USS Forrestal (CV-59)

History of USS Forrestal (CV-59)

USS Forrestal (CV-59) was ordered on July 12, 1951 as part of a new generation of US aircraft carriers, classified as a "supercarrier". Her keel was laid by Newport News Shipyard on 14 July 1952 and launched on 11 December 1954.

The Navy took ownership on September 29, 1955, and officially entered service on October 1 of that year, beginning its service for nearly four decades. Forrestal proved significant as it was the first U.S. airline to have the now standard starboard-to-port sloping flight deck, and its other notable systems included steam catapult launchers and jet engine mounts designed from the ground up .

Her name comes from James Forrest (1892-1949), the first U.S. Secretary of Defense (previously used Secretary of the Navy).

NOTE: The USS Forrestal served under three different names during its service at sea. Originally she carried "CVA-59", but changed to "CV-59" in the 1970s. Before the end of her term, she was referred to as "AVT-59" when she was considered for a dedicated training aircraft carrier.

When done, Forrestal sets the standard for future American airlines. She showed off her starboard offset island layout with multiple hangar elevators serving the flight deck and the hangar deck below. Four aircraft can be launched simultaneously, and their lineup typically includes fleet defenders/interceptors, attack platforms, special mission aircraft and cargo aircraft. She can also launch and recover helicopters with ease.

The crew consists of 552 officers and 4,988 soldiers. The ship has a standard load of 60,610 tons and a full load of 82,402 tons. Measurements include a length of 1,067 feet, a beam of 129.3 feet, and a draft of 37 feet.

Electricity is supplied by 8 Babcock & Wilcox boilers feeding 4 Westinghouse geared steam turbines producing 260,000 to 280,000 hp on 4 shafts (Forrestal is conventional and non-nuclear). This gives the ship a top speed of 33 knots in ideal conditions and a range of up to 9,200 miles.

Weapons initially consisted of 8 x 5"/54 caliber Mk 42 guns, which were later dismantled. Aircraft defenses then fell to the 20mm Mk 15 "Phalanx" Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) and Mk 29 NATO "Sea Sparrow" Surface-to-air missile (SAM) launcher unit.

Early on, Forrestal participated in various training and exercise deployments, but was also used on duty during the 1956 Suez Crisis and the 1958 Lebanon Riots. Deployed during the Vietnam War (1955-1975), Forrestal then entered combat duty, where their fighter jets were used against North Vietnamese targets. However, it was during that tour in Tokyo Bay in 1967 that she suffered her first notorious fire - a Zuni missile fired from a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II A fully loaded Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. The Skyhawk's fuel tank ruptured and caught fire, sparking the first of several notable fires.

Tragically, 134 people died and 161 were injured. In addition, approximately 21 USN aircraft were written off.

In the 1970s, Forrestal served in Mediterranean waters with humanitarian relief duties???, patrolling and deterrence. In July 1972, while docked in Norfolk, Virginia, she was hit by another fire, although this outbreak was intentionally caused by a crew member. The damage was so extensive that she was forced to make repairs, and she waited months to get it back into service.

She replaced the USS John F. Kennedy in the Mediterranean. On June 30, 1975, she was officially renamed "CV-59" and underwent a major overhaul in 1977.

Another fire was reported in her cabin on April 8, 1978. The steam apparently ignited their insulation, but crews quickly extinguished the flames and limited damage. On April 11, another fire broke out in one of their steam catapults and another in a storage room. Here, the staff also responded professionally, brought the fire under control in time, and minimized the damage. On May 10, the ship began flooding, losing most of its food supply and tens of thousands of dollars (USD).

During the second half of the decade, Forrestal continued to participate in various NATO exercises and training efforts.

The USS Forrestal was ready for Operation Desert Storm (1991), but did not enter service until late May. She was renamed "AVT-59" as a training vehicle, replacing the USS Lexington (CV-16) in the same role. In 1992, she underwent a 14-month overhaul until her official retirement in early 1993.

She was officially decommissioned on September 11, 1993, and although efforts to preserve her as a floating museum failed, she was scrapped in 2013sold for a dime.

The ship has earned the indecent nicknames "Firestal", "Zippo" and "Forest Fire" due to her multiple fires aboard.

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