Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page. Return to Online Library listing

DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Photo # NH 97124:  USS Barnes with TBF aircraft parked on her flight deck, 8 January 1944

Online Library of Selected Images:
-- U.S. NAVY SHIPS --

USS Barnes (ACV-20, later CVE-20 and CVHE-20), 1943-1959

USS Barnes, a 7800-ton Bogue class auxiliary aircraft carrier, was built at Tacoma, Washington, and commissioned in February 1943. She was reclassified as an escort aircraft carrier on 15 July 1943 and redesignated CVE-20. During World War II, Barnes mainly served as an aircraft transport and training carrier in the Pacific. She also operated in a combat role during the invasion of the Gilbert Islands in November 1943. Following the Pacific War's end in August 1945, Barnes served on occupation duty in the Far East. She returned to the United States in March 1946 and was decommissioned in August of that year. The ship saw no further active service. While laid up in June 1955, she was reclassified as an escort helicopter aircraft carrier (CVHE-20). USS Barnes was sold in October 1959.

This page features the only views we have concerning USS Barnes.


If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."

Click on the small photograph to prompt a larger view of the same image.

Photo #: NH 97124

USS Barnes (CVE-20)


With Grumman TBF "Avenger" aircraft parked on her flight deck, 8 January 1944.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Online Image: 101KB; 740 x 615 pixels

 


The following images were taken on board USS Barnes:

Photo #: NH 97125

USS Barnes (CVE-20)


U.S. Army P-47D "Thunderbolt" fighters parked on the carrier's flight deck, for transportation to the Pacific war zone, 15 October 1943. Six Navy PV-1 "Ventura" patrol bombers are parked aft.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Online Image: 164KB; 590 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-202611

Grumman F6F-3 "Hellcat" fighter


Goes over the side of USS Barnes (CVE-20), 22 October 1943, after the pilot attempted to regain flying speed after receiving the "Cut" signal from the Landing Signal Officer.
The pilot, Ensign Olinyock, A-V(N), and a crew member, F1c Olin Victor Bulgrin, were killed in this accident. Several other crew members were injured.
Note triangular flight deck crash barrier supports partially extended below the plane.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.

Online Image: 168KB; 740 x 615 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system.

 


Image formerly presented on this page: Photo # NH 97123, which had been featured on this page since 1999, was removed in January 2010 after it was conclusively demonstrated that the ship seen is not USS Barnes, but rather the British escort aircraft carrier HMS Tracker.


In addition to the images presented above, the National Archives appears to hold other views of USS Barnes. The following list features some of these images:

The images listed below are NOT in the Naval History and Heritage Command's collections.
DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".



  • Photo #: 80-G-72302
    USS Barnes (ACV-20) underway with a full flight deck load of Army P-38 and P-47 fighters, 1 July 1943.
    Port bow high aerial view, taken from an altitude of 800 feet.

  • Photo #: 80-G-72301
    USS Barnes (ACV-20) underway with a full flight deck load of Army P-38 and P-47 fighters, 1 July 1943.
    Port stern high aerial view, taken from an altitude of 800 feet.

  • Photo #: 80-G-173710
    USS Barnes (CVE-20) alongside a pier, circa 1943.
    Port broadside surface view, with the pier on the opposite side of the ship. There are no aircraft on her flight deck. Photo is undated, but was received by the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory on 26 July 1944.

  • Photo #: 80-G-395200
    USS Barnes (CVE-20) underway in a harbor, with other ships present, 23 May 1945.
    Port broadside aerial view, taken from somewhat astern, with no aircraft on her flight deck.


    Reproductions of these images should be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system for pictures not held by the Naval Historical Center.

    The images listed in this box are NOT in the Naval History and Heritage Command's collections. DO NOT try to obtain them using the procedures described in our page "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions".


  • NOTES:

  • To the best of our knowledge, the pictures referenced here are all in the Public Domain, and can therefore be freely downloaded and used for any purpose.

  • Some images linked from this page may bear obsolete credit lines citing the organization name: "Naval Historical Center". Effective 1 December 2008 the name should be cited as: "Naval History and Heritage Command".


    If you want higher resolution reproductions than the digital images presented here, see: "How to Obtain Photographic Reproductions."


    Return to Naval History and Heritage Command home page.

    Page made 20 November 1999
    Incorrectly identified photograph removed 21 January 2010