There have been at least two United States Navy ships named Bennington, named after the city of Bennington, Vermont, where was fought the Battle of Bennington on 16 August 1777.
The first Bennington (Gunboat No. 4) was launched 3 June 1890 by Delaware River Iron Works, Chester, Pennsylvania; sponsored by Miss Anne Aston; and commissioned 20 June 1891, Commander R. B. Bradford in command.
Bennington joined the Squadron of Evolution and left New York 19 November 1891 on the Squadron's cruise to Brazil. Transferred to the South Atlantic Squadron 5 May 1892, she cruised in South American waters until 19 July. She then visited Spain and Italy to participate in the celebrations marking the quadricentennial of the discovery of America. Bennington returned to Hampton Roads, Virginia, 26 March 1893 with the replicas of Columbus' vessels in tow. Departing New York City 6 August 1893, the gun boat cruised in the Mediterranean until leaving Gibraltar 18 July 1894 for the Pacific Station. She arrived at Valparaiso, Chile, 3 April and Mare Island Navy Yard 30 April.
She cruised along the Pacific coasts of North and Central America and in Hawaii until leaving Mare Island 15 September 1898. She steamed, via Honolulu and Guam, to Manila, arriving 22 February 1899, and enroute took possession of Wake Island 17 January. Bennington cruised in the Philippines assisting the Army in putting down the insurrection until 3 January 1901. She returned to Mare Island 19 August and went out of commission 5 September 1901.
Recommissioned 2 March 1903 she cruised along the Pacific coasts of North and South America for the next two years. On the morning of 21 July 1905, while preparing to get underway in San Diego Bay, two boilers burst showering the vessel with live steam and scalding water. Sixty men were killed and 40 burned. This accident put an end to her usefulness; on 17 August Bennington arrived at Mare Island and was decommissioned 31 October. She was sold 14 November 1910.
General Characteristics
- Displacement: 1,700 tons
- Length: 244.5 ft (74.5 m)
- Beam: 36 ft (11 m)
- Draft: 14 ft (4.3 m)
- Speed: 17.5 knots
- Complement: 197 officers and men
- Armament: six 6-inch (152 mm) guns
External Link
- http://www.uss-bennington.org/early.html (includes photos)
The second Bennington (CV-20) was a Essex-class aircraft carrier. She was launched 28 February 1944 by New York Navy Yard, sponsored by Mrs. Melvin J. Maas, wife of Congressman Maas of Minnesota; and commissioned 6 August 1944, Captain J. B. Sykes in command.
On 15 December Bennington got underway from New York and transited the Panama Canal on the 21st. The carrier arrived at Pearl Harbor 8 January 1945 and then proceeded to Ulithi Atoll, Caroline Islands, where she joined TG 58.1 on 8 February. Operating out of Ulithi she took part in the strikes against the Japanese home islands (16-17 and 25 February), Volcano Islands (18 February-4 March), Okinawa (1 March), and the raids in support of the Okinawa campaign (18 March-11 June). On 7 April Bennington's planes participated in the attacks on the Japanese task force moving through the East China Sea toward Okinawa which resulted in the sinking of the Japanese battleship Yamato, light cruiser Yahagi, and four destroyers . On 5 June the carrier was damaged by a typhoon off Okinawa and retired to Leyte for repairs, arriving 12 June. Her repairs completed, Bennington left Leyte 1 July and during 10 July-15 August took part in the aerial raids on the Japanese home islands.
She continued operations in the western Pacific, supporting the occupation of Japan until 21 October. On 2 September her planes participated in the mass flight over USS Missouri (BB-63) and Tokyo during the surrender ceremonies. Bennington arrived at San Francisco 7 November 1945 and early in March 1946 transited the Panama Canal enroute to Norfolk, Virginia. Following pre-inactivation overhaul, she went out of commission in reserve at Norfolk 8 November 1946.
The carrier began modernization at New York Naval Shipyard 30 October 1950 and was recommissioned as CVA-20 13 November 1952. Her shakedown lasted until May 1953, when she returned to Norfolk for final fleet preparations. Between 14 May 1953 and 27 May 1954 she operated along the eastern seaboard; made a midshipman cruise to Halifax, Nova Scotia; and a cruise in the Mediterranean. At 0811, 28 May 1954, while cruising off Narragansett Bay, the fluid in one of her catapults exploded, setting off a series of secondary explosions which killed 103 crewmen and injured 201 others. Bennington proceeded under her own power to Quonset Point, Rhode Island, to land her injured.
Moving to New York Naval Shipyard for repairs she was completely rebuilt during 12 June 1954-19 March 1955. On 22 April 1955 the Secretary of the Navy came aboard and presented medals and letters of commendation to 178 of her crew in recognition of their heroism on 26 May 1954. Bennington returned to operations with the Atlantic Fleet until departing Mayport, Florida, 8 September 1955 for the Pacific. She steamed by way of Cape Horn and arrived at San Diego one month later. The carrier then served with the Pacific Fleet making two Far Eastern cruises.
She was redesignated as an ASW support carrier CVS-20 on 30 June 1959, and was on hand for the 1960 Laotian Crisis. She also had three tours of duty, between 1965 and 1968, in the Vietnam War.
Bennington was decommissioned 15 January 1970, stricken 20 September 1989, and sold for scrap 12 January 1994, being subsequently towed across the Pacific for scrapping in India.
General Characteristics
- Displacement: 27,100 tons
- Length: 872 ft (266 m)
- Beam: 147.5 ft (45 m)
- Draft: 28.6 ft (8.7 m)
- Speed: 32.7 knots
- Complement: 3,448 officers and men
- Armament: 12 5-inch (127 mm) guns, 103 aircraft