Misplaced Pages

#541458

125-639: USS Turner Joy (DD-951) is one of 18 Forrest Sherman -class destroyers of the United States Navy . She was named for Admiral Charles Turner Joy USN (1895–1956). Commissioned in 1959, she spent her entire career in the Pacific. She participated extensively in the Vietnam War , and was one of the principal ships involved in the Gulf of Tonkin incident . Decommissioned in 1982, she

250-487: A Terrier missile demonstration by Topeka and air demonstrations by Kitty Hawk . Kitty Hawk entered San Francisco Naval Shipyard on 23 November 1961 for alterations. Following operations out of San Diego, she sailed from San Francisco on 13 September 1962. Kitty Hawk joined the United States Seventh Fleet on 7 October 1962, relieving Midway as the flagship . After participating in

375-554: A 15-month, $ 110 million overhaul, including three months in dry dock in Bremerton, from January to March 1998. Kitty Hawk departed San Diego on 6 July 1998, to assume new duties as America's only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier from Independence . Kitty Hawk also welcomed aboard Carrier Air Wing 5 , operating from Naval Air Facility Atsugi , Japan. Kitty Hawk arrived at her new operating location of U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka , Japan, on 11 August 1998. With

500-428: A 21-day transit, Turner Joy joined USS  Coral Sea near the end of the month. During August and the first three weeks of September, the destroyer served both as an escort for the carrier and as a detached radar picket ship. On 23 September, she moved into the Gulf of Thailand near the west coast of South Vietnam to participate in one of the earliest naval gunfire support missions conducted along that section of

625-497: A US$ 100 million complex overhaul, scheduled to last just more than 12 months. This overhaul configured Kitty Hawk to operate with the F-14 and S-3A "Viking" aircraft in a total CV sea control mode. This included adding spaces for storage, ordnance handling, and maintenance facilities for the two aircraft. Also included in the work package were more efficient work areas for airframes and a repair facility for ground support equipment, and

750-420: A broken wrist reported. The bodies of those men who died in the fire were escorted home by members of their respective Divisions for burial. As a result of the deaths of the six crew members, on 10 January 1974, an investigation was ordered by Rear Admiral Donald C. Davis , Commander of Carrier Group 1 and Senior Officer onboard Kitty Hawk designated as his flagship. Although initial reports lay blame to one of

875-523: A carrier task force weapons demonstration off the California coast. Addressing the men of the task group from Kitty Hawk , President Kennedy told them that, as in the past, control of the seas still means security, peace, and ultimate victory. He later wrote to president and Madame Chiang Kai-shek who had witnessed a similar demonstration onboard USS  Constellation  (CV-64) : "I hope you were impressed as I was, on my visit to Kitty Hawk , with

1000-610: A change to a single F-14 squadron, and 3 F/A-18 squadrons. Kitty Hawk began her 18th deployment, this time with CVW-11, in October 1996. During the six-month underway period, the ship visited ports in the Persian Gulf and Western Pacific. The carrier made a rare visit to Hobart, Tasmania as well as being only the second carrier to ever stop in Manama, Bahrain. Kitty Hawk returned to San Diego 11 April 1997, immediately beginning

1125-599: A demonstration during an exercise at sea with five Brazilian destroyers, the attack carrier rounded Cape Horn on 1 October. She steamed into Valparaíso , Chile, on 13 October and then sailed two days later for Peru , arriving in Callao on 20 October where she entertained the President of Peru. At San Diego , Admiral George W. Anderson , Chief of Naval Operations , landed on her deck 18 November to witness antisubmarine demonstrations by Henry B. Wilson and Blueback ,

1250-602: A few days later. On 15 January 2022 Kitty Hawk left Puget Sound Naval Shipyard under tow en route to Brownsville, Texas, for scrapping, arriving there on 31 May 2022. Following shakedown in the Western Atlantic , Kitty Hawk departed Naval Station Norfolk , Norfolk, Virginia on 11 August 1961. After a brief stop at Rio de Janeiro , Brazil, where she embarked the Secretary of the Brazilian Navy for

1375-479: A fighting unit under the most arduous operating conditions to enable her pilots to destroy vital military targets in North Vietnam despite intense opposition and extremely adverse weather conditions. While on deployment from November 1967 to June 1968, Kitty Hawk experienced a fire in while in port at Subic Bay and went to general quarters for 51 hours. On 16 January 1968 year, a C-1A Trader swerved off

SECTION 10

#1732780148542

1500-568: A hostile nation, as revealed by Kitty Hawk's Petty Officer Robert W Jackson . Later, the FBI arrested seven suspects involved in this smuggling scheme, an event related to what was later known as the Iran-Contra scandal. CVW-9 crews logged more than 18,000 flight hours and 7,300 arrested landings. At the same time Kitty Hawk maintained her catapults and arresting gear at 100 percent availability. In 1986, during pre-cruise exercises, one Airman

1625-516: A member of Turner Joy' s repair party and peppered her bow while the air burst above the forward mast put her air-search radar out of service except for its IFF aspect. The damage, however, was not severe enough to curtail her tour of duty; and she remained on station until relieved by HMAS  Hobart on 16 April. Two days later, the destroyer arrived in Subic Bay, and she entered drydock , soon thereafter, for repairs to her strut bearing,

1750-541: A midshipman training cruise, during which she visited Pearl Harbor, Seattle , and San Francisco . Turner Joy concluded that operation on 29 July when she disembarked the midshipmen at Long Beach. Later that summer, she again visited Seattle in conjunction with that city's annual Seafair celebration. Additional training and upkeep at Long Beach followed and occupied her until the second week in October. At that time, she returned to sea to participate in fleet exercise "Baseline II," after which she proceeded to Long Beach for

1875-512: A modified hurricane bow/anchor configuration. These ships are listed as Hull -class destroyers in some references. Four of the destroyers— John Paul Jones , Parsons , Decatur , and Somers —were converted to guided-missile destroyers under SCB 240, armed with Tartar missiles . Eight of the class were modernized to improve their ASW capabilities under SCB 251: Barry , Davis , Jonas Ingram , Manley , Du Pont , Blandy , Hull , and Morton ; these ships became known as

2000-453: A rather extensive availability which was completed in mid-April. At the conclusion of that repair period, she resumed operations along the coast of southern California. Refresher training, FleetEx 2-75, and a midshipman training cruise occupied her from April through August. On 2 September, she departed San Diego for the 11th deployment of her career to the western Pacific. However, after a two-week stop at Subic Bay, her western Pacific assignment

