USS Intrepid (CV-11)

The fourth USS "Intrepid" (CV/CVA/CVS-11) is an and . Then American bombers sank her sister ship sank and at least 9 of Ozawa's 15 aircraft were shot down.
*On through the day the attack continued and, after five more strikes, Japan had lost four carriers and a destroyer.
*The still potent Center Force, after pushing through San Bernardino Strait, had steamed south along the coast of Samar where it was held at bay by a small escort carrier group of six "baby flattops", three destroyers, and four destroyer escorts until help arrived and it went back towards Japan.
*As "Intrepid"'s aircraft hit Clark Field 30 October a burning kamikaze crashed into one of the carrier's port gun tubs killing 10 men and wounding 6. Soon skillful damage control work enabled the flattop to resume flight operations.
*"Intrepid"'s aircraft continued to hit airfields and shipping in the Philippines.
*25 November shortly after noon: A heavy force of Japanese aircraft struck back at the carriers. Within 5 minutes 2 kamikazes crashed into the carrier killing 6 officers and 5 crew. (Actual report from Air Group 18 states "sixty were dead, fifteen missing, and about one hundred wounded." "Intrepid" never lost propulsion nor left her station in the task group; and in less than 2 hours, had extinguished the last blaze. [ from "Intrepid" after history's first controlled re-entry into the earth's atmosphere ended the pair's nearly perfect three-orbit flight. A Navy helicopter lifted the astronauts from the spacecraft and flew them to "Intrepid" for medical examination and debriefing. Later "Intrepid" retrieved "Molly Brown" and returned the spaceship and astronauts to Cape Kennedy.
*After this mission "Intrepid" entered the Brooklyn Navy Yard in April for a major overhaul to bring her back to peak combat readiness. The shipyard had already been closed and the work force transferred to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. In fairness, it should be noted that for political reasons, Sen. Robert Kennedy had Intrepid sent to Brooklyn, instead of her home yard of Norfolk, for the overhaul. This caused severe dislocation problems for the families of the crew after many long sea periods. however the yard workers profited for they were then paid per diem rates for working away from Philadelphia and living at home in Brooklyn.

1965 – 1974

This was the final Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization (FRAM) job performed by the New York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York, which was slated to close after more than a century and a half of service to the nation.
*September 1965: "Intrepid", with her work approximately 75 percent completed, eased down the East River to moor at the Naval Supply Depot at Bayonne, New Jersey, for the completion of her multi-million dollar overhaul. After builder's sea trials and fitting out at Norfolk she sailed to Guantánamo on shakedown.

Mid-1966 found Intrepid with the Pacific Fleet off Vietnam. Nine A-4 Skyhawks and six A-l 'Skyraiders, loaded with bombs and rockets, were catapulted in 7 minutes, with only a 28-second interval between launches. A few days later planes were launched at 26-second Intervals. After 7 months of service with the 7th Fleet off Vietnam, Intrepid returned to Norfolk having earned her Commanding Officer, Captain John W. Fair, the Legion of Merit for combat operations in Southeast Asia.

*9 October 1966 LTJG William T. Patton of VA-176 from Intrepid, Flying a propeller driven A-1 Skyraider, shot down one Mig-17. This was the first and only shoot down of an enemy jet aircraft by a propeller driven plane during the Vietnam Conflict. For the action, Lieutenant (jg) Patton was awarded the Silver Star. 8 Jun 1967:

In June 1967, Intrepid returned to the Western Pacific by way of the Suez Canal just prior to its closing during the Israeli-Arab crisis. There she began another tour with the 7th Fleet.

In 1968 she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award for the Atlantic Fleet.

