Independence (CV 62) - Naval Cruise Book

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History of United States Navy Carrier Aviation The US. Navys first carrier, the USS LANGLEY was little more than a floating deck mounted on an electrically-propelled ship hull LANGLEY was commissioned on March 20. 1922. Adm Moffett told a large gathering. The airfleet of an enemy will never get within striking distance of our coasts while our aircraft earners are able to carry the preponderance of airpower to sea. and so the aircraft carrier was born. In 1927. the Navy accepted the first Douglas T2D torpedo bomber A twin-engine plane, it had the characteristic folding wings of modern carrier aircraft for more compact storage on carriers, and could be equipped with floats or wheels Largely through the persistent efforts of Adm. Moffett. two additional carriers, the USS SARATOGA and the USS LEXINGTON, were commissioned in December 1927 and January 1928 They had been converted from two heavy cruiser hulls which had been scrapped. Fleet exercises in 1930 used the carrier group for the first time as a complete tactical unit, a trend that was to have vast significance in the years ahead In 1934 the first ship was commissioned which was desig- nated from the keel up as an aircraft carrier, it was the USS RANGER and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet. As World War II approached, naval aviation expanded greatly but not fast enough for the task ahead By 1941 . naval aviation included 5.500 aircraft and about 6.700 pilots. Six aircraft carriers were operationally ready when war came on December 7. 1941. Soon the true worth of the aircraft carrier was to become common knowledge. The war plunged the United States in to a massive program of shipbuilding and the aircraft carrier became the striking arm of U.S. naval power By the end of the war naval aviation could boast of 41.200 planes. 28 full size aircraft carriers and 71 smaller aircraft carriers designed for convoy escort duty. One of the lessons of World War II became apparent early in the conflict. Surface forces were not effective unless protected by airpower Amphibious operations could be carried out only under the friendly shield of carrier-based aircraft. Naval aviation has come a long way since 1922. the early mechanical flywheel catapult was replaced by hydraulic power and later by modern steam catapults. In the late 1940s and early 1950s the US Navy developed the system to permit safe night air operation from carrier decks, and introduced jet aircraft to the arsenal for the first time. The straight deck was replaced by the wider and longer angle deck thanks to the innovative efforts of our British allies. This broadened the flexi- bility of the carrier by allowing simultaneous launching and landing of aircraft The world s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) was commissioned in 1965. The second. USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) was commissioned in 197 = followed by her sister ship USS EISENHOWER (CVN 69 ' -. 1977 Powered by two nuclear reactors the NIMIT. , s carrier can operate for more than 13 years befc .lear refueling is required. The aircraft earner will continue to be th»- bone of seapower The ability to deploy rapidly to any - . ot the world, arriving fully ready without external support : :he impressive show of United States resolve and conce .presented by this presence make the aircraft carrier t he ' . ersatile and effec- tive of all military peacekeeping influ ..i. 19

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History of USS Independence The first Independence was a continental sloop of 10 guns, under the command of Capt John Young The second ship bearing the name of Independence was a 74-gun vessel, launched in 1814. Until it was placed out of commission in 1912 the second Indy served as a flagship and a receiving ship Independence number three lived a short life as a member of the Naval Overseas Transportation Service. It was commissioned in 1918 and decommissioned in 1919 The fourth Independence, one of the first aircraft carriers to be converted from a cruiser hull, was launched m 1942 The Indepen- dence then joined up with the Essex and Yorktown m a strike against the Japanese held Marcus Islands Then on November 20. 1 943. the Indy was attacked by Japanese torpedo bombers and took three hits in the starboard side, of which only one torpedo exploded The Indy then returned to Pearl Harbor for repairs and was again ready for action by July 1944 Her first mission back in service was as a night carrier with a spe- cially trained air group Within a years duration the Independence was assigned as one of the target ships in the atomic tests at Bikini Island Damaged but not sunk she was towed to Kwajalein and decommissioned in August 1946 In two years of war, this ship won eight battle stars On January 10. 1959. USS INDEPENDENCE (CVA 62) was commissioned at the Brooklyn. New York. Naval Shipyard Officials presiding at the ceremony included the Honorable Thomas S Gates. Secretary of the Navy, and Adm Arleigh A Burke. Chief of Naval Operations Capt Rhodam Y McElroy read his orders and was the first commanding officer to assume command of the aircraft carrier INDEPENDENCE After the ceremonies, congratulations came from countries throughout the world and from leaders of foreign nations. The most remembered of these congratulations was a telegram and gift, a sil- ver coffee service, from the citizens of Independence. Iowa, popula- tion 4. 865 In 1962. INDEPENDENCE was ordered to the Cuban coastline by President John F Kennedy as part of the naval blockade during the Cuban Missile Crisis In 1964, the ship broke almost all of its own aircraft operational records dunng a 217-day at-sea period that included over 100 days off the coast of Vietnam m the South China Sea For her outstanding performance during that period INDEPENDENCE was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation. Following a short yard period in 1966. INDEPENDENCE hosted the carrier suitability tests for the Navys first vertical take-off and landing aircraft In 1970. INDEPENDENCE was awarded the Meritorious Unit Com- mendation for her performance in Jordanian contingency opera- tions The ship hosted the change of command events for 2nd Fleet in August 1971, and a month later, crossed the Arctic Circle, making each crew member an official Bluenose. Indys 150.000th arrested landing occurred in February 1972. shortly after the Chief of Naval Operations. Adm Elmo Zumwalt. visited the ship In 1973. President Richard M Nixon delivered his annual Armed Forces Day address from INDEPENDENCE In 1977. after Indys 12th Mediterranean deployment, it began a lengthy complex overhaul. The work lasted for nine months and cost over $90-million. The ship was awarded its first Navy Expeditionary Medal in 1980 for her performance in Iran Afghanistan contingency operations. Dur- ing that deployment. INDEPENDENCE made the first carrier south- to-north transit of the Suez Canal after the canals reopening INDEPENDENCE made two more deployments, one to the Indian Ocean, and one to the Mediterranean The Navy Expeditionary Medal was awarded to the ship in 1982 for its work with the Multi-National Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon. The year 1983 was the most exciting for the crew and her air wing. In Operation Urgent Fury, the ship participated m the assault of Grenada, and the combined Indy and USS JOHN F KENNEDY car- rier battle group air strike against Syrian targets in Lebanon proved the ship ready to carry out its mission on short notice. INDEPENDENCES 25th Anniversary year 1984. began with one Mediterranean deployment and ended with another The ship was awarded its third Navy Expeditionary Medal, and its second Navy Unit Commendation as result of the years work. The following year. INDEPENDENCE was rewarded for her consistent outstanding per- formance by earning the Atlantic Fleet s Battle Efficiency Award for the 18-month competitive period It was the ships first such award. In 1985. Indy entered Philadelphia Naval Shipyard to begin the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) The program consists of three phases— fleet modernization, ships life-enhancing alterations, and repair and replacement The SLEP is truly a cross between new construction and comprehensive overhaul HavingcompletedSLEPin 1988, INDEPENDENCE will now serve the United Statesof America well into the 21st century. :} mmBt

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