The USS Leyte (CV/CVA/CVS-32, AVT-10) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier built during and shortly after World War II, representing one of 24 such vessels constructed for the United States Navy. As a "long-hull" Essex-class ship, she was laid down as Crown Point on 21 February 1944 at Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. and launched on 23 August 1944. She was renamed Leyte in May 1945 to honor the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Commissioned on 11 April 1946 under Captain Henry F. MacComsey, she retained the classic Essex-class appearance, as she did not undergo major modernizations like some of her sister ships. Leyte's early service included a goodwill cruise with battleship Wisconsin along South America’s west coast and subsequent operations in the Caribbean. In 1948, she was equipped with her first helicopter detachment and participated in fleet exercises, including Operation Frigid in the North Atlantic. She conducted multiple Mediterranean deployments and trained Air Force pilots in carrier-based operations at Guantanamo Bay. During the Korean War, Leyte was deployed to support United Nations forces, arriving in October 1950. Over a 92-day period, her aircraft flew 3,933 sorties, accumulating 11,000 flight hours and inflicting significant damage on North Korean targets. The ship hosted squadrons such as VF-32 Swordsmen, flying F4U Corsairs. After the war, she returned to Norfolk for overhaul and served in the Atlantic and Mediterranean until her reclassification as an attack carrier (CVA) in 1952, later becoming an antisubmarine warfare (ASW) carrier (CVS) following conversion completed in 1954. Throughout her service, Leyte participated in numerous fleet exercises and operations, notably as flagship of Carrier Division 18. She was decommissioned on 15 May 1959 and sold for scrap in 1970. Notable incidents include a tragic explosion in 1953 during her conversion, which resulted in 37 deaths, and the death of Ensign Jesse L. Brown, the first African-American to complete Navy flight training, who was killed supporting ground troops at Chosin Reservoir. The USS Leyte remains a symbol of post-World War II naval operations and Cold War maritime history.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.