Franklin D Roosevelt (CV 42) - Naval Cruise Book

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STILL A GRAND OLD LADY Commissioning ceremonies of USS FRANKLIN October 27, 1945. It all began with a letter in 1 945: My dear Mr. President, I would like to propose for your consideration that the new large aircraft carrier, CVB 42, be christened the FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. This ship is scheduled for christening on April 29. It had been proposed to make the name CORAL SEA, in line with the general policy of having carriers named after battles, but I am sure the country will approve of the variation. Respectfully yours, James Forrestal Secretary of the Navy Three days later the letter was returned, and on the bottom was scrawled the terse reply that was to create a vessel that would be still making history today: Meets my hearty approval, Harry Truman Although it was this letter that created the ship, ROOSEVELT actually began her life a year and a half earlier at the New York Naval Shipyard. A new carrier class, the MIDWAY, had been esta blished; and CVB 42, originally to be named CORAL SEA, was the second of the three vessels. She was to be a new concept in warships- -a craft that would not only be designed to carry nearly one hundred aircraft but would also be fitted with 18 five- D. ROOSEVELT, on Navy Day, inch, fifty-four calibre guns, 20 forty-millimeter an- tiaircraft mounts and numerous 20-millimeter guns, in addition to her aircraft. On April 29, 1945, ROOSEVELT was launched and, after additional fitting out, was ready for commissioning on Navy Day, Oct. 27, 1945 President Truman came to New York to personally deliver the main address for the $90 million carrier. Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt also attended, making her first public appearance since the death of her husband. After sea trials in the Atlantic, ROOSEVELT was ready for the mission that has occupied most of her years in service--good will. With the exception of one combat tour in the Western Pacific during the Vietnam War, ROOSEVELT had deployed to the Mediterranean so often that she has earned the nickname of the Mediterranean Carrier. Since August, 1946, when the ship began her first deployment, ROOSEVELT has made 19 cruises-an accomplishment no other carrier can claim. By 1954, it became appearent that if ROOSEVELT was to do more than steam in the cause of good will, she would have to be extensively remodeled. Advances in aviation, including the widespread use of jet aircraft, were making the ship less effective as a striking force. In January, ROOSEVELT made the long journey around Cape Horn to the west coast, where she was decommissioned and modernized at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington. Enroute.she showed the flag at South American ports. When the carrier finally arrived at Puget Sound, the remodeling went on for nearly two years and cost forty

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USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (CVA-42) ROOSEVELT ' S first liberty boat leaves the aft port accommidation ladder, after 46 days at sea. First Mediterranean liberty was in Brindisi, Italy. A MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE 1975

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First helicopter to join the Navy, trans- fers mail and supplies from ROOSE- VELT to the submarine Greenfish. million dollars--nearly half her original cost. The con- version was extensive--a hurricane bow was installed to lessen maintenance and improve seaworthiness, the flight deck was expanded to accommodate a waist catapult in addition to the two on the bow, an angle was put on the port flight deck, the hydraulic catapults were changed to steam to handle the larger aircraft. A centerline elevator was removed and a new one located on the starboard deck edge. Most of her guns were also removed. The expensive and time-consuming renovation made her truly depen- dent upon her air wing for both offense and defense. The remodeling also added years to the carrier ' s life, making her one of the most effective and self-sufficient fighting units in the world. In 1958, ROOSEVELT was awarded the E.F. Ney Award for the best large afloat mess; and two years later she won the Admiral James H. Flatley Award for Aviation Safety-the first of four such awards she was to receive in her career. ROOSEVELT ' S performance was being noticed, and her consistently high level of performance was assuring that she would continue to be noticed. Gradual immprovements in technology such as the in- stallation of the Fresnel Lens System to improve landing accuracy and safety of her aircraft, were keeping ROOSEVELT up-to-date. By 1971, she had completed 200,000 arrested landings. No other attack carrier can even approach that record. The tangible results of her tour were impresseive. During that long and extended tour, ROOSEVELT ' s air wing flew 7,000 sorties in support of the embattled Republic of Vietnam. Two decades of training in war prepared the carrier well for her first tour of combat . years of practice paid off. The Commander of the Seventh Fleet, who led the carrier task forces off Yankee Station, sent the following message to ROOSEVELT as she steamed home: Your spirit, aggressiveness and outstanding ac- complishments continued to be excellent during your recent tour on Yankee Station. The extension was regrettable, but when the chips were down, you came through like the pros we knew you were. On Feb. 21, 1967, after steaming a total of 94, 000 miles and crossing the equator four times, the carrier returned to Mayport. It was time for a rest and, after her 14th Mediterranean deployment, she entered the Norfolf Naval Shipyard for the most extensive overhaul ever attempted by that facility. During the latter part of the year, several short cruises during November prepared ROOSEVELT for her Operational Readiness Exercise. She passed with flying colors and, after spending the holidays in port, left Jan. 3, 1 975, to begin her 19th deployment with the Sixth Fleet. Despite her age, she operates at the same demanding pace as the newer carriers in the fleet and outperforms them in some areas, while continuing to break her old records and make new ones. ROOSEVELT plans to celebrate her 30th Anniversary on October 27, 1975. Setting her first record, a jet plane successfully landed and took off from the giant carrier. When ROOSEVELT became a CVA, her first aircraft were propeller driven.