Ranger (CV 61) - Naval Cruise Book

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50 YEARS The keel for the RANGER was laid on Au- gust 2, 1954. Thousands of shipyard workers fabricated, assembled, and con- structed almost 52,000 tons of steel, 2,500,000 pounds of aluminum, 180 miles of piping, 290 miles of electrical wire and used over 700 drawings to form this great naval vessel. An unusual event in the construction of the RANGER was the fact that she was built in two drydocks. To expedite her building, work was started in a smaller drydock. About four months later, when the FORRESTAI. was launched, the par- tially completed hull of the RANGER was floated into the larger Mcility vacated by the FORRESTAL. The RANGER was the worlds most mod- ern aircraft carrier when built in 1956. Her facilities not only included all the im- provements built into her sistership, the ' S:- 1 . IEW NEMA GF SER VICE SARATOGA, but also included improve- ments in her weapons handling equip- ment and an all-welded aluminum eleva- tor. This port side elevator, weighing 105 tons, is the largest and heaviest all-weld- ed aluminum structure ever built. The USS RANGER was christened at 12:50 on September 29, 1956. The sponsor was Mrs. Arthur W. Radford, wife of the Chair- man ofthe Joint Chiefs of Staff C V-61 was commissioned on August 10, 195 7, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Vir- ginia. She weighed a hefty 81,000 tons and measured 1,071 feet long. RANGER reported to her first home port, NAS Alameda, CA., on August 20, 1958, after rounding Cape I-lom. From NAS Ala- meda she made four cruises to the West- em Pacific. ms rom' 5

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Ji em.4m.a.f.,4 , i 'fr ' I l M.. . x Q-XX M. 1 I X14 A lL:-:V .. . .1 a- -49 4 r -f-------- :ga l p 1 I' ,'lL .-- 4 if-E555-oi G R E A T NCQ RAGEfIE 0 R FME . .'. LL CENTLFMEN SEAHEN and alale-laodied I RNDSHYN iff-A 1 wha, lpnc a Mrfd to ci.flznguzfl1 ihemtelses rn :':e nLORlU U8 qgfqfzifg CAUSEOY rltcxr Couurav, and :make :leer l'c c:c,, IMAO?- 'fgq gil! porhmrty now 05271 On board the Ehzp R :K NGhR, of Twenty . ' Gum. ffvr Fnneesl rzmvrlayfng Jn Purrsuoyrn, rn .he State of NEW-Hash swat, eonrrnuffded by JOHN FA Ui. JONI-'S Ffq, let tldem repa.r lu Ihe Ships Resgiel- vous in Ponrsuocru, or at the Srgrr of Lommodore MA-Liv, rr. Sngsu, where :Egg-,f mil bg gmj- ly entertained, and receive the greatefl Enqdursgernerna- -The :lap RA-san, in rlfre O 'r.1rJ:rot' , , , , 1 every Perfcn who has fecn her rs :naked upon in be Une or the F-ell Crurzers :rx Aunzcn.---Elie will be always able to Frght her Guns under a mofl ClLCl.C 1 Covers .grgd ng VCEQ1 ,cg burlg was ever caleulatcd for iazirng taller, and rnakrrg gm-d XS eather, Any Cass rzrusw VOLUNTLLN who have a Nami to take- an agreable Voyage in tlzrs pleaiant Seafon of the Year, may, by cnrerrzrg on board the abere Slzzp RA-.gin mug ugh gygyy Civrlrry they' can polllbly expe5', and lor a further Encouragement depend on the flrfl OP. pornumry bong cmizraced to reward each one agreable to hrg MUN All reafunakle Travelling Expcnccs wrll be allowed and the Advance 'Wont be Ed 00 then Appearance on Board. l -' Y P. 'I l. affix-.'.1-4r,i.+.4b-wL'.4-'.,- ,gel l'- C fl N G R E S S, IHARCH 29 -- I I, 17. R I l 'LJ L Y 2 D, HAT the Mum: Couurrrzl be autl.aril'ed to advance Yo er,-My AUC qclma- Ling enters :nw the COHTININTAL Suv C., any Sum Iwi Emeefw FvbRs'l'.i' DO LA R And tu every nrdrnlty Seaman or Llneli-mary, any Sum Q I v THIS 'ry K b d d rl d Q, 1 v 11-re Clkcfulrb Jn rv C f USC IOATI Klxcrr future Prize Pri.,-,fra By Ureler of Q re- are H I I , ., JOHN llANC.w:ngi run .-- ,...,.,..,ii.,, , --.a .,.,..-.f,-,,TV.: v 'li Ai--i I-in L77 A ' ZHISTORYUANVERJ' Fffnvd b, P. Rvrlrrr. -1 ru Hook Lu- the Rau-Tarfm.

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h ' 'I' 4 1 I r 3 4. I v 1 1 I i I i 4 3 N l i l 4 l -,. 5 E E. . 5 ggi .- A ..f:i1'ii.i1.gc.gggg1 -M-n-31-Q7 if i R Ai? ' L , -9?f--fairieltfii-fr:-Quiz'Q:-1--f: f. D M -.Agana .zQrrf:ssn.-agen-,-Qt,-J-1-........,... E-. 1-1 ,- 11.1, :fwfr . 5 f'r??4'f' . 1 - ' 'W A . ,, t .., .. Mm Ll, li, .Jw K 'K' f-A-svmi?'1 s.. r-'4+'nf5'5A'l 'W fl V . ., A I ...mn ,We 7 ' A . .. Nfl' K: Nfl t . f 1' T' 'Z' new . --'Y' ,, ' . A ' .. ,gun . ff ,, -if '. A . ..-- 'if' 1 1 1 ' T - 4-or f- ,, . ' it f' V My no ......f.,.,...-my ' 'f A., of ,Q A : . -..Ap-J c, g . g . . as . t 'am ,. JAM Q. :Q f.,.,,., nn- USS RANGER AS SHE APPEARED IN 1957 WITH HER AIRWIIYG. THROUGH VIGILAIYCE, CV-61 was not called into combat until August 5, 1964, on her fifth cruise. ln the next ten years, RANGER deployed seven times to Southeast Asia during the Viet- nam Conflict. ln 1975, RANGER returned to the United States and a new home pon' - San Diego. In her peacetime role, RANGER deployed to the Westem Pacific to maintain the bal- ance of Naval Sea Power and to keep the sea lanes open. On her 14th deployment, RANGER de- ployed to the Persian Gulf and remained in the region for 150 days during the Iran- ian hostage crisis. On her 17th deployment, WESTPAC '85- '84, RANGER assumed a station in the North Arabian Sea, and set a conventional carrier-at-sea record of 121 consecutive days. 4 HIS TOR Y f.Qf....,Q.A1. Q , . . 45 V Following a brief layover in San Diego, RANGER transited to the Puget Sound Na- val Shipyard for complex overhaul, an ex- tensive renovation of existing systems. During the overhaul period, a number of signiHcant alterations were accomplish ed, ranging from increasing her fuel capacity to increasing her ability to produce fresh water by installing a 100,000 gallon-a-day distilling unit. RANGER returned to her home port in San Diego on June 8, 1985. The Forrestal Class carrier, sporting six coats of semi- gloss enamel, completed her Refresher Training Exercises KREFTRAQ with hustle and enthusiasm. The USS RANGER brought new standards' to the concept of covert carrier oper- 5 x - A:- 1 at 4 X M X 'T W uhaamvfvirwuaft