USS Independence (CVL-22)
History of the USS Independence Aircraft Carrier
The USS Independence (CVL-22) was originally planned as the USS Amsterdam (CL-59). She was ordered for the U.S. Navy during World War II. Her keel was laid down at New York Shipbuilding Corporation in New Jersey on May 1, 1941. She was launched as CV-22 on August 22, 1942 and commissioned on January 14, 1943 under the command of Captain G.R. Fairlamb, Jr.
USS Independence joined the Pacific Fleet on July 3, 1943. After training, she joined the USS Essex and USS Yorktown to attack Marcus Island. She was redesignated CVL-22 on July 15. Her aircraft launched strikes against Wake Island in early October.
The USS Independence then sailed for Espiritu Santo and an attack at Rabaul on November 11, 1943, where they shot down six Japanese planes. She carried out pre-invasion strikes against Tarawa the following week. On November 20, she was attacked by enemy aircraft and hit by a torpedo on her starboard side. The carrier headed to Funafuti for temporary repairs before returning to San Francisco, California for permanent repairs.
After repair work and some upgrades were complete, USS Independence trained for night operations out of Pearl Harbor and Eniwetok. She sailed at the end of August 1944 for operations in the Palaus, including the Battle of Peleliu. The aircraft carrier provided night combat air patrol and night reconnaissance for the operations.
During September 1944, the USS Independence carried out pre-invasion air strikes in the Philippines and Luzon. In October, she moved on to Okinawa, Formosa, and the Philippines again. The carrier joined the Battle of Leyte Gulf at the end of the month before heading to Ulithi for replenishment in November.
USS Independence operated in the Philippines until December 30, 1944. She joined with Task Force 38 to support the January troop landings on Luzon. After that, she headed for the South China Sea, striking targets at Formosa, China and Indochina. The aircraft carrier sailed to Pearl Harbor for repairs on January 30, 1945.
Her repairs complete, the USS Independence headed to Okinawa in March, 1945. She carried out pre-invasion air strikes and supported the troop landings, downing many enemy planes. The carrier remained at Okinawa until June 10 before heading to Leyte.
The USS Independence launched strikes against targets in the Japanese home islands until the end of the war. She then conducted surveillance flights to locate POW camps and support occupation forces. The aircraft carrier brought home thousands of American troops as part of Operation Magic Carpet.
USS Independence was marked as a target for atomic testing at Bikini Atoll. She survived the explosion on July 1, 1946, though she did suffer damage. After another explosion on July 26, she was taken to Kwajalein. The aircraft carrier was decommissioned on August 28, 1946. Her hulk was subjected to testing before being scuttled on January 29, 1951. She received eight battle stars for her service in World War II.
The use of asbestos was common in shipbuilding components for much of the 20th Century because of its resistance to heat, fire, water and corrosion. Because of their asbestos exposure onboard ship and in the shipyards, seaman, shipyard workers and longshoreman are at risk for developing asbestos-related diseases like mesothelioma .
Sources include:
John Hedley-Whyte and Debra R Milamed, "Asbestos and Ship-Building: Fatal Consequences," Ulster Med. J. 77(3):191-200 (Sep 2008)
U.S. Navy, A Brief History of Aircraft Carriers – USS Independence