*During 1969: "Intrepid" was home ported at Quonset Point, Rhode Island, relieving USS|Yorktown|CV-10|2 as the flagship for Commander Carrier Division 16. In fall 1969 the ship was run aground by Captain Horus E. Moore, but was freed within 2 hours. From April to October, 1971, Intrepid took part in NATO exercises, and made calls in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean ports of Lisbon, Plymouth, Kiel, Naples, Cannes, Barcelona, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Greenock, Rosyth, Portsmouth, and Bergen. During this cruise, submarine detection operations were conducted in the Baltic and at the edge of the Barents Sea above the Arctic Circle, under close scrutiny of Soviet air and naval forces. She subsequently returned to her homeport to be refitted and then made her final cruise in the Mediterranean, stopping in Barcelona and Malaga Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; Nice, France; Naples, Italy; Palma, Majorca; and Piraeus, Greece.
*15 March 1974: "Intrepid" was decommissioned for the final time.

After her final decommissioning

Infobox_nrhp | name =USS INTREPID (aircraft carrier)
nrhp_type =nhl


caption =
location= Intrepid Square, New York, New York
area =
built =1941
architect= Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock
architecture=
designated= January 14, 1986cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1942&ResourceType=Structure
title=INTREPID, USS (Aircraft Carrier) |accessdate=2008-01-26|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service]
added = January 14, 1986cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service]
governing_body = Private
refnum=86000082During 1976, "Intrepid" was moored at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia and hosted exhibits as part of the United States Bicentennial celebrations.

Plans originally called for "Intrepid" to be scrapped after decommissioning, but a campaign led by real estate developer Zachary Fisher and the Intrepid Museum Foundation saved the carrier, and established it as a museum ship. In August 1982, the ship opened in New York City as the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum. Four years later "Intrepid" was officially designated as a National Historic Landmark.citation|title=PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/86000082.pdf National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: USS Intrepid (CV-11)] |389 KiB |date=May, 1985 |author=Harry A. Butowsky |publisher=National Park Service and PDFlink| [http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Photos/86000082.pdf "Accompanying 8 photos, exterior and interior, from 1982, 1983, 1984, and 1944."] |760 KiB ]

Over the years, "Intrepid" has hosted many special events. On July 4, 1993, "Intrepid" was the site of the World Wrestling Federation's Yokozuna Bodyslam Challenge. She also annually takes part in New York City's Fleet Week, which celebrates the service of the world's naval forces. In addition to its function as a museum ship, the Intrepid serves as an emergency operations center for city and federal authorities if the need arises. The FBI used it as an operations center after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.cite web
url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/06/AR2006110600971.html
title = Mud Stops USS Intrepid Move From N.Y. Pier
publisher = Washingtonpost.com
accessdate = 2007-03-21]

2006-2008 renovation

Throughout the last several years, the "Intrepid" museum has operated a fund for the restoration, raising over $60 million to refit the Intrepid, to improve its exhibits for visitors, and improve Pier 86.

In early July 2006, it was announced that the "Intrepid" would undergo renovations and repairs, along with Pier 86 itself. It closed on October 1, 2006, in preparation for its towing to Bayonne, New Jersey for repairs, and later Staten Island, New York for renovation and temporary docking.cite web
url = http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/intrepidmuseum/press/item.php?id=43
title = The Intrepid Will Be Temporarily Moved and Pier 86 Will be Reconstructed Under an Historic $55 Million-Plus Capital Expansion Plan
publisher = Intrepid Air, Sea and Space Museum
accessdate = 2007-03-21] cite web
url = http://www.marinelink.com/Story/ShowStory.aspx?StoryID=203707
title = Intrepid to Close for Repairs, Renovation
publisher = Marinelink.com
accessdate = 2007-03-21]

On November 6 2006, an attempt to remove the aircraft carrier from the pier for restoration was temporarily put on hold by the Coast Guard. Despite the use of several tugs with a combined convert|30000|hp, officials said the ship was stuck in 24 years worth of accumulated silt and would not move.

On November 11, 2006 the United States Navy announced that it would spend $3 million to dredge the mud and silt from under the "Intrepid". The effort was led by the United States Navy Supervisor of Salvage and Diving with assistance from the United States Army Corps of Engineers, United States Coast Guard, and contractors. The teams operated for three weeks to clear the site of mud and silt.

