View source for USS Cowpens (CVL-25)

{{other ships|USS Cowpens}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2012}}

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|Ship image=[[File:USS Cowpens (CVL-25) at sea on 31 August 1944.jpg|300px|USS Cowpens]]
|Ship caption=USS ''Cowpens'', with sister ship {{USS|Independence|CVL-22|6}} in distance, August 1944
}}
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|Ship country=United States
|Ship flag={{USN flag|1947}}
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|Ship builder=[[New York Shipbuilding Corporation]]
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|Ship laid down=*17 November 1941
*(as {{sclass-|Cleveland|cruiser|0}} [[light cruiser]] USS ''Huntington'' (CL-77))
|Ship launched=17 January 1943
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|Ship commissioned=28 May 1943
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|Ship decommissioned=13 January 1947
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|Ship reclassified=15 May 1959 (as AVT-1, while in reserve)
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|Ship nickname=The Mighty Moo
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|Ship honors=Navy Unit Commendation, 12 Battle Stars
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|Ship fate=1 November 1959 Stricken from Navy List. Sold for scrap in 1960.
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|Ship notes=*Reordered March 1942
*(as aircraft carrier USS ''Cowpens'' (CV-25))
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|Ship displacement=11,000 tons
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|Ship length={{convert|622.5|ft|m|abbr=on}}
|Ship beam={{convert|71.5|ft|m|abbr=on}} (waterline), 109 ft 2 in (33.3 m) (overall)
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|Ship draft={{convert|26|ft|m|abbr=on}}
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|Ship speed=32 [[Knot (unit)|knot]]s
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|Ship complement=1,569 officers and men
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|Ship armament=26 × [[Bofors 40 mm gun]]s
|Ship armor=1.5 in-5 in belt, 3 in main deck, 0.38 in bridge
|Ship aircraft=Grumman [[F6F Hellcat]]
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'''USS ''Cowpens'' (CV-25/CVL-25/AVT-1)''', nicknamed ''The Mighty Moo'', was an 11,000-ton [[Independence-class aircraft carrier|''Independence'' class]] [[light aircraft carrier]] that served the [[United States Navy]] from 1943 to 1947.

''Cowpens'', named for the [[Battle of Cowpens]] of the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]], was launched on 17 January 1943 at the [[New York Shipbuilding Corporation]], in [[Camden, New Jersey]], sponsored by Mrs. Margaret Bradford Spruance (née Halsey, daughter of [[Fleet admiral (United States)|Fleet Admiral]] [[William F. Halsey, Jr.]]) and commissioned on 28 May 1943 by [[Captain (United States O-6)#U.S. Navy|Captain]] R. P. McConnell. She was reclassified '''CVL-25''' on 15 July 1943.  ''Cowpens'' completed her active service at the end of 1946.

==Service history==

===World War II===

====1943====
Departing [[Philadelphia]], on 29 August 1943, ''Cowpens'' arrived at [[Pearl Harbor]] on 19 September to begin the active and distinguished war career which was to earn her a [[Navy Unit Commendation]]. She sailed with Task Force 14 for the strike on [[Wake Island]] on 5–6 October, then returned to Pearl Harbor to prepare for strikes on the [[Marshall Islands]] preliminary to invasion. She sortied from Pearl Harbor 10 November to launch air strikes on [[Mili Atoll|Mille]] and [[Makin (islands)|Makin]] atolls from 19 to 24 November, and [[Kwajalein]] and [[Wotje]] on 4 December, returning to her base on 9 December.

