USS Cabot ( CVL - 28 ) USS " Cabot " ( CVL - 28 / AVT - 3 ) was an in the United States Navy , the second ship to carry the name . " Cabot " was commissioned in 1943 and served until 1947 . She was recommissioned as a training carrier from 1948 to 1955 . From 1967 to 1989 , she served in Spain as . After attempts to preserve her failed , she was scrapped in 2002 . USS " Cabot " was laid down as " Wilmington " ( CL - 79 ) , redesignated CV - 28 on 2 June 1942 , renamed " Cabot " on 23 June 1942 and converted while building . She was launched on 4 April 1943 by New York Shipbuilding Company , Camden , New Jersey ; sponsored by Mrs . A . C . Read . She was reclassified CVL - 28 on 15 July 1943 and commissioned on 24 July 1943 , with Captain Malcolm Francis Schoeffel in command . Service history . United States . World War II ( 1943 - 1947 ) . " Cabot " sailed from Naval Air Station Quonset Point , Rhode Island with Air Group 31 aboard , on 8 November 1943 for Pearl Harbor , where she arrived on 2 December . Clearing for Majuro on 15 January 1944 , she joined TF 58 to begin the consistently high quality of war service which was to win her a Presidential Unit Citation . From 4 February to 4 March 1944 , she launched her planes in strikes on Roi , Namur , and the island stronghold of Truk , aiding in the neutralization of these Japanese bases as her part in the invasion of the Marshalls . " Cabot " returned to Pearl Harbor for a brief repair period , but was back in action from Majuro for the pounding raids on the Palaus , Yap , Ulithi , and Woleai at the close of March 1944 . She sailed to provide valuable air cover for the Hollandia ( currently known as Jayapura ) operation from 22 – 25 April , and 4 days later began to hurl her air power at Truk , Satawan , and Ponape . She cleared Majuro again on 6 June for the preinvasion air strikes in the Mariana Islands , and on 19 and 20 June launched sorties in the key Battle of the Philippine Sea , the famous " Marianas Turkey Shoot " , which hopelessly crippled Japanese naval aviation . " Cabot " s air group 31 pounded Japanese bases on Iwo Jima , Pagan , Rota , Guam , Yap and Ulithi as the carrier continued her support of the Marianas operation until 9 August . Preinvasion strikes in the Palaus in September 1944 along with air attacks on Mindanao , the Visayas , and Luzon paved the way for the long - awaited return to the Philippines . On 6 October , Air Group 29 relieved Air Group 31 , and " Cabot " sailed from Ulithi for raids on Okinawa to provid air cover for her task group during the heavy enemy attacks off Formosa on 12 and 13 October . Cabot joined the group which screened " Cripple Division 1 " , and which had been torpedoed off Formosa , to the safety of the Carolines , then rejoined her group for continued air strikes on the Visayas , and the Battle of Leyte Gulf on 25 and 26 October . " Cabot " remained on patrol off Luzon , conducting strikes in support of operations ashore , and repelling desperate " kamikaze " attacks . On 25 November , a particularly vicious one occurred . " Cabot " had fought off several " kamikazes " when one , already flaming from hits , crashed the flight deck on the port side , destroying the still - firing 20 mm gun platform , disabling the 40 mm Mounts and a gun director : Another of " Cabot " s victims crashed close aboard and showered the port side with shrapnel and burning debris . 62 men were killed or wounded but careful training had produced a crew which handled damage control smoothly and coolly . While she continued to maintain her station in formation and operate effectively , temporary repairs were made . On 28 November , she arrived at Ulithi for permanent repairs . " Cabot " returned to action on 11 December 1944 , steaming with the force striking Luzon , Formosa , Indo - China , Hong Kong , and the Nansei Shoto in support of the Luzon operations . From 10 February to 1 March 1945 , her planes pounded the Japanese homeland and the Bonins to suppress opposition to the invasion of Iwo Jima . Continued strikes against Kyūshū and Okinawa in March prepared for the invasion of the latter island . After these prolonged , intensive operations , " Cabot " was homeward bound for San Francisco for a much - needed overhaul completed in June . After refresher training at Pearl Harbor with Air Group 32 aboard , the carrier launched strikes on Wake Island on 1 August while en route to Eniwetok . Here she remained on training duty until the end of the war . Sailing on 21 August , she joined TG 38 . 3 to support the landings of occupation troops in the Yellow Sea area in September and October . Embarking homeward - bound men at Guam , " Cabot " arrived at San Diego on 9 November , then sailed for the east coast . " Cabot " was placed out of commission in reserve at Philadelphia on 11 February 1947 . Post - War ( 1948 - 1955 ) . Recommissioned 27 October 1948 , Cabot was assigned to the Naval Air Reserve training program . She operated out of Pensacola , then Quonset Point , on cruises to the Caribbean , and had one tour of duty in European waters from 9 January to 26 March 1952 . " Cabot " was again placed out of commission in the reserve fleet at the Philadelphia Naval Yard on 21 January 1955 . She was reclassified AVT - 3 on 15 May 1959 . Spanish Navy . 1967 - 1989 . In 1967 , after over twelve years in " mothballs " , " Cabot " was loaned to Spain , in whose navy she served with the name of and was equipped with the AV - 8S Matador . The loan was converted to a sale and " USS Cabot " was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 1 August 1972 . " Dedalo " was stricken from the Spanish Navy in August 1989 and given to a private organization in the U . S . for conversion to a museum ship . Preservation attempts ( 1990 - 2002 ) . " Cabot " was designated as a National Historic Landmark on 29 June 1990 . The ship spent most of the 1990s berthed in New Orleans . The private groups attempting to preserve her as a memorial were unable to pay creditors and on 10 September 1999 the ship was auctioned off by the U . S . Marshals Service to Sabe Marine Salvage . Its designation as a National Historic Landmark was withdrawn on 7 August 2001 . Scrapping of the hulk was completed in 2002 . Her island , a small stub of metal and glass , was preserved and is on exhibit at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at NAS Pensacola in Florida since 2007 , the last relic of over 100 light aircraft carrier s of World War II . " Cabot " has a large collection of items at the USS " Lexington " aircraft museum in Corpus Christi , Texas , including all the guns and the anchor . A museum room contains information , artifacts , and pictures of " Cabot " . Awards . In addition to the Presidential Unit Citation , " Cabot " received nine battle stars for World War II service .