USS Badoeng Strait off the coast of Korea in 1952
History
United States
NameBadoeng Strait
NamesakeBattle of Badung Strait
BuilderTodd-Pacific Shipyards
Laid down18 August 1944
Launched15 February 1945
Commissioned14 November 1945
Decommissioned20 April 1946
Nickname(s)"Bing Ding"[1]
Recommissioned6 January 1947
Decommissioned17 May 1957
RefitApril–September 1953
FateSold and scrapped 1972
General characteristics
Class and typeCommencement Bay-class escort carrier
Displacement10,330 long tons (10,500 t)
Length557 ft 1 in (169.80 m)
Beam105 ft 2 in (32.05 m)
Draft30 ft 8 in (9.35 m)
Speed19.1 knots (22.0 mph; 35.4 km/h)
Complement1,072 officers and men
Armament
Aircraft carried34
Service record
Part of:
Operations: Korean War (1950–1953)
Awards:

USS Badoeng Strait (CVE-116) was a Commencement Bay-class escort carrier of the United States Navy during the Korean War.

She was named after the Badung Strait, located between the Indonesian islands of Bali and Nusa Besar, which was the site of a World War II battle in February 1942, between American–Netherlands and Japanese naval forces.

Initially named San Alberto Bay, the vessel was renamed Badoeng Strait on 6 November 1944; launched 15 February 1945 by Todd-Pacific Shipyards, Inc., Tacoma, Washington; sponsored by Mrs. T. H. Binford, wife of Captain Binford; commissioned 14 November 1945, Captain Thomas A. Turner, Jr. in command; and reported to the Pacific Fleet.

Operational history

Initial service

Badoeng Strait operated out of San Diego until March 1946, when she made a brief cruise to Hawaii. On 20 April 1946 she was placed out of commission and was subsequently recommissioned on 6 January 1947.

A Ryan FR-1 Fireball launching from Badoeng Strait, 1947.

Between February 1947 and June 1950 Badoeng Strait operated in the Pacific, testing new anti-submarine warfare equipment, training her personnel, and participating in numerous anti-submarine warfare exercises. At various intervals she served as flagship of Carrier Divisions 17 and 15.

Korean War

From July 1950 until February 1953 Badoeng Strait completed three tours off Korea (29 July 1950– 23 January 1951, 2 October 1951– 14 February 1952, and 6 October 1952– 11 February 1953), as a unit of TF's 95 and 77. During these tours she operated on anti-submarine warfare duty and as a part of the blockade-escort force. Her aircraft provided invaluable close ground support during the early period of the action, particularly during the defense of the Pusan Perimeter (6 August – 12 September 1950), Inchon landing (15 September), and Hŭngnam evacuation (9–24 December 1950). Badoeng Strait received the Navy Unit Commendation and six battle stars for her services during the Korean action.

Post-war

After 1953 the ship underwent modernization (April to September 1953); continued extensive experimental work in anti-submarine warfare with new naval aircraft and helicopters, participated in various Pacific Fleet training exercises and carried out extensive exercises with Marine assault helicopters. She has also completed another tour of the Far East and participated in Operation Redwing in the Pacific Proving Grounds during February–July 1956 where she and her crew witnessed all 17 detonations.

Decommissioning

On 14 January 1957 Badoeng Strait sailed for Bremerton, Washington, for inactivation. She went out of commission in reserve 17 May 1957 and was scrapped in 1972. Sold for scrapping to the Nicolai Joffre Corporation, Badoeng Strait was broken up at the company's San Francisco Bay area facility in Richmond, California, the former Kaiser Shipbuilding Yard No. 3.

As of 2021, no other U.S. Navy ship has been named Badoeng Strait.

Badoeng Strait and its role in the early days of the Korean War was a featured setting in the novels Under Fire and Retreat, Hell! by W.E.B. Griffin, books nine and ten of The Corps series.

Just before being scrapped in 1972, Badoeng Strait was used in filming the final scenes of the film Magnum Force.

See also

  • VS-931, antisubmarine squadron

References

  1. ↑ "VMF323 VMA323 AU1 Corsair". home.inreach.com. 11 October 1999. Archived from the original on 26 October 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2022.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

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