USS Coral Sea (CV-43)

	USS Coral Sea underway on 1 March 1989
History
United States
Name	Coral Sea
Namesake	Battle of the Coral Sea
Ordered	14 June 1943
Builder	Newport News Shipbuilding
Laid down	10 July 1944
Launched	2 April 1946
Commissioned	1 October 1947
Decommissioned	26 April 1990
Stricken	28 April 1990
Motto	Older and Bolder
Nickname(s)	Ageless Warrior; The Natural; San Francisco's own; Best in the west; Coral Maru; The Big Sea or The Big 'C; The Operational Queen of the Seventh Fleet; Mustang (Call sign on Yankee Station);
Fate	Scrapped, 8 September 2000
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Midway-class aircraft carrier
Displacement	45,000 long tons (45,722 t) (standard); 60,000 long tons (60,963 t) (full load) ;
Length	899 ft 9 in (274.24 m) wl; 967 ft 8 in (294.94 m) oa;
Beam	113 ft (34 m) waterline,; 136 feet (41 m) flight deck;
Draft	35 ft (11 m)
Installed power	12 Babcock and Wilcox boilers; 212,000 shp (158,000 kW);
Propulsion	4 Westinghouse Geared steam turbine sets; 4 shafts;
Speed	33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph)
Range	15,000 nmi (28,000 km; 17,000 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	4,104 officers and men
Sensors and ; processing systems	As Built:; 1 × SC-2 Surveillance Radar; 2 × SG Surface Search Radars (On top Mark-37 GFCS); 1 × SK-2 Air Search Radars; 2 × Mk-37 GFCS;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	As Built:; 1 × TDY-2 ECM (Anti-Radar);
Armament	As Built: (1949); 14 × 5"/54 caliber Mark 16 guns, (14 × 1) * 40 × 3"/50 caliber guns (20 × 2) * 28 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannons (14 × 2) * After SCB-110A Overhaul: : (1960's) * 6 × 5"/54 caliber Mark 16 guns, (6 × 1) or (3 × 1); After SCB-101.66 modernization: (1980's) * 3 × Phalanx CIWS (1 × 3);
Armor	As Built: (1949); Portside Belt: 7.6 inch; Starboard Belt: 7 inch; Lower Edge and Upper Belt: 1.96 inch; Flight Deck: 3.5 inch; Hangar Deck: 2 inch; Main Deck: 2 inch; Steering Gear Compartment: 2.48-7.6 inches; Main Longitudinal Bulkhead: 1.25 inch; Transverse Bulkhead: 6.29 inch; Steering Gear Compartment Bulkhead: 6.29 inch; Galley Deck: 76'; Forecastle Deck: 67'9; 2nd deck: 49'3; 3rd deck: 41'0; 4th deck: 31'6;
Aircraft carried	Up to 130 (World War II); 65-70 (1980s);
Aviation facilities	As Built: (1949); 2 × Centreline Elevators; 1 × Deck edge Elevator; 2 × H-41 hydraulic catapults; 3 × Arresting Wires; 6 × Barricades; As Retired:; At least 4 or more Bomb elevators; 2 Hangar Bays; 3 Deck Edges elevators (2 Starboard and 1 Portside);

USS Coral Sea (CV/CVB/CVA-43), a Midway-class aircraft carrier, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the Battle of the Coral Sea. She earned the affectionate nickname "Ageless Warrior" through her long career. Initially classified as an aircraft carrier with hull classification symbol CV-43, the contract to build the ship was awarded to Newport News Shipbuilding of Newport News, Virginia, on 14 June 1943. She was reclassified as a "Large Aircraft Carrier" with hull classification symbol CVB-43 on 15 July 1943. Her keel was laid down on 10 July 1944 in Shipway 10. She was launched on 2 April 1946 sponsored by Mrs. Thomas C. Kinkaid and commissioned on 1 October 1947 with Captain A.P. Storrs III in command.

Before 8 May 1945, the aircraft carrier CVB-42 had been known as USS Coral Sea; after that date, CVB-42 was renamed in honor of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the late President, and CVB-43 was named the Coral Sea.

Coral Sea was one of the last U.S Navy carriers to be completed with a straight flight deck, with an angled flight deck added on during later modernizations. All subsequent newly built U.S Navy carriers have had the angled deck included as part of the ship's construction.

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Dorais, Bob. "UNDERWAY Underway Home". www.usscoralsea.net. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
^ Cite error: The named reference scrap1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Dorais, Bob. "UNDERWAY Ships Specifications". www.usscoralsea.net. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "Armoured Aircraft Carriers". Armoured Aircraft Carriers in World War II. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c Dorais, Bob. "PUBLICATIONS SHIPS PLANS". www.usscoralsea.net. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Booklet of General Plans" (PDF). cv41.pdf. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Dorais, Bob. "UNDERWAY Ships Weapons". www.usscoralsea.net. Retrieved 15 April 2022.

