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Aircraft Carrier
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CVA / CV 60 - USS Saratoga
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Type,
Class:
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Aircraft Carrier;
Forrestal - class |
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Builder:
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New
York Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, New York, USA |
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STATUS:
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Awarded:
July 23, 1952 Laid
down: December 16, 1952 Launched: October 8, 1955 Commissioned: April 14, 1956 (as CVA 60) Redesignated to CV
60 on June 30, 1975 Decommissioned: August 20, 1994 Fate: Saratoga was stricken from the Navy List
August 20, 1994; towed to
Philadelphia, Pa., in May 1995, then to Newport, R.I., in Aug 1998 (upon deactivation
of the Philadelphia Navy Yard). First placed on
donation hold, her status was then changed to "disposal as an
experimental ship." Returned to donation hold on 1 Jan 2000. Current
status: as of April 2010 stricken, to be disposed of by dismantling |
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Homeport:
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- |
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Namesake:
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named after the Battle(s)
of Saratoga
(Saratoga County, New York) -
September 19 & October 17, 1777 |
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Ship’s
Motto:
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INVICTUS GALLUS GLADIATOR |
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Technical Data:
(Measures, Propulsion, Armament, Aviation, etc.)
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Deployments: August 1956 -
October 1956 with Carrier Air Group 4 (CVG-4) - shakedown cruise September 1957 -
October 1957 with Carrier Air
Group 7 (CVG-7) - NATO exercise ‘Strike Back’ - Atlantic Ocean February 1958 -
October 1958 with Carrier Air
Group 3 (CVG-3) - Mediterranean Sea May 1959 - June
1959 with Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3) - Western Atlantic
Ocean August 1959 - February
1960 with Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3) - Mediterranean Sea June 1960 - July
1960 with Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3) - Western Atlantic
Ocean August 1960 -
February 1961 with Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3) - Atlantic Ocean,
Mediterranean Sea July 1961 - August
1961 with Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3) - Caribbean Sea November 1961 -
May 1962 with Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3) - Mediterranean Sea December 1962 with Carrier Air
Group 3 (CVG-3) - Caribbean Sea (Cuba!) March 1963 -
October 1963 with Carrier Air Group 3 (CVG-3) - Mediterranean Sea November 1964 -
July 1965 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Mediterranean Sea January 1966 -
February 1966 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Western Atlantic Ocean March 1966 -
October 1966 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Mediterranean Sea April 1967 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Western Atlantic Ocean May 1967 -
December 1967 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Mediterranean Sea January 1968 -
January 1969
overhaul / Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Pennsylvania March 1969 - April
1969 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Western Atlantic Ocean May 1969 - June
1969 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Western Atlantic Ocean July 1969 -
January 1970 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Mediterranean Sea June 1970 -
November 1970 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Mediterranean Sea June 1971 -
October 1971 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Mediterranean Sea April 1972 -
February 1973 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Vietnam War September 1974 -
March 1975 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Mediterranean Sea January 1976 -
July 1976 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Mediterranean Sea July 1977 -
December 1977 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Mediterranean Sea October 1978 -
April 1979 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Mediterranean Sea March 1980 -
August 1980 with Carrier Air
Wing 3 (CVW-3) - Mediterranean Sea October 1980 -
February 1983
Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) - Philadelphia Naval Shipyard,
Pennsylvania April 1984 -
October 1984 with Carrier
Air Wing 17 (CVW-17) - Mediterranean Sea August 1985 -
April 1986 with Carrier
Air Wing 17 (CVW-17) - Mediterranean Sea, Lybia June 1987 -
November 1987 with Carrier
