CVL-28 was named after Giovanni Caboto (1450?-1499?), a Venetian navigator better known to the English-speaking world by the anglicized form of his name, John Cabot. Although most details of Cabot's life and voyages are a subject of debate among historians, it is certain that he was the first European (after the Vikings) to reach the North American continent, June 24, 1497 while sailing under the sponsorship of King Henry VII of England. On the ground that Cabot had been the first explorer to reach the mainland, England later claimed all of North America.

The picture shows a monument to John Cabot located near Cape Bonavista Lighthouse, Newfoundland, Canada.

This picture was taken on 29 October 1943, off Philadelphia Navy Yard, with the usual radar equipment, but with an incomplete flight deck identification number. Cabot evidently carried Measure 14 camouflage on commissioning, and, like Langley (CVL-27) and Lexington (CV-16) was never given a multi-color camouflage design.

(Thanks to Robert Hurst, who provided this information).

Closeup view of the ship's port side bridge wing, showing her insignia, circa 1943-44. The design is based on the slogan of Cabot's first Commanding Officer, Captain Malcolm F. Schoeffel: "Up Mohawks, At 'Em!". "Mohawk" was the ship's voice radio call sign at the time. (See also NS022848).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-263253).

A view of the island of USS Cabot (CVL-28). USN photo via Floating Drydock. Judging from Air Group 29's (VF-29 & VT-29) scoreboard this picture was probably taken in October (or perhaps November) 1944.

The curved antenna of the surface search SG radar is seen on the raised circular platform. Forward of and below it is the SC-2 air search radar antenna. A second air search radar (SK) was installed on a stub mast between the pairs of uptakes — all fleet carriers were fitted with two air search sets as insurance against the failure of one of them in combat, and the wide separation of both main radars aboard CVL's often resulted in better radar performance than that enjoyed by the heavier and larger CV's.

USS Cabot (CVL-28) is hit by a Kamikaze, while operating with Task Force 38 off Luzon, 25 November 1944.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-289608).

Memorial service aboard USS Cabot (CVL-28). USN photo via Floating Drydock.

In all probability this picture shows the burial at sea, November 26, 1944 of five of the victims of the kamikaze attack the day before.

Underway at sea, 26 July 1945.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-262768).

Cabot had departed Pearl Harbor on 24 July as part of Task Force 12.3 with battleship Pennsylvania (BB-38), a destroyer screen, and a new Air Group (AG32) aboard. En route to Eniwetok, the carrier launched three strikes on Wake Island on 1 August; Pennsylvania and DD's also used their guns against the Japanese-held island — the main goal of the strikes was to destroy all shore batteries.

Another view of USS Cabot (CVL-28) at sea. It appears to have been taken shortly after photo NS022813, above.

Official US Navy Photograph of USS Cabot (CVL-28,) as a Naval Reserve Training Carrier, berthed at Alleghany Pier Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL in 1949.

The photo is from Headquarters Naval Air Training Command, NAS Pensacola.

A photo of USS Cabot (CVL-28), shown with the AF Guardians of ASW squadron VS-24 on deck, in the early 1950s. USN photo via Floating Drydock.

The Cabot is seen in 1952 as a training and Anti-Submarine warfare carrier. Decommissioned in 1947, the Cabot was recommissioned in this role on October 27, 1948.

Note: This image and at least another, similar one, have been several times miscaptioned as "World War 2 images." In fact, they were taken after the ship's FY51 ASW modernization (project SCB-54), as indicated by her port H-4B catapult, modernized island and two, rather than four, funnels. An SNJ trainer is spotted on her flight deck.

John F. Floberg, in an SNJ-5C, landing on USS Cabot (CVL-28), April 18, 1952. Official US Navy photograph #441730.

Mr. Floberg, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Air (December 5, 1949–July 23, 1953), qualified as a carrier pilot that day: "On April 18, he made 10 carrier landings and take-offs from the USS Cabot at Pensacola, the last three of them piloting his SNJ without a safety pilot in the rear seat." ("Naval Aviation News," June 1952 issue.)

A photo of Cabot (CVL-28), taken in Delaware Bay, 24 August 1967, six days before she was commissioned in the Spanish Navy as Dédalo (PH-01). Note that she is still flying US Colors, but has Spanish flight deck markings in process of being applied.

USN Photo.

Ship's patch: "Up An At-Em Mohawks." (See NS022811).

Model and plate on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Florida. Photos taken on 13 June 2008.

Dédalo at anchor, circa 1968. She has three Sikorsky CH-19E Chickasaw (HRS-3 under the pre-1962 designation system) parked on the flight deck; they were assigned to the "Segunda Escuadrilla" (Second Squadron) and affectionately nicknamed Pepos in the Spanish Navy. The small helicopter, aft, appears to be a Bell 47 from "Primera Escuadrilla" (First Squadron).

The Spanish aircraft carrier Dédalo, ex-USS Cabot, underway, date and location unknown. Note early flight deck markings.

Anchored off Alborán island, Mediterranean Sea, between Spain and Morocco; 1976 (thanks to Manuel Oliva, who provided this information). The Sea King helicopter parked on the flight deck appears to be number "005-4," an SH-3D which was lost in an accident in April 1976.

Location unknown, sometime in 1972-1981. The three small helicopters on the flight deck, forward, are Hughes 500M (the export version of the Hughes 369) assigned to the "Sexta Escuadrilla" (Sixth Squadron) and were received by the Spanish Navy starting in April 1972. The quad 40-mm/56-cal Bofors gun mount on the forecastle was swept overboard by a wave in 1981 or earlier.

Circa 1974, location unknown. As received by the Spanish Navy, Dédalo had somewhat upgraded electronics, including an SPS-40 air search radar.

The Spanish aircraft carrier Dédalo, ex-USS Cabot, underway circa 1978, location unknown. Note three Harrier (Matador) V/STOL jets forward and ASW helicopters aft. Spanish Navy photo.

Arsenal de Cartagena, Spain, circa September 1982. Note gangway with "R-01" hull number: Dédalo received a new, "R"-series number, in accordance with European NATO navies practice for aircraft carriers, in 1980 — many months before Spain's official entry into the Organization, in May 1982.

Then Seaman Aira with one of the Sea Kings assigned to "Quinta Escuadrilla" (Fifth Squadron) on the flight deck of Dédalo, Arsenal de Cartagena, Spain, circa September 1982. The Spanish Navy received 18 SH-3's between 1966 and 1981, of which 14 remained in service at the time this photo was taken — four having been lost in accidents.

Barcelona, Spain, January 22, 1983 — Dédalo (R-01) with four AV-8A Harrier (Matador, in the Spanish Navy) parked forward. Dédalo was the first carrier in the world to operate these VSTOL aircraft in a strike role.

Note the flight-deck extension to port, needed to wheel aircraft around the forward elevator well.

A photograph of the SNS Dédalo, formerly USS Cabot (CVL-28) taken in April 1984 in Rota, Spain.

In port, Vigo, Spain, June 1987.