USS Forrestal (CV-59)

USS Forrestal (CV-59) was a supercarrier that served as the lead ship of the *Forrestal*-class and the first United States Navy carrier designed from the keel up to support jet aircraft. Commissioned in 1955, it was named for the first United States Secretary of Defense, James Forrestal. The ship's long career spanned the Cold War, including pivotal deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and combat operations in the Vietnam War, but it is also infamously remembered for a catastrophic flight deck fire in 1967.

History

The vessel was authorized by the United States Congress during the Korean War amid rapid advancements in naval aviation technology. Its design and construction represented a monumental leap over previous *Essex*-class and *Midway*-class carriers, setting the standard for all subsequent American supercarriers. Throughout its nearly four decades of service, it operated with the Sixth Fleet and Second Fleet in the Atlantic Ocean, and with the Seventh Fleet in the Pacific Ocean, playing a key role in national strategy.

Design and construction

Ordered from Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia, its design incorporated revolutionary features including an angled flight deck, a reinforced flight deck, and four C-13 steam catapults, which allowed for the simultaneous launch and recovery of high-performance jets like the F-4 Phantom II and A-4 Skyhawk. The ship's immense size accommodated a larger air wing and more powerful radar systems, such as the SPS-48. Its armament initially consisted of eight 5"/54 caliber Mark 42 guns, which were later replaced by RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles and Phalanx CIWS for point defense.

Service history

Following its commissioning ceremony attended by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the carrier's shakedown cruise took it to the Caribbean Sea. Its early deployments were with the Atlantic Fleet, frequently operating in the Mediterranean Sea as a symbol of American power during Cold War confrontations. In 1967, it was deployed to Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin, where its air wing conducted intense airstrikes against targets in North Vietnam.

1967 fire

On 29 July 1967, while preparing for a strike mission, a Zuni rocket accidentally fired from an F-4 Phantom II on deck, striking an A-4 Skyhawk piloted by Lieutenant Commander John S. McCain III. The impact ignited JP-5 fuel and detonated a 1,000-pound bomb, triggering a chain reaction of explosions and a massive fire that killed 134 sailors and injured 161. The disaster led to major reforms in Department of Defense weapons handling, shipboard damage control procedures, and the composition of flight deck crews.

Decommissioning and fate

After the fire, the ship underwent extensive repairs and continued service through the 1970s and 1980s, including patrols during the Iran hostage crisis and exercises with NATO allies. It was redesignated as a training carrier (AVT-59) in 1992. The United States Navy decommissioned it on 11 September 1993 at Philadelphia. After years in the James River Reserve Fleet, it was sold for scrap in 2013 and dismantled in Brownsville, Texas, by International Shipbreaking Limited between 2014 and 2015.

Category:Forrestal-class aircraft carriers Category:Ships built in Newport News, Virginia Category:1955 ships