Cold Warriors: The Essex Class in the Cold War

Interesting read. I knew that Oriskany had been looked at pretty heavily for reactivation as part of Regan's 600 ship Navy, to the point that the Navy was willing to can the reactivation of all 4 Iowa class to get her, but I didn't know that they also wanted Bon Homme Richard recommisoned. It does give some interesting info on how they planned to refit them. Especially the part about putting steel decks and Hornets on them.
 
Bon homme Richard had been the first of the SCB-27C (= C-11 steam catapult Essex) to be retired in 1971. So it had already spent a decade in storage. Wonder about the five other SCB-27C. Were these ships in poor shape ?
Wiki has a detailed list (as usual)

ShipProgramShipyardWork BeganRecommissionedDecommissioned
USS Oriskany (CV-34)SCB-27New YorkAug 1947Sep 1950September 1976
USS Essex (CV-9)SCB-27APuget SoundFeb 1949Jan 1951June 1969
USS Wasp (CV-18)SCB-27ANew YorkMay 1949Sep 1951July 1972
USS Kearsarge (CV-33)SCB-27APuget SoundFeb 1950Feb 1952February 1970
USS Lake Champlain (CV-39)SCB-27ANorfolkAug 1950Sep 1952May 1966
USS Bennington (CV-20)SCB-27ANew YorkDec 1950Nov 1952January 1970
USS Yorktown (CV-10)SCB-27APuget SoundMar 1951Feb 1953June 1970
USS Randolph (CV-15)SCB-27ANewport NewsJune 1951Jul 1953February 1969
USS Hornet (CV-12)SCB-27ANew YorkJuly 1951Sep 1953June 1970
USS Hancock (CV-19)SCB-27CPuget SoundDec 1951Feb 1954January 1976
USS Intrepid (CV-11)SCB-27CNewport NewsApr 1952Jun 1954Mar 1974
USS Ticonderoga (CV-14)SCB-27CNew YorkApr 1952Sep 1954September 1973
USS Shangri-La (CV-38)SCB-27C/125Puget SoundOct 1952Jan 1955July 1971
USS Lexington (CV-16)SCB-27C/125Puget SoundSep 1953Aug 1955November 1991
USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31)SCB-27C/125Hunters PointMay 1953Sep 19552 July 1971

 
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Well, Hancock was sold for scrap the day after she decommissioned in 1976. Intrepid was supposed to be scrapped, but then donated to become a museum in 82 (she was already on donation hold when this hearing was held). Ticonderoga was scraped in 74. Shangri-la was used as a parts hulk for Lexington starting in 82. And well, Lexington was still commissioned and serving as the Navy's dedicated training carrier.
 
A pity for Hancock, but maybe it was just worn out.
"Worn out" applies to pretty much all of the Essex class by the mid 70s. The Navy rode them hard in Vietnam. As an example, BHR deployed for a combat tour in Southeast Asia 5 times between 1965 and 1970.
 
Bon homme Richard had been the first of the SCB-27C (= C-11 steam catapult Essex) to be retired in 1971. So it had already spent a decade in storage. Wonder about the five other SCB-27C. Were these ships in poor shape ?
Wiki has a detailed list (as usual)

