Data sent by CHUCK THOMPSON (519-1988) tells of the battle damage to and the loss of the US Navy aircraft carrier USS PRINCETON on 24 October, 1944.

BASIC SHIP DATA

USS PRINCETON was the second ship in a series of light aircraft carriers of the INDEPENDENCE Class wherein small carriers were built on light cruiser hulls. Look at previous issue of our KTB Magazine for spec on that class. She was laid down in 1941; launched in 1942; and commissioned in 1943.

CIRCUMSTANCES of the LOSS of the SHIP

During the Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippine Islands, USS PRINCETON was operating in a formation of high-speed aircraft carriers. On the morning of 24 October, 1944 the ship suffered an attack by Japanese land-based bombers.

One bomb hit the after section on the flight deck just behind the rear elevator. According to one source, it was a 250 kilogram bomb; according to another, it was a 500 kg bomb. The bomb penetrated through the flight deck and the hangar deck; and exploded on the second deck over the machinery spaces. A huge fire broke out in the hangar where the aircraft were located. The planes in the hangar deck were filled to capacity with AvGas, and some of them were armed with torpedoes.

The first series of internal explosions began in 20 minutes and lasted for approximately 20 to 30 minutes afterward. The fire spread throughout the ship.

In an hour, the light cruiser USS BIRMINGHAM came alongside and transferred a firefighting party to render aid. The light cruiser USS RENO and three destroyers rendered assistance to USS PRINCETON from the starboard side. As a result of these combined forces, some of the fires were put out but the fire in the hangar deck continued to burn fiercely. Torpedoes which exploded in the hangar tore away a major portion of the flight deck, opened the outer plating, damaged the turbine lines and did a great amount of collateral damage to other systems.

Later, USS PRINCETON was reduced to a burning hulk by explosions of the bomb magazine located on the main deck of the carrier abaft the hangar area. This explosion caused many casualties to the crew of USS BIRMINGHAM, which was alongside. Several hours later, the personnel of the wrecked ship were taken off by destroyers. The rescue work was carried out under stormy conditions - and 300 of the crew were lost. USS RENO launched torpedoes to hasten the sinking of the doomed USS PRINCETON.

CONCLUSION

USS PRINCETON lost fighting capability from the explosion of one high-explosive aerial bomb of either 250 or 500 kilograms. As a consequence of the explosion, fires broke out and in just a few hours, went completely out of control.

In KTB #116 next month, we'll cover the damage to BIG BEN; the US Navy aircraft carrier USS FRANKLIN.