On December 5 2006, after the removal of convert|39000|cuyd|m3 of muck from under the ship and around its four giant screws, "Intrepid" was successfully removed from its pier and was towed to Bayonne. [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/06/nyregion/06intrepid.html] The "Intrepid" was scheduled to return to Pier 86 in September 2008.

The aircraft carrier Intrepid made a D-Day "landing" on Staten Island, Wednesday, June 6, after being towed from a slip at Bayonne Dry Dock & Repair Corp.

While in Staten Island, Intrepid underwent the next phase of her refurbishment, and received an $8 million interior renovation. Never-before-seen areas of the ship including the forecastle (fo'c'sle, commonly known as the anchor chain room), general berthing quarters and the ship's machine shop will be opened to the public for the first time. The hangar deck will feature a new layout and design including new interactive exhibits. Total cost of the rennovation was $120 million - $55 million for the ship and $65 million for Pier 86. [Pyle, Richard, " [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/30/restored-intrepid-returns/ Aircraft carrier survived wars, years of decay] ", Associated Press (printed in the "Washington Times", p. 10), September 30, 2008.]

The carrier was towed back into place on the Hudson River on October 2, 2008 and is scheduled to reopen to the public on November 8. Additional aircraft will be displayed on the flight and hangar decks and the British Concorde was moved from a barge into an exhibit space on the pier. [Pyle, Richard, " [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/sep/30/restored-intrepid-returns/ Aircraft carrier survived wars, years of decay] ", Associated Press (printed in the "Washington Times", p. 10), September 30, 2008.]

Media appearances

The story of the "Intrepid's" move was featured on the History Channel's "Mega Movers" program. The episode was titled "Intrepid: On the Move" and premiered Thursday, July 5

The ship has been featured in blockbuster films, including the 2004 film "National Treasure" and the 2007 film "I Am Legend." [cite web|title=INTREPID: ON THE MOVE A MEGA MOVERS SHOW|url=http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/intrepidmuseum/index.php?MERCURYSID=b7a01130131c2e45a156c6f326da0925] [cite web|title=Episode: Intrepid: On the Move|url=http://www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=228768]

ee also

* List of aircraft carriers
* List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
* List of World War II ships

References

*

Further reading

*"The Aircraft Carrier Intrepid" / John Roberts. - Conway Maritime Press, 1982. - ISBN 085177251X. Part of the "Anatomy of the Ship" series.
* McGeehan, Patrick [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/03/nyregion/03intrepid.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=Intrepid&st=cse&oref=slogin Floating Proudly, a Warship Returns to Its Mission] Printed in The New York Times October 2, 2008.
*

External links

* [http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/ "Intrepid" Sea-Air-Space Museum homepage]
* [http://www.wa3key.com/intrepid.html USS "Intrepid" Association homepage]
* [http://www.hnsa.org/ships/intrepid.htm HNSA Web Page: USS Intrepid]
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-i/cv11.htm US Navy photos of "Intrepid"]
* [http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/11.htm NavSource photos of "Intrepid"]
* [http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.764771,-74.001245&spn=0.004087,0.007617&t=k&hl=en Interactive satellite view of the museum site]
* [http://wgordon.web.wesleyan.edu/kamikaze/books/ships/stone/index.htm "My Ship!" The U.S.S. Intrepid"] - Review of book by Raymond Stone about his experiences aboard "Intrepid" as a radarman from August 1943 to June 1945.
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/aviation/ Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms, a National Park Service "Discover Our Shared Heritage" Travel Itinerary]
* Larry Sowinski, "USS Intrepid Album" (Levittown, New York: Gerard Graphics, 1976)
* http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/carriers/histories/cv11-intrepid/cv11-intrepid.html A brief history of Aircraft Carriers - USS "Intrepid" (CV-11)]
* [http://www.hullnumber.com/CV-11 CV-11 Personnel Roster at HullNumber.com]
* [http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/10/02/nyregion/20081003_INTREPID_SLIDESHOW_index.html The Intepid returns to Manhattan Slideshow]