====1944====
Joining [[Fast Carrier Task Force|Task Force 58]], ''Cowpens'' sailed from Pearl Harbor on 16 January 1944 for the invasion of the Marshalls.  Her planes pounded Kwajalein and [[Eniwetok]] the last 3 days of the month to prepare for the assault landing on 31 January. Using [[Majuro]] as a base, the force struck at [[Chuuk Lagoon|Truk]] on 16–17 February and the [[Mariana Islands]] on 21–22 February before putting into Pearl Harbor on 4 March. Returning to Majuro, Task Force 58 based here for attacks on the western [[Caroline Islands|Carolines]]; ''Cowpens'' supplied air and antisubmarine patrols during the raids on [[Palau]], [[Yap]], [[Ulithi]], and [[Woleai]] from 30 March to 1 April. After operating off New Guinea during the invasion of [[Jayapura|Hollandia]] from 21 to 28 April, ''Cowpens'' took part in the strikes on Truk, [[Satawan]] and [[Pohnpei|Ponape]] from 29 April to 1 May, returning to Majuro on 14 May for training.

From 6 June to 10 July 1944, ''Cowpens'' operated in the Marianas operation. Her planes struck the island of [[Saipan]] to aid the assault troops, and made supporting raids on [[Iwo Jima]], [[Pagan Island]], [[Rota (island)|Rota]], and [[Guam]]. They also took part in the [[Battle of the Philippine Sea]] on 19–20 June, accounting for a number of the huge tally of enemy planes downed. After a brief overhaul at Pearl Harbor, ''Cowpens'' rejoined the fast carrier task force at Eniwetok on 17 August. Then, on 29 August, she sailed for the pre-invasion strikes on the Palaus, whose assault was an essential preliminary for the return to the [[Philippines]]. From 13 to 17 September, she was detached from the force to cover the landings on [[Morotai]], then rejoined it for sweep, patrol, and attack missions against [[Luzon]] from 21 to 24 September. ''Cowpens'', with her task group, sent air strikes to neutralize Japanese bases on [[Okinawa]] and [[Taiwan|Formosa]] from 10 to 14 October, and when {{USS|Canberra|CA-70|2}} and {{USS|Houston|CL-81|2}} were hit by torpedoes, ''Cowpens'' provided air cover for their safe withdrawal, rejoining her task group on 20 October. En route to Ulithi, she was recalled when the Japanese Fleet threatened the [[Leyte (island)|Leyte]] invasion, and during the [[Battle of Surigao Strait]] phase of the decisive [[Battle for Leyte Gulf]] on 25–26 October, provided combat air patrol for the ships pursuing the fleeing remnant of the Japanese fleet. Continuing her support of the Philippines advance, ''Cowpens''' planes struck Luzon repeatedly during December. During the disastrous [[Typhoon Cobra (1944)|Typhoon Cobra]] on 18 December, ''Cowpens'' lost a man: ship's air officer [[Lieutenant Commander]] Robert Price, several planes, and some equipment, but skillful work by her crew prevented major damage, and she reached Ulithi safely on 21 December to repair her storm damage.

====1945====
[[File:USS Cowpens (CVL-25) underway at sea in 1945 (80-G-468977).jpg|250 px|thumb|USS ''Cowpens'' in 1945]]
From 30 December 1944 to 26 January 1945, ''Cowpens'' was at sea for the [[Lingayen Gulf]] landings. Her planes struck targets on Formosa, Luzon, the [[Indochina|Indochinese coast]] and the Hong Kong-[[Guangzhou|Canton]] area and Okinawa during January. On 10 February, ''Cowpens'' sortied from Ulithi for the Iwo Jima operation, striking the Tokyo area, supporting the initial landings from 19 to 22 February, and hitting Okinawa on 1 March.