[Coral_Sea's_Nicknames-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Dorais, Bob. "UNDERWAY Underway Home". www.usscoralsea.net. Retrieved 15 April 2022.

[scrap1-2] Cite error: The named reference scrap1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Ships_Specifications-3] Dorais, Bob. "UNDERWAY Ships Specifications". www.usscoralsea.net. Retrieved 15 April 2022.

[Technical_Details.2-4] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "Armoured Aircraft Carriers". Armoured Aircraft Carriers in World War II. Retrieved 15 April 2022.

[Ship_Plans-5] Dorais, Bob. "PUBLICATIONS SHIPS PLANS". www.usscoralsea.net. Retrieved 22 December 2022.

[Booklet_of_General_Plans_(USS_Midway)-6] "Booklet of General Plans" (PDF). cv41.pdf. Retrieved 19 August 2022.

[Ships_Weapons-7] Dorais, Bob. "UNDERWAY Ships Weapons". www.usscoralsea.net. Retrieved 15 April 2022.

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History
USS Coral Sea underway on 1 March 1989
United States
Name	Coral Sea
Namesake	Battle of the Coral Sea
Ordered	14 June 1943
Builder	Newport News Shipbuilding
Laid down	10 July 1944
Launched	2 April 1946
Commissioned	1 October 1947
Decommissioned	26 April 1990
Stricken	28 April 1990
Motto	Older and Bolder
Nickname(s)	Ageless Warrior^[1] The Natural^[1] San Francisco's own^[1] Best in the west^[1] Coral Maru^[1] The Big Sea or The Big 'C^[1] The Operational Queen of the Seventh Fleet^[1] Mustang (Call sign on Yankee Station)^[1]
Fate	Scrapped, 8 September 2000^[2]
Badge
General characteristics
Class and type	Midway-class aircraft carrier
Displacement	45,000 long tons (45,722 t) (standard) 60,000 long tons (60,963 t) (full load) ^[3]
Length	899 ft 9 in (274.24 m) wl 967 ft 8 in (294.94 m) oa
Beam	113 ft (34 m) waterline, 136 feet (41 m) flight deck
Draft	35 ft (11 m)
Installed power	12 Babcock and Wilcox boilers 212,000 shp (158,000 kW)
Propulsion	4 Westinghouse Geared steam turbine sets 4 shafts
Speed	33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph)
Range	15,000 nmi (28,000 km; 17,000 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Complement	4,104 officers and men
Sensors and processing systems	As Built: 1 × SC-2 Surveillance Radar 2 × SG Surface Search Radars (On top Mark-37 GFCS) 1 × SK-2 Air Search Radars 2 × Mk-37 GFCS
Electronic warfare & decoys	As Built: 1 × TDY-2 ECM (Anti-Radar)
Armament	As Built: (1949) 14 × 5"/54 caliber Mark 16 guns, (14 × 1) ^[7]* 40 × 3"/50 caliber guns (20 × 2) ^[7]* 28 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannons (14 × 2) ^[7]* After SCB-110A Overhaul: : (1960's) ^[7]* 6 × 5"/54 caliber Mark 16 guns, (6 × 1) or (3 × 1) After SCB-101.66 modernization: (1980's) ^[7]* 3 × Phalanx CIWS (1 × 3)
Armor	As Built: (1949) Portside Belt: 7.6 inch^[4] Starboard Belt: 7 inch^[4] Lower Edge and Upper Belt: 1.96 inch Flight Deck: 3.5 inch Hangar Deck: 2 inch^[4] Main Deck: 2 inch^[4] Steering Gear Compartment: 2.48-7.6 inches Main Longitudinal Bulkhead: 1.25 inch Transverse Bulkhead: 6.29 inch Steering Gear Compartment Bulkhead: 6.29 inch Galley Deck: 76'^[6] Forecastle Deck: 67'9^[6] 2nd deck: 49'3^[6] 3rd deck: 41'0^[6] 4th deck: 31'6^[6]
Aircraft carried	Up to 130 (World War II) 65-70 (1980s)
Aviation facilities	As Built: (1949) 2 × Centreline Elevators^[4] 1 × Deck edge Elevator^[4] 2 × H-41 hydraulic catapults^[4] 3 × Arresting Wires^[4] 6 × Barricades^[4] As Retired: At least 4 or more Bomb elevators^[5] 2 Hangar Bays^[5] 3 Deck Edges elevators (2 Starboard and 1 Portside)^[5]