Air Wing 17 (CVW-17) - Mediterranean Sea August 1990 -
March 1991 with Carrier
Air Wing 17 (CVW-17) - Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea May 1992 -
November 1992 with Carrier
Air Wing 17 (CVW-17) - Mediterranean Sea January 1994 -
June 1994 with Carrier
Air Wing 17 (CVW-17) - Mediterranean Sea |
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ship
images
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Mayport, Florida - 1995
Mayport, Florida - 1995
Mayport, Florida - 1995
decommissioning ceremony - Mayport,
Florida - August 20, 1994
decommissioning ceremony - Mayport,
Florida - August 20, 1994
decommissioning ceremony - Mayport,
Florida - August 20, 1994
Mayport, Florida - 1994
final homecoming - Mayport, Florida -
1994
final homecoming - Mayport, Florida -
1994
final homecoming - Mayport, Florida -
1994
with CVW-17 embarked - 1993
with CVW-17 embarked - 1993
with CVW-17 embarked - 1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
1993
with CVW-17 embarked - Mediterranean Sea
- 1992
with CVW-17 embarked - 1992
with CVW-17 embarked - 1992
with CVW-17 embarked - 1992
with CVW-17 embarked - 1992
aircraft of CVW-17 in the hangar - 1992
with CVW-17 embarked - Mediterranean Sea
- 1992
Mayport, Florida - 1991
Mayport, Florida - March 1991
Mayport, Florida - March 1991
with CVW-17 embarked - Operation Desert
Storm - 1991
with CVW-17 embarked - Operation Desert
Storm - 1991
with CVW-17 embarked - Operation Desert
Storm - 1991
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - February 1991
aircraft of CVW-17 aboard USS Saratoga
(CV 60) during Operation Desert Shield - 1991
USS Saratoga (CV 60) during Operation
Desert Shield - 1990
USS Saratoga (CV 60) with CVW-17 embarked
- Operation Desert Shield - 1990
USS Saratoga (CV 60) with CVW-17 embarked
- Operation Desert Shield - 1990
USS Saratoga (CV 60) with CVW-17 embarked
- Operation Desert Shield - 1990
USS Saratoga (CV 60) with CVW-17 embarked
- Operation Desert Shield - 1990
USS Saratoga (CV 60) with CVW-17 embarked
- 1990
USS Saratoga (CV 60) with CVW-17 embarked
- 1990
USS Saratoga (CV 60) with CVW-17 embarked
- 1990
Norfolk Naval Shipyard - October 1988
with CVW-17 embarked - November 1987
with CVW-17 embarked - 1987
with CVW-17 embarked - Diego Garcia -
1987
with CVW-17 embarked - 1987
Naval Station Mayport, Florida - 1986
Naval Station Mayport, Florida - 1986
Naval Station Mayport, Florida - 1986
Naval Station Mayport, Florida - 1986
Naval Station Mayport, Florida - 1986
with aircraft of CVW-17 - 1986
with aircraft of CVW-17 - 1986
1986
1986
Mk 29 Sea Sparrow AAM launcher - 1986
with CVW-17 embarked - 1986
with CVW-17 embarked - 1986
with CVW-17 embarked - 1986
with CVW-17 embarked - 1986
with CVW-17 embarked - 1986
with CVW-17 embarked - 1986
with CVW-17 embarked - 1986
with CVW-17 embarked - 1986
with CVW-17 embarked - 1986
with CVW-17 embarked - 1986
with CVW-17 embarked - 1986
1986
with CVW-17 embarked - Diego Garcia -
1985
with CVW-17 embarked - Diego Garcia -
1985
with CVW-17 embarked - Diego Garcia -
1985
with CVW-17 embarked - 1985
with CVW-17 embarked - 1985
with CVW-17 embarked - 1985
with CVW-17 embarked - 1985
with CVW-17 embarked - 1985
with CVW-17 embarked - 1985
with CVW-17 embarked - 1985
with CVW-17 embarked - 1985
with CVW-17 embarked - 1985
with CVW-17 embarked - 1985
with CVW-17 embarked - 1985
with CVW-17 embarked - 1985
with CVW-17 embarked - 1984
with CVW-17 embarked - 1984
with CVW-17 embarked - 1984
with CVW-17 embarked - 1984
with CVW-17 embarked - 1984
with CVW-17 embarked - 1984
with CVW-17 embarked - 1984
with CVW-17 embarked - 1984
with CVW-17 embarked - 1984
with CVW-17 embarked - 1984
with CVW-17 embarked - April 1984
with CVW-17 embarked - 1984
February 1983
during sea trials after refit (SLEP) -
1982
during sea trials after refit (SLEP) -
1982
during sea trials after refit (SLEP) -
1982
during sea trials after refit (SLEP) -
1982
during sea trials after refit (SLEP) -
1982
during sea trials after refit (SLEP) -
1982
with CVW-3 embarked - October 1975 (photo
courtesy of the National Naval Aviation Museum)
with CVW-3 embarked - October 1975
(courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVW-3 embarked - October 1975
(courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVW-3 embarked - October 1975
(courtesy of the NNAM)
October 1975 (courtesy of the NNAM)
June 1975 (courtesy of the NNAM)
June 1975 (courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVW-3 embarked - circa 1975
(courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVW-3 embarked - Mayport, Florida -
September 1974 (courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVW-3 embarked - November 1969
(courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVW-3 embarked - 1965/66 (courtesy
of the NNAM)
with CVW-3 embarked - off Barcelona,
Spain - February 1965
with CVW-3 embarked - circa 1965
(courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - Istanbul, Turkey -
September 1963 (courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - December 1961
(courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - December 1961
(courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - December 1961
(courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - August 1959
(courtesy of the National Naval Aviation Museum)
with CVG-3 embarked - May 1959 (courtesy
of the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - 1959 (courtesy of
the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - April 1959
(courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - off Gibraltar -
September 1958 (courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - off Cannes, France
- 1958
with CVG-3 embarked - 1958 (courtesy of
the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - 1958 (courtesy of
the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - 1958 (courtesy of
the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - 1958 (courtesy of
the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - February 1958
with CVG-3 embarked - 1958 (courtesy of
the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - 1958 (courtesy of
the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - 1958 (courtesy of
the NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - 1958 (courtesy of
the NNAM)
Mayport, Florida - 1958 (courtesy of the
NNAM)
with CVG-3 embarked - off Naples, Italy -
1957 (courtesy of the NNAM)
underway - 1957/58
with CVG-3 embarked - at anchor - 1957/58
with CVG-7 embarked - 1957
with CVG-7 embarked - 1957 (courtesy of
the NNAM)
with CVG-7 - 1957 (courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVG-7 - 1957 (courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVG-7 embarked - 1957 (courtesy of
the NNAM)
1957 (courtesy of the NNAM)
June 1957
with CVG-4 embarked - November 1956
(courtesy of the NNAM)
with CVG-4 embarked - 1956 (courtesy of
the NNAM)
New York Naval Shipyard - May 1956
New York Naval Shipyard - May 1956
commissioning ceremony - April 14, 1956
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The Battle of
Saratoga: The Battle(s) of Saratoga
were considered by many historians to have been the turning point of the
American Revolutionary War and one of the most decisive battles in history.
The defeat and capture of a major British military force in the Saratoga
campaign by American revolutionary forces secured the northern American
colonies from attacks out of Canada. It also convinced the rulers of France
that it was worth extending the full measure of their military, political,
and diplomatic support to the rebel American colonies. A force of roughly
10,000 men were trapped, mostly British regulars under General
"Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne. Burgoyne had advanced from French
Canada in the summer of 1777 with the intention of taking Albany, New York,
and cutting New England off from the rest of the colonies by seizing control
of the Hudson River Valley. In the spring, the British had seized colonial
forts at Crown Point and Ticonderoga. The Americans retreated. However, a
successful colonial delaying action comprising the systematic blocking of
roads, destruction of bridges, and harassment of British troops with sniper
fire slowed the British advance beyond the southern ends of Lakes Champlain
and George to a few kilometers a day. Burgoyne's force was eventually blocked
by colonial regular soldiers and militia under General Horatio Gates in the
area north of the Hudson Valley town of Saratoga. Over the course of the
summer, the colonial force grew to roughly 15,000 men. Background: The British lost
an important battle near Bennington, Vermont in July and were forced to
advance down the Connecticut River valley instead of the Hudson River Valley.
An attempt by the British to attack Albany down the Mohawk River Valley was
blocked by a successful colonial rout of Fort Stanwix near present day Rome,
New York. This battle was considered the turning point of the revolution. The Battle: Battle of Freeman’s Farm: The Battles of
Saratoga consisted of two engagements; the first of these being the Battle of
Freeman's Farm. The British were advancing on Saratoga and on September 19,
they ran into American forces in a clearing in the woods at Freeman's Farm.
General Benedict Arnold, commanding the left wing of the American forces,
ordered Colonel Daniel Morgan to assault the British while they were still
advancing through the woods in separate columns. Morgan charged recklessly
into General Simon Fraser's column and inflicted severe casualties before
being forced back across the field. Arnold sent forward the brigades of Gen.
Enoch Poor (1st NH, 2nd NH, 3rd NH, 2nd NY and 4th NY) and Gen. Ebenezer
Learned (1st NY, 2nd, 8th and 9th Massachusetts Regiment) to support Morgan.
