The USS Randolph (CV-15) was a long-hull Essex-class aircraft carrier commissioned by the United States Navy in October 1944. Built at Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co., she was laid down on 10 May 1943 and launched on 28 June 1944. As one of the 24 Essex-class carriers, Randolph featured the distinctive long hull design, which provided increased aircraft capacity and structural strength. During World War II, Randolph saw active service in the Pacific Theater. After shakedown off Trinidad, she transited the Panama Canal to join Task Force 58, participating in strikes against Tokyo airfields, Chichi Jima, and supporting the Iwo Jima invasion in February 1945. She was hit by a kamikaze attack on 11 March 1945, which caused extensive damage and resulted in 27 fatalities. Remarkably, through an unprecedented at-sea repair effort involving USS Jason, Randolph was quickly restored to operational status, enabling her to continue combat missions during the Okinawa campaign. Post-war, Randolph was decommissioned briefly before being modernized in the early 1950s. Her reconstruction included reinforcing her flight deck, installing stronger catapults, and rebuilding her island structure. She was reclassified as an attack carrier (CVA-15) in 1952 and later as an antisubmarine carrier (CVS-15) in 1959. During her second career, she operated primarily in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Caribbean, serving as the flagship of Task Force 58 and participating in multiple NATO exercises. Randolph played a notable role in space recovery operations, serving as the recovery ship for the Mercury and Gemini space missions, including John Glenn’s historic orbital flight in 1962. She also participated in the Cuban Missile Crisis blockade, entangling a Soviet submarine in a tense standoff. In 1964, she suffered a major accident when her deck elevator tore loose in a storm, but she continued her service until her decommissioning in February 1969. Sold for scrap in 1975, Randolph's legacy includes her wartime resilience, modernization efforts, and contributions to space and Cold War 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.