Bennington Battle Monument.

CV-20 was named for a city in Vermont, where one of the most historic battles of the Revolutionary War took place on 16 August 1777.

USS Bennington (CV-20), World War II.

Overhead plan and starboard profile meticulously drawn by John Robert Barrett. Available from Navy Yard Associates (if you decide to purchase artwork from them please indicate that you heard about their work from NavSource).

USS Bennington (CV-20) photographed from a plane that has just taken off from her flight deck, during the ship's shakedown period, 20 October 1944.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-289645).

Bennington painted in Design 17A (#2), 13 December 1944, at the Brooklyn Navy Yard before going into combat. Compare her new, three-color camouflage (Design 17A(#2)) to her previous six-color scheme Design 17A (#1)). Light conditions make colors appear to be lighter than they actually were (see below). Bennington was one of the Essex-class ships not fitted with additional AA 40-mm mounts on the starboard side, amidships. (Thanks to Robert Hurst, who provided additional info).

Bennington tied up at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor Hawaii with her entire air group (CVG-82) on the flight deck, Jan. 1945. (National Archives photo).

TBM-3 from VT-82 deck launching from Bennington in a rain squall, February 1945.

One of Bennington's VMF-123's F4U-1D's after flipping, the pilot had a back injury. Photo by Lowell Love.

One of VMF-112's F4U after hitting the island and burning. Photo by Lowell Love.

Another crash on the flight deck as seen from an aircraft. Photo by Lowell Love.

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat fighters prepare for takeoff from the aircraft carrier USS Bennington (CV-20) circa May 1945.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-K-4946).

Looking towards the bow from the bridge during the typhoon of June 1945. This storm smashed both the Hornet and Bennington's flight deck down around their bows. Photo by Lowell Love.

On 5 June 1945 USS Bennington was damaged by a typhoon off Okinawa and retired to Leyte for repairs, arriving 11 June. Her repairs completed, the carrier left Leyte 1 July 1945 and during 10 July-15 August took part in the final raids on the Japanese home islands.

Compare these photos to those of Hornet (CV-12) and Wasp (CV-18). They explain why the later "hurricane bows" made sense.

Bennington recovering SB2C-5's off the coast of Japan, late July 1945. Photo by Lowell Love.

USS Bennington (CV-20), CINCPAC photo #496020, also BuAer photo with the same number. Taken at Pearl Harbor, released 23 January 1946.

Aerial view of Pearl Harbor, circa 16–23 January 1946. Ships present are: USS Bennington (CV-20) moored across the channel at NAS Ford Island; USS Cape Gloucester (CVE-109), opposite Bennington; USS Troilus (AKA-46), moored astern of Cape Gloucester; USS LST-1078, moored astern of USS LST-1070; USS Terror (CM-5); USS LST-459 with LCT-1015 secured to her main deck, astern of USS LST-863. Moored forward of LST-863 are two unidentified minesweepers and three larger, unidentified ships. The next pier has two unidentified ships, possibly AKs; the survey ship USS Sumner (AGS-5); and two unidentified minesweepers. USS LST-737 moored astern of USS LST-45, moored astern of numerous minesweepers. And possibly USS Shipley Bay (CVE-85).

Official US Navy photo, file number 496019, from CINCPAC, released 23 January 1946. Also stamped "BUAer, 496019".

This photo was taken in the fall of 1952 in the North Atlantic during a hurricane with winds at 80 MPH that day. Shortly after this photo was taken the ship dipped back into the waves and lost several aircraft that were on deck to the sea.

Skyraider on final approach. Taken from the hangar deck stern of the Bennington in Med. Sea, 1953.

F2H-2P Banshee, assigned to VC-62, on flight deck, off La Spezia, Italy, Dec. 1953. The F2H-2P was an unarmed photo reconnaissance version of the F2H-2. It was fitted with six cameras in its enlarged nose (location of the three starboard ones is clearly visible).

This is the Bennington at anchor in Gibraltar, mid-February 1954. I took this photo from the ship's liberty launch.

At 0811, 26 May 1954, while cruising off Narragansett Bay, the fluid in the port catapult exploded, setting off a series of secondary explosions which killed 103 crewmen and injured 201 others. Bennington proceeded under her own power to Quonset Point, R.I.

"On 26 May 2004 at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island, we dedicated a Memorial to those fallen sailors. It was covered by the local media and we had approximately 900 former Bennington crewmembers, Air Group and Marine Detachment personnel come to 'remember' this day!"

Fire aboard USS Bennington, May 26, 1954 as related by Jack Douglas Rich to Phyllis Rich Carpenter.