2125-456: A series of repairs in preparation for another tour of duty in the western Pacific. Turner Joy stood out of Long Beach on 18 November and—after visits to Pearl Harbor, Midway , and Guam—entered port at Kaohsiung , Taiwan, on 11 December. Turner Joy' s fourth deployment to the western Pacific brought her three tours of duty off the coast of Vietnam and concluded with a visit to Australia . On 15 December, she departed Kaohsiung and headed for

2250-475: A series of strike exercises and tactics reaching along the California coast and off Hawaii, Kitty Hawk again sailed for the Far East. While approaching Japan, she learned an assassin had shot President Kennedy. Flags were at half-mast as she entered Sasebo Harbor on 25 November 1963, the day of the President's funeral, and, as senior ship present, she had the sad honor of firing memorial salutes. After cruising

2375-577: A short three-day layover in Pearl Harbor for some crew R&R. She then departed for the South China Sea. However, while en route, during routine maintenance to the ship's fuel oil systems in the No. 1 machinery room on 11 December 1973, a flange gasket failed in one of the fuel transfer tubes of JP5 jet fuel that pass through Number 1 engine room. Jet fuel was sprayed, atomized, and ignited, and

2500-551: A six-month pre-deployment workup, Kitty Hawk departed NAS North Island 25 October 1977 for another Western Pacific Ocean deployment and returned 15 May 1978. In May 1979, the ship teamed up with Carrier Air Wing 15 (CVW-15) for another Western Pacific deployment. Her duties included search and assistance operations to aid refugees in small boats fleeing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam . During that deployment, Kitty Hawk also offered contingency support off

2625-694: A three-month restricted availability in the naval shipyard. She completed the availability early in October and began sea trials and training in the southern California operating area. Early in December, Turner Joy reentered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard to be readied for her redeployment to the western Pacific. On 26 January 1971, she stood out of Long Beach on her way to rejoin the 7th Fleet. She entered Subic Bay on 16 February and went into drydock for several days while both her propellers were replaced. On 5 March, she exited Subic Bay for

SECTION 20

#1732780148542

2750-516: A tour of naval gunfire support duty along the Vietnamese coast. That assignment—carried out along the I Corps-zone coastline near Danang—ended on 2 April; and she headed for Yankee Station and two weeks of plane guard duty with the TF ;77 aircraft carriers. Following a five-day port call at Subic Bay, Turner Joy took up position at Yankee Station again on 27 April—this time as escort for

2875-585: A visit to Guam, Kitty Hawk celebrated 40 years of active service as the ship and crew sailed south to participate in Exercise Tandem Thrust 2001 with the Australian and Canadian navies. The ship returned to Yokosuka on 11 June 2001. On 17 October 2000, and again on 9 November 2000, Kitty Hawk was buzzed by a group of Russian warplanes in the Sea of Japan , which proceeded to take pictures of

3000-883: A voyage to Australia and New Zealand. During July, she made visits to the Australian towns of Brisbane and Sydney as well as Auckland, New Zealand. On 26 July Turner Joy got underway for home. She arrived back in Long Beach on 10 August and conducted normal post-deployment evolutions through the remainder of 1971. In February 1972, the destroyer began an extensive overhaul. Over the ensuing six months, she received entirely new 5 inch 54-caliber gun mounts; and her propulsion plant underwent conversion to enable it to burn Navy distillate fuel. Extensive other modifications, installations, and renovations also took place between February and August. From August to December, she busied herself with various trials and tests at sea, conducted refresher training, and prepared for her next assignment to

3125-931: Is now a museum ship in Bremerton, Washington. Turner Joy was built by the Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company of Seattle and commissioned at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington . Her keel was laid on 30 September 1957. She was launched on 5 May 1958, sponsored by Mrs. C. Turner Joy, and was commissioned on 3 August 1959. Following a pre-shakedown goodwill cruise to Central and South American ports and shakedown out of San Diego , Turner Joy began, early in 1960, duty as flagship both of Destroyer Squadron 13 (DesRon 13) and Destroyer Division 131 (DesDiv 131). Based at Long Beach, California , she formed part of an antisubmarine warfare (ASW) task group built around USS  Hornet . She conducted exercises along

3250-534: The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment , with a reduced air wing. In April 2002, Kitty Hawk was underway for her scheduled spring training. Along with a Guam port call, the spring underway included port visits to Singapore and Hong Kong, where the crew celebrated Kitty Hawk ' s 41st birthday. In the fall of 2002, Kitty Hawk was training in the Western Pacific. Kitty Hawk and her battle group combined with U.S. Air Force units and elements of

3375-581: The California coast until 17 May 1960, when she sailed with the task group for the western Pacific . After stops at Pearl Harbor and Apra, Guam , she stood air-sea rescue duty near the Marianas for President Dwight D. Eisenhower 's flight to visit several Asian nations. After returning to Apra briefly, the destroyer moved via the Philippines to Bangkok, Thailand . Turner Joy crossed

3500-573: The Far East , the warship participated in exercises with Amphibious Squadron 5 in the Hawaiian Islands . Later, she joined the screen of USS  Hancock , operating off the southern coast of Honshū , Japan. Her second deployment to the Orient was characterized by a series of exercises with ships of the 7th Fleet and of allied navies. Areas of operations included the Sea of Japan ,

3625-843: The No-Fly Zone over Southern Iraq. CVW-5 pilots flew more than 8,800 sorties in 116 days, including 1,300 combat sorties, dropping more than 20 tons of ordnance. On the return trip to Japan, Kitty Hawk made port visits to Perth, Western Australia , and Pattaya , Thailand. Kitty Hawk returned to Yokosuka on 25 August 1999. She was again underway to the Sea of Japan on 22 October to participate in Exercises Foal Eagle and AnnualEx 11G. On 11 April 2000, Kitty Hawk departed Yokosuka, Japan, for routine local area operations and participated in Exercise Cobra Gold with

3750-492: The Philippine Sea , followed by a cruise through the South China Sea to Japan. Further training operations and port visits ensued, as the deployment continued peacefully. During late July 1964, Turner Joy , while attached to a carrier task group built around USS  Ticonderoga , began making "watch dog" patrols off the coast of Vietnam where a guerrilla war had been raging at varying levels of intensity since

3875-401: The Sea of Japan . The Soviet Victor-class nuclear attack submarine K-314 shadowed the task group. On 21 March 1984, at the end of the Sea of Japan part of the exercise, K-314 surfaced directly in front of Kitty Hawk , time was 22:05, too dark and far too close for Kitty Hawk to see and avoid the resulting collision, with minor damage to the aircraft carrier, and significant damage to

