USS Princeton (CV-37)

USS Princeton (CV-37)
U.S. Navy · Public domain · source
Ship name	USS Princeton
Ship namesake	Princeton
Ship ordered	1942
Ship builder	New York Shipbuilding Corporation
Ship laid down	24 March 1943
Ship launched	9 September 1944
Ship commissioned	25 February 1945
Ship decommissioned	30 June 1970
Ship fate	Sold for scrap 1972

USS Princeton (CV-37)

USS Princeton (CV-37) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy commissioned in February 1945. Built by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation during World War II, she served in the closing months of the Pacific campaign, later deploying extensively during the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and numerous Cold War operations. Princeton underwent several modernizations, including SCB-27 modernization and SCB-125 modernization, before being decommissioned in 1970 and sold for scrap in 1972.

Design and Construction

Princeton was one of the Essex-class carriers designed under the 80% Essex and long-hull Essex evolutions that responded to wartime carrier requirements established after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. Constructed at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation yard in Camden, New Jersey, her keel was laid on 24 March 1943, and she was launched on 9 September 1944. The design emphasized armored flight decks, Grumman F6F Hellcat compatibility, extensive aviation gasoline stowage, and improved Admiral H. Kent Hewitt–era damage control arrangements promulgated following lessons from the Battle of Midway and the Guadalcanal Campaign. Her propulsion plant consisted of geared turbines producing approximately 150,000 shaft horsepower driving four shafts, a configuration shared with sister ships such as USS Essex (CV-9) and USS Lexington (CV-16).

World War II Service

Commissioned amidst the final phase of World War II, Princeton completed shakedown and training alongside carrier task groups associated with Task Force 38 and Task Force 58. She sailed to the Pacific Ocean theater and conducted flight operations supporting strikes linked to the Battle of Okinawa and the strategic air campaign against Japan. Princeton embarked squadrons equipped with aircraft such as the Vought F4U Corsair and Grumman TBM Avenger, contributing to close air support and carrier strike operations. Although commissioned late enough to avoid prolonged combat, her presence reinforced United States Seventh Fleet carrier strength during the Surrender of Japan and the occupation period that followed.

Korean War and Postwar Operations

Recommissioned and modernized prior to the Korean War, Princeton deployed with carriers operating under Vice Admiral Arthur W. Radford and supported United Nations naval aviation efforts during the conflict. Her air groups flew interdiction missions, close air support, and reconnaissance during major actions including the Inchon landing and operations around Pusan Perimeter. Post-Armistice, Princeton conducted peacetime deployments to the Western Pacific that included port visits to Yokosuka, Sasebo, Hong Kong, and Subic Bay, performing presence missions during crises such as the Taiwan Strait Crisis and diplomatic operations involving SEATO commitments. During these years she operated alongside carriers like USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) and USS Boxer (CV-21) on multinational exercises.

Cold War Modernizations and Deployments

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Princeton underwent extensive overhauls under SCB-27 and SCB-125 modernization programs to accommodate heavier, faster jet aircraft including the McDonnell F2H Banshee and Grumman F9F Panther. Modifications included strengthened flight decks, angled flight deck installation, enclosed hurricane bow, hydraulic catapults, and mirror landing aids pioneered in cooperation with Royal Navy developments after wartime carrier innovations. Princeton participated in multinational operations and crises characteristic of the Cold War, such as patrols in the South China Sea and rapid-response carrier group deployments during tensions involving People's Republic of China and North Korea. She also supported early A-4 Skyhawk and F-8 Crusader operations, operating within carrier task groups that interfaced with Seventh Fleet amphibious forces and Military Assistance Command, Vietnam logistics during the build-up to Vietnam War combat operations.

Decommissioning and Fate

After a career spanning more than two decades, Princeton was decommissioned on 30 June 1970 as part of post‑Vietnam force reductions and the Navy]'s transition to supercarrier designs like USS Nimitz (CVN-68). Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register, she was sold for scrap in 1972 and dismantled by commercial breakers. Elements of her equipment, memorabilia, and artifacts were dispersed to museums, veterans' organizations, and municipal collections in cities such as Princeton, New Jersey and Camden, New Jersey. The disposal reflected broader shifts in United States Navy carrier policy, fleet composition, and Cold War procurement priorities.

Awards and Legacy

Princeton earned campaign stars and unit commendations for service during World War II and the Korean War, and she was recognized in naval commemorations for Cold War readiness and aviation innovation. Veterans and naval historians link Princeton to developments in carrier aviation exemplified by the transition from propeller-driven fighters like the F4U Corsair to jet-powered types such as the F9F Panther and A-4 Skyhawk. Her legacy is preserved in scholarship at institutions including the Naval History and Heritage Command, regional museums, and through reunions of air wing veterans who served aboard carriers including USS Hornet (CV-12) and USS Intrepid (CV-11). Princeton remains a subject of study for those tracing the evolution of Essex-class carriers, carrier modernization programs, and Cold War maritime operations.

Category:Essex-class aircraft carriers Category:Ships built by New York Shipbuilding Corporation Category:United States Navy carriers