Captain W.F. Raborn, Bennington's Commanding Officer, presents awards to members of her crew in recognition of their heroic actions during the catapult explosion and fire of 26 May 1954. Photographed on 7 August 1954.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center (# NH 97583).

USS Bennington off Point Loma, at the entrance to San Diego Bay, in a photo apparently taken in the late 1950s.

USS Bennington (CVA-20) passes the wreck of USS Arizona (BB-39) in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Memorial Day, 31 May 1958. Bennington's crew is in formation on the flight deck, spelling out a tribute to the Arizona's crewmen who were lost in the 7 December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Note the outline of Arizona's hull and the flow of oil from her fuel tanks.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph (# USN 1036055).

USS Bennington (CVS-20) off Point Loma, at the entrance to San Diego Bay, circa 1960–62, with Antisubmarine Carrier Air Group (CVSG) 59 aboard.

Marine Photos and Publishing, Spring Valley, CA.

The starboard aft aircraft elevator framing a refueling shot of USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD-748) in the South China Sea, winter 1961.

Bennington photographers after hours, January 1961.

USS Bennington (CVS-20) arrives in Long Beach, California, her new homeport, May 1, 1963. Crew is manning the rail and a harbor tug shoots her fire hose in salute. Photo by PH3 G.W. Burgess.

(Thanks to Joseph Pires, USS Bennington Association & Web Site Historian).

USS Mispillion (AO-105) underway while refueling USS Bennington (CVS-20) at sea, 20 August 1963. USS Alfred A. Cunningham (DD-752) is taking on fuel from off the oiler's starboard side. Nine Grumman S-2E Tracker and four Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King helicopters of Carrier Anti-Submarine Air Group 59 (CVSG-59) are visible on Bennington's flight deck.

U.S. Navy History and Heritage Command photo # NH 97589, PH2 Hobbs.

USS Bennington (CVS-20) and USS O'Brien (DD-725) receiving fuel from USS Chipola (AO-63) in WestPac, spring of 1964, as viewed from USS Eversole (DD-789). The destroyer on the extreme right is unknown. Photo by ETR2 Travis Moffat.

View from USS Eversole (DD-789), spring 1964, in WestPac. This image shows USS Bennington (CVS-20) refueling USS O'Brien (DD-725). The destroyer on the left is unidentified. Photo by ETR2 Travis Moffat.

USS Chipola (AO-63) delivers NSFO to USS Bennington (CVS-20) while underway in the Pacific Ocean in the spring of 1964. Photo by ETR2 Travis Moffat, USS Eversole (DD-789).

Refueling from Chemung (AO-30), WestPac, mid-July 1964.

(Thanks to Joseph Pires, USS Bennington Association & Web Site Historian).

This photo is in Bennington's 1966–67 Cruise Book, and shows her alongside USS Tolovana (AO-64), possibly in WestPac, November–December 1966.

Official U.S. Navy photo.

USS Bennington (CVS-20) comes alongside the floating Apollo spacecraft 017 (Apollo 4) Command Module during recovery operations in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The Command Module splashed down at 3:37 p.m., November 9, 1967, 934 nautical miles northwest of Honolulu, Hawaii.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) photo # S67-49861.

USS Bennington (CVS-20) underway off the coast of California, 25 November 1967. Photographed by Dolenga.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center (# NH 97582).

Bennington's own mail C.O.D., 1965–1969, Grumman C-1A Trader, BuNo 146042.

Two Grumman E-1B Tracers assigned to VAW-111 Det. 20 "Hunters," which deployed to WestPac and Vietnam with Antisubmarine Carrier Air Group (CVSG) 59 aboard USS Bennington (CVS-20), 1 May–9 November 1968.

RR760 was BuNo 148920.

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, circa 17 May 1968.

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, circa 18 May 1968.

Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, circa 18 May 1968. USS Ramsey (DEG-2) is in the foreground.

USS Bennington (CVS-20) leaving Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, May 1968. Official U.S. Navy photograph #KN-17012. Photographer: PH2 H.R. Vail. From the Naval Photographic Center, Naval District, Washington DC.

Official U.S. Navy photograph of USS Bennington (CVS-20) in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of California, by PHC H.D. Browning. The photo serial number is #K-74930 from the US Naval Photographic Center, Naval Station Washington DC.

The photo is dated 25 June 1969. On this date Bennington's 112,000th arrested landing was made by LCDR Lowe of VA-125. During these CarQuals, Bennington became the first ship to qualify the TA-4F aircraft for carrier landings.

Ship's Bell, Bennington Town Office Building (Bennington, Vt.)

Ship's Plaque, fixed to the rear of the marble structure behind the Ship's Bell in Bennington, Vt.

USS Bennington (CVA-20).