Contributed by Mike Smolinski
Laid down on 21 Aug 1944 at Camden, N.J., by the New York Shipbuilding Corp.; launched on 1 Sep 1945, and commissioned at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 9 Feb 1947. Decommissioned on 15 Mar 1956. During her time in reserve, Wright was reclassified on 15 May 1959, an auxiliary aircraft transport, AVT-7. Recommissioned at Puget Sound on 11 May 1963 as a command ship, designated CC-2. Ultimately decommissioned on 27 May 1970, Wright was placed in reserve at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.
FATE: Stricken from the Navy List on 1 Dec 1977, and sold by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping on 1 Aug 1980.
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For Full Size Image |
Size | Image Description | Contributed
By And/Or Copyright |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
 NS024951 |
40k | CVL-49 was named after the Wright brothers: Wilbur (1867-1912, right) and Orville (1871-1948, left), aviation pioneers who made the first sustained, controlled, powered airplane flight in history, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, December 17, 1903. | Image courtesy of Wikipedia | |
| As a Light Aircraft Carrier, CVL-49 |
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 NS024904 |
91k | March 27, 1947 Navy photo of the Wright, a month and a half after her commissioning. Her cruiser-inspired hull lines are visible in this photo. While the class was designed using the Baltimore-class heavy cruiser hull, they were intended as light carriers from the time they were laid down. | © Green Creek Studios | |
 NS024911 |
76k | Closeup of bridge and Hellcat, 1948. | USN | |
 NS024901 |
102k | Undated, probably taken in the early 1950s. | USN | |
 NS024908 |
95k | Taken in 1949 or 1952 in New York. | © George Bartlett | |
 NS024905 |
213k | Starboard bow view of the Wright in an undated early 1950s Navy photo after having been converted to an ASW carrier. She carries a tall HF/DF mainmast, necessary for her new role. | © Green Creek Studios | |
 NS024906 |
175k | Port bow view of the Wright, taken in the early 1950s. | © Green Creek Studios | |
 NS024925 |
39k | Observation/liaison plane landing and taking off. Probably taken in the early 1950s. | Edwin Kaukali | |
 NS024926 |
31k | |||
 NS024927 |
58k | Date and place unknown (probably taken in the early 1950s). | Edwin Kaukali | |
 NS024928 |
138k | With F2H Banshees of Experimental & Development Squadron VX-3 (tail code "XC") on deck. Location unknown; taken in the early 1950s. | Edwin Kaukali | |
 NS024924 |
244k | Undated. Probably taken in the early 1950s. | Edwin Kaukali | |
 NS024929 |
127k | |||
| As a Command Ship, CC-2 |
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 NS024902 |
11k | (Small Image) Configured as Command ship (CC-2). | USN | |
 NS024907 |
232k | The USS Wright (CC-2) as converted to a Command Ship. She was commissioned as CC-2 on May 11, 1963 as part of the National Emergency Command Post Afloat (NECPA) program. The converted Baltimore-class heavy cruiser USS Northampton (CA-125/CC-1) was her fleetmate in this program. The USS Saipan (CVL-48) had originally been slated for this duty and was in the initial stages of her conversion when she was redesignated as a Major Communications Relay Ship (AMGR-2). When the NECPA program was abandoned, the Wright was decommissioned, this occurring on May 27, 1970. She was stricken on December 1, 1977 and scrapped, this beginning in August, 1980. | © Green Creek Studios | |
 NS024909 |
87k | June 1963, showing communications antennas. | USN | |
 NS024917 |
82k | As above. | USN | |
 NS024918 |
114k | As above. | USN | |
 NS024921 |
82k | Arriving in San Diego in June 1963. | USN | |
 NS024919 |
96k | Underway, September 1963. | USN | |
 NS024920 |
115k | As above. | USN | |
 NS024922 |
85k | Off Southern California in September 1963. | USN | |
 NS024903 |
52k | Configured as Command Ship CC-2, Chesapeake Bay, July 1964. | © Richard Leonhardt | |
 NS024923 |
53k | Stbd bow view taken 14 Oct 1966 in the VACAPES operating area. Photo by PH2 L.A. Bowders, USN, US Naval Air Station, Norfolk, VA. photo number 17235-10-66. | Gary Priolo | |
 NS024949 |
61k | From "All Hands" magazine, November 1968 edition. | Joe Radigan, MACM, USN, Ret. | |
 NS024950 |
87k | From "All Hands" magazine, November 1968 edition. | Joe Radigan, MACM, USN, Ret. | |
 NS024952 |
27k | An aerial port side view of the crew manning the rails, 1968. | Karl Priest | |
 NS024953 |
103k | A 3/4 starboard view of the ship underway with some crew members on the A Deck, 1968. | Karl Priest | |
 NS024954 |
140k | After a cruise. | Karl Priest | |
 NS024955 |
103k | Berthing. | Karl Priest | |
 NS024956 |
77k | Entering NYC. | Karl Priest | |
 NS024957 |
84k | Evening at sea. | Karl Priest | |
 NS024958 |
27k | USS Guadalcanal (LPH-7) off bow. The photo was taken 8 May 1968, about 180 miles south of Norfolk. Scanned from the ship's magazine. | Karl Priest | |
 NS024959 |
117k | "The antenna deck looked a little like Madison Square Garden as the Wright-Guys witnessed several sparring contests at the May 'Smoker.'" Scanned from the ship's magazine. | Karl Priest | |
 NS024916 |
86k | Jacket patch of the ship's insignia. Its design is based on the National shield, with an American eagle and globe in the lower right. The lightning bolt in the eagle's talons represents command and communications, Wright's mission. The motto "Vox Imperii" is translated "voice of the leaders." The original patch was received from USS Wright in 1970. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph (# NH 69468-KN). |
NHC | |
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| Crew Contact and Reunion Information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Related Links |
|
Hazegray & Underway World Aircraft Carrier Pages By Andrew Toppan. Official U.S. Navy Carrier Website USS Wright (AV-1, AZ-1, AG-79, CVL-49, CC-2) Alumni Association |
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Last update: 26 February 2006