USS Belleau Wood was a United States Navy Independence-class aircraft carrier active during World War II.
Originally laid down as the Cleveland-class light cruiser New Haven (CL-76), she was finished as an aircraft carrier. Reclassified CV-24 on 16 February 1942 and renamed Belleau Wood on 31 March 1942. Belleau Wood was launched 6 December 1942 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation, Camden, New Jersey; she was reclassified CVL-24 on 15 July 1943.
USS Belleau Wood was transferred to France under the Mutual Defense Assistance Act on 5 September 1953,
under the name Bois Belleau
In April 1954, the carrier departed from the Toulon French Naval Base, Toulon towards French Indochina in order to replace the Arromanches.
She arrived around 20 May in Halong Bay. Although the critical Battle of Dien Bien Phu was over, her US-built fighters and bombers were immediately used by the French forces, as the war was not over.
After peace with the Viet Minh, the Geneva Conference was signed on 21 July 1954. The Bois Belleau sailed for France, where it then joined the Algerian War.
In September of 1960 Bois Belleau was returned to the Untied States and the following month she was stricken from the Naval records. She was sold for scrap and broken up in Chester Pennsylvania in 1962 |
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