Antietam (CV 36) - Naval Cruise Book

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CQMPLETED TOO LATE FOR SERVICE IN WORLD WAR II, Antietam joined Task Force 72, Third Fleet, covered am- phibious occupation landings in China and Korea. l w. -L L. ...K l A A ,, A ,' .x.:.L ', ,,M',u, v,,,A pdiw V , -R R -ag -3' api . .H -3 1' X '2 aliefm i:i:'l4:'f.y?-A 'i:'X'4,'--gf, . f 14-i1l5fa554' V +11 ' gf'-5111 J N X2,'1f.x. ef u,r,n-. wwnic ff,1-eieasivvlff' wafer-'z .ai-A K r ' , - M 'R Fzf'lilf'C'f:i.'lv1J'V'3f4' lg'-11, fs, XJ W.. ,J-H dc' W L 'AJ 'f ' , im . 19,4 I , ,tpilbjif E W unjziigf . Y V ,Q , -1411 Jkt, farm- f------, r---'f 4' of 4 rf f i 'T TTMlTL 1 ag'1f'f 1 1, ,W u ,., a at ,Q H A i ,f-as fs - 5 1 , 1 ' V A, .k1.tf,lv-T1 I-.1 '1 f 1 f 5 L-l y 1,5 5 ' I , x gn fuj-, um' .' ,YJ X I Ii , 1 Q X ,x- aa '52 ru'-'fi I l l TTT' f l 3 All J 2 LT, - 1 i ' -XX I U , 257. 491490, g 5 Fl 1 7'-A 1 1 i J fx , , 1' TI 'f 1 ' . . V ' ' L ,, 1 fi in .WY Jig' Hr- 1 t 1 H 1 nn m 1 re- cs. Ji L, 1 Q',1f' -Q 1 '-P P 1 ,fi , rj'-QaQ,:1' 2 , i I 'tn r iv 1 fi-,-,xjf 1 1 f -.1 AW x.,f V---- --X-2' ----M A, M..- , ,,,, , I me fb ,' 1 ff'gg.f33,131 H is ,A M ' mf- V-,-if-4 ,N A.u,f,1.11--rzsifr V, :K 5'+iTgf-uf. Y' il ,FF 2 afar V Tl I ii 9 .as ii we 71 W :wo faosfmrfaim Q, P ei- J l l .,y OLD LOOK OF ANTIETAM is evident especially in gun mounts antennas 3 Captain James Tague took command of the USS Antietam officially when the ship Was turned over to him and his crew at the commissioning cere- monies January 28, 1945. There followed a per- iod of test runs, practice maneuvers, qualification of air groups, and periods of yard availability in Philadelphia. On March 2, 1945, the Antietam steamed out of the Delaware River on her shake- down cruise, after which she Was ready to take active part in any theatre of battle And, on May 19, with Air Group 89 embarked, the Antietam left for the Pacific The Antietani and her Air C1 oup were undergo ing readiness for battle inspections when Japan surrendered, and aftei successfully completing these inspections, the Antietam joined Task G1 oup 72 in active support of the Japanese Occupation From 1946 to 1948 the Antietam opei ated With the Pacific Fleet in Japanese and Chinese Waters Early in 1949 the ship was decommissioned and placed in mothhalls at the Naval A11 Station, Alameda, California, as a part of the Pacific ie serve Heet

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KEEL OF USS ANTIETAM CCV-361 was laid March 15, 1943. She was the first flattop built by Philadelphia Navy Yard. fX V V ,Ir QQ., .S rffi' ' 4, XX 53? V-W ' - .Mx-I? 5 1 , l , X,.fv x ., H. 1 n ,lfgbx .- -a.: ,ff way' W Sweet. M. 'I 1 55-5 Af ' . If . ' . 'filln 5 -1 223.2- .1 'lil . ' , K .X f ' 'J , . -7 f' F ' l 'H , nl ' '! ' i 5 , ,.f,g+?'-.3'--- 3. '1323353-1,gZ.1'2L-EffiiLQQQQZEZ.-. f':f.?i:.q-1-Q-QQ? 212-f-.1-.f.1fQ, f: 111 si-I X12fa?iE3 f'JfEf- ' H11-.V--ig? 'f ,.'.ffS43'EE'Fse525 1. 4---. ,- -3-.-Lg -' -a 2-1f,' , .'-Egfr. ,:. .- - -'f --L -255, -,-gffii:-X 1-.1 -.ggi g.-.4fK lPey.' 5 ,-i.j,,,,-g-Y ,. 41:51- fsigftf ,, -5. :,f,1yg.l't!