The USS Franklin was commissioned in October 1944 and saw action during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in November 1944. On March 19, 1945, while sailing in the Inland Sea off Japan, the ship was attacked by a Japanese plane and suffered heavy damage. The bomb hit the starboard quarter of the flight deck, causing fires that burned for hours. In all, 724 men were killed and 265 wounded in the attack. The ship managed to make it back to port at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where it underwent repairs. The work was completed by June 1945 and the ship rejoined the fleet. The USS Franklin served until 1947 when it was decommissioned and sold for scrap.