Coral Sea (CV 43) - Naval Cruise Book

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, . During a 50,000-mile, six- month World Cruise in 1983, CORAL SEA passed through 28 bodies of water, crossed the Equator, transited the Suez Canal and visited six foreign countries before celebrating her return to the East coast after a 26-year hiatus. In October 1984, CORAL SEA began a six-month complex overhaul that would prepare her for a new role in the Atlantic fleet. She was outfitted with new radar, a reworked propulsion plant, blast-plate hardware on the flight deck and a new air wing. Four squadrons of the Navy's newest strikeffighter, the FfA-18 Hornet, joined an A-6E Intruder attack bomber squadron, one E-2C Airborne Early Warning squadron, and a squadron of SH-3H Sea King helicopters. The Ageless Warrior was ready to project power with a modern fleet. Bristling with determination to demonstrate their power, CORAL SEA and her air wing departed Norfolk on October 2, 1985. While CORAL SEA was anchored in Naples, Italy on December 27, bombings at Rome and Vienna airports killed American citizens. The U.S. pointed the finger of blame at Libyan leader Moamar Ghadafi. Aircraft carriers USS SARATOGA CCV 655, USS AMERICA QCV 665 and CORAL SEA conducted Freedom of D Navigation exercises in the Gulf of Sidra off the Libyan coast. Libyan gunboats challenged the American fleet. A-6E Intruders from CORAL SEA and SARATOGA attacked and sunk four Libyan gunboats and struck A Banshee, one of the first jets launched from CORAL SEA, is catapulated during the Korean War. Below, A pilot of the early '50's wears flight gear of the early days. surface-to-air missile sites on the Libyan coast. Suffering no casualities, the carriers dispersed and CORAL SEA went to Malaga, Spain, for liberty. The next day a bomb ripped through a local night club in Germany. The U.S. claimed to have intercepted a telex from Libya congratulating terrorists who carried out the attack. Two days later, CORAL SEA steamed toward the central Med. In the early morning hours of April 15, 1986, fully armed Intruders and Hornets roared off CORAL SEA and joined aircraft from USS AMERICA and the U.S. Air Force for a strike on Libyan key military targets. As the warplanes dropped their explosive payloads, President Ronald Reagan told the American people of irrefutable evidence linking Libya to the terrorist attacks. Seven and one-half months later, CORAL SEA returned to a hero's welcome in Norfolk. The carrier entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard where she was prepared for short training cruises that made her READY for the ,87-'88 Mediterranean Cruise.

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1nce 1947 CORAL SEA has established a history few shlps can match The Ageless Warrior has served more than a decade longer than her circa World War II builders envisioned Coral Sea s story began ln Newport News Va where on October 1 1947 the Midway class carrier was commissioned and Joined the Atlantic Fleet in early 1948 During the post war years tensions ln Europe required a strong naval presence ln the Mediterranean On May 3 1949 CORAL SEA departed Norfolk for an ll day Atlantic transit, and passed through the Strait of Gibraltar to join the Sixth Fleet ln the Mediterranean Seven Mediterranean deployments followed, and on her eighth cruise ln 1956 57, CORAL SEA assisted in the evacuation of U.S. citizens from the region during the Suez Crisis and waited off the coast of Egypt until tensions eased. In the mid-1950's changes in naval aviation required Navy carriers to be modified. To facilitate the advances, CORAL SEA departed Norfolk on February 26, 1957 bound for the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, WA. After anchoring CORAL SEA was recommissioned in January of 1960 and arrived later that year in her new homeport, Alameda, Calif. During the next several years CORAL SEA deployed with the Seventh Fleet to Japan, Okinawa, Hong Kong, and the Phillippines. The Southeast Asia waters were beginning to boil. In 1964, responding to a Viet Cong attack on a U.S. Army barracks in South Vietnam, CORAL SEA launched reprisal attacks against C cc '99 .. , O U 9 '9 9 I O O ' 9 O ' 9 9 0 I I in Brazil, she rounded Cape Horn and skirted the western coast of the Americas. On April 15, she entered Puget Sound for decommissioning and conversion. The three-year modernization period amounted to virtual reconstruction, fortifying CORAL SEA with three steam catapults, hydraulic arresting gear, an angled flight deck, enclosed hurricane bow, and deck-edge elevators that replaced flight deck elevators. These improvements became standard thereafter on all Navy carriers. Plane directors guide a post-World War II F-4U Corsair into launch position as it taxis across a wooden CORAL SEA flight deck. ort Year of Coral Sea Then and Now North Vietnamese targets. CORAL SEA and its embarked air wing eventually made six combat deployments to Vietnam, spending nearly 10 years supporting the U.S. role in Vietnam. CORAL SEA spent the 70's deploying in the Pacific and undergoing overhauls. The ship's 272,000 arrested landing was recorded in September 1977, and in October she completed her 20th overseas deployment. f f 72

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f' . -. a. X f-.- i 1 . What more appropriate place is there to celebrate this occasion than at sea - on our way to do a job in the Mediterranean? Captain Bruce B. Bremner 6 l l CORAL SEA began her Naval service departing Norfolk for a l six-month deployment to the Med. I , u , f f W l f f M ffjglgff ,N i