USS Princeton

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.

The USS Princeton (CVL-23) 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 drive across the Central Pacific. Princeton participated in initial Central Pacific raids, played a key role in conducting multiple strikes against the Japanese bastion at Rabaul, and then joined Task Force 58, The Fast Carrier Task Force, for the drive across the Central Pacific culminating in the invasion of the Philippines, where the ship was lost.

The Princeton started life as the Cleveland-class light cruiser Tallahassee before being converted to a light carrier as part of the plan to ramp up the strength of US naval air power. The Princeton was at the forefront of the US Navy’s efforts to take the heavily defended islands of the Central Pacific from Japanese possession, focusing on using strike aircraft from Princeton and the other carriers to both clear the skies of Japanese aircraft before wreaking havoc on enemy installations, shipping, and other key targets.

In Life and Death of Sweet P, first-time author David R. Leick uses first-hand accounts from archives such as the Naval History and Heritage Command to examine the campaigns, aircraft, tactics, command decisions, and life aboard ship during the American Pacific campaign against Japan from early 1943 until Princeton’s tragic demise in October 1944. The book focuses closely on the crew and airmen of the Princeton, telling the story of how Fighting 27 became the highest-scoring light carrier squadron of the war, producing 11 aces with five achieving ‘ace-in-a-day’ status, as well as describing in detail the toll that prolonged combat operations took on the frontline sailor.