USS Turner Joy - Misplaced Pages Continue

4000-832: The South China Sea and ranging to the Philippines in readiness operations with the 7th Fleet, she returned to San Diego on 20 July 1964. Kitty Hawk was overhauled in Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , then trained along the western seaboard. She sailed from San Diego on 19 October 1965, for Hawaii thence to Subic Bay , Philippines, where she prepared for combat operations off the coast of Vietnam . Kitty Hawk returned to San Diego in June 1966 for overhaul and training until 4 November 1966, when she again deployed to serve in waters of Southeast Asia. Scenes from

4125-803: The Tet Offensive , while participating in combat operations in Southeast Asia, and the Navy Unit Meritorious Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service from 15 January 1969 to 27 August 1969 while participating in combat operations in Southeast Asia and contingency operations in Northeast Asia. Both awards noted that the officers and men of the Kitty Hawk displayed undaunted spirit, courage, professionalism, and dedication to maintain their ship as

4250-649: The 14 oil storage tanks sending almost 10 percent of North Vietnam's oil reserves up in smoke. Of more lasting significance both to the warship and the country, however, the incident prompted the United States Congress to pass the Tonkin Gulf Resolution , the legal foundation for the United States to deploy conventional US military forces and directly confront North Vietnam in open warfare; which would ultimately involve

4375-742: The 1966 Walt Disney comedy Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. were filmed aboard the warship. Kitty Hawk arrived at Yokosuka, Japan on 19 November to relieve Constellation as flagship for Rear Admiral David C. Richardson , Commander Task Force 77 . On 26 November, Kitty Hawk departed Yokosuka for Yankee Station via Subic Bay. On 5 December, aircraft from Kitty Hawk began their around-the-clock missions over North Vietnam. About this time Kitty Hawk — already accustomed to celebrities as guests – entertained several prominent visitors: William Randolph Hearst Jr. ; Bob Considine ; Dr. Billy Graham ; Nancy Sinatra and John Steinbeck , among others. She remained in

4500-413: The 5-inch mount was restored. Hull remains the only modern (post–World War II) destroyer-type ship to have carried an 8-inch (203 mm) gun. Of the 18 completed, nine were disposed of in fleet training exercises, seven were sold by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrapping, and two became museums. USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) , formerly CVA-63 ,

4625-569: The Barry sub-class. These ships were fitted with an eight cell ASROC launcher in place of the No. 2 5-inch (127 mm) gun, and with a variable-depth sonar system. Six other ship modernizations were cancelled due to Vietnam War budget constraints. As a test platform, the Hull carried the Navy's prototype 8"/55 caliber Mark 71 light-weight gun from 1975 to 1978 when the program was canceled, and

4750-594: The CENTO exercise, "Midlink". During that operation, she joined units of the British , Iranian, and Pakistani navies in practicing a broad spectrum of naval tactics—ASW, AAW, surface engagements, gunnery drills, and missile shoots. "Midlink" ended on 25 November, and Turner Joy briefly stopped again at Bandar Abbas before heading for the Philippines on 29 November. She arrived back in Subic Bay on 12 December and remained there until 9 January 1976. Routine operations in

4875-594: The Far East, supporting the U.S. in Southeast Asia until departing Subic Bay on 28 May 1968. Steaming via Japan, the carrier reached San Diego on 19 June and a week later entered the naval shipyard at Long Beach for maintenance. Kitty Hawk returned to San Diego on 25 August and began a rigorous training program to prepare her for future action. Kitty Hawk was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for exceptionally meritorious and heroic service from 23 December 1967 to 1 June 1968, which included

5000-492: The Far East. Turner Joy stood out of Long Beach on 12 March and—after stops at Oahu , Midway, and Guam—arrived in Subic Bay on 4 April. Over the following five months, the destroyer conducted operations along the coast of Vietnam similar to those performed during previous deployments. She delivered naval gunfire support for American and South Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam and conducted "Sea Dragon" patrols along

5125-467: The Far East. Her voyage west began on 6 December and ended with her arrival at Subic Bay on the 29th. Two days later, she put to sea for her first tour on the gunline. It also proved to be her last. She delivered gunfire support for 28 days, "delivering over 10,000 rounds of accurate fire in support of ground forces in South Vietnam and against enemy targets in North Vietnam". "USS Turner Joy fired

USS Turner Joy - Misplaced Pages Continue

5250-484: The Gulf of Tonkin is famous, caused radar echoes to appear on Turner Joy ' s screen and prompted her captain and crew to take defensive action in consideration of the events two days earlier. In any event, the " Tonkin Gulf incident " prompted American retaliation. Constellation joined Ticonderoga off North Vietnam the following day, and together they launched Operation Pierce Arrow , sixty-four sorties against

5375-758: The Indian Ocean and was again awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal and the Meritorious Unit Commendation for its service. The world cruise ended at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 3 July. Six months later, Kitty Hawk began a Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) overhaul. Kitty Hawk emerged from the yards on 2 August 1990. The overhaul was estimated to have added 20 years of service to the ship. The Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department

5500-483: The North Vietnamese coastline, the three torpedo boats were attacked by four Navy F-8 Crusader jets from Ticonderoga which fired rockets and strafed with 20mm cannon fire, damaging two torpedo boats and leaving one boat in apparently sinking condition. Meanwhile, Turner Joy raced to Maddox to provide additional surface strength. By the time she reached Maddox , the torpedo boats were no longer in

5625-667: The Okinawa Air Defense Command. From 27 January – 2 February 1963, 'Picture Window III' saw 'foreign aircraft' intercepted and visually identified in the Northern Japan area. Though the official ship's papers released in 2011 do not identify the nationality, the 'foreign aircraft' in question were likely from the Soviet Far Eastern Military District or Soviet Naval Aviation . From 16–19 February 1963, Exercise 'Red Wheel'

5750-736: The PIRAZ (positive identification and radar advisory zone) ship. She performed that duty until 30 April; then, after three days evading a typhoon , she moved in close to the I Corps shoreline to resume gunfire support duties. On 14 May, the destroyer shaped a course for Subic Bay. Following a five-day gunfire exercise at the Tabones range, she departed the Philippines to make liberty visits to Bangkok, Thailand, and Hong Kong. In late June, she did another tour of duty on PIRAZ station and provided plane guard services to Kitty Hawk . A brief liberty call at Subic Bay followed; and then, on 30 June, she embarked upon