Burgoyne sent forward James Inglis Hamilton and Fraser to attack the
Americans across the field. Arnold's reinforced line repulsed the British
attack with heavy losses. Arnold was angered at the American commander
Horatio Gates for not sending in reinforcements to break the British lines
and by the end of the battle the British had repulsed one last attack from
the Americans and Arnold was relieved of command. Although they had to
relinquish the field, the Americans had halted Burgoyne's advance and
inflicted losses the British could not afford. Burgoyne built redoubts and
fortified his current position. Two miles to the south, the Americans also
built fortifications. Battle of Bemis Heights: The second and
final engagement of the Battles of Saratoga was known as the Battle of Bemis
Heights which took place on October 7. Even though the British had suffered
greatly at the Battle of Freeman's Farm and Gates had been receiving
reinforcements since then, Burgoyne made plans to assault the American lines
in three columns and drive them from the field. The main assault would be
made by the Brunswickers under Major General Riedesel against the American
forces on Bemis Heights. General Benjamin Lincoln now commanded the division
of Poor's and Learned's brigades positioned on Bemis Heights. Burgoyne's
attack started early in the morning. Holding their fire until the Hessians
were within range, Poor's brigade devastated the first attack and routed the
survivors in a counter attack. Morgan attacked and routed the Canadian
infantry and began to engage Fraser's British regulars. Fraser began to rally
his division and at that crucial moment Benedict Arnold arrived on the field
and ordered Morgan to shoot down Fraser. One of Morgan's sharpshooters fired
and mortally wounded Fraser. Arnold who had been relieved at Freeman's Farm
had no actual command. However when the firing began he ignored Gates and
rode to the front. After finishing on Morgan's front, Arnold next rode to
Learned's brigade. Learned's men, facing the Hessian assault, were beginning
to falter. Again at the crucial moment Arnold arrived and rallied the
Americans. Then with Arnold and Learned in the lead the Americans
counter-attacked. By now Poor and Morgan were closing in on either side of
the Hessians and their front gave way. The British retreated to their
original positions. Arnold next led Learned's men in an assault on the Hessian
redoubt. Here Arnold fell wounded, yet the Americans took the redoubt. Before
being carried off the field, Arnold tried to bring forward another brigade,
but a messenger sent by Gates finally caught up to Arnold and he was removed
as darkness fell over the field. Burgoyne's Surrender: The British force
then retreated a few kilometers north where their retreat was blocked by
colonial forces, under the command of General Horatio Gates. Surrounded and
badly outnumbered, 60 km south of Fort Ticonderoga, with supplies dwindling
and winter not far off, Burgoyne had little option. He surrendered on October
17, 1777. Aftermath: Burgoyne's troops
were disarmed and should have been paroled (returned to Britain on the
condition that they engage in no further conflict with the colonies), a
common 18th century military practice. Instead, the American Congress refused
to ratify the "convention" (the document detailing the terms of
surrender agreed to by Gates and Burgoyne). Though some of the British and
German officers were eventually exchanged for captured American officers,
most of the enlisted men in the "Convention Army," as it became
known, were held captive in camps in New England, Virginia, and Pennsylvania
until the end of the war. Burgoyne himself was sent back to England in
disgrace. The news that an entire British Army had been not only defeated,
but captured with all its weapons, gave the revolutionists great credibility.
France, in particular, threw its support behind the Revolution. Years later,
French military and naval forces played a key role in the capitulation of a
second British Army at the Battle of Yorktown and the end of the war. source:
wikipedia |
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General John Burgoyne
British Army |
The Surrender of Gen. Burgoyne at Saratoga,
New York, 1777 Painting The Frick Collection, New York |
General Horatio Gates
American Continental Army |
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USS Saratoga
(CVA-60 / CV-60): The fifth Saratoga
(CV 60) was laid down on 16 December 1952 by the New York Naval Shipyard, New
York City, N.Y.; launched on 8 October 1955; sponsored by Mrs. Charles S.
Thomas; and commissioned on 14 April 1956, Capt. R. J. Stroh in command. For the next
several months, Saratoga conducted various engineering, flight, steering,
structural, and gunnery tests. On 18 August 1956, she sailed for Guantanamo
and her shakedown cruise. On 19 December, she reentered the New York Naval
Shipyard and remained there until 28 February 1957. Upon completion of yard
work, she got underway on a refresher training cruise to the Caribbean before
entering her home port, Mayport, Fla. On 6 June,
President Dwight D. Eisenhower and members of his cabinet boarded Saratoga to
observe operations on board the giant carrier. For two days, she and eighteen
other ships demonstrated air operations, antisubmarine warfare, guided
missile operations, and the Navy's latest bombing and strafing techniques.
Highlighting the President's visit was the nonstop flight of two F8U
Crusaders, spanning the nation in three hours and twenty-eight minutes, from
USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) on the west coast to the flight deck of the
Saratoga in the Atlantic. The carrier
departed Mayport on 3 September 1957 for her maiden transatlantic voyage.
Saratoga sailed into the Norwegian Sea and participated in Operation
Strikeback, joint naval maneuvers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
countries . She returned briefly to Mayport before entering the Norfolk Naval
Shipyard for repairs. On 1 February
1958, Saratoga departed Mayport for the Mediterranean and her first
deployment with the Sixth Fleet. On 15 July 1958, while aircraft from
Saratoga and USS Essex (CV 9) flew cover from long range, amphibious units landed
1,800 Marines on the beach near Beirut, Lebanon, to support the Lebanese
government and to protect the lives of U.S. citizens. The situation was
stabilized within a few days, without untoward incident. During her August
1959 deployment to the Mediterranean, Attack Squadron 34, flying A-4D
Skyhawks and part of Saratoga's air wing, was the first squadron deployed to
the Sixth Fleet equipped with Bullpup missiles. While deployed
with the Sixth Fleet on 23 January 1961, a serious fire broke out in Saratoga's
number two machinery space which took seven lives. The fire, believed caused
by a ruptured fuel oil line, was brought under control by the crew, and the
ship proceeded to Athens where a survey of the damage could be made. On 2 January 1968,
Saratoga sailed for Philadelphia and an overhaul and modernization program
which was to last 11 months. On 31 January, she departed Philadelphia for
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, via Hampton Roads and Mayport, for extensive refresher
training of the crew and air wing. On 17 May 1968,
Armed Forces Day, she was the host ship for President Richard M. Nixon during
the firepower demonstration conducted by Carrier Air Wing Three in the
Virginia Capes area. On 9 July, she departed Mayport for her ninth
Mediterranean deployment. Underway, a Soviet surface force and a
"November"-class submarine passed in close proximity, en route to
Cuba. Off the Azores on
17 July 1968, Saratoga was shadowed by Kipelovo-based Soviet aircraft. They
were intercepted, photographed, and escorted while in the vicinity of the
carrier. She operated with Task Group 60.2 of the Sixth Fleet in the eastern
Mediterranean during September in a "show of force" in response to
the large build-up of Soviet surface units there, the hijacking of a Trans
World Airlines plane to Syria and the political coup in Libya. Numerous
surveillance and reconnaissance flights were conducted by Carrier Wing Three
aircraft against Soviet surface units, including the carrier Moskva,
operating southeast of Crete. Saratoga operated in this area again in October
because of the crisis in Lebanon. She returned to Mayport and the Florida
coast on 22 January 1969. On 24 June 1969,
the first operational "hands off" arrested landing using the
AN/SPN-42, Automatic Carrier Landing System (ACLS), on a carrier was
performed by Lt. Dean Smith and Lt.j.g. James Sherlock of Fighter Squadron
103 when their F-4 Phantom landed aboard Saratoga. On 11 June 1970
Saratoga sailed again for duty with the Sixth Fleet. On 28 September
1970, President Richard M. Nixon and his party arrived on board. That night,
word was received that Gamal Abdul Nasser, President of the United Arab
Republic had died; an event that might plunge the entire Middle East into a
crisis. The intelligence and communications personnel of Saratoga were
required to supply the President, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Secretaries
of State and Defense with the essential intelligence information to keep them
abreast of the deteriorating situation. The Presidential party departed the
ship the next evening, and Saratoga continued on patrol in the eastern
Mediterranean until she sailed for the United States on 2 November. From her arrival
at Mayport until 10 March 1971, she was in a "cold iron" status.
