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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
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Photo # 80-G-434496:  USS Leyte in Sasebo harbor, Japan, November 1950

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

USS Leyte (CV-32, later CVA-32, CVS-32 and AVT-10), 1946-1970

USS Leyte, a 27,100-ton Ticonderoga class aircraft carrier built at Newport News, Virginia, was commissioned in April 1946. Her initial cruise was made along the South American Pacific coast in the fall of 1946. That was followed by three years of Atlantic Fleet operations, including four deployments to the Mediterranean in 1947, 1949 and 1950. Leyte had just returned from the last of those tours in August 1950 when she was quickly prepared for another, taking her to the other side of the World to augment Naval forces during the Korean War. She operated off Korea from October 1950 into January 1951, providing nearly 4000 aircraft sorties to support UN forces ashore. During this cruise, one of her aviators, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Thomas J. Hudner, Jr., performed an act of heroism for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Leyte returned to the Atlantic in February 1951 and spent the rest of her service career there. She made two more Mediterranean deployments later in 1951 and in 1952-53, receiving the new designation CVA-32 in October 1952. During the last part of 1953, Leyte was converted to an anti-submarine warfare support carrier and was redesignated CVS-32. On 16 October 1953, while in the Boston Naval Shipyard undergoing this conversion, she suffered an explosion and fire that killed 37 men and injured many more. The carrier returned to the active fleet in January 1954 and conducted anti-submarine operations in the Atlantic and Caribbean over the next five years. She also served briefly as an interim amphibious assault ship in 1957, with her normal air group replaced with Marine Corps transport helicopters.

USS Leyte was decommissioned in May 1959, and simultaneously reclassified as an aircraft transport, with the new hull number AVT-10. She remained in the reserve fleet for another decade and was sold for scrapping in September 1970.

This page features selected views of USS Leyte (CV/CVA/CVS-32, AVT-10).

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 #: 80-G-416025

USS Leyte (CV-32)


Underway in the North Atlantic, during Operation "Frigid", 20 November 1948.
Photographed by PH1 B.T. Teigan.

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

Online Image: 99KB; 740 x 605 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 80-G-434496

USS Leyte (CV-32)


At anchor in Sasebo harbor, Japan, in November 1950, during a break in her Korean War combat operations.
Photographed by AFC O.H. Wilson.

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

Online Image: 124KB; 585 x 765 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 80-G-424599

USS Leyte (CV-32)


Moored off Naval Operating Base, Yokosuka, Japan, during a break from Korean War operations, 1 December 1950.
Note old fortification in the left background.

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

Online Image: 158KB; 740 x 620 pixels

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

 
Photo #: NH 97296

USS Leyte (CV-32)


Steams around the end of Naval Air Station, North Island, as she arrives at San Diego, California, after the end of her Korean War combat tour.
The scene is partially framed by the tail of a PBM-5 patrol bomber (Bureau # 84771).
Photograph is dated 3 February 1951.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 93KB; 740 x 610 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97298

USS Leyte (CVS-32)


Off Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, while embarking Marines prior to the "invasion" of the Panama Canal Zone, during amphibious exercises in 1957. She has thirteen HRS and two HUS helicopters of Marine Air Group 26 on her flight deck.
Photo was released by the Department of Defense on 2 July 1957.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 123KB; 740 x 605 pixels

 
Photo #: USN 1034040

USS Leyte (CVS-32)


Operating with a ZPG-2 blimp and an unidentified destroyer of Destroyer Squadron Twenty, during anti-submarine exercises in February 1958.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph.

Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 610 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system as Photo # 428-N-1034040.

 
Photo #: 80-G-K-9496 (Color)

USS Leyte (CV-32)

A Sikorski HO3S-1 helicopter flies beside the carrier during the Second Task Fleet's Operation "Frigid", November 1948.

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

Online Image: 97KB; 585 x 765 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 80-G-377908

Ensign Jesse L. Brown
(left, front) and
Ensign R.G. Rider

Play a game of backgammon (or "acey-ducey") in the Fighter Squadron 32 ready room, on board USS Leyte, 12 April 1949. Other squadron pilots are relaxing in the background.

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

Online Image: 103KB; 740 x 605 pixels

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

 
Photo #: 80-G-415936

USS Leyte (CV-32)


Crewmembers swimming over the carrier's side, using her deck edge elevator as a diving platform, at Augusta, Sicily, 27 May 1950.

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

Online Image: 125KB; 740 x 600 pixels

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

 
Photo #: NH 97297

Grumman S2F-1 Anti-submarine Aircraft


"... gets a 'go' signal from USS Leyte flight deck 0fficer as she is launched for anti-submarine patrol during LANTPHIBEX. The specially-designed aircraft were kept flying around the clock during the overseas transit of the amphibious force, and combined with sonar-equipped helicopters and Navy blimps, provided effective protection against four marauding 'Enemy' subs."
Quoted from the original caption, which was released by USS Leyte (CVS-32) under date of 1 November 1955.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 89KB; 740 x 615 pixels

 
Photo #: USN 1034039

Grumman S2F-2 "Tracker" Anti-submarine Aircraft


Landing aboard USS Leyte (CVS-32) during an anti-submarine exercise.
The photograph was received by the Naval Photographic Center in February 1958.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph.

Online Image: 80KB; 740 x 605 pixels

Reproductions of this image may also be available through the National Archives photographic reproduction system as Photo # 428-N-1034039.

 


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


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Page made 21 June 2000
Photo caption text corrected 21 October 2001