Coral Sea (CV 43) - Naval Cruise Book

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Coral Sea overrunning the city. Coral Sea's denouement of the Vietnam era happened shortly after a maintenance visit to Singaporeg in early May she was on her way to Perth, Australia when the SS Mayaguez was seized by Khmer Rouge gunboats 60 miles southwest of Cambodia on 13 May. Proceeding to the Gulf of Thailand Coral Sea flew 63 combat support missions in two attacks, 15 May, against Koh Tang Island and the Cambodian mainland in support of Marines effecting the recovery of Mayaguez and its crew. For their part in the rescue, Coral Sea and Air Wing 15 received yet another Meritorious Unit Commendation. Coral Sea spent the mid and late 1970's on deployments in the Pacific Ocean. When not deployed she was in the yards undergoing overhauls repairing years of abuse off Vietnam. Her final deployment with Air Wing 15 occurred in 1977, and was Coral Sea's only deployment with the Navy's newer F-4J Phantom, then the Navy's top fighter. The ship's 272,000th arrested landing was recorded on September 6, 1977. She completed her 20th overseas deployment in October at Alameda, CA. In 1978 Coral Sea moved to Bremerton, Washington for overhaul. The ship was overhauled and returned to Alameda, where she deployed to the Western Pacific two more times. In late January 1980, Coral Sea entered the Indian Ocean, where she would remain for the next 102 days. During that time the 34-year- old ship never went on restricted use Water-hours , nor suffered any significant wins awards engineering casualties. A significant opportunity for the Navy was lost, however, during the abortive rescue 0 attempt of the U.S. hostages in Iran on April 25, 1980. The I rescue attempt was launched from USS Nimitz p Coral Sea aircraft and ready to execut raids in support of the ground exit from USS also in the was technical ground, America Alameda was final and the last March 21 Air Wing 1 Ageless under the for the last Her her birth, Hampton Norfolk, Virginia. During the six-month World Cruise, Coral Sea traveled 50,000 miles, recorded 7,000 aircraft launches and recoveries, passed through 28 bodies of water, crossed the Equator twice, transited the Suez Canal, visited six foreign countries and made her triumphant return to the Hampton Roads area after an absence of more than 26 years, on September 12, 1983. In October 1984, Coral Sea began a 16-month overhaul at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, and a Jet. The Navy's newest fighterfattack jet, the FIA-18 Hornet strike-fighter, with its dual attack and fighter capabilities, seemed an appropriate partner for Coral Sea. The ship's smaller :f,',.,g.,:, of i 3, -,lf-11,75 5 Q' -f.-'-5 i'l.'.l2.-I-'Z-Q A '.,'3:l'5.'71 44:4 5. 1 - j: at f 5, , , V O O X O

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Cora Sea steams in the Mediterranean Sea With her new airwing, the Guardians of Carrier Air Wing Thirteen. Freedom of avigation .Liu