USS Hancock (CV‑19) was an Essex‑class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, the fourth vessel to bear the name of Founding Father John Hancock. Laid down on 26 January 1943 as Ticonderoga at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, she was renamed Hancock on 1 May 1943 after the John Hancock Life Insurance Company agreed to sponsor a bond drive to fund her construction and early operations.
Construction and commissioning
The carrier was launched on 24 January 1944 and commissioned on 15 April 1944 under the command of Captain Fred C. Dickey. She displaced approximately 27,100 long tons, measured 888 ft (271 m) in length, and was powered by four geared steam turbines delivering 150,000 shp for a top speed of about 33 knots. Her armament included twelve 5‑inch/38 caliber guns, thirty‑two 40 mm Bofors, and forty‑six 20 mm Oerlikon cannons. The ship could carry 90–100 aircraft.
World War II service
After shakedown training, Hancock joined the Pacific Fleet in late 1944. She participated in several campaigns of the Pacific Theater, earning four battle stars. Her operations included carrier strikes in support of the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Post‑war modernization and Cold‑War service
Decommissioned on 9 May 1947, Hancock was modernized and recommissioned on 15 February 1954 as an attack carrier (designated CVA‑19). She was the first U.S. carrier equipped with steam catapults. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s she operated primarily in the Pacific, taking part in training exercises, NATO deployments, and the early phases of the Vietnam War. For her service during Vietnam she received a Navy Unit Commendation.
Vietnam War
During the conflict Hancock provided air support, conducted anti‑submarine patrols, and served as a platform for jet and helicopter operations. She continued to operate with the Seventh Fleet until the mid‑1970s.
Decommissioning and fate
USS Hancock was decommissioned for the final time on 30 January 1976, stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 31 January 1976, and sold for scrap. She was broken up beginning 1 September 1976.
Legacy
Hancock’s service spanned three decades, encompassing World War II, the early Cold War, and the Vietnam War. She is noted for being the first carrier to employ steam catapults, a technology that became standard on subsequent U.S. Navy carriers. The ship’s name continues to be honored by later vessels, including the later‑commissioned USS John Hancock (DDG‑84).