ShipProgramShipyardWork BeganRecommissionedDecommissioned
USS Oriskany (CV-34)SCB-27New YorkAug 1947Sep 1950September 1976
USS Essex (CV-9)SCB-27APuget SoundFeb 1949Jan 1951June 1969
USS Wasp (CV-18)SCB-27ANew YorkMay 1949Sep 1951July 1972
USS Kearsarge (CV-33)SCB-27APuget SoundFeb 1950Feb 1952February 1970
USS Lake Champlain (CV-39)SCB-27ANorfolkAug 1950Sep 1952May 1966
USS Bennington (CV-20)SCB-27ANew YorkDec 1950Nov 1952January 1970
USS Yorktown (CV-10)SCB-27APuget SoundMar 1951Feb 1953June 1970
USS Randolph (CV-15)SCB-27ANewport NewsJune 1951Jul 1953February 1969
USS Hornet (CV-12)SCB-27ANew YorkJuly 1951Sep 1953June 1970
USS Hancock (CV-19)SCB-27CPuget SoundDec 1951Feb 1954January 1976
USS Intrepid (CV-11)SCB-27CNewport NewsApr 1952Jun 1954Mar 1974
USS Ticonderoga (CV-14)SCB-27CNew YorkApr 1952Sep 1954September 1973
USS Shangri-La (CV-38)SCB-27C/125Puget SoundOct 1952Jan 1955July 1971
USS Lexington (CV-16)SCB-27C/125Puget SoundSep 1953Aug 1955November 1991
USS Bon Homme Richard (CV-31)SCB-27C/125Hunters PointMay 1953Sep 19552 July 1971

Hancock got her SCB-125 from Apr 1956 - Nov 1956.
Ticonderoga got her SCB-125 from Aug 1956 - Mar 1957.
Intrepid got her SCB-125 from Sept 1956 - Apr 1957.
Oriskany also got a SCB-125A modernization (included all features of SCB-27C and SCB-125) from Jan 1957-Mar 1959.

The SCB-27A ships got their SCB-125 modernization between 1955 and 1957.
 
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Interesting read. I knew that Oriskany had been looked at pretty heavily for reactivation as part of Regan's 600 ship Navy, to the point that the Navy was willing to can the reactivation of all 4 Iowa class to get her, but I didn't know that they also wanted Bon Homme Richard recommisoned. It does give some interesting info on how they planned to refit them. Especially the part about putting steel decks and Hornets on them.
Back up a page or two and you'll see Admiral Foley's ambition for a dedicated Indian Ocean fleet based out of Perth (Shades of Fifth Fleet some 15 years early). The conversation is somewhat sidetracked by utilizing Harrier equipped LPH/LHD's to supplement/replace CVs operating in the Indian Ocean, which Foley wholly disagrees with. The Navy's view that Harriers were far too limited leads well to activating both Oriskany and Bon Homme Richard to reach 15-16 CVs. Had the fortune of speaking with Bob Foley a few times before his passing in 2019; had some amazing stories. Great find @Archibald !

Some may have also read this USNI proceeding as well:

A Fifth Fleet being activated in the wake of the Indonesian skirmishes could be an interesting plot line for this TL. Perhaps Lake Champlain with her 125A refit gets a second life "Down Under" @SSgtC ?
 
Thank you for that, I hadn't noted the Indian Ocean connection. About LPH & Harriers: obviously USS Guam was tested as a makeshift SCS between 1972 and 1975. With Harriers. AV-8A performance wasn't very good, for sure. Then again, it was first generation Harrier, itself first operational VSTOL, ever.
 
About LPH & Harriers: obviously USS Guam was tested as a makeshift SCS between 1972 and 1975. With Harriers. AV-8A performance wasn't very good, for sure. Then again, it was first generation Harrier, itself first operational VSTOL, ever.
From what I've read, Guam completed the SCS tests on 1 July 1974. And the trials had begun in January 1972.
AV-8A_VMA-513_taking_off_from_USS_Guam_(LPH-9)_1972.jpeg
 
Another first was racked up by USS FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT when, on 4 October 1976, the first overseas operational commitment on a carrier for the AV-8A Harrier began when VMA-231 embarked aboard for a Sixth Fleet deployment. On 13 January 1977, two other Harriers made bow-on approaches and landing aboard the carrier, marking the first time a fixed wing aircraft had made a bow-on, downwind landing aboard a carrier at sea.

