USS Tarawa (CV-40)
- Belt armor: 64-102 mm
- Flight deck: 38 mm
- Hangar deck :64 -76 mm
- Main deck: 38 mm
- Towers: 28 mm
- Barbettes: 28 mm
The USS Tarawa (CV -40 ) (also CVA -40, CVS -40) was an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy. She belonged to the Essex class and was in service from 1945 to 1960.
The keel of Tarawa was laid on March 1, 1944 at Norfolk Navy Yard; the launch took place on 12 May 1945 under the auspices of the wife of Lieutenant General Julian C. Smith, who commanded the 2nd Marine Division at Tarawa. On December 8, 1945, the Tarawa was put into service under the command of Captain Alvin Ingersoll Malstrom.
Between 1946 and 1948, the Tarawa was part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet until to 21 February 1949, the Earth orbited west of 28 September 1948. After a dry dock in Norfolk, Virginia ( USA), the support was added on June 30, 1949 out of service. In the aftermath of the Korean War, the Tarawa was, however, called into service on February 3, 1951.
1952 and 1953, the Tarawa operated in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, in 1954, undertook a carrier deployment journey to the Pacific. On 10 January 1955, the carrier became the submarine hunting support ( Anti- Submarine Carrier) CVS -40 reclassified and operated henceforth mostly in the Atlantic.
In August and September 1958, the Tarawa was the flagship of Task Force 88 ( to 540 km) in the South Atlantic led by three secret nuclear tests at high altitude near the Gough Islands on behalf of the Defence Nuclear Agency as part of Operation Argus. An Air Force MSQ -1A radar and other equipment was located on board the Tarawa for missile tracking. Furthermore, were to collect 19 Grumman S2F the squadron VS -32 " Maulers " on board to provide scientific data to take pictures and perform observation missions during the startup. The eight Sikorsky HSS -1 SeaBat helicopter squadron HS-5 " Nightdippers " served the freight and passenger transport within the Task Force 88
Since the Tarawa was, however, in contrast to other Essex- class, not modernized, it was placed on May 13, 1960 out of service.
After mothballing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ( USA), the ship on June 1, 1967 from the ship list of U.S. Navy ( Naval Vessel Register ) has been deleted. On 3 October 1968, the Tarawa was eventually sold to the Boston Metals Corporation, Baltimore for scrapping.