USS Coral Sea CV-43 and her record 331 day deplyoment in Vietnam...

[Lucky13]

She had,
Been at sea for 245 days.
Steamed 105,000 nautical miles.
Her airgroup CVW-15, flown over 10,800 combat sorties.
Participated in 160 major strikes.
Dropped over 6000 tons (5450 tonnes) of ordnance.
Recorded 16,500 launches.
8 aircrew killed.
1 pilot MIA.
2 POW.
One of her A-3B, two A-1H, three RF-8A's, six F-8D's and eleven of her A-4C's and E's been lost in combat or operational accidents.
For this she, the Ageless Warrior, earned the Navy Unit Commendation for 'Exceptionally Meritorious Service' and her personnel won over 1000 medals, including one Navy Cross, four Silver Stars, seventeen Distinguished Flying Crosses and five Purple Hearts.

 

[syscom3]

When are you going to come to southern California and visit the Chino Museum, the March AFB museum and the USS Midway (sister ship of the Coral Sea) museum?

 

[Lucky13]

That would be a dream come true! Such a shame, that they didn't keep Coral Sea as a......training ship, as the plan was, replacing USS Lexington, CV-16....

During Vietnam, USS Coral Sea spent 875 days on the line, did 7 cruises, suffered 41 KIA, 16 MIA and 26 POW. She lost 69 aircraft in combat and 26 in operational accidents....

So in way, she lost almost a whole airgroup...!

 

[R Pope]

I had the pleasure of going aboard the Coral Sea in the early '60's when she put in to Vancouver B.C. Big ship! Great bunch of guys on board, showed us just about everything.
She had about a 20 minute window to get under the Lion's Gate Bridge, when the water was deep enough and there was still clearance to the bridge for her island structure. They had to lay down a mast to fit through.

 

[Lucky13]

Air Wing: CVW-15

Homeport departure/return: Alameda, 7 December 1964 - 1 November 1965

In-chop/out-chop: 23 january 1965 - 23 October 1965

On line periods: 1 February 1965 - 5 March 1965; 15 March 1965 - 16 April 1965; 1-27 may 1965; 24 June 1965 - 23 July 1965; 12 August 1965 - 10 September 1965; 1-14 October 1965.

Total: 167 days on the line.

Squadrons:

VF-151: F-4B, NL 1XX.
VF-154: F-8D, NL 4XX.
VA-153: A-4C, NL 3XX.
VA-155: A-4E, NL 5XX.
VA-165: A-1H/J, NL 2XX.
VAH-2: A-3B, NL 6XX
VFP-63 Det D: RF-8A, PP 9XX.
VAW-11 Det D: E-1B, RR 7XX.
HU-1 Det 1 Unit D: UH-2A/B, UP X.
(Became HC-1 Det 1 Unit D, on 1 July 1965.)

Air Combat Victories (1):

6 October 1965; MiG 17 shot down by F-4B (150634, NL 107) LCdr Dan MacIntyre and Lt (jg) Alan Johnson VF-151.

Combat Losses (21):

7 February 1965: A-4E (150075, NL 503) of VA-155, AAA or small arms fire, North Vietnam, Lt E A Dickson, KIA.
11 February 1965: F-8D (148633, NL 403) of VF-154, AAA, North Vietnam, LCdr R H Shumaker, POW.
11 February 1965: A-4C (149572, NL 3??) of VA-153, AAA, North Vietnam, Lt W T Majors, recovered.
26 March 1965: F-8D (148644, NL 400) of VF 154, AAA, North Vietnam, Lt C E Wangeman Jr, recovered.
29 March 1965: A-4E (150078, NL 5??) of VA-155, AAA, North Vietnam, Cdr J H Harris, recovered.
29 March 1965: F-8D (148642, NL 407) of VF-154, AAA, North vietnam, Cdr W N Donnelly, recovered.
29 March 1965: F-8D (148688, NL 408.) of VF-154, AAA, North Vietnam, LCdr K E Hume, KIA.
7 April 1965: A-4C (148317, NL 3??) of VA-153, AAA, North Vietnam, Lt W M Roark, KIA.
9 April 1965: A-4C (148841, NL 3??) of VA-153, AAA, North Vietnam, LCdr C H McNeil, recovered.
9 May 1965: F-8D (148673, NL 413) of VF-154, cause unknown, North Vietnam, Lt D A Kardell, KIA.
25 june 1965: A-4C (149574, NL 306) of VA-153, AAA, North Vietnam, Cdr P Mongilardi, KIA.
15 July 1965: A-4C (149576, NL 308.) of VA-153, AAA, North Vietnam, Lt A J Bennett, recovered.
12 August 1965: A-4E (150067, NL 5??) of VA-155, AAA, North Vietnam, Lt W T Fidelibus, recovered.
13 August 1965: A-1H (139772, NL 206) of VA-165, AAA, North Vietnam, Lt R Hyland, recovered.
13 August 1965: RF-8A (146849, PP 920) of VFP-63, AAA, North Vietnam, P A Manning, recovered.
13 August 1965: A-4C (148475, NL 312) of VA-153, AAA, North Vietnam, Cdr H E Thomas, KIA.
4 September 1965: A-1H (139693, NL 203) of VA-165, AAA, North Vietnam, Lt (jg) E B Shaw, KIA.
7 September 1965: RF-8A (146826, PP992) of VFP-63, cause unknown, North Vietnam, LT (jg) C B Goodwin, MIA.
10 September 1965: A-4E (149991, NL 500) of VA-155, AAA, North Vietnam, LCdr W B Rivers, POW.
11 October 1965: A-4E (152016, NL 5??) of VA-155, AAA, North Vietnam, P M Moore, recovered.
14 October 1965: F-8D (147899, NL 406) of VF-154, small arms fire, North Vietnam, Lt J A Terhune, recovered.

Operational losses (2):

24 February 1965: A-3B (147664) of VAH-2, three crew members recovered, one killed.
8 October 1965: RF-8A (145617) of VFP-63, pilot recovered.