October 4, 1976 - April 21, 1977; Mediterranean
Ports of call: Rota, Spain; Naples, Italy; Catania, Sicily, Italy; Taranto, Italy; Genoa, Italy; Monaco; Cannes, France; Barcelona, Spain

CVW-19 (tail code NM): VF-51 (F-4N); VF-111 (F-4N); VA-153 (A-7B); VA-215 (A-7B); VA-155 (A-7B); VMA-231 (AV-8A);
RVAW-110 Det. 4 (E-1B); VFP-63 Det. (RF-8G); HC-1 Det. 3 (SH-3G)

The ship continued to write a chapter in the evolution of naval aviation. The first overseas operational commitment on a carrier for McDonnell Douglas AV-8As began when 14 Harriers of Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 231, embarked with Franklin D. Roosevelt and CVW-19 as they set out for what became the ship’s final deployment on a voyage to the Mediterranean (4 October 1976–21 April 1977).

The ship and her wing resolutely continued to experiment with new ideas. A pair of AV-8As made a bow on approach downwind and landed on board Franklin D. Roosevelt on 13 January 1977. The Harriers landed with the other jets facing aft and demonstrated the capabilities of vertical and/or short take-off and landing (V/STOL) aircraft to land on carriers without many of the conditions necessary for fixed-wing, non-V/STOL aircraft. Throughout the cruise the Harriers validated that they could integrate and operate with predominantly fixed-wing air wings, though their exhaust damaged painted non-skid elements of the flight deck and blew some pieces off, creating a foreign object damage threat to aircraft.


If FDR had been given a full modernization (instead of her "austere overhaul") in 1969 to either SCB-110A as per CV-43 Coral Sea or to SCB-101.66 (preferably a slightly less-exaggerated version than Midway received) she could have served to at least the end of the 1980s, rather than being decommissioned on 1 October 1977 (and immediately stricken from the USN's books and sold for scrap on 1 April 1978, specifically to prevent her re-activation).

She could have operated F/A-18s & A-6s and E-2Cs just like her sisters did.
 
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Is the long white line in front of the two AV-8s a special marking for Harriers ?
Yes... that is their take-off run marking, as no Harrier variant ever had catapult bridle/towbar or arresting hook fittings..
 
When you think about it, FDR bane was: it was just big enough to be a CVV, kinda. That is: something the USN truly abhorred. Translation: "Congress: hey look, a carrier smaller than a Nimitz ! Must be cheaper !"

Neat thing with refurbished Essex class carriers: they were actually just too small to play a CVV role for Congress, against the Navy drive to get Nimitz - and only moar Nimitz, with additional Nimitz.

Bottom line: FDR was scrapped ASAP in 1978, when Oriskany (retired in 1976) and Bon Homme Richard (retired in 1971) almost staged a come back.
 
Yes... that is their take-off run marking, as no Harrier variant ever had catapult bridle/towbar or arresting hook fittings..
This was to considerably complicate operations at the same time as the catapulted aircraft.
The two catapults had to be cleared to launch a Harrier !
I'm surprised the AV-8s needed such a long length for a short takeoff.
 
The first generation Harriers performance really sucked. It is easy to forget it because "Harrier is a cool magical plane" and "AV-8A sounds like AV-8B" and also "Sea Harrier in the Falklands" (I'm guilty of that, in the first place).
But Harrier GR.3 and AV-8A performance badly sucked. Even early Skyhawks with J65 turbojets had more range and payload than any AV-8A in a good day. Not even mentionning A-7s.
The Spanish navy pilots really found a huge difference when they switched from "AV-8A on Dedalo" to "AV-8B on Asturias".
 
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If FDR had been given a full modernization (instead of her "austere overhaul") in 1969 to either SCB-110A as per CV-43 Coral Sea or to SCB-101.66 (preferably a slightly less-exaggerated version than Midway received) she could have served to at least the end of the 1980s, rather than being decommissioned on 1 October 1977 (and immediately stricken from the USN's books and sold for scrap on 1 April 1978, specifically to prevent her re-activation).

She could have operated F/A-18s & A-6s and E-2Cs just like her sisters did.

The only happy Midway carrier in the 1980's was Coral Sea. FDR was gone early (not enough refit) while Midway had bitten more than it could chew (too big a refit).
 
