USS Essex Hits The Million Mark

ABOARD USS ESSEX,, At Sea - Since arriving on station off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, USS Essex (LHD 2) has delivered more than 1 million pounds of humanitarian aid to tsunami survivors in the northern areas of the island.

This outstanding accomplishment was completed in eight days from Jan. 18 through Jan. 25.

The Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious assault ship was able to move the enormous amount of supplies with the help of various helicopters and landing craft, air-cushion (LCAC) hovercrafts.

According to Essex Commanding Officer Capt J. M. van Tol, the helos came from numerous locations.

"Essex's normally embarked 31 Marine Expeditionary Unit Air Combat Element is currently engaged in Iraq. Thus, we needed to get some helo dets in order to execute meaningful humanitarian assistance/disaster relief ops off Sumatra," said van Tol. "We embarked four Bahrain-based MH-53Es (Sea Dragon), six CH-46s (Sea Knight) from Okinawa, and two more MH-60Ss (Knighthawk) from Niagara Falls [USNS Niagara Falls (T-AFS 3)], in addition to our own Helicopter Combat Squadron (HC) 5 det."

"These helos gave us a very substantial and versatile lift capacity, allowing us to pickup large quantities of supplies from Sabang Island and Banda Aceh, and deliver them to various locations where they were needed," added van Tol.

Additionally, supplies were carried to the shore by LCACs currently operating off USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), another forward deployed ship out of Sasebo, Japan, and a part of the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group.

Daily working parties have been the norm for the Essex's crew, but no one is complaining.

"It's amazing," said Chief Information Systems Technician Joel Dean. "I've been on many working parties in my Navy career, but I've never seen so many people volunteer for this specific working party. We had a group show up for the working party and had to tell them only a certain number would be able to go to assist."

Once ashore, Essex crew members worked side by side with military personnel from other countries.

"Those parties, working with Marines and foreigners, did a great job in moving large quantities of material to those in need," said van Tol.

"I believe that everyone involved was very pleased to have a chance to do something up close and personal to help the many victims of the tsunami catastrophe," stated van Tol. "This truly was the U.S. Navy at its best!"

Essex is the flagship for the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group, currently deployed in the Indian Ocean in support of Operation Unified Assistance. Prior to arriving off the coast of Sumatra, Essex was operating in the Persian Gulf for four months with multinational coalition forces, protecting the Iraqi oil platforms and keeping the areas' sea lanes open in support of the sovereign government of Iraq.

The fourth Essex (CV-9) was launched 31 July 1942 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. sponsored by Mrs. Artemus L. Gates, wife of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air; and commissioned 31 December 1942, Captain D. B. Duncan command ing. She was reclassified (CVA-9) on 1 October 1952, and (CVS-9) on 8 March 1960.

Following her shakedown cruise Essex sailed to the Pacific in May 1943 to begin a succession of victories which would bring her to Tokyo Bay. Departing Pearl Harbor, she participated with Task Force 16 (TF 16) in carrier operations against Marcus Island (31 Aug ust 1943); was designated flagship of TF 14 and struck Wake Island (5-6 October); 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 (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 Marshalls (29 January-2 February 1944).

Essex in TG 68.2 now joined with TG 58.1 and 58.3, to constitute the most formidable carrier striking force to date, in launching an attack against Truk (17-18 February 1944) during which eight Japanese ships weresunk. En route to the Marianas 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. She then joined carriers USS Wasp (CV-18) and USS San Jacinto (CVL-30) in TG 12.1 to strike Marcus Island (19-20 May 1944) 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 supp ort landings on Peleliu. On 2 October 1944, she weathered a typhoon and 4 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 injury. A kamikaze hit the port edge of her flight deck landing among planes gassed for takeoff, causing extensive damage, killing 15, and wounding 44.

This "cramped her style" very little. Following quick repairs we find with 3d Fleet off Luzon supporting the occupation of Mindoro (14-16 December). She rode out the typhoon of 18 December 1944 and made special search for survivors afterwards.

With TG 3 8.3 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 Shima and Okinawa (26-27 January).

During 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 airpower 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 to 28 May 1945 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 1945). Following the surrender, she continued defensive combat air patrols until 3 September when she was ordered to Bremerton, Wash., 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, Captain A. W. Wheelock commanding...(End excerpt. Link follows.) USS Essex CV-9

Gondring said: "Read to the end of the article that was excerpted above. The CV-9 you (bd476) posted about was decommissioned in 1969 and scrapped in 1975. The current Essex was commissioned in 1992..."

Gondring, thank you for your input. However, I did read to the end of the article about the USS Essex. In fact I copied a large excerpt of the original article into my post.

The name of the ship which I posted is USS Essex.

From what I have been able to determine, the USS Essex is a name which has been passed on to new ships with similar missions and/or similar classifications once the ship holding the name is retired.

Perhaps you missed the following in my post above:

"The fourth Essex (CV-9) was launched 31 July 1942 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. sponsored by Mrs. Artemus L. Gates, wife of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air; and commissioned 31 December 1942, Captain D. B. Duncan commanding.

She was reclassified (CVA-9) on 1 October 1952, and (CVS-9) on 8 March 1960." (Emphasis added.)

From the article it appears that the US Navy names ships according to a combination of tradition, class and mission. The USS Essex has a long tradition of assisting rescue.

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