U.S.S. BRETON

An escort carrier Breton was launched in the summer of 1942 and commissioned a year later in the spring of 1943 in Tacoma, Washington. She was commissioned under a Maritime Commission contract. Breton was able to carry 24 aircraft and over 1200 servicemen.

Career History

A key component of the Carrier Transport Squadron of the Pacific Fleet, she carried aircraft, servicemen and other supplies to help support missions vital to winning the War in the Pacific. She participated in the operations to capture Saipan in the summer of 1944, the Battle of the Philippines, the raid of the Bonins, and the occupation of Okinawa in the spring of 1945. For her dedication and vital supportive role during World War II, she earned four battle stars.

After the War, she sailed back to the West Coast where she was reclassified three times, before she was decommissioned for good. In 1946, she joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet. She was reclassified in 1955. In 1958, she was reclassified again, this time she was redesignated as a utility carrier. In 1959, she was redesignated a final time, to an aviation transport carrier. In the summer of 1972, she was put out of service and sold for scrap.