by Barrett Tillman
Half a century
ago, USS Cabot (CVL-28) survived bombs, kamikaze
attacks and typhoons during World War II. Now the sole surviving Independence-class
carrier faces an ignominious end owing to indifference and
neglect in the nation she served so well.
Commissioned in 1943 as the seventh of the nine light carriers built on cruiser hulls, Cabot was given to Spain in 1967. As Dedalo, she operated anti-submarine aircraft on NATO maneuvers before the Spanish government declared her surplus. In 1989 a consortium of New Orleans businessmen arranged for the CVL to be sailed from Spain while she was still capable of "hot plant" operations. The cost of acquiring the ship and returning the Spanish crew home amounted to $569,000, according to New Orleans press reports.
However, financial, administrative and marketing problems have dogged the historic flattop. The foundation that intended to turn the carrier into a tourist attraction incurred debts of more than $2.5 million, with assets calculated at no more than the ship's scrap value—some $820,000 by one estimate.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Port Safety Council and the Coast Guard expressed growing concern for the carrier's material condition. With rusting sides, corroded stacks and large amounts of litter in the damp interior, Cabot is seen as an insoluble problem. Consequently, in 1994 the foundation began Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, agreeing to sell her for scrap in India. However, the ship could not receive an export license until hazardous materials were removed. That barrier was overcome in 1995 when approval came to move Cabot to a naval shipyard for removal of toxic materials. Meanwhile, the debts continue to accumulate.
From January 1944 to August 1945, Cabot deployed with Air Groups 31, 29 and 32 from Kwajalein to Truk, the Marianas, Leyte Gulf and Tokyo Bay. In 20 months of combat service, the carrier lost 37 ship's company and 46 air group personnel to enemy action.
According to Jeanette Remak of New York City's Intrepid (CV-11) Museum, permission has been asked that Cabot be given the honor of scuttling rather than suffer the ignominy of the cutter's torches. Intrepid has requested through the Navy's Public Affairs Office in New Orleans that a Navy chaplain deliver a blessing to put the ship to rest decently.
Intrepid Exhibits Director Larry Sowinski has pursued the Cabot project for years, and has led the effort to salvage the ship's artifacts for display as a memorial on board Intrepid. The salvage effort is made possible through the support of volunteers from the Coast Guard and the Naval Reserve Force headquarters in New Orleans. The Wings Club in New York is donating travel and hotel accommodations for the salvage team.
Presently, only three aircraft carriers are preserved for exhibition in the U.S. They are Yorktown (CV-10) in Charleston, S.C.; Intrepid (CV-11) in New York City and Lexington (CV-16) in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Plans are underway for the preservation of Hornet (CVS-12) at Alameda, Calif., and Midway (CV-41) in San Diego.