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| USS Randolph (CV-15) | |
|---|---|
| Ship caption | USS Randolph (CV-15) off Norfolk, 1948 |
| Ship name | Randolph |
| Ship namesake | Peyton Randolph |
| Ship class | Essex-class aircraft carrier |
| Ship displacement | 27,100 long tons (standard) |
| Ship length | 888 ft 0 in (270.6 m) |
| Ship beam | 93 ft 6 in (28.5 m) |
| Ship draft | 28 ft 7 in (8.7 m) |
| Ship propulsion | Steam turbines, 150,000 shp |
| Ship speed | 33 kn |
| Ship complement | 2,600 (wartime) |
| Ship armament | 20 × 5 in (127 mm) DP guns, 40 × 40 mm AA, 46 × 20 mm AA |
| Ship aircraft | ~90 aircraft (as commissioned) |
| Ship builder | Newport News Shipbuilding |
| Ship laid down | 14 May 1942 |
| Ship launched | 21 Dec 1943 |
| Ship commissioned | 9 Oct 1944 |
| Ship decommissioned | 3 Feb 1969 |
| Ship fate | Sold for scrap, 1975 |
USS Randolph (CV-15) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy commissioned during World War II. Built by Newport News Shipbuilding and named for Peyton Randolph, she served in the Pacific Theater of Operations late in the war, continued operations through the Korean War, and underwent SCB-27/SCB-125 modernization before decommissioning in 1969. Randolph earned multiple battle stars and served with prominent Fleet Admirals and task forces during a career spanning three decades.
Randolph was one of the long-hull Essex-class carriers ordered in 1941 and laid down at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia. Her design derived from earlier Yorktown-class experience and the evolving carrier doctrine employed by Admiral Ernest J. King and Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Civilian and naval architects adapted features from Henderson-class auxiliaries and wartime lessons from the Battle of Midway, Battle of the Coral Sea, and carrier actions supporting Operation Watchtower. Construction used wartime industrial mobilization policies promulgated under Franklin D. Roosevelt and coordinated by the Maritime Commission. Randolph's armament mirrored emergent anti-aircraft patterns developed after encounters during the Guadalcanal Campaign, and her aviation facilities were planned to accommodate aircraft such as the Grumman F6F Hellcat, Vought F4U Corsair, and Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. She was launched with sponsorship from figures associated with the Randolph family and commissioned under the command of Captain Joseph K. Taussig Jr..
Following commissioning Randolph completed shakedown training in the Chesapeake Bay and intensive carrier qualifications in the Naval Air Station Norfolk and Naval Station Mayport operating areas. She transited the Panama Canal to join Task Force 38 and Third Fleet carrier operations in the Western Pacific. Randolph participated in strikes against targets related to the Battle of Okinawa support operations and carrier raids on Formosa and the Japanese home islands during 1945. Her air groups conducted fighter sweeps, anti-shipping strikes, and close air support in coordination with USS Hornet (CV-12), USS Hancock (CV-19), USS Enterprise (CV-6), and escort carriers such as USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73). Randolph's crew endured kamikaze threats and coordinated with USS Missouri (BB-63) for plane guard and fleet logistics; her actions contributed to the aerial blockade that preceded Japan's surrender after the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet–Japanese War. Randolph received battle stars for Pacific operations and participated in occupation of Japan air patrols before returning to the United States East Coast.
In the immediate postwar period Randolph joined Atlantic Fleet training operations, carrier air tactics exercises with Naval Air Station Pensacola, and NATO-related maneuvers alongside units of the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, and French Navy. She conducted training cruises and midshipman cruises that visited Gibraltar, Lisbon, Bermuda, and Newfoundland, and supported Cold War presence missions under the strategic direction of Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal and later Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal. With the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, Randolph was deployed to the United Nations Command theater to provide air support, close air support, and interdiction missions in coordination with Task Force 77, USS Valley Forge (CV-45), USS Essex (CV-9), and Royal Australian Navy assets. Carrier air groups from Randolph flew sorties against North Korea logistic targets, provided air cover for Inchon and Pusan operations, and operated under tactical control that included liaison with MACV planning.
Between deployments Randolph underwent the SCB-27A and later SCB-125 modernization programs at Newport News Shipbuilding and Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Upgrades included strengthened flight decks, angled flight deck installation, mirror landing systems and hydraulic catapult improvements to operate newer jet aircraft such as the McDonnell F2H Banshee, Grumman F9F Panther, and Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Her radar, fire-control, and anti-aircraft systems were modernized, integrating technology developed by firms like General Electric and Westinghouse under Navy procurement overseen by the Bureau of Ships. Randolph was reclassified in carrier lists as part of the postwar carrier force structure that emphasized power projection and nuclear-era readiness during crises such as the Suez Crisis and Berlin Crisis.
After Cold War-era budget shifts and the introduction of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier construction priorities, Randolph was placed in reserve and decommissioned on 3 February 1969. She was berthed in the James River Reserve Fleet and later stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. Proposals to preserve her as a museum ship similar to USS Intrepid (CV-11) and USS Midway (CV-41) were explored but not realized due to funding disputes involving state historic preservation agencies and private foundations. Randolph was sold for scrap in 1975 and dismantled by commercial shipbreakers under contracts administered by the Maritime Administration.
Randolph's legacy persists in naval aviation history, carrier development scholarship, and commemoration by veteran organizations such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Her crew received multiple battle stars for World War II and Korean War service, and individual sailors and aviators were awarded decorations including the Navy Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Purple Heart for actions while assigned to Randolph. Artifacts and photographs from Randolph are held in collections of the National Museum of the United States Navy, Smithsonian Institution, Mariners' Museum, and regional archives in Virginia. The ship's name is commemorated in exhibits and veteran reunions, contributing to studies of carrier operations that influenced subsequent United States Navy carrier doctrine and Cold War maritime strategy.
Category:Essex-class aircraft carriers Category:World War II aircraft carriers of the United States Category:Korean War aircraft carriers of the United States