USS Monterey (CVL-26)

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USS Monterey (August 1951)
History
United States
Name	Monterey
Namesake	Battle of Monterey
Builder	New York Shipbuilding Corporation
Laid down	29 December 1941
Launched	28 February 1943
Commissioned	17 June 1943
Decommissioned	11 February 1947
Recommissioned	15 September 1950
Decommissioned	16 January 1956
Fate	Sold for scrap May 1971
General characteristics
Class and type	Independence-class aircraft carrier
Displacement	11,000 tons
Length	622.5 ft (189.7 m)
Beam	71.5 ft (21.8 m) (waterline), 109 ft 2 in (33.27 m) (overall)
Draft	26 ft (7.9 m)
Speed	31.6 knots (58.5 km/h; 36.4 mph)
Complement	1,569 officers and men
Armament	26 × Bofors 40 mm guns, 20 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannons
Aircraft carried	45

USS Monterey (CVL-26) was an Independence-class light aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, in service during World War II and used in training for several years thereafter.

Originally laid down as light cruiser Dayton (CL-78) on 29 December 1941 by New York Shipbuilding, Camden, New Jersey, the ship was reclassified CV-26 on 27 March 1942 and renamed Monterey four days later, launched on 28 February 1943, sponsored by Mrs. Patrick N. L. Bellinger, and commissioned on 17 June 1943, Captain Lestor T. Hundt in command. It was the third US Navy vessel to be named after the Battle of Monterey.^[1] Future U.S. President Gerald R. Ford served aboard the ship during World War II.