On 13 June, following an overhaul at San Francisco and training at Pearl Harbor, ''Cowpens'' sailed on for [[San Pedro Bay (Philippines)|San Pedro Bay]], Leyte. Along the way she struck Wake Island on 20 June. Rejoining Task Force 58, ''Cowpens'' sailed from San Pedro Bay on 1 July to join in the final raids on the Japanese mainland. Her planes pounded Tokyo, [[Kure, Hiroshima|Kure]], and other cities of [[Hokkaidō]] and [[Honshū]] until 15 August. ''Cowpens'' was the first American carrier to enter Tokyo Harbor. Remaining off Tokyo Bay until the occupation landings began on 30 August, ''Cowpens'' launched photographic reconnaissance missions to patrol airfields and shipping movements, and to locate and supply prisoner-of-war camps. Men from ''Cowpens'' were the first Americans to set foot on the Japanese mainland, and were largely responsible for the emergency activation of Yokosuka airfield for Allied use and the liberation of a POW camp near Niigata. From 8 November 1945 to 28 January 1946 ''Cowpens'' made two voyages to Pearl Harbor, Guam, and Okinawa to return veterans on [[Operation Magic Carpet|"Magic Carpet"]] runs.

====''Cowpens'' aviation complement at 7 September 1945====
''Data from:''Location of US Naval Aircraft 7 September 1945<ref name=USNoob5>{{cite book |title=Location of US Naval Aircraft - OP034R No.37/45 SC-A4-3-OZ |date=7 September 1945 |publisher=United States Navy |location=Annapolis |page=5}}</ref>

[[United States Pacific Fleet]] - Navy Light Carrier Air Group 50 (CVLG-50) - WESTCENPAC 36
*[[VF-50]] - 21x [[Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat]] + 2x F6F-5P
*[[VT-50 (torpedo bomber squadron)]] - 9x [[General Motors TBM-3E Avenger]]

===Post-War===
On 3 December 1946, ''Cowpens'' was placed in commission reserve at Mare Island. On 15 May 1959, she was reclassified as an aircraft transport, with a new hull number, '''AVT-1'''. Then, on 1 November, she was stricken from the [[Naval Vessel Register]] and sold for scrap.

==Awards==
In addition to her Navy Unit Commendation, ''Cowpens'' received 12 [[battle star]]s for World War II service.

==Commemoration==
Each year, the town of Cowpens, South Carolina, holds a 4-day festival honoring veterans of ''Cowpens''. "The Mighty Moo Festival" was first held in 1977, with one crewmember of CVL-25 attending. Since then, as many as 115 CVL-25 veterans have attended the festival at once. Also, since the launch and commissioning of the {{USS|Cowpens|CG-63}} in 1991, the festival has included actively serving crewmen or women of CG-63 sent by the ship's commanding officer, as well as previously serving veterans of CG 63. The festival is held from Wednesday through Saturday preceding Father's Day each June. During the 1980s, the town of Cowpens, South Carolina, actively petitioned Congress to name another ship ''Cowpens'', which may have played a direct role in choosing this name for CG-63.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:USS Cowpens (CVL-25) underway at sea on 17 July 1943 (80-G-K-74271).jpg|USS ''Cowpens''
Image:USS Cowpens (CVL-25) during Typhoon Cobra.jpg|Deck of the ''Cowpens'' during [[Typhoon Cobra]]
</gallery>

==References==
{{No footnotes|date=September 2008}}
*{{DANFS|http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/c15/cowpens.htm}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|USS Cowpens (CVL-25)}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070629113448/http://www.ninesisters.com/cowpens.htm USS ''Cowpens''] at Nine Sisters Light Carrier Historical Documentary Project
*[http://www.cowpensvets.org/ USS ''Cowpens'' Veterans] Veterans web site for CVL-25 and CG-63
*[http://www.cowpensmightymoo.com/ The Mighty Moo Festival] Official web site of The Mighty Moo Festival
*[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=djft3U1LymYC&dat=19441201&printsec=frontpage&hl=en Hellcat accident On USS Cowpens The Pittsburgh Press December 1, 1944 p.2] 
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{{Cleveland class cruiser}}
{{Independence class aircraft carrier}}

{{Coord|7.250|N|151.250|E|display=title|source:dewiki}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowpens (CVL-25)}}
[[Category:Independence-class aircraft carriers]]
[[Category:Ships built in Camden, New Jersey]]
[[Category:1943 ships]]
[[Category:World War II aircraft carriers of the United States]]
[[Category:United States Navy South Carolina-related ships]]