She then operated off the Florida coast until 7 June when she departed for
her eleventh deployment with the Sixth Fleet, via Scotland and the North Sea
where she participated in Exercise Magic Sword II. She returned to Mayport on
31 October for a period of restricted availability and local operations. On 11 April 1972,
Saratoga sailed from Mayport en route to Subic Bay, P.I., and her first
deployment to the western Pacific. She arrived in Subic Bay on 8 May and
departed for Vietnam the following week, arriving at "Yankee
Station" on 18 May for her first period on the line. Before year's end,
she was on station in the Tonkin Gulf a total of seven times: 18 May to 21
June; 1 to 16 July; 28 July to 22 August; 2 to 19 September, 29 September to
21 October; 5 November to 8 December; and 18 to 31 December. During the first
period, Saratoga lost four aircraft and three pilots. On the plus side, on 21
June 1972, two of her F-4 Phantoms from VF-31 attacked three MiG 21s over
North Vietnam. Dodging four surface to air missiles, one of the F-4s, piloted
by Cmdr. Samuel C. Flynn Jr., with radar intercept officer Lt. William H.
John, shot down one of the MiG aircraft. This Phantom, Bureau number 157307,
was later transferred to the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The
aircraft was transferred upon its arrival at Dulles International Airport on
29 November 1988. Saratoga's planes
attacked targets ranging from enemy troop concentrations in the lower
panhandle to petroleum storage areas northeast of Hanoi. On her second line
period, she lost an F-4 to enemy fire northeast of Hanoi with the pilot and
radar intercept officer missing in action. During this period, her aircraft
flew 708 missions against the enemy. On 6 August 1972,
Lt. Jim Lloyd, flying an A-7 on a bombing mission near Vinh, had his plane
shot out from under him by a SAM. He ejected into enemy territory at night.
In a daring rescue by helicopters supported by CVW-3 aircraft the following
day, he was lifted from the midst of enemy soldiers and returned to Saratoga.
It was the deepest penetration by U.S. helicopters into enemy territory since
1968. On 10 August 1972, one of the ship's CAP jet fighters splashed a MiG at
night using Sparrow missiles. During the period
2 to 19 September, Saratoga aircraft flew over 800 combat strike missions
against targets in North Vietnam. On 20 October, her aircraft flew 83 close
air support sorties in six hours in support of a force of 250 Territorials
beleaguered by the North Vietnamese 48th Regiment. Air support saved the
small force, enabled ARVN troops to advance, and killed 102 North Vietnamese
soldiers. During her last period on station, Saratoga's aircraft battered
targets in the heart of North Vietnam for over a week. Saratoga departed
"Yankee Station" for Subic Bay on 7 January 1973. From there she
sailed for the United States, via Singapore and arrived at Mayport on 13
February 1973. On 21 January 1975,
Saratoga, on a Mediterranean deployment, was released from a response alert
for possible evacuation of U.S. citizens from Cyprus during a period of
strife on that island. In March of 1980,
Saratoga and embarked airwing CVW-17 departed on their 16th Mediterranean
deployment. Highlights of the deployment included major exercises with the
USS Forrestal (CV 59) battle group, and visits by the Chief of Naval
Operations, Adm. Thomas B. Hayward, and Master Chief Petty Officer of the
Navy Thomas C. Crow. Then-commanding officer, Capt. James H. Flatley III,
made naval aviation history on 21 June 1980 when he completed his 1,500th
carrier arrested landing. To make the event special, Midshipman James H.
Flatley IV, the Captain's son, rode in the back seat. On 28 September
1980, only one month after her return from deployment, Saratoga departed
Mayport and headed north to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard where she
underwent the most extensive industrial overhaul ever performed on any Navy
ship. Saratoga was the first ship to go through the Service Life Extension
Program (SLEP) overhaul that would last 28 months. She conducted sea trials
on 16 October 1982, and left Philadelphia with much fanfare on 2 February
1983 with her new nickname - "Super Sara." Saratoga departed
the Mayport Basin yet again for her 17th Mediterranean deployment on 2 April
1984. Saratoga's 18th
deployment was anything but ordinary. After departing Mayport in August 1985,
Saratoga steamed toward the Mediterranean for what was scheduled to be a
routine deployment. But on 10 October, Saratoga was called into action. Arab terrorists
had found and struck an Italian luxury liner, Achille Lauro. The ship had
just departed Alexandria, Egypt, on a pleasure cruise of the Mediterranean. A
few hours later, terrorists from the Palestinian Liberation Front hijacked
the ship. After tense negotiations and the killing of an American tourist,
the hijackers traveled in a battered tugboat to the city of Port Said, Egypt,
after Achille Lauro anchored just off the coast. Egyptian authorities made
hasty arrangements for the terrorists to depart the country. They boarded an
Egypt Air 737 jumbojet at the Al Maza Air Base, northeast of Cairo. On orders from
President Ronald Reagan, seven F-14 Tomcats from the VF-74
"Bedevilers" and VF-103 "Sluggers" were launched from
Saratoga. Supporting the Tomcats continuously were VA-85 KA-6D air tankers
and VAW-125 E-2C Hawkeye aircraft. Off the coast of Crete, the F-14s, without
the use of running lights, eased up beside and behind the airliner. On
command, the Tomcats turned on their lights and dipped their wings - an
international signal for a forced landing. The E-2C Hawkeye radioed the
airliner to follow the F-14s. Realizing they were in a "no-win"
situation, the hijackers allowed the pilot to follow the Tomcats to Naval Air
Station, Sigonella, Italy. One hour and 15
minutes later, the jumbo jet landed and the hijackers were taken into
custody. Seven hours after the fighter jets were scrambled, all Saratoga
aircraft returned home without a shot fired. On 23 March 1986,
while operating off coast of Libya, aircraft from the Saratoga, USS Coral Sea
(CV 43) and USS America (CV 66) crossed what Libyan strongman Mohammar
Khadafi had called the "Line of Death." The very next day at noon,
three U.S. Navy warships crossed the same 32° 30' navigational line. Two hours later,
Libyan forces fired SA-5 surface-to-air missiles from the coastal town of
Surt. The missiles missed their F-14 Tomcat targets and fell harmlessly into
the water. Later that afternoon, U.S. aircraft turned back two Libyan MiG-25
fighter planes over the disputed Gulf of Sidra. Soon after, aircraft from the
three super carriers fought back in defense. A heavily-armed
A-6E Intruder fired Rockeye cluster bombs and a Harpoon anti-ship cruise
missile at a Libyan missile patrol boat operating on the "Line of
Death." Later that night, two A-7E Corsair II jets attacked a key radar
installation at Surt. At the conclusion, three Libyan patrol boats and a
radar site were destroyed by Navy aircraft. Following
Saratoga's 19th Mediterranean deployment in June 1987, she was overhauled
once again at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard at a cost of $280 million. Saratoga departed
Mayport for her 20th deployment on 7 August 1990, just days after Iraqi tanks
invaded Kuwait. Saratoga and Carrier Air Wing 17 rapidly crossed the
Atlantic, the Mediterranean and transited the Suez Canal on 22 August to take
up station in the Red Sea. In the early
morning hours of 17 January 1991, Operation Desert Shield became Operation
Desert Storm. Aircraft from Saratoga flew against Iraq in the first step to
knock out the Arab nation's military power and drive it from conquered
Kuwait. CVW-17 aircraft dropped more than four million pounds of ordnance on
enemy targets. However, on 17
January, Lt. Cmdr. Michael Scott Speicher, flying an F/A-18C Hornet of VFA-81
aboard Saratoga, was shot down by an Iraqi surface-to-air missile, the first U.S.
casualty of the Gulf War. He was placed in an MIA status the next day. On May
22, 1991, following a Secretary of the Navy status review board that found
"no credible evidence" to suggest he had survived the shootdown,
his status was changed to Killed in Action/Body Not Recovered (KIA/BNR). On
11 January 2001, Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig changed the status of
Cmdr. Michael Scott Speicher from KIA/BNR to Missing in Action (MIA), based
on new information. On 21 January
1991, an F-14 Tomcat of VF-103 aboard Saratoga, was shot down by a
surface-to-air missile. Pilot Lt. Devon Jones and Radar Intercept Officer Lt.
