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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

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

USS Rendova (CVE-114, later AKV-14), 1945-1972

USS Rendova, a 11,373-ton Commencement Bay class escort aircraft carrier, was built at Tacoma, Washington. Commissioned in October 1945, some two months after the end of World War II, she conducted shakedown operations into the spring of 1946, was generally inactive for a year after that and then served in a training role. In April-July 1948, she transported aircraft from the U.S. west coast through the Panama Canal to the Atlantic and onward to Turkey, returning to the U.S. by way of the Suez Canal, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and Pacific Ocean. During the rest of 1948 and in 1949, in addition to conducting routine training operations, the carrier made two voyages to the Far East. Rendova decommisioned in January 1950 and was laid up in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

Recalled to active duty in response to the Korean War crisis, Rendova was recommissioned in January 1951. She deployed to Korean waters between July and December 1951, where she mainly operated in the Yellow Sea with a Marine Corps fighter squadron flying close air support and other combat missions. Thereafter, she served as a training and anti-submarine warfare carrier. She participated in nuclear weapons tests in the Marshall Islands in 1952 and made a final Western Pacific cruise in 1954. USS Rendova was decommissioned in June 1955. Rerated as an aircraft transport in May 1959, she carried the new hull number AKV-14 from then on, but remained in reserve. She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in April 1971 and sold for scrapping in November 1972.

This page features all our views of USS Rendova (CVE-114/AKV-14).

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 97443

USS Rendova (CVE-114)


Off San Diego, California, circa 1952-54, with crewmen paraded on the flight deck.
The photo was received by the Naval Photographic Center in December 1959.

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

Online Image: 115KB; 740 x 610 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97444

USS Rendova (CVE-114)


Departing San Diego, California, January 1954, with her crew manning the rails and her anti-submarine warfare air group on the flight deck.
USS Sperry (AS-13), with submarines alongside, and another tender are moored in the background.

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

Online Image: 124KB; 740 x 600 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-705546

USS Rendova (CVE-114)


Entering Gibraltar harbor in April 1948, with a deckload of aircraft, including AT-6 training planes to be delivered to the Turkish Air Force.
Photographed from USS Valley Forge (CV-45), which was then on her 'round the World cruise. Note Grumman F8F "Bearcat" fighters in the foreground.

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

Online Image: 97KB; 740 x 600 pixels

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

 
Photo #: NH 97445

USS Rendova (CVE-114)


Mediterranean moored to the BAPCO pier at Bahrain, circa July 1948.
Mooring description from the original report: "A Mediterranean type moor to the BAPCO pier was employed when the ship refueled. The port anchor was dropped well up stream and thirty fathoms of chain veered. The starboard anchor was then dropped and one hundred and five fathoms of chain veered. At the same time the amount of chain veered to the port anchor was increased to one hundred and thirty-five fathoms. The stern was pushed around until perpendicular to the dock and then secured to the dock ...".

The original photograph is in a 16 July 1948 report among USS Rendova post-1946 Reports, held by the Naval Historical Center's Operational Archives Branch, 1999.

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

Online Image: 78KB; 740 x 560 pixels

 
Photo #: 80-G-425481

Rear Admiral Daniel E. Barbey, USN,

Commander, 13th Naval District

Joins Mayor John Anderson of Tacoma, Washington, and members of the ship's crew at a meal in the crew's mess of USS Rendova (CVE-114), on 3 January 1951. Rendova was recommissioned on that day for Korean War service.

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

Online Image: 104KB; 740 x 620 pixels

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

 
Photo #: NH 97083

"And Let the Rest of the World Roll By"


"The thoughts of Arthur James Yettke, aviation boatswain's mate, third class, USN, are far from the realities of war as he catches a few winks while waiting for striking planes to return home. 'Home', for the present, is the escort carrier USS Rendova (CVE-114) now operating off the coast of Korea with the Marine 'Devilcats' Squadron."
Photograph and caption released by Commander Naval Forces Far East, under date of 20 October 1951.
His bed, and the surroundings, consist of .50 caliber machine gun ammunition in wooden crates, ammunition cans and unpackaged in links. Crates are marked with both Navy Bureau of Ordnance crossed cannon and Army Ordnance flaming bomb.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the "All Hands" collection at the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 184KB; 600 x 765 pixels

 
Photo #: NH 97105

Lieutenant Colonel Manuel Brilliant, USMC


"Commanding Officer of the Marine "Devilcats" Squadron (VMF-212) returns aboard the escort carrier USS Rendova (CVE-114) from the British destroyer HMS Comus. Brilliant was shot down by enemy anti-aircraft fire and after bailing out of his damaged plane, was rescued at sea by the Comus.
Photograph and quoted portion of caption released by Commander Naval Forces, Far East, under date of 20 October 1951.
Note details of breeches bouy used for the transfer, and crew working jackets marked with Rendova's hull number.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the "All Hands" collection at the Naval Historical Center.

Online Image: 99KB; 600 x 765 pixels

 


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


Return to Naval Historical Center home page.

18 November 2000