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Princetoniana

C O M M I T T E E H O M E P A G E

U.S.S. Princeton

For over 150 years, the United States Navy has had a proud series of ships that honor the name Princeton, commemorating the Battle of Princeton. The current namesake, officially CG 59, is the sixth vessel to bear that name, having been commissioned in 1989 in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

The first PRINCETON was a sloop of war, commissioned in 1843. She was the first Navy vessel to be powered by a steam-driven screw. On February 28, 1848 while demonstrating a new type of cannon to the President and several dignataries, ten people were killed when the cannon burst. Among the casualties were the Secretary of State and two senators. The ship was decommissioned in 1849.
The second PRINCETON was an armed transport and training ship, commissioned in 1852 and in service until 1866.

The third PRINCETON was a composite gunboard commissioned in 1898. She saw service in the far east and off Nicaragua, and also to the City of San Francisco during the Great Earthquake of 1906. She was decommissioned in 1919.

The fourth PRINCETON was the Independence class carrier CVL 23, commissioned in 1943. Her battle record included raids on Tarawa, Bougainville, the Gilbert and Marshall Island, Guam, and the Battle of the Phillipine Sea. She was sunk in a fierce battle off Surigao Straits in 1944. Amng the awards she received were the Asiatic-Pacific Area Campaign Ribbio with nine (9) battle stars and the Republic of the Phillipines Presidential Unit Citation.

The fifth PRINCETON was an Essex class carrier, CV 37. This ship was already in construction when the CVL 23 was sunk and the name PRINCETON was given to the new replacement. Commissioned just after the end of World War 11 in 1945, she was reclassed in 1950 as CVA 37. The ship earned the Navy Unit Commendation and eight (8) battle stars during the Korean War. In 1954 she was reclassed as an amphibious assault ship, LPH 5. She served off the coast of Vietname conducting support missions for the U.S. Marines, which earned her a Meritorious Unit Commendation. She was the primary recovery ship for APOLLO TEN, and was decommissioned in 1970.

The sixth and current USS Princeton has completed three deployments to the Arabian Gulf and won two consecutive Battle Efficiency Awards in 1992-93. In 2003 it participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

However, the story of the USS Princeton does not end there. As devoted followers of Star Trek well know, apparently other ships named USS Princeton are destined to follow. True trekkies contend that in the year 2366, the Niagara class starship NCC 59804 is also named the USS Princeton (a three nacelled starship, should you want to know). It apparently appears in the "famous" Wolf 359 Scene in the Best of Both Worlds graveyard scene from Star Trek: The Next Generation

Portions adapted from US Naval History USS Princeton Website. Also, see this Navy Newsstand story about a very unusual "Princeton reunion."