Coral Sea (CV 43) - Naval Cruise Book

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era! a story The CORAL SEA is far from being the newest addition to the fleet. She is in fact a grand old lady of the sea and maintains a rich and proud tradition. This ship was actually the third and last of a class of super-carriers. Her predecessors being the MIDWAY ICV-411 and the FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT ICV-422. At the time of CORAL SEA'S commissioning these were the mainstay of the nation's seagoing might. The name CORAL SEA was taken from the battle of Coral Sea which took place between May 4 and May 8, 1942. This fiercely fought battle marked the end of totally defensive actions on the part of the United States in the Pacific theatre of war. It also showed the world the value of the aircraft carrier. In four days of combat the opposing ships were never within sight of each otherg no gunfire was exchanged between the seagoing combatants, instead the skies werre filled with the screaming planes framed by clouds of anti-aircraft fire. The importance of air power in control of the sealanes was now firmly established. The war ended nine months before the CORAL SEA was launched on April 2, 1946 at the Newport News Virginia shipyard. She was commissioned at 1500 hours on Oct 1, 1947, nearly three years after the laying of the keel, and at a cost of more than 60 million dollars. After seven deployments with the US Sixth Fleet in European waters the CORAL SEA was decommissioned in 1957 to undergo extensive modification in Bremerton, Washington. She was then recommissioned in 1960 and joined the US Seventh Fleet in Sydney Australia her arrival coinciding with the 21st annual celebration of the Battle of Coral Sea. Combat eluded the CORAL SEA until 1965 when she participated in the initial air strikes against North Vietnam. She made four more deployments to Westpac in the five years prior to the 1968 bombing halt, her airwing aggressively supporting the ground troops in South Vietnam. ln 1973 CORAL SEA embarked upon her first peacetime deployment after nearly ten years of hostilities in Southeast Asia. July 2, 1975 saw the Coral Sea return to the Golden Gate City from yet another Westpac cruise where she was involved in the rescue of the S S MA YAOUEZ San Francisco's Own as she has been known since her adoption by the city in July of 1967, had now completed more than 295,000 'catches' a record for aircraft carriers. In August of 1975 CORAL SEA was sent to the Long Beach naval shipyard for another facelifting, returning in May of 1976 to the Bay area and her homeport NAS Alameda. August of 1976 saw the CORAL SEA begin a period of grueling, extensive seaperiods in anticipation of still another deployment. The crew had to be trained and the equipment tested. Following a stand down period over the holidays the CORAL SEA began making her final preparations for deployment. On February 14, 1977 at approximately 0900 hours her mooring lines were cast off and she was pointed West. Emotions were mixed as she eased beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Destination! Western Pacific.

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Steady on course 370, Sir?? We oughta be able to find a date around here someplace! -QLINFSF-fl i I. -f J t , F 4' 7,

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In for a new bottom . 1 fl' K X, C QHAL SEA undergoing in evsrhaui ai Long Beach Naval ShiPY9fd 1, 4.