Lawrence Slade were reported missing. Lt. Jones was recovered the following
day, but Lt. Slade was captured as a prisoner of war. Flying on 30
January, all 18 F/A-18s aboard Saratoga delivered 100,000 pounds of MK-83
1,000-lb. bombs on Iraqi position in occupied Kuwait. This was the largest
amount of bomb tonnage carried on a single mission. Saratoga departed
the Gulf 11 March 1991. After seven months and 21 days, 11,700 arrested
landings, 12,700 sorties flown, 36,382 miles traveled and a record six Suez
Canal transits, Saratoga returned home 28 March to a hero's welcome. Saratoga's 21st
Mediterranean deployment, which began 6 May 1992, was much more than normal
operations in the Med. Her six month deployment found her in the Adriatic
Sea, providing close-air support for humanitarian relief flights flying into
the war-torn former Yugoslavia. Thousands of support missions were flown, but
more importantly, not one single piece of ordnance was dropped - proving that
U.S. military presence is a powerful deterrent. On 27 August, aircraft from
Saratoga and USS Independence (CV 62), both in the Arabian Gulf, began
enforcing the no-fly zone south of the 32nd parallel in Iraq under Operation
Southern Watch. Any Iraqi warplanes violating that airspace would be shot
down. This was to prevent the Iraqis from attacking Shiite Moslem ethnic
groups in the marshes of southern Iraq. From the Gulf, Saratoga returned to
the Mediterranean and was there relieved on 7 October by USS John F. Kennedy
(CV 67). "Super
Sara," along with Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17), began her final
deployment 12 January 1994, entering the Mediterranean Sea January 26 after a
choppy Atlantic Ocean crossing. Ship and air wing spent that day, east of
Gibraltar, receiving "turnover briefs" from Saratoga's predecessor
in the Mediterranean, USS America (CV 66). As America ended her deployment,
setting sail for home, Saratoga headed east for the area the crew would come
to call "Groundhog Station" in the Adriatic Sea. Entering the
Adriatic February 1, Saratoga and CVW-17 launched the first of thousands of
sorties in support of U.N. and NATO operations Deny Flight and Provide
Promise over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Actress Halle Berry, star of films
Boomerang, Jungle Fever and The Last Boy Scout, spent an afternoon with
Sailors on station in the Adriatic Sea aboard Saratoga 3 February. Then,
after 44 consecutive days at sea, Saratoga visited the northern Italian city
of Trieste for some eagerly awaited liberty. The ship departed
Trieste 28 February 1994, taking up station in the southern Adriatic once
again, in response to the U.S. Air Force downing of four Bosnian Serb Super
Galeb attack aircraft The four jets had been flying in defiance of the
U.N.-NATO "No Fly Zone" over the former war-torn Yugoslavia. Saratoga remained
on station until 10 March. Departing for the eastern Mediterranean, ship and
air wing participated in exercises over land and sea with U.S. allies in that
part of the world. Finishing up on 18 March, Saratoga returned to Trieste for
another well-deserved period of recreation, then to the Greek island of Crete
for bombing exercises at the Avgo-Nisi bombing range. Completing the
exercises, the Saratoga / CVW-17 team returned to the Adriatic for five more
days of flying in support of Deny Flight and Provide Promise. Departing
"Groundhog Station" 7 April , Saratoga transited the Straits of
Messina between Sicily and the toe of the "boot" of southern Italy,
for a port call at Naples, Italy, before returning to the Adriatic for the
fourth time on 17 April. Saratoga anchored
off the resort city of Palma de Mallorca, Spain, 3 May 1994, for one week of
the most eagerly-awaited port calls of the deployment. After a week of
liberty on the sun-drenched Spanish island, it was back to business as
Saratoga participated in the Mediterranean exercise Dynamic Impact. This
exercise featured joint maneuvers with several NATO-member navies, as well as
the U.S. Air Force. Finishing six days
of liberty in Valencia, Spain, Saratoga participated in Iles D'Or, or
"Islands of Gold," -- an exercise with the French Navy, lasting
until 9 June. Saratoga, the Navy's oldest active duty carrier, hen headed for
the rendezvous point with her relief, the nuclear powered aircraft carrier
USS George Washington (CVN-73), the Navy's newest carrier at the time. Saratoga arrived
pierside at Naval Station, Mayport, Fla., early in the morning of 24 June
1994. With the end of the 164-day deployment - the last in the carrier's
38-year career - Saratoga's crew prepared to deactivate the ship, offloading
material and closing out each of the ship's more than 3,500 spaces. Saratoga was
decommissioned at the Naval Station, Mayport, Florida, on 20 August 1994, and
stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the same day. She was towed to
Philadelphia in May 1995, then, upon deactivation of the Philadelphia Navy
Yard in August 1998, to Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island.
There, she was first placed on donation hold, then her status was changed to
"disposal as an experimental ship", and finally she was returned to
donation hold on 1 January 2000. While a hulk at Newport, ex-Saratoga, like
her sisters, has been extensively stripped to support the active carrier
fleet. There was an active effort to make her a museum ship in Quonset Point
in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. In April 2010 the Saratoga was removed from
donation hold and scheduled to be disposed of. source:
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