I'd like to imagine if the Essex without angled deck had been used as Harrier carrier/SCS or Marines' support carrier.

The Essex that could have become this are :
USS Franklin (CV-13) in reserve until July 1966,
USS Tarawa (CV-40) in reserve until October 1968,
USS Leyte (CV-32) in reserve until September 1970,
USS Boxer (CV-21) in reserve until March 1971, as amphibious assault ship in 1958,
USS Valley Forge (CV-45) in reserve until October 1971, modified as amphibious assault ship in 1961,
USS Princeton (CV-37), in reserve until September 1972, as aphibious assault ship in 1959,
USS Bunker Hill (CV-17), in reserve until July 1973.

I think that with a mix of SCB-27/125, they would have been a good platform for a Harrier carrier/Sea Control Ship.
Keeping the Hurricane bow, but without the angled deck, and of course without the catapult or arresting wire.

Such a ship almost existed, since in the mid-70s, Spain considered buying the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39), and it would probably have become a Harrier carrier in the style of the Dédalo (R01).
USS_Princeton_(LPH-5)_underway_at_sea,_circa_1965_(NNAM.1996.488.060.030).jpg
 
I'd like to imagine if the Essex without angled deck had been used as Harrier carrier/SCS or Marines' support carrier.

The Essex that could have become this are :
USS Franklin (CV-13) in reserve until July 1966,
USS Tarawa (CV-40) in reserve until October 1968,
USS Leyte (CV-32) in reserve until September 1970,
USS Boxer (CV-21) in reserve until March 1971, as amphibious assault ship in 1958,
USS Valley Forge (CV-45) in reserve until October 1971, modified as amphibious assault ship in 1961,
USS Princeton (CV-37), in reserve until September 1972, as aphibious assault ship in 1959,
USS Bunker Hill (CV-17), in reserve until July 1973.

I think that with a mix of SCB-27/125, they would have been a good platform for a Harrier carrier/Sea Control Ship.
Keeping the Hurricane bow, but without the angled deck, and of course without the catapult or arresting wire.

Such a ship almost existed, since in the mid-70s, Spain considered buying the USS Lake Champlain (CV-39), and it would probably have become a Harrier carrier in the style of the Dédalo (R01).
View attachment 717613
The problem with doing that, is that just sticks you with a far less capable carrier than an SCB-27C/125 Essex for the exact same operational costs. The Navy itself had zero interest in operating Harriers. For several reasons. As @Archibald pointed out, the AV-8A kinda sucked. The Navy's existing strike planes were far more capable than early Harriers.

On top of that, unlike most other Navies that had to make the somewhat bitter choice to abandon Cats & Traps carriers due their escalating cost and size, the USN had no such need. They had, during the 1960s, twenty-six angled deck carriers with the smallest being roughly 44,000 tons. Think about that, those were the small carriers in the Navy. The rest of the world was operating carriers that were half that tonnage. They had no need at all to try and go STOVL.

And finally, politics. The Navy desperately wanted more Super Carriers, and more Nimitz class in particular. Converting straight deck Essex class to operate Harriers gives congress an easy way to kill the Nimitz class, something they tried to do several times. Why give them an even easier time of it?
 
And finally, politics. The Navy desperately wanted more Super Carriers, and more Nimitz class in particular. Converting straight deck Essex class to operate Harriers gives congress an easy way to kill the Nimitz class, something they tried to do several times. Why give them an even easier time of it?

Which is why FDR was scrapped so quickly - the USN was afraid Carter would order her modernized instead of authorizing CVN-71 Theodore Roosevelt.

Initially, President Gerald Ford cancelled the order for CVN-71 in 1976 and substituted two CVV-type carriers that were expected to operate V/STOL aircraft. The existing T-CBL design formed the basis for the new CVV, serving as a replacement for the aging Midway-class carriers, while capable of operating all existing conventional carrier aircraft. In any case, construction of the proposed CVