Kearsarge (CVS 33) - Naval Cruise Book

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Aircraft Carrier (CV CVA CVS 33) The aircraft carrier KEARSARGE, autho- rized by an act of Congress on July 9th, 1942 and commissioned on March 2nd, 1946, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be so named Her keel was laid the 1st of March 1941 at the Naval Ship Yard, New York and she was launched on May 5th, 1945 with Mrs. Aubrey W. Fitch, wife of Vice-Admiral Aubrey W Fitch, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Air) as sponsor. The KEARSARGE arrived Puget Sound Navy Yard 23 February and decommissioned there 16 June 1950 for a modernization overhaul that would enable her to handle new jet aircraft. KEARSARGE was recommissioned 15 February 1952, Captain Louis B. French in com- mand She joined the fast earner Task Force 77 off the east coast of Korea where her planes flew nearly 6,000 sorties against Communist forces. While serving in Korea KEARSARGE ' s classifica- tion was changed to CVA 33. KEARSARGE earned two battle stars during the Korean War. During the summer of 1958 KEARSARGE was fitted out as an antisubmarine warfare support carrier and reclassified CVS 33. On 1 August 1962 KEARSARGE departed Long Beach to station herself in the Pacific missile range as a recovery ship in the Mercury orbital space flight of astronaut Walter Schirra. The KEARSARGE repeated her earlier recovery by plucking astronaut Gordon Cooper on 1 8 May 1963 after her orbited the earth 22 times in his capsule Faith 7. On 19 June 1964 the antisubmarine carrier was deployed on her ninth Far Eastern cruise. Arriving Yokosuka 30 July, KEARSARGE was dispatched to the South China Sea, following the North Vietnamese patrol boat attack on U.S. de- stroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin. While U.S. Navy planes destroyed North Vietnam oil and supply depots KEARSARGE provided antisubmarine protection for the 7th Fleet. The decisiveness of American action persuaded the Communists to delay their objectives. KEARSARGE earned five battle stars and a Meritorious Unit Commendation during the Vietnam War. KEARSARGE was decommissioned in 1970, ' ., af? ' t WQBi • ' ■ rv ' ' WtF ' 1 - - s irf L .-■-» 4 ' m fe 1 - i ■■ - - - ' SK. ' } t s U Uf ' r Sl ■Em S ' SKKKSmM ' l , ' ' • W- EM ■ t 9 - - JUUlil B B HQSg 1

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Crane Ship (AB 1) i ib ' Bkf- ' S . J IPm After her decommissioning, she was converted to a crane ship. KEARSARGE received an immense revolving crane with a rated lifting capacity of 250 tons, as well as hull blisters, which gave her more stability. The 10,000-ton craneship rendered invalu- able service for the next 20 years. One of many accomplishments was the raising of the sunken sub- marine SQUALUS off the New Hampshire coast On 6 November 1941 she was designated CRANE SHIP NO. 1, giving up her illustrious name which was assigned to a mighty aircraft carrier. But she contin- ued her yeoman service and made many contributions to the American victories of World War II. She handled guns, turrets, armor and other heavy lifts for new battleships such as INDIANA and ALABAMA; cruisers SAVANNAH and CHICAGO; and guns on the veteran battleship PENNSYLVANIA. In 1945 the crane ship was towed to the San Francisco Naval Shipyard where she assisted in the construction of carriers HORNET, BOXER, and SARATOGA. She departed the West Coast in 1948 to finish her career in the Boston Naval Shipyard. As CRANE SHIP NO. 1, her name was struck from the Navy List 22 June 1955. She was sold for scrapping 9 August 1955.

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if5 ABOVE: Two aircraft fi-om the USS CONSTELLATION fly by KEARSARGE; LEFT; An aircraft makes its approach and landi ng on KEARSARGE; BELOW: KEARSARGE steams off the coast of San Francisco