Coral Sea (CV 43) - Naval Cruise Book

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The oral' Sea departed on her 10th deployment from Norfolk, May 31, 1989. As she steamed out of a harbor she first saw over 41 years ago she did so as a veteran of unprecedented proportions. In A the ensuing years since her birth at Newport News Shipbuilding she has seen and participated in many tumultuous events. ' On departing the pier at Norfolk she passed her scheduled replacement, the nuclear-powered George Washington taking form across Hampton Roads at the site of her own birth. The Ageless Warrior's history begins in the mid 1940's. The U.S. Naval construction program of World War II produced a fleet of the finest ships ever to sail into harms way in any navy of th'e world. These included the Iowa-class battleships, Essex- A copy of the original invitation to the commission- ing of USS Coral Sea QCVB-435. class carriers, Baltimore+Cl'asSif:?'? f7 heavy cruisersand the 4. Fletcher-class destroy61'SQf' a logical progression then that ' produced a pedigree of . combatant ships in the latter part of the war. One of these. ships was the large battle carrier to be christened Coral Sea. Capitalizing on wartime experience, she was constructed with the most advanced damage control innovations -I possible, including an armored flight deck and extensive A internal subdivisioning not A found on any other carrier or other combatant before or since. Her original length was ' 968 feet, which with an extreme beam at the waterline of 112 feet, and a maximum draft of 34 feet, gave a full load displacement of 60,100 tons. Her twelve Babcock and Wilcox boilers fed four - Westinghouse engines total of 212,000 ' for a design knots. T she was built with catapults. Her armament was fourteen 5ginch 54-caliber gun two mouiI1?S i.if for-Q air defense. Her ' firstrcomtplement was 379 officers and 3,725 enlisted men with the .air wing embarked. Coral Sea - the name speaks of glorious de-eds and brave men and a ship that has lived up, with pride and glory, to her name sake, the battle which saved Australia from - Japanese invasion in the early days of America's participation in World War II. T The Battle of Coral Sea was one of double significance in American and world naval history. It was not only the first major U.S. fleet success in the war in the Pacific, but was also the first battle in which 1 thetwo opposing fleets never , Y., If . Tllc Captain, Ollllccrs nml Crew. Y '-N , V' IIKK UNITED smrzis sun' Colm:-sl5A l'CKllIC5t tllc IIUIIOI' Or ,'0lll' Ill'CSCll0C UNITED STATES Sllll' N.,.sz,l:. N.,..1 sl..,.,....1. P... .I on lluc allcrnoon ol' J A ' - K 'ant llircc Jclnclc'

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Officers Call Assembly. Division Officers and crew fall in, accordance with commis- 1415 sioning Ceremony parade as announced. p . . 1440 Close gangway to guests. Members' of the Press may be allowed on board until 1455. ATTENTION on the bugle as Secnav reaches QD 1445 Qapproximatelyl - Prepare to receive the Secretary of the Navy. Heads of Depart- gentg and Officers as isting in reception of guests fall in at Commissioning Ceremony ara e. . 1500 Commissioning Ceremony begins. AbtD1520 Set the Watch, First Section. Abtl1535 Retreat from ceremony. 'Refreshments will be served on Hangar Deck. ' 1630 Pass word: All guests are requested to leave the ship. 1645 for when hip is clear of guestsl - Liberty for 2, 3, 4, sections to expire on board at 0730, 2 October 1947. 1700 Supper for messmen. 1715 Mess gear. 1730 Pipe to supper. h 1915 Muster 2000 reports in Bay 44. 1930 Movie 1 2155 Tattoo 2200 Taps. N O T E S 1. While enroute to Portsmouth, Naval personnel will not be allowed in the following areas: Kal Foc'sle Deck, Fwd. Windlass room, and Anchor Handling area. tbl Flight Deck and Gallery Walkways. ici Out board sides of Main Deck in way of handling lines. E Qdl Island structure above flight deck. tel Engine Room, Steering Gear Room, and Machinery Spaces. 2. Stations for 0730 Muster . 1- Gunnery Dep't Hangar Deck, Port, Frames 220-205 Supply and Medical Hangar Deck, Port, Frames 200-195. Air Hangar Deck, Port, Frames 190-175 Engineering Hangar Deck, Stbd, Frames 220-190 Operations Hangar Deck, Stbd, Frames 185-175 3. 0.0.D. watch will remain on Quarterback throughout the day. 4. Effective 1 October 1947 and until further notice, the correct mailing address of the crew will be in accordance with the following sample: - A Joseph Doakes, Sl, USN, 2nd Div. USS CORAL SEA QCVB 435. Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, To insure faster receipt of your mail, correspondents should he advised to address you as outlined above. Until U.S. Mail boxes are available at 4-nnvvnienl Im-ations letters mas he deposited for mailing at the Post Office. 2nd lleek, I-'rame HDR Pon 5. 0830, Thursday, 2 U4 huh. 1, l91 7 lnmmvna r flu-lun? -hip 5 I' K WlI.l . l'axmmfanaln-r INN d

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C QLEFTJ Roger Williams, Chairman Executive Committee of the Shipyard, delivers the Coral Sea to the U.S. Navy. QBELOWQ ' Captain Storrs, General Bradley, Admiral Ainsworth and Commander Will look over the brand new Coral Sea flight deck. Q' 5 - ' S , . . T tiff 1 R C 4 , fi of Q EEF? Hu . wr, .ew fm' V ,V ,AV