5875-403: The Pacific east of Japan, and the South China Sea . After a final series of drills conducted with USS  Bon Homme Richard , the destroyer completed that tour of duty at Yokosuka, Japan, early in December. On 7 June, she headed back to the United States where she arrived on 21 June. The ensuing 14 months brought another overhaul as well as further 1st Fleet exercises in the waters along

6000-840: The Philippine Republic Aviation Week Air Show, Kitty Hawk steamed out of Manila Harbor on 30 November 1962 and welcomed Admiral Harry D. Felt , Commander in Chief, United States Pacific Fleet , for a demonstration of modern naval weapons on 3 December. The ship visited Hong Kong early in December and returned to Japan, arriving at Yokosuka on 2 January 1963. In conjunction with Commander, Carrier Division Seven, Kitty Hawk carried out several exercises in January and February 1963. On 4 January 1963, Operation Checkertail saw Kitty Hawk and three other attack aircraft carriers launch practice airstrikes against

6125-638: The Philippines for repairs on needed items. After 2 weeks there it went on to Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, & New Zealand. During this time the ship did sea trials with the Australia and New Zealand navies. Upon departing the ship stopped at Pago Pago on the way back to Hawaii before returning to the US. The ship arrived in San Diego in November 1980. In 1982, as the new Spruance -class destroyers joined

6250-490: The Philippines, exercises in the South China Sea and the Sea of Japan—as well as visits to ports in Taiwan and Japan—characterized the remainder of that deployment, which also included a harrowing cruise directly through the center of a typhoon. On 17 March, she stood out of Yokosuka to return to the United States. After stops at Midway and Pearl Harbor, she reentered San Diego harbor on 4 April. Following post-deployment standdown,

6375-440: The Philippines. After a week of repairs, the destroyer departed Subic Bay in company with Ticonderoga for screening duty in the South China Sea, followed by port calls at Hong Kong and at Yokosuka, Japan. At the end of the year, she returned to naval gunfire support duty off the coast of South Vietnam. On 3 January 1966, the destroyer resumed plane guard duty with Ticonderoga in the South China Sea. The destroyer patrolled with

SECTION 50

#1732780148542

6500-470: The Soviet submarine. At the time of the accident, Kitty Hawk is estimated to have carried several dozen nuclear weapons, and K-314 probably carried two nuclear torpedoes. Kitty Hawk was thereafter considered the first antisubmarine carrier weapon and a red submarine was painted on her island near the bridge but was ordered removed upon return to home port North Island San Diego, CA. Kitty Hawk went to

6625-407: The U.S. Naval Base at Subic Bay in the Philippines for repairs. A piece of one of K-314 ' s propellers was embedded in Kitty Hawk ' s bow, as were some chunks of the Soviet anechoic coating , from scraping along the side of the submarine. The result was an "accidental" intelligence coup for the U.S. Navy. The ship returned to San Diego on 1 August 1984. Seven months later, Kitty Hawk

6750-571: The United States in a bloody and costly war in Indochina for the ensuing eight and a half years. Throughout that period, the Turner ;Joy would serve repeatedly throughout the conflict. Following the excitement of the first week in August, the destroyer resumed more routine operations in the South China Sea. She concluded her deployment when she reached Long Beach on 2 October—two months to

6875-410: The United States. After a stop at Pago Pago , American Samoa , the two ships rejoined USS  Gridley and Maddox on 26 May to reconstitute DesRon 19 for the voyage home. After a brief fueling stop at Pearl Harbor on 2 June, the warships arrived in Long Beach on 8 June. Between June and September, Turner Joy went through a month of post-deployment standdown followed by training operations in

7000-430: The Vietnamese coast and resumed gunfire support missions until early April. On 3 April, she rendezvoused with USS  Shangri-La and then made port calls at Subic Bay and Bangkok, Thailand, before embarking upon her final gunline assignment on 19 April. She returned to Subic Bay on 10 May for a final visit before heading back to the United States on the 17th. The destroyer arrived back in Long Beach on 1 June and began

7125-712: The Vietnamese coast on 10 February. For almost a month, she delivered gunfire support for troops ashore, this time in the I Corps zone of South Vietnam. That duty ended on 3 March, and a nine-day tender availability alongside USS  Jason in Sasebo , Japan, followed. On 21 March, the destroyer resumed station off Vietnam. This time, however, off the coast of North Vietnam. Instead of supporting American and South Vietnamese troops directly through shore bombardments, she did so by interdicting enemy logistical efforts in Operation Sea Dragon . Though primarily directed at

7250-681: The addition of avionics support capability for the S-3. The ship also replaced the Terrier Surface-to-Air missile system with the NATO Sea Sparrow system and added elevators and modified weapons magazines to provide an increased capability for handling and stowing the newer, larger air-launched weapons. Kitty Hawk completed the overhaul in March 1977 and departed the shipyard on 1 April of that year to return to San Diego. After

7375-467: The aircraft carrier USS Constellation and the replenishment ship USS Hassayampa . Tensions among the crews resulted in a Congressional inquiry into discipline in the Navy. From January through July 1973, Kitty Hawk changed home ports from San Diego to San Francisco. Kitty Hawk moved into dry dock on 14 January 1973. Work began to convert the ship from an attack (CVA) to a multi-mission carrier (CV). The "CV" designation indicated that Kitty Hawk

7500-567: The area. On 3 August 1964, the Turner Joy was ordered to accompany the Maddox for another DESOTO mission, on 4 August Turner Joy ' s radar screens picked up a number of what appeared to be small, high-speed surface craft approaching, but at extreme range. As a precaution, the two destroyers called upon Ticonderoga to furnish air support. By nightfall, the unidentified radar echoes suggested that VPN torpedo boats were converging upon

7625-544: The bases from which the attacks had been launched and against an oil storage depot known to have been used to support those bases. Planes from Constellation hit the VPN bases at Hongay and Loc Chao in the north while Ticonderoga aircraft went after three targets in the south: the motor torpedo boat bases at Quang Khe and Phuc Loi as well as the Vinh oil storage depot. At the last-named target, American planes set fire to 12 of

SECTION 60

#1732780148542

7750-404: The best carrier in the Pacific Fleet. In April 1981, Kitty Hawk left San Diego for her thirteenth deployment to the Western Pacific. Following the cruise, the crew was awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal and the Humanitarian Service Medal for the rescue of Vietnamese refugees in the South China Sea . In January 1982, Kitty Hawk returned to Bremerton for another year-long overhaul. Following

