USS Enterprise CV-6
The Most Decorated Ship of the Second World War

History: Prewar - 1941 - 1942 - 1943 - 1944 - 1945 - Postwar
The Ship - All Hands - Decorations - Remembrance

Damage Reports

The following pages contain damage reports and diagrams derived from the Bureau of Ships, Navy Department, War Damage Report No. 59, "U.S.S. Enterprise (CV6) War History", illustrating the battle damage absorbed by the Big E between 7 December 1941 and 15 August 1945:

• Marshall Islands Raid, 1 February 1942
• Battle of the Eastern Solomons, 24 August 1942
• Battle of Santa Cruz, 26 October 1942
• Operations off Kyushu, Japan, 18 & 20 March 1945
• Okinawa Invasion, 11 April 1945
• Operations off Kyushu, Japan, 14 May 1945

Note: Enterprise was damaged by the enemy on six separate occasions - absorbing 13 direct hits and 3 near misses - and once by a "friendly" 5-inch anti-aircraft shell. Reported sunk by the Japanese six times, she was the last carrier forced to retire from the war due to damage inflicted by Kamikaze attack.