<prompt> Pedzisa mutsara unotevera: Kuvakwa kweKentucky kwakatambudzwa nokumiswa. Hwendefa rayo rakaiswa paNorfolk Navy Yard, Portsmouth, Virginia, musi wa7 Kurume 1942. Zvisinei, basa pachikepe rakamiswa muna June gore iroro, uye Kentucky pasi chivako chakatangwa kuti nzvimbo LST kuvakwa musi 10 June. Kunyange zvazvo kuvaka kwake kwakamiswa, Bureau of Ships yakafunga nezvekushandurwa kwevatakuri vemhepo ye Kentucky uye Illinois mushure mekurwisana kweGungwa reCoral uye  <response>: Pakati nepakati. Sezvakanga zvakarongwa, Kentucky yakashandurwa ingadai yakave yakareba nehupamhi hwekubhururuka, ine zvombo zvakafanana nevatakuri ve: zvigaro zvina zvepfuti zve5-inch uye zvigaro zvina zve5-inch mune imwe chete, pamwe chete nematanhatu 40 mm quadruple mounts. Pfungwa iyi yakasiyiwa mushure mekunge Bureau of Ships yafunga kuti ngarava dzaizotakura ndege shoma pane dzeEssex, kuti dzimwe ngarava dzeEssex dzaigona kuvakwa munguva imwechete, uye kuti chirongwa chekushandura chaizodhura zvakanyanya kupfuura zvitsva zveEssex. Panzvimbo pezvo, Kentucky uye Illinois dzaifanira kupedzwa semidziyo yehondo, asi kuvakwa kwadzo kwakapiwa nzvimbo yakaderera zvikuru. Basa pachikepe chakatangazve musi wa 6 December 1944, apo chimiro chechimiro chakadzorerwa kumugwagwa. Basa pachikepe chehondo rakafambira mberi zvishoma nezvishoma, uye kupedzwa kwaro kwakarongwa nokuda kwekota yechitatu ya1946. Muna December 1945 kwakakurudzirwa kuti Kentucky ipedziswe sechikepe chinorwisa ndege, uye basa pachikepe rakamiswa muna August 1946 apo izvi zvaifungwa. Kuvakwa kwakatangazve musi wa17 Nyamavhuvhu 1948 pasina chisarudzo chakaitwa pamusoro pekugadzirwa kwayo kwekupedzisira. Basa paKentucky rakaenderera mberi kusvikira 20 January 1950, apo kwakasarudzwa kumisa basa pachikepe. Zvichitevera izvi, akabudiswa kunze kwechikepe chake chakaoma kuti abvise nzvimbo yekugadzirisa chikepe chehanzvadzi, chakanga chaenda kumhenderekedzo munzira kubva kuHampton Roads. 