-. me ',-.X 1 .v I .ags-ff-1 .za f-- uggl ,,.5.g,ff.-fggagfggqffgg, ,E xv? Av' gi! ,- ,2,:':!' s.. .v '.' Q- ,,j ' -' gf az-'-fw'.f3 4SlWtSls lap Q fel I :H . W gp, ,.,,. , f:'Z-,1.?fs. xgx.::f-5 3 Q F, X . :if-i f7 f. nl-'Aw f ' 14' el.:-Q':.i. 1 ip 9 Ju . Q, '45 -41, 2 N I tif ,, 1 Wax 'Ga ' , ' l C.'h31'-ff :fx X ' 6 -.,, - . C? Y , Zh -.iii Q A Q -vo., ki S Zag I ' ' J ian xiii: 7 .. 1 t ' 'fa'-...aw . . , - -I1 ,..' 5 nz. .,,. I x f- 5:2515 ,' Q.. ' . :aa men'-2,g.,,, gf, ' ,.':., ...lk Srl! , null I ,'!- -,nh . Q V I-L4 5- I lrx: ,:ni.-.lic--l'l' ,F BUILT IN DRYDOCK instead of on conventional Ways, Antietam was christened on August 20, 1944. ' , W' ' '- Q v, . F 4. 5 w M, ', 'J 'fi Qs .,,-L, 5 -4 A. Q X ' . . , Q-5fQj..t,H.' 35,7275 de- 4-.sw 1, Q lf l , A t ' H- fs ,g -' J 1 lid l 57.1? Sl' T-fl: . A? C E S, . A ., ' Qtifxp, 2 ew ,afg , ft 4 5 ft JEL .ff f, f if l3G',er'r .-E .' X' sg, -,' fr, fx , ,-V! R, ,f .- .tl ,-,V ,, , lk. 559.14 fy 1 .UE i' rZ9!uif ikaiit 1ifgiJfJ'Q5 43 'tvg-pg, - 1- ,j,i,q: , , , 6- 4 -K f, . L W3 , if-EQ Y LQEEF 5' f , , , J--1I'fQ1j'l1 54W.f'ifQCT Tiffie''f'71i17f'-is-..'i i 'V.l li5iU1'3f J 1 , -:xi - 1 ,,.,E.?., -bp j ,.r. ri ,, ,H 1, ' X Trials, inspections, and more trials Were made ot this new vessel as she was readied for fleet duty. The ofhcers and crew took her through preliminary stages of readiness for sea. On January 28, 19415, the USS Antietam was accepted by the Navy Department and commis- sioned into active service, and that day she became a fighting ship, a Way of life for her three thousand men. From the laying of the keel March 15, 1943, to the commissioning on January 28, 1945, only two years had been required by the civilian Workers and the military men of the Navy to fashion a modern man of War from blueprints and steel. 1 QQ phil: fy-dxf H daggggjf f is Qi: U r . L Wu 'U-'L pls Lof- W-tf. T . . , 3 QI, ,A ,k3.... 'FE'EEI.szf!g!e!ef..!!!E5iiI-- :'::EiEi . ' X 1-1' ' unsung. , I - X. 312-.1 iii-31 A:-iE::iim',i:g ii:iig:ll:ii?!5g5 .. .-,g3f:.g:i1:,g . ., -1 rv -V 63.212 ., -f 'Lt -. Tllnfh ,-1 'fd , 1: :ff!'9,4f-l,nf1 l ,gil . Q Pipe ,M-.2-V gin: J V . . ig V mf.1i'r'V92-tfcl' 'I 5:21 ' ' , - ,tial 5, ,jf 3 f 4 1 , ,, Qs, , V pq L? .I 5.4-4.443 3 ,fr -s fin ' , 1 cv,fl.f75fef wg, ,v ,A .vvf ' V175 I wf,'.:fP.f ' f, ' -.cal fi -7 V ' ,..fw-fW7A'5 ft-f ' ., as f g Q1 ' M1 'f f f1, - .fm ffm ,, fl ,,,Lif,4f--if 3-arf.. '7 ! w f,f -' ' - . airwnf. .P 1 . . thx , , i., G X NYSE' 'Q ' . .-1' 'CH H .,-U-f A W1 Qu,-s...,N5fsw?1,N XV ..,a.o'E'J J ' ,pg-1-,Y,'v.9lul s ' 'I Vg uri .lillfjuf .Q I h 1 Authorized by Congress as carrier task forces were launching strikes against the enemy in the Pacific, the USS Antietam was christened on August 20, 1944, by Mrs. Mil- lard E. Tydings, Wife of the distinguished senator from Maryland. 'cOne of the proud- est days of my life was the day at the Phila- delphia Navy Yard Where I christened you, the noblest aircraft carrier of them allfa FIRST SKIPPER, CAPTAIN IAMES TAGUE. greets ship,s sponsor, Mrs. Millard E. Tydings, at commis- sioning January 28, 1945. KAP Plwfvl 7 .

