USS Philippine Sea (CV-47)

History of the USS Philippine Sea (CV-47)

The beautifully decorated US aircraft carrier USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) was one of the most important Essex-class squadrons deployed by the United States Navy (USN) during World War II (1939-1945). This class has proven critical to Allied operations, especially in the highly competitive Pacific Theater of Operations (PTO), where the U.S.

Navy goes head-to-head with the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN). The Essex class was originally planned for a fleet of 32, but ended up with 24 ships, with the Philippine Sea being the last of the class to serve.

The CV-47 was ordered in June 1943 as World War II was raging, laid on 19 August 1944, and launched on 5 September 1945 - just in time to see the end of Japan's surrender (and thus the end of it) end the entire Second World War). She did not officially enter service until May 11, 1946, and served for the next several decades, including during the Korean War (1950-1953).

When completed, the warship displaces 27,100 tons under standard load, has a barrel length of 888 feet, a beam of 93 feet, and a draft of 28.6 feet. Power comes from 8 boiler units feeding 4 Westinghouse geared steam turbines driving 4 shafts under the stern.

A top speed of 30 knots in ideal conditions and a range of more than 20,000 nautical miles - this gives the boat good legs at sea.

The conveyor belt is armored up to 4 inches, while the hangar deck is plated with up to 2.5 inches of armor. The conning tower received 1.5 inches of protection.

There are 3,448 officers and men on board, each responsible for a specific function of ship operations. In addition, there is an air force of 90 to 100 fighter jets of various makes and models, also designed for specific missions from combat to torpedo/bomb delivery.

The warship has a point defense network consisting of 4 x 5" dual mounted dual purpose (DP) guns, 4 x 5" single mounted DP guns, 10 x 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns (AA) Quadruple guns and 2 x 40mm twin AA guns. All of this is done to deter enemy attackers and is provided in addition to any support from the accompanying fleet ships.

The ship is named after the naval battle in the Philippine Sea that took place during World War II on June 19-20, 1944. The U.S. victory over the sinking of three Japanese fleet carriers, the new ship is named in honor of the clash of naval power.

Launched too late to see actual combat service in World War II, the USS Philippine Sea made a major contribution to the U.S. Navy's world shortly after World War II.

Subsequent deployments took the ship to the Mediterranean and Antarctica. Since then, she played a major role in the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, and her fighter jets were well (and widely) used. The Philippine Sea enters the area from Japan through the Pearl Harbor (Hawaii) naval base.

Once there, she joined the Allied carriers USS Valley Forge and HMS Triumph, the only two carriers already stationed in theater.

Fighters in the Philippine Sea have been in use since August 1950, attacking enemy ground targets when necessary (at a time when Allied forces were rapidly gaining air superiority). In addition to general bombing, artillery and missile attacks, with the introduction of the Chinese military in October 1950, fighter jets were used for close air support (CAS) of Allied forces as the war became a defensive one nearby.

The USS Philippine Sea initially competed with propeller fighters such as the Grumman F6F Hellcat and Vought F4U Corsair fighters, joining the US Navy's transition to jet fighters, including the Grumman F9F Panther ". The Douglas AD-4 Skyraider also constituted the most important offensive weapon.

In June 1951, the warship entered the waters of San Francisco and began to refit and repair. Afterwards, she was ordered to patrol along the West Coast of the United States. After a second deployment in the Korean War in 1952, she returned to the United States (San Diego) in August 1952.

At this point, their classification was officially changed from "CV" to "CVA" ("Attack Aircraft Carrier"), adding additional attack aircraft to their traditional stables. The ship resumed destroying enemy positions and continued in that role until a disturbing armistice was signed in mid-1953.

In 1954, the Philippine Sea reacted to the downing of a Douglas D-40 airliner with two Skyraiders attacked by Chinese aircraft. Chinese attackers were dispatched without further incident as part of the "Hainan Incident".

By 1955, their aircraft stables included Grumman F9F "Cougar" jet fighters and Panthers, now relegated to the fighter-bomber role. In November of the same year, the warship was reclassified as "CVS" ("Anti-Submarine Warship") to denote her new role at sea.

It also meant that some of their fighter arms were replaced by the Grumman S2F "tracker" anti-submarine platform. Such training followed.

On December 28, 1958, the warship was decommissioned and remained in the U.S. Reserve Fleet in Long Beach, California, until its future was decided.

Beginning in May 1959, under the new classification "AVT-11" ("Auxiliary Aircraft Transport and Landing Training Vessel"), the ship was finally on the 1st. On March 23, 1971, her dismantled hull was sold for scrap.

In April 1987, the new Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG-58) reinstated the USS Philippine Sea designation for USN service. The warship is still in service today (2020).

USS Philippine Sea (CV-47) was awarded the World War II Victory Medal, Navy Career Medal, Chinese Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Antarctic Service Medal, Korean Service Medal (9 Battle Stars) for service at sea ) ), the Korean Presidential Unit Medal, the United Nations Order of Korea and the Korean War Service Medal. During her time at sea, the CV-47 was never updated with a more modern cockpit, retaining her World War II "straightforward" flat-roof design.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Weight

Performance

Performance

Armor

Wing