Hancock (CVA 19) - Naval Cruise Book

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,- Q I I i Reconstructing A Warship Repairs on the Hancock were completed in time for the carrier to return to Japanese Waters and participate in the final air strikes on the home islands. Formal surrender came on Sept. 2, 1945, aboard the battleship Missouri in Tokyo Bay as Hancock and her sister carriers combined for a massive fly-over to demonstrate Allied air power. With the end of the war, Hancock became a part of Operation Red Carpet and transported many of the fighting men home. She was a proud and veteran warship. Her planes had downed or destroyed 723 aircraft and sunk 17 warships and 31 merchant vessels. Ships guns had accounted for 10 more planes. Even so, the carrier was destined for deactivation and by mid-1946 Hancock's grey shape was mothballed and berthed at a pier in Mukilteo, Wash. The life of the carrier was far from ended though. ln 1951 the wraps had already begun to come off and massive rebuilding projects were underway to add the benefits which technology had brought in the intervening years. By 1954, the ship was taking shape as the most powerful naval strike unit ever conceived. Hancock was the first American carrier with steam catapults. Her flight deck was now angled for speedier and safer flight operations. She was given an enclosed hurricane bow for strength and sea-keeping ability. And new landing systems were added to handle the newer, faster and heavier jet aircraft. The second phase of her existence had begun. 'W' Nfvugxw 5 3 ww wwwlb ' 'K Wiunnna n A fm! reef- M S4 .2 AAA! ifC:l4S9'f3V'MW 453912458 A555353 CIO ,--.I oeewso' , IQ GOOD 1116 2 243 an 'Y is - , smumsmw-mmuum i N ' umunmmmtm mumuumxl gg' ulsnmmmuummumummm '1 , . - e . may 'dia MMM 90 OOQHOQQ 2223 gf .2 if zigiaerfz 3115 22 gn .'fzef-Man M... 1' e 2 ?.?z2?. 1: is Z -f .2 we 2 2.7111 ., W V45 7' Lian 1 9 4 If 4 W6 arf 4 s x 'w 5 'vwkXx+'r L35 www 4 'P muuuummwimmxuxmxm ummmswsxmumxsmmnuu xgf- A ' 45, Q V0-,ap-4: nn.-aqua - TTT' M N 'Tf '7 'TT ? f'?ff W'f f I 2-.wi -i - L' Www' A ' ' ' 1.

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SG-f:.Tf 7f4'A1 V .,--. :ff ju 'H' l x 1 i z t . t E L i L E K. l - t.. t F t r 5 I, I. u in ' W. il ,r 7 , , l ' l f, i y. , , 3 l I E A f , i Q l , 30 . fFar rightj One of Hancock's A-4 Skyhawk attack jets zeroes in on North Vietnamese bridge span dropped earlier by other Hancock attack pilots. lRighrJ A- 4's dive on target in South Vietnam, note A-4 in center of picture. fBelow rightj Bombs are attached to an A-4 wing undercarriage. lBelowl F-8 Crusaders, normally a fighter, show versatility in an attack capacity. 4 x t xr. - R , i-11.-fy' - -:if35. ,- M.. f ' ' ' ' W ul , 4 '- 'f 1 ff 'fkfafg ,,,. -C' Y .- ff A H I A f f aw.. - f' ?i -1 , if . :-wi.-1':E1l.i? K fir- Tfii ,f f ' f 1' ,V A . V ' H ' 1, W'-K-'nf-1 f-,.,f 7 -'AQ.:,sy-4,.1y6-,',:,, , , ' , nf, f yi.. '.E.I5Qi,'ff-EM?.,:-Q2:'.-':'J:?,Z'?Uf :V41 L f,,V..,gf- X I is W I ., ' I , 1 -. fix Q 4 il 'ill VIET AM The first few years of I-lancock's second lease on life saw the revitalized carrier patrolling the Pacific in relatively peaceful times. Buttthen, in 1965, she was called to war again. Her aircraft were among the first to strike North Vietnam as America's involvement in the Vietnam war escalated. It was to last for eight years. Hancock's combat operations in those years were far different from those in her other war. But then, Hancock was also different. She completed seven combat deployments to Southeast Asia. Long months were spent on Yankee Station launching innumerable strike missions. Precious few months were spent in Alameda for rest, repairs and retraining before deploying again. She had begun to show her age physically. Newer carriers were larger and more sophisticated, but still patterned after the design pioneered by Hancock in 1954. Yet I-lancock's Vietnam performance won her two Navy Unit Commendation Awards, the first ship to win that award for both World War ll and Vietnam. She had lost nothing from her capacity to perform as she always had. Her second life was as much a success as her first. 4, 4S.yA.. iinriwi 2 Y Y i Fm M WW