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.--1 - ,K D .. 'fl , 5 - x. '. l X g-g s 4. 1. 4.1 . ,EL I.. Kim, P 1,4451 A Q.. A A. - I Q A' -1 , SQL ' 1 ' 'i t. . - A - ' -JU N .' ' 1 - ' -1 ' -- w 7 December 6, 1950, the USS Antietam began activation on a limited scale as part of a program to recommission carriers for active and reserve duty in the event of increased activity in the Korean theatre. On January 17, 1951, the Antietam was recommissioned and placed in the active reserve, Cap- tain George J. Dufek commanding. The complement at that time was eighteen officers and one hundred and thirty en- listed men, most of them reserves. ' After bay trials on January 20, the Antietam was taken to the Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, where it remained until The maintenance and material work that the ship's com- pany was performing began to take on a more serious 2 air as the ship was readied for active duty. And as it was receiving additional officers and enlisted men who would bring the ship up to its normal complement, it was in the process of undergoing underway training at San Diego. The underway training was conducted for a period of three weeks by personnel from the training command who helped the Antietam personnel in the organization of the ship. For this period the ship operated out of San Diego, conducting routine and special checks of all ma- chinery, qualifying Air Group 15 and squadrons based at North Island. Week ends were spent in San Diego, where the ship's personnel got much needed relaxation, but each time the ship returned, more personnel would report aboard for duty. And then, just as suddenly as the ship had entered into active service and underway training and before the training had been completed, it was ordered to Hbnolulu to take a squadron of jet aircraft frightj out to a sister ship, the USS Essex. The Antie- tam left San Diego for Pearl Harbor July 16, 1951. March 27 receiving alterations prescribed by the Bureau of Ships and undergoing repairs, overhaul and necessary dry- docking. From the date of recommissioning until May 10, 1951, the ship's complement was increased to forty-nine ofli- cers and eight hundred enlisted men. On Mav 14 the home port of the ship was changed to San Diego, California, and before the ship could take departure it had been ordered into the active fleet to be made ready for duty with the Pacific fleet in Korea. The Antietam arrived in San Diego May 24-. I After returning from Honolulu the Antietam proceeded to the San Francisco Naval Shipyard for alterations and repairs. The Air Group was based at Alameda while the slnp was dry- docked at San Francisco, and for both the ship s company and the air group there was a period of intense training as the crews were readied for sea. All of the new personnel who had reported aboard had to be welded 1nto a coordinated team, this was difficult, for more than a thousand men had reported to the ship in less than a month. And then came September 8, 1951, the date of departure? the ship had been moved to Alameda to receive the squad- rons, last goodbyes had been said, and at ten o clock in the morning the Antietam steamed out for an eight-month tour of duty. But not directly to the Korean theatre. First, came the Operational Readiness Inspection at Honolulu, long days filled with simulated combat tactics and operations to ready the ship and its pilots for action they would soon be expe- riencing against the Communist forces in Korea. For two sleepless weeks the Antietam worked to prove itself fit for combat duty, and on September 27, 1951, Admiral A. W. Radford congratulated Captain Dufek on the shipas successful performance, and wished all hands a successful cruise.