawa and the Japanese Home Islands, and the invasions of Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Her air group ran up an impressive score during Hornet II's many battles. The scoreboard below adorned the wall of Hornet II's flight deck, and appears here courtesy of Tom Allison of Cumberland, RI, who served on Hornet II commanding a battery of 20mm anti-aircraft guns. |
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