7875-439: The bow, the peak tank, and her air search radar antenna. Concurrently with this yard work, she conducted a tender availability with USS  Piedmont to prepare her for visits to Australia and New Zealand during the forthcoming celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea . Repairs and availability completed, she stood out of Subic Bay on 24 April in company with USS  McKean . En route to Melbourne ,

8000-454: The carrier on Yankee Station until 14 January when she headed, via Subic Bay, for Long Beach. Turner Joy arrived home on 1 February and, two weeks later, began a month-long restricted availability. From the completion of her overhaul in March through the end of May, the destroyer remained in Long Beach engaged in upkeep, repairs, and in training the numerous replacements who had reported on board. On 11 June, she put to sea once again to conduct

8125-484: The class became museum ships, nine were sunk in training exercises, and the others were scrapped. Nine ships were constructed by Bath Iron Works of Bath, Maine , five were built by Bethlehem Steel at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts , two were built by Ingalls Shipbuilding at Pascagoula, Mississippi and two were built by Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging Company in Seattle, Washington . These destroyers were assigned hull numbers 931 to 951, but

8250-586: The coast of Japan . That duty rounded out her first western Pacific deployment, and the destroyer got underway for Yokosuka , Japan, and headed home. Turner Joy returned to Long Beach on 16 November 1960. Over the next 18 months, she completed an extensive overhaul and participated in numerous 1st Fleet exercises along the California coast. In October 1961, the destroyer was transferred to DesDiv 191 of DesRon 19 and assumed duty as flagship for both. On 2 June 1962, she stood out of Long Beach with an ASW task group built around Hornet . On her way to

8375-531: The coast of Korea following the assassination of Republic of Korea President Park Chung Hee . The deployment was then extended 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 months to support contingency operations in the North Arabian Sea during the Iran hostage crisis . For their actions in the region, Kitty Hawk and CVW-15 were awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal . Kitty Hawk had a cameo appearance in the 1980 movie The Final Countdown , standing in for Nimitz . On her way home from her Western Pacific deployment, Kitty Hawk

8500-451: The coast of North Vietnam to interdict enemy waterborne logistics traffic. Her tours of duty on the gunline took her to the I , II and IV Corps areas of South Vietnam. As during previous deployments, she punctuated assignments in the combat zone with visits to Subic Bay and to Buckner Bay , Okinawa , for fuel, supplies, and repairs, as well as to Kaohsiung, Taiwan; and Hong Kong for rest and relaxation. She completed her last tour of duty of

8625-454: The coast of the I Corps zone. By New Year's Day 1970, she was on her way to Yankee Station to act as plane guard for Task Force (TF) 77 aircraft carriers. On 4 January, she headed back to Subic Bay where she remained until the 18th. She completed another three-week tour on the gunline on 10 February and then shaped a course for Sasebo, Japan, whence she operated until early in March. After a liberty call in Hong Kong, Turner Joy returned to

8750-433: The coastline of the II Corps area of South Vietnam. The destroyer reached her zone of operations on the 18th and, for the next month, conducted shore bombardments in support of American and South Vietnamese troops operating ashore. She concluded that assignment on 17 January 1967 and headed for the Philippines. After two weeks of availability at Subic Bay and a five-day liberty visit to Hong Kong, Turner Joy returned to

8875-431: The coastline. After a brief respite in Subic Bay for upkeep, the warship returned to the "gunline" in October, this time along South Vietnam's southeastern coast between Cape St. Jacques and Chu Lai . On 25 September, she provided call-fire for American and South Vietnamese forces operating ashore in the vicinity of Chu Lai itself. During the mission, her guns destroyed a number of enemy positions and figured prominently in

9000-403: The comprehensive upgrade and a vigorous training period with Carrier Air Wing 2 , Kitty Hawk deployed in 1984 as the flagship for Battle Group Bravo. Kitty Hawk logged more than 62,000 mi (100,000 km) on this deployment and remained at "Station Gonzo" in the north Arabian Sea for more than 60 consecutive days. In March 1984, Kitty Hawk participated in "Team Spirit" exercises in

9125-493: The cruise, Turner Joy debarked the midshipmen on 1 August and resumed training in the southern California operating area. On 18 November, she got underway from Long Beach to return to the Orient. Following a four-day layover at Pearl Harbor and brief fuel stops at Midway and Guam, she arrived in Subic Bay on 11 December. After a five-day availability alongside USS  Prairie , the destroyer stood out of Subic Bay bound for Danang, South Vietnam, and gunfire support duty off

9250-406: The day since she had rushed to the aid of Maddox . The destroyer conducted normal operations out of Long Beach until 18 December when she entered the naval shipyard for a three-month overhaul. Late in March, she began refresher training out of San Diego. West coast operations occupied her until 10 July, when she departed Long Beach with DesRon 19, bound once again for duty in the Orient. At the end of

9375-572: The decommissioning of Independence on 30 September 1998, Kitty Hawk became the United States warship with the second-longest active status, after the sailing ship USS  Constitution ( Enterprise passed her in 2012; these two aircraft carriers were two of the three carriers to fly the First Navy Jack ). For ten years, Kitty Hawk was the forward-deployed carrier at Yokosuka Naval Base in Yokosuka , Japan. In October 2008, she

9500-461: The decommissioning of Independence on 30 September 1998, Kitty Hawk became the second-oldest active warship in the US Navy and was authorized to fly the First Navy Jack . Kitty Hawk set sail for a planned three-month underway period on 2 March 1999, which included Exercise Tandem Thrust off Guam . Following the exercise, the Kitty Hawk / CVW-5 team was ordered to the Persian Gulf to enforce

9625-411: The defective gasket in the strainer cover assembly by Fireman Apprentice Kevin W. Johnson (deceased) reflected, in the words of the investigating officer, poor judgment and unsound maintenance practices." Further, "Fireman Apprentice Johnson was therefore negligent in the performance of his duties." However, in consonance with the investigating officer, the opinion is expressed that under the circumstances,

9750-518: The deployment off the Vietnamese coast on 4 September and, after a brief tender availability at Subic Bay, headed homeward on 8 September. Retracing her outward-bound voyage with stops at Guam, Midway, and Pearl Harbor, Turner Joy entered Long Beach on 26 September. Upon her return to the United States, the warship began preparations for her regular overhaul. She entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard on 28 November and remained there until late February 1969. When post-overhaul trials ended on 15 March,

9875-474: The destroyer departed the Philippines for a goodwill visit to Surabaya , Indonesia . She returned to the Philippines on 31 August and conducted local operations out of Subic Bay for two months before heading homeward on 3 October. The warship arrived in San Diego on 22 October and, after a month of post-deployment leave and upkeep, began a normal schedule of operations in the southern California operating area. Turner Joy ended 1974 and began 1975 engaged in

10000-606: The destroyer reverted once more to training operations out of San Diego. On 4 July 1976, the Turner Joy steamed up the San Joaquin River more than 50 miles (80 km) from San Francisco Bay to participate in Stockton's Bicentennial celebrations, making her the first ship-of-the-line to visit that city. As a result of long years of service in Vietnam and two delays in a scheduled overhaul, however, Turner Joy

10125-409: The end of World War II . In the afternoon of 2 August 1964, USS  Maddox , engaged in a DESOTO patrol , called for assistance when three Vietnam People's Navy (VPN) P 4-class torpedo boats from the 135th Torpedo Squadron attacked her. As Maddox engaged the boats, firing over 280 five-inch shells, the contact was broken, and each combatant withdrew from the contact. While retreating to

10250-404: The enemy's water-borne logistics, "Sea Dragon" also struck wherever possible at the enemy's overland supply lines. During her 26 days on station engaged in "Sea Dragon" operations, Turner Joy fired on a number of shore targets in addition to an even larger number of enemy waterborne logistics craft. On 7 April, while firing on some enemy craft beached near Cap Mui Ron, the destroyer came under

10375-473: The final round of naval gunfire of the war, hitting the beach at 000 GMT, 28 January 1973, scant seconds before the ceasefire went into effect". Then, on 28 January 1973, American participation in the Vietnam War ended with a negotiated ceasefire . For the remainder of that deployment, Turner Joy participated in a variety of operations—including Operation End Sweep , the removal of American mines from

10500-462: The fire of a North Vietnamese shore battery. During that exchange, she suffered a direct hit on the fantail and a near-miss air burst above the forward mast. The hit astern penetrated the deck to the supply office, damaging records therein as well as pipes and cables in the overhead. Several rounds of 5 inch VT fragmentation projectiles in mount 53 ammunition stowage area also suffered damage and had to be discarded. Shrapnel from near misses wounded

10625-399: The fire which is the subject of this investigative report." Kitty Hawk stayed busy throughout the mid-1970s with numerous deployments to the Western Pacific and involvement in a large number of exercises, including RIMPAC in 1973 and 1975. Kitty Hawk departed San Diego on 8 March 1976, and on 12 March entered dry dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington , to commence

10750-551: The fleet, the Navy announced the retirement of Turner Joy and her sister ships saying, "...the cost of modernizing them is far greater than the benefits that could be derived from continued service." Turner Joy was decommissioned 22 November 1982 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register 13 February 1990. The Bremerton Historic Ships Association obtained Turner Joy from the inactive fleet and after refurbishing her and constructing appropriate access to

10875-471: The great force for peace or war, which these mighty carriers and their accompanying escorts provide, helping to preserve the freedom of distant nations in all parts of the world." An F-4B Phantom II, aircraft no.401, while assigned to VF-114, made the ship's 16,000th trap on 17 August 1963. Film director John Frankenheimer filmed shots for the movie Seven Days in May on board the vessel in 1963. Following

11000-966: The last cruise for VA-52 flying the A-6E SWIP Intruder. During the cruise, the Carrier led the first ASW persecution of both the Han Class and Oscar II Class Submarine (Most likely the Oscar II was K-442 ). During the ASW hunt of the Han Class Submarine of the PLA Navy , a standoff ensued between the United States and PRC leading to several PLAAF fighter aircraft flying near Kitty Hawk's S-3 Viking ASW aircraft from VS-37 . Eventually, both sides backed down. In 1995, Kitty Hawk embarked airwing transitioned to CVW-11, marking

11125-475: The maintenance deficiencies noted herein constitute simple, rather than culpable, negligence." In light of the efforts made by all six navy personnel, FA Cardenas, Champine and Tulipana, and FR Deverich, Schambers and Johnson assigned to the machinery room on 11 December 1973, who all died during the suppression efforts, "It has administratively been determined each were posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for their heroic devotion to duty in fighting

11250-718: The many reports." On 1 and 2 July 1966, the three torpedo boats from VPN Torpedo Squadron 135; T-333 , T-336 , and T-339 , which had attacked the USS Maddox on 2 August 1964, came into the Tonkin Gulf again to attack two more US destroyers, only to be promptly sunk by US jets from the aircraft carriers USS  Constellation and USS  Hancock . Nineteen VPN sailors were taken as prisoner of war from those sunk torpedo boats, and they made it clear that no VPN torpedo boats had been sunk in 1964. It could well have been that bad weather and freakish radar conditions for which

11375-657: The navies of Singapore and Thailand. Kitty Hawk participated in Exercise Foal Eagle in Fall 2000 and deployed again in March 2001 for a Spring underway period with a historic stop. On 22 March, Kitty Hawk became the first aircraft carrier to ever moor pier-side in Singapore , as the ship visited the brand new Changi Pier, located at the Republic of Singapore Navy 's Changi Naval Base . On 29 April, shortly after

11500-518: The only carrier at the time having an aircraft elevator that tracked from the hangar deck to the flight deck angling out 6°. Kitty Hawk moved out of dry dock on 28 April 1973, and the next day, on her 12th birthday, she was named a Multi-Purpose Aircraft Carrier (CV). After much-needed upgrades and modifications to Kitty Hawk ' s systems, she departed Hunters Point navy shipyards in San Francisco to begin "sea trial" exercises and then made

11625-645: The president's path once more in July 1960, when the Chinese used the latter's visit to Taiwan as a pretext for shelling the islands of Quemoy and Matsu , once again. A tense month of duty with the Taiwan Strait patrol followed as the United States Navy demonstrated America's support for one of her allies. In mid-August 1960, the warship moved north for exercises with 7th Fleet carriers along

11750-556: The reaction on deck. General Anatoly Kornukov , then Russian air force's commander in chief, stated that the Russian warplanes managed to evade Kitty Hawk ' s antiaircraft defense system and that "In the pictures, you can clearly see the panic on deck." In October 2001, Kitty Hawk deployed to the North Arabian Sea for the beginning of Operation Enduring Freedom . The ship served as an afloat forward staging base for

11875-621: The remaining boats retired rapidly to the north. A sailor in the Gun Director on the USS Maddox , Patrick Park, reviewed radar and sonar records for the next three days after the incident on orders from his superiors. His conclusion, there were no attacks on 4 August 1964 against the Maddox and the Turner Joy . This has been supported by evidence from the Vietnamese since the end of hostilities. In addition, Admiral Moore reported on 7 August 1964 to Admiral Sharpe that "Freak weather effects on radar and overeager sonar men may have accounted for

12000-412: The repulse of a Viet Cong attack. Near the conclusion of that 24-hour action, a 5-inch round misfired; and, during the ensuing efforts to clear the chamber, the shell detonated. The explosion damaged the gun mount, killed three sailors, and wounded three more. That event forced her departure from the combat zone. After landing the three casualties at Da Nang , Turner Joy set course for Subic Bay in

12125-861: The series skipped over the numbers used to designate the war prizes DD-934 (the Japanese ex- Hanazuki ), DD-935 (the German T35 ), and DD-939 (the German Z39 ). DD-927 to DD-930 were completed as destroyer leaders . At the time they entered service, these ships were the largest US destroyers ever built, 418 feet (127 m) long, with a standard displacement of 2,800 tonnes (2,800 long tons). Originally designed under project SCB 85 , they were armed with three 5-inch (127 mm)/54 caliber guns mounted in single turrets (one forward and two aft), 4 3-inch (76 mm)/50 caliber AA guns in twin mounts, as well as hedgehogs and torpedoes for ASW. However, over

12250-407: The ship resumed normal operations out of Long Beach. During April and May, she participated in a 1st Fleet combined ASW/AAW exercise as a part of her refresher training. She completed those operations during the latter half of May; and, after a. brief availability alongside USS  Bryce Canyon , she embarked NROTC midshipmen on 5 June for the two-month 1969 summer training cruise. At the end of

12375-469: The ship rushed to the Persian Gulf on 27 December 1992. Just 17 days later, Kitty Hawk led a joint coalition offensive strike against designated targets in southern Iraq . Kitty Hawk set sail on her 17th deployment 24 June 1994, to provide a stabilizing influence operating in the Western Pacific during a time of great tension in the Far East , particularly concerning North Korea . This would be

12500-618: The ship until the fire was finally brought under control and two propulsion systems restored. Kitty Hawk then headed toward the Philippines, where she ported in Subic Bay until the ship's damage could be assessed, and repairs could be made, but there would be three days of waiting before reaching port. Six enlisted sailors died in the fire: FR Michael Deverich, FR Linn Schambers, FR Kevin Johnson, FA Alan Champine, Samuel Cardenas, and FA Joseph Tulipana. Thirty-four sailors were treated for smoke inhalation and several minor injuries, and one sailor for

12625-430: The ship went to General Quarters for nearly 38 hours. Due to the massive amounts of thick black smoke, the crew was ordered topside to the flight deck until the fire could be controlled and the smoke cleared. Because two and then three of the ship's four propulsion systems had to be shut down during the fire, Kitty Hawk began to list about 7 degrees portside. As a result, many of the aircraft were moved starboard to balance

12750-487: The ship, opened her to the public in 1992 in Bremerton, Washington . The rock band Turnerjoy took their name from the USS Turner Joy . The band Turnerjoy was active from 1998 to 2003 and is the subject of the 2020 documentary Get Out of Home . 47°33′50″N 122°37′19″W  /  47.56389°N 122.62194°W  / 47.56389; -122.62194 Forrest Sherman-class destroyer Two ships of

12875-558: The significant equipment/space changes in the conversion was the addition of the Anti-Submarine Classification and Analysis Center (ASCAC) in the CIC area. ASCAC worked in close conjunction with the anti-submarine warfare aircraft assigned aboard Carrier Air Wing 11 . The Engineering Department underwent a significant change in its propulsion plant during the yard period. The Navy Standard Oil (black oil) fuel system

13000-585: The six men who perished in the tragic fire, upon conclusion of the investigation filed by the Department of the Navy, Commander Seventh Fleet, several opinions on causes were noted within the investigation, which included but were not limited to the Fourth Endorsement on Captain Kenneth L. Shugart , USN. The investigative report of 10 January 1974, section 3, paragraph 3 stated, "The replacement of

13125-604: The transit. On 1 August 1992, Kitty Hawk was appointed as Naval Air Force Pacific's "ready carrier." The ship embarked Commander, Cruiser-Destroyer Group 5; Commander, Destroyer Squadron 17 and CVW-15 for three months of work-ups before deploying to the Western Pacific on 3 November 1992. While on deployment, Kitty Hawk spent nine days off the coast of Somalia supporting U.S. Marines and coalition forces involved in Operation Restore Hope . In response to increasing Iraqi violations of United Nations sanctions,

13250-535: The two American warships from the west and south. Turner Joy reported that she sighted one or two torpedo wakes, then rang up full speed, maneuvered radically to evade expected torpedoes, and began firing in the direction of the unidentified blips. Over the next two and a half hours, Turner Joy fired approximately 220 five-inch shells, while planes from Ticonderoga fired at the supposed torpedo boats. Reports claimed that at least two of those were sunk by direct hits and another pair severely damaged, and that

13375-770: The two ships stopped at Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands and at Brisbane, Australia . The ship reached Melbourne on 8 May; and, while she remained there until the 13th, her crew enjoyed Australian hospitality in the city and replied in kind on board. Between 13 and 17 May, she made a rough transit of the Tasman Sea and arrived in Auckland , New Zealand, on the latter date for the second phase of her Coral Sea celebration. She remained in Auckland until 22 May at which time she and McKean put to sea to return to

13500-743: The waters around Haiphong harbor, as well as antisubmarine warfare exercises and carrier operations in the South China Sea. She punctuated those assignments with port visits to Subic Bay; Hong Kong; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; and Sasebo, Japan. On 13 June, she headed home via Yokosuka and arrived in Long Beach on 22 June. She spent the period from then until mid-October engaged in upkeep and a restricted availability. On 17 October, she departed Long Beach and set course for her new home port, San Diego. Upon arrival there, she began normal operations—engineering and gunnery exercises at sea alternated with upkeep in port. That routine continued until April 1974, at which time she began preparations for her first peacetime deployment to

13625-507: The waters off southern California. On 18 September, she arrived at Bremerton, Washington , for a two-month shipyard availability at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. In mid-November, she returned to Long Beach and resumed operations along the California coast. That duty continued until late February 1968 when she entered the Long Beach Naval Shipyard for a restricted availability in preparation for her fifth deployment to

13750-458: The west coast. Those evolutions continued into 1964; and, in March, the destroyer began preparations for overseas movement. On 13 March 1964, Turner Joy departed Long Beach to embark upon her most celebrated tour of duty in the Far East. The third western Pacific deployment of her career began routinely enough. After calling at Pearl Harbor on her way west, the destroyer joined a task group built around USS  Kitty Hawk for operations in

13875-466: The western Pacific in a decade. She stood out of San Diego on 6 May, reached Pearl Harbor on the 12th, and completed a brief assignment with USS  Ranger in the Hawaiian operating area on 24 May. On that day, she departed Oahu and continued her voyage west. Turner Joy arrived in Subic Bay on 4 June and, for the next two months, conducted local operations in company with Ranger . On 1 August,

14000-635: The wet deck. Four personnel aboard were lost along with the aircraft and could not be recovered. After a deployment from November 1968 to June 1969, Kitty Hawk returned to San Diego for a month and then went to Puget Sound shipyard in September 1969 for dry dock. On 12 October 1972 during the Vietnam War , Kitty Hawk was en route to her station in the Gulf of Tonkin when a race riot involving more than 200 sailors broke out. Nearly 50 sailors were injured in this widely publicized incident. This incident spread racial violence to other US Navy ships, such as

14125-559: The years, weaponry was considerably modified. The hedgehogs and 3-inch (76 mm) guns were removed from all ships during the 1960s and 1970s. In addition the fixed torpedo tubes were replaced by two triple 12.75 inches (324 mm) Mark 32 torpedo tube mounts . Hull and later ships were built under SCB 85A with their fire control directors reversed from the SCB 85 configuration. They were equipped with B&W Bailey Meter Company's new automatic boiler combustion control system, and

14250-578: Was a United States Navy supercarrier . She was the second naval ship named after Kitty Hawk, North Carolina , the site of the Wright brothers ' first powered airplane flight. Kitty Hawk was the first of the three Kitty Hawk -class aircraft carriers to be commissioned and the last to be decommissioned. Kitty Hawk was laid down by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation , Camden, New Jersey , on 27 December 1956. The ship

14375-643: Was also awarded the Air Forces, US Pacific Fleet Departmental Excellence Award, the Black "E" for this deployment. With the return of CVW-15 to its decks, Kitty Hawk began its second deployment around "the Horn" of South America to her original home port of San Diego on 11 December 1991, performing Gringo-Gaucho with the Argentine Naval Aviation and paying a visit to Mar del Plata during

14500-429: Was awarded another Battle Efficiency "E" Award. In July 1985, Kitty Hawk and CVW-9 deployed again as flagship for Battle Group Bravo. Kitty Hawk and CVW-9 combined to set a standard for operations, completing their second consecutive fatality-free deployment. In August 1985, People Magazine printed an article stating that Kitty Hawk's missiles and jet parts were illegally smuggled into Iran, at that time considered

14625-411: Was completely converted to Navy Distillate Fuel. The Air Department added several significant changes to the flight deck, including enlarging the jet blast deflectors (JBD) and installing more powerful catapults to handle the new Grumman F-14 Tomcat , which Kitty Hawk was due to receive for its next deployment. Enlarging JBD#1 meant the No. 1 Aircraft Elevator had to be redesigned, making Kitty Hawk

14750-661: Was conducted around Southern Japan also under the direction of Commander, Carrier Division Seven. It aimed to improve the United States Seventh Fleet 's ability to conduct conventional and nuclear warfare while maintaining defense against air and submarine attack. It also aimed to evaluate the capability of 'the HUK [Hunter-Killer] Group' to protect two CVA Task Groups. During these exercises, the ship visited Kobe , Beppu , and Iwakuni before returning to San Diego on 2 April 1963. On 6 June 1963, President John F. Kennedy , with top civilian and military leaders, boarded Kitty Hawk to witness

14875-656: Was filmed entering Pearl Harbor with the crew manning the rails as the ship passed the USS Arizona Memorial . (At the time of the filming, Nimitz was still an Atlantic Fleet, vice Pacific Fleet, aircraft carrier.) Kitty Hawk returned to San Diego in late February 1980 and was also awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation and the Naval Air Force Pacific Battle Efficiency "E" Award as

15000-452: Was killed during flight operations when he was struck by an aircraft while checking "elongs" during a launch. Kitty Hawk bid farewell to San Diego on 3 January 1987, as the ship departed her home port of 25 years and set out on a six-month world cruise. During the circumnavigation, Kitty Hawk and CVW-9 again showed their commitment to safety by conducting a third fatality-free deployment. Kitty Hawk spent 106 consecutive days on station in

15125-631: Was launched on 21 May 1960, sponsored by Mrs. Camilla F. McElroy, wife of Defense Secretary Neil H. McElroy . Kitty Hawk was launched by flooding her drydock ; the conventional slide-down method was ruled out because of her mass and the risk that she might hit the Philadelphia shore on the far side of the Delaware River. The ship was commissioned 29 April 1961, at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard , Captain William F. Bringle in command. With

15250-437: Was no longer strictly an attack carrier, in that anti-submarine warfare would also become a major role. Kitty Hawk became the first Pacific Fleet carrier to carry the multi-purpose "CV" designation. The conversion consisted of adding ten new helicopter calibrating stations, installing sonar / sonobuoy readout and analysis center and associated equipment, and changing a large portion of the ship's operating procedures. One of

15375-470: Was replaced in this role by George Washington . Kitty Hawk returned to the United States and had her decommissioning ceremony on 31 January 2009. She was officially decommissioned on 12 May 2009 after 48 years of service. Kitty Hawk was replaced by George H. W. Bush . She was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 20 October 2017, and was designated for disposal by dismantling

15500-638: Was transformed into a tour of duty in the Indian Ocean . On 13 October, she departed Subic Bay in company with USS  Midway , USS  Fanning , and USS  Sacramento bound ultimately for Bandar Abbas , Iran . Along the way, she visited Singapore and Sri Lanka and participated in exercises with the Singaporean Navy . The destroyer arrived in Bandar Abbas on 13 November whence she and her sailing companions participated in

15625-513: Was unable to successfully complete her Operational Propulsion Plant Examination. This deficiency made it necessary for the ship to spend the remainder of 1976 in port correcting propulsion deficiencies. After an extended period in dry-dock at Long Beach. the ship went to San Diego mid-1979 for crewing to test the work done. After Engineering Quals were passed the ship was provisioned for a Westpac/South Pac goodwill cruise. The tour consists of going to Hawaii for more Quals in all departments. Then on to

#541458