USS Belleau Wood ( CVL - 24 ) USS " Belleau Wood was a United States Navy active during World War II in the Pacific Theater , from 1943 to 1945 . The ship also served in the First Indochina War under French Navy temporary service as Bois Belleau . " Originally laid down as the New Haven ( CL - 76 ) , she was finished as an aircraft carrier . Reclassified CV - 24 on 16 February 1942 and renamed " Belleau Wood " on 31 March 1942 in honor of the Battle of Belleau Wood in World War I , she was launched 6 December 1942 by New York Shipbuilding Corporation , Camden , New Jersey ; sponsored by Mrs . Thomas Holcomb , wife of the Commandant of the Marine Corps ; and commissioned 31 March 1943 , Captain A . M . Pride in command . During the war , she was reclassified CVL - 24 on 15 July 1943 . World War II . After a brief shakedown cruise , " Belleau Wood " reported to the Pacific Fleet , arriving at Pearl Harbor 26 July 1943 . After supporting the occupation of Baker Island ( 1 September ) and taking part in the Tarawa ( 18 September ) and Wake Island ( 5 – 6 October ) raids , she joined TF 50 for the invasion of the Gilbert Islands ( 19 November – 4 December 1943 ) . " Belleau Wood " operated with TF 58 during the seizure of Kwajalein and Majuro Atolls , Marshall Islands ( 29 January – 3 February 1944 ) , Truk raid ( 16 – 17 February ) ; Saipan - Tinian - Rota - Guam raids ( 21 – 22 February ) ; Palau - Yap - Ulithi - Woleai raid ( 30 March – 1 April ) ; Sawar and Wakde Island raids in support of the landings at Hollandia ( currently known as Jayapura ) , New Guinea ( 22 – 24 April ) ; Truk - Satawan - Ponape raid ( 29 April – 1 May ) ; occupation of Saipan ( 11 – 24 June ) , 1st Bonins raid ( 15 – 16 June ) , Battle of the Philippine Sea ( 19 – 20 June ) ; and 2nd Bonins raid ( 24 June ) . During the Battle Of the Philippine Sea , " Belleau Wood ' s " planes sank the Japanese carrier . After an overhaul at Pearl Harbor ( 29 June – 31 July 1944 ) " Belleau Wood " rejoined TF 58 for the last stages of the occupation of Guam ( 2 – 10 August ) . She joined TF 38 and took part in the strikes in support of the occupation of the southern Palaus ( 6 September – 14 October ) ; Philippine Islands raids ( 9 – 24 September ) ; Morotai landings ( 15 September ) ; Okinawa raid ( 10 October ) ; northern Luzon and Formosa raids ( 11 – 14 October ) ; Luzon strikes ( 15 and 17 October – 19 October ) , and the Battle of Cape Engaño ( 24 – 26 October ) . On 30 October , while " Belleau Wood " was patrolling with her task group east of Leyte , she shot down a Japanese suicide plane which fell on her flight deck aft , causing fires which set off ammunition . Before the fire could be brought under control , 92 men had either died or gone missing . After temporary repairs at Ulithi ( 2 – 11 November ) , " Belleau Wood " steamed to Hunters Point , California , for permanent repairs and an overhaul , arriving 29 November . She departed San Francisco Bay 20 January 1945 and joined TF 58 at Ulithi on 7 February . During 15 February – 4 March she took part in the raids on Honshū Island , Japan , and the Nansei Shoto , as well as supporting the landings on Iwo Jima . She also took part in the 5th Fleet strikes against Japan ( 17 March – 26 May ) and the 3rd Fleet strikes ( 27 May – 11 June ) . After embarking Air Group 31 at Leyte ( 13 June – 1 July ) , she rejoined the 3rd Fleet for the final strikes against the Japanese home islands ( 10 July – 15 August ) . The last Japanese aircraft shot down in the war was a " Judy " dive bomber which was shot down by Clarence " Bill " A . Moore , an F6F pilot of " The Flying Meat - Axe " VF - 31 from USS " Belleau Wood " . " Belleau Wood " launched her planes 2 September for the mass flight over Tokyo , Japan , during the surrender ceremonies . She remained in Japanese waters until 13 October . Arriving at Pearl Harbor 28 October , she departed three days later with 1248 servicemen for San Diego . She remained on " Magic Carpet " duty , returning servicemen from Guam and Saipan to San Diego , until 31 January 1946 . During the next year " Belleau Wood " was moored at various docks in the San Francisco area , undergoing inactivation . She was placed out of commission in reserve at Alameda Naval Air Station 13 January 1947 . " Belleau Wood " received the Presidential Unit Citation and twelve battle stars during World War II . French service as " Bois Belleau " . She remained in reserve until transferred to the French Navy under the Mutual Defense Assistance Act on 5 September 1953 . In French service she sailed under the name " Bois Belleau " ( R97 ) ( literal translation of " Belleau Wood " ) . In April 1954 , the carrier departed from the Toulon French Naval Base , Toulon towards French Indochina in order to replace the " Arromanches " ( R95 ) . She arrived around 20 May in Halong Bay . Although the critical Battle of Dien Bien Phu was over , her US - built fighters and bombers were immediately used by the French forces , as the war was not over . After peace with the Viet Minh , the Geneva Conference was signed on 21 July 1954 . The " Bois Belleau " sailed for France , where she then joined the Algerian War . " Bois Belleau " was returned to the United States in September 1960 , stricken from the Navy List on 1 October 1960 , and scrapped . Significance of the name . The ship was named in memory of the World War I Battle of Belleau Wood , in which United States soldiers and Marines of the American Expeditionary Forces , defeated the German troops after nearly four weeks of intense fighting . It is said that the Germans referred to them as " Teufelshunde " — Devil Dog s – and it was this moniker that became the ship ' s mascot , and one of the nicknames for US Marines ( Devil Dog ) .