USS Princeton: The Life and Loss of "Sweet P"

by David R. Leick

Overview

An in-depth history of the US Navy's light aircraft carrier the USS Princeton and its operational exploits in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

This new history of the life and loss of USS Princeton tells the story of the new class of aircraft carrier that proved essential to the US Navy's victory over the Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War.

USS Princeton (CVL-23) started life as the light cruiser Tallahassee before being converted while still under construction into a light carrier as part of the plan to ramp up the strength of US naval air power. The vessel joined the Pacific Fleet in August 1943 and was immediately put to work as the United States was assembling new ships and crews for the bitter struggle to come. Princeton played a key role in conducting multiple strikes against the Japanese bastion at Rabaul, and then joined Task Force 58/38 – the Fast Carrier Task Force – for the Central Pacific campaign, culminating in the invasion of the Philippines, where the ship was lost.

David R. Leick skillfully uses first-hand accounts to examine the engagements, aircraft, tactics, command decisions and life on board during the Pacific campaign against Japan from early 1943 until Princeton's tragic demise in October 1944. He focuses closely on the ship's crew and embarked Naval Aviators, describing in detail the toll that prolonged combat operations took on the frontline sailor.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472868589
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	10/22/2024
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

David R. Leick enlisted in the United States Marine Corps following High School, serving as a Marine Rifleman, Reconnaissance Marine, and Marine Scout/Sniper. Following his honorable discharge he attended California State University, Chico, where he earned a master's degree and went into teaching. In 2005 he stepped away from the classroom to work as a security contractor in Afghanistan on the Ambassador's Protective Detail before working more generally for the Worldwide Protective Service as the training manager at the United States Department of State Diplomatic Security Service Headquarters. David now writes full time and lives in Lincoln, California.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations and Maps

Acknowledgments

Prologue

1. “Sweet P”

2. Joining the Fleet

3. A Time for Battle

4. Task Force 58

5. “Fighting 27”

6. Forager

7. “Uncle Sam's Cyclone”

8. Task Group 38.3 East of Luzon

9. A New Battle

10. Princeton Eternally Defiant

11. So Long “Sweet P”

Epilogue

Appendix 1: US Navy Ranks

Appendix 2: Specifications

Appendix 3: VF-27 Aces

Appendix 4: Casualties

Bibliography

Index

Editorial Reviews

David Leick's fine account of USS Princeton in World War II offers detailed, readable insight into the light carriers that carried much of the load in the Pacific War.” —Barrett Tillman, author of 'When the Shooting Stopped'

“David R. Leick skillfully tells the Princeton's story and begins to give the overlooked light carriers their due.” —Jeffrey Cox, author of 'Dark Waters, Starry Skies'

“USS Princeton was one of the US Navy's first light carriers and racked up an impressive war record until she was sunk at the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944. The author easily moves between the ship's commissioning, through her extensive wartime operations, to detailing her eventual loss.” —Mark Stille, author of 'Leyte Gulf'

“A compelling exploration of the USS Princeton, a light aircraft carrier that played a pivotal role in the Pacific Theatre during World War II... Leick's ability to convey the intensity of battle while maintaining clarity makes the book suited to both history enthusiasts and casual readers.” —The Naval Review

From the Publisher