The aircraft carrier that survived a kamikaze onslaught but never sailed again

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Commissioned in 1943, the USS Bunker Hill was a decorated veteran of the Pacific Theater. Yet, after enduring a devastating kamikaze attack in 1945 that killed nearly 400 men, the ship was never recommissioned. Instead, it became a stationary relic, eventually finding a second life as a scientific shield.

The USS Bunker Hill (CV-17) was one of 24 Essex-class carriers built during World War II. From late 1943, she participated in major Pacific campaigns, including the raid on Truk and the Battle of the Philippine Sea. On 11 May 1945, while supporting the Okinawa campaign, the carrier was struck by two kamikaze aircraft in quick succession. The resulting inferno caused over 600 casualties, including 396 sailors and airmen killed or missing. This represented the second-heaviest personnel loss for any carrier that survived the war, surpassed only by the USS Franklin.

Despite the severe damage, the ship remained afloat and returned to the U.S. mainland for repairs. However, she never returned to active service. While other Essex-class carriers were modernized, the Bunker Hill and the Franklin were the only ships in their class never recommissioned after the war. The Navy had envisioned an ultimate reconfiguration for the vessel, but it never materialized. She was decommissioned in 1947 and eventually stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 1966.

After her military career ended, the carrier served as an electronics test platform in San Diego Bay. Efforts to preserve her as a museum ship failed, and she was sold for scrap in 1973. Yet, parts of the ship live on in unexpected ways. Six hundred tons of her pre-atomic steel armor plate were acquired by Fermilab to shield delicate experiments from background radiation. Additionally, the ship's bell was preserved and later gifted to the modern guided missile cruiser that now carries the name USS Bunker Hill.

The carrier's legacy is tied to the intense evolution of naval aviation. Early in her service, she carried the F4U Corsair, though the Navy initially struggled to integrate the fighter for carrier operations. By 1945, she served as the flagship for Vice-Admiral Marc A. Mitscher, playing a pivotal role in the destruction of the Japanese battleship Yamato. Her service history remains a testament to the brutal, high-stakes nature of the Pacific war.

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