- USS Kearsarge (CV-33)
The third USS "Kearsarge" (CV-33) (also CVA-33 and CVS-33) was a
United States Navy Sclass|Essex|aircraft carrier. She was the second US Navy vessel named in honor of the Civil War era steam sloop USS|Kearsarge|1861|6, she was launched5 May 1945 by theNew York Naval Shipyard ,New York , sponsored by Mrs.Aubrey W. Fitch , and commissioned2 March 1946 with Captain Francis J. McKenna in command. "Kearsarge" received twobattle star s for Korean War service and five battle stars for Vietnam service.Operational history
"Kearsarge" arrived at her home port of
Norfolk, Virginia ,21 April 1946 , and for the next year engaged in training operations along the East Coast andCaribbean . She cleared Norfolk7 June 1947 on a midshipmen training cruise to theUnited Kingdom . Upon her return to theUnited States in August, the carrier engaged in maneuvers for 10 months before departingHampton Roads 1 June 1948 for duty with the6th Fleet . During her tour in theMediterranean , units of the 6th Fleet were placed on alert to insure peace in theMideast . "Kearsarge" returnedQuonset Point, Rhode Island ,2 October , and operated along the Atlantic Coast and the Caribbean until27 January 1950 when she sailed for the West Coast. The carrier arrivedPuget Sound Navy Yard on23 February , and decommissioned there16 June 1950 for a modernization overhaul that would enable her to handle newjet aircraft .Korean War
"Kearsarge" recommissioned
15 February 1952 with Captain Louis B. French in command. Following shakedown, the carrier clearedSan Diego 11 August for intensive flight training in theHawaiian Islands . Her readiness complete, she sailed for theFar East to en gage in combat missions in theKorean War . ArrivingYokosuka 8 September , "Kearsarge" joined the fast carrierTask Force 77 off the east coast of Korea 6 days later. For the next 5 months the carrier's planes flew nearly 6,000 sorties against Communist forces inNorth Korea , unleashing considerable damage on enemy positions. She completed her tour in late February 1953, returning to her home port of San Diego on17 March . While serving in Korea her classification was changed to CVA-33.Far East
"Kearsarge" sailed again for the Far East
1 July 1953 and operated with the7th Fleet fast carrier force during the uneasy truce in Korea. The "Mighty Kay" (after three collisions with other ships in a short period of time, including the cruise ship SS Oriana, the "Kearsarge" was also nicknamed by some "Rammin Rankin's Krashbarge" and "The Mighty Kay-RUNCH") also kept watch over theFormosa Straits to prevent the Communists from attacking theChinese Nationalists onTaiwan . "Kearsarge" returned San Diego,18 January 1954 to resume training operations offCalifornia . Clearing San Diego7 October , she steamed toward her third deployment to the Far East. While operating with the 7th Fleet, the carrier stood by to assist the Nationalist Chinese in the evacuation of theTachen Islands . From6 February to13 February 1955 "Kearsarge" supported units of the fleet in the successful evacuation of 18,000 civilians and 20,000 military personnel from the islands. Her cruise ended at San Diego12 May and for the next 3 years operated on the annual deployment schedule to the Far East and training operations off California.During the summer of 1958, "Kearsarge" was fitted out as an
antisubmarine warfare support carrier and reclassified CVS-33. Following intensive training in her new role, the carrier sailed5 September 1959 for 7th Fleet operations in the Far East. Early in her tour,Japan was hit with a violent typhoon, and "Kearsarge" played an important role in providing relief to the victims. Her planes landed parties of medical and supply units, while her crew and air group donated clothing and money to the distressed people. After participating inSEATO exercises and 7th Fleet operations, she cleared Yokosuka,3 March 1960 for her homeward voyage. Three days later in stormy waters 1,200 miles offWake Island , four Russians were rescued after drifting 49 days in disabled landing craft. They were flown back to their country after "Kearsarge" arrived inAlameda, California on15 March ; and the carrier received thanks from theSoviet Union for this gesture.A year of training operations preceded her next deployment from San Diego which began
3 March 1961 . The antisubmarine carrier steamed toSoutheast Asia n waters as the Communists intensified their effort to overthrow the government inLaos . The demonstrations of the 7th Fleet were observed by the enemy and the crisis abated. After 6 months in theFar East , "Kearsarge" arrivedPuget Sound 1 November for the second phase of her modernizations.Project Mercury
Upon completion of repairs and training, "Kearsarge" departed
Long Beach, California on1 August 1962 to station herself in thePacific Missile Range as a recovery ship in theProject Mercury orbitalspace flight ofastronaut Walter Schirra after splashdown. On3 October , after a flawless flight, the carrier played her role in the "Space Age " by retrieving Schirra and hisspace capsule and returning him to Honolulu for flight back to the States."Kearsarge" resumed training exercises, continuing these for 6 months before arriving
Pearl Harbor 29 April 1963 to once again take part in the space program. The carrier repeated her earlier splashdown recovery by plucking astronautGordon Cooper on16 May 1963 after he orbited the earth 22 times in his capsule "Faith 7."Viet Nam
She returned the space hero to Pearl Harbor, then departed
4 June on her eighth cruise to the Far East. Operations with the 7th Fleet included keeping watch on the unsettled problems in Southeast Asia. "Kearsarge" returned to Long Beach on3 December for training exercises off California.Six months later, on
19 June 1964 the antisubmarine carrier was deployed on her ninth Far Eastern cruise. Arriving Yokosuka30 July , "Kearsarge" was dispatched to theSouth China Sea , following theNorth Vietnam ese patrol boat attack on U.S.destroyer s in theGulf 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 for the time being, and "Kearsarge" returned to Long Beach on16 December .After overhaul during the first half of 1965, "Kearsarge" operated off the West Coast until sailing for the Far East
9 June 1966 . Steaming via Hawaii and Japan, she reached "Yankee Station "8 August and operated off Vietnam through24 October . The next day she headed for theKuala Lumpur area and anchored in theStrait of Malacca on the 30th. She returned via Subic Bay to "Yankee Station"5 November and operated there through the 23rd. The next day, the carrier started home viaHong Kong and Japan, arriving in San Diego20 December . She operated on the West Coast until departing San Diego18 August and reached Pearl Harbor 10 days later to prepare for future action.Made redundant by the general fleet drawdown of the late 1960s and early 1970s, USS "Kearsarge" was decommissioned
13 February 1970 . Following three years in the Reserve Fleet, she was stricken from theNaval Vessel Register in May 1973 and sold for scrap in February 1974.ee also
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List of aircraft carriers
*List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy External links
* [http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-k/cv33.htm Navy photographs of "Kearsarge" (CV-33)]
* [http://www.angelfire.com/wi2/cvs33/cv.html History of the CV-33 Kearsarge mentioning the Krashbarge nickname]
* [http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/oriana.htm New Zealand maritime records mentioning the collision with Oriana]
* [http://www.hullnumber.com/CV-33 CV-33 Personnel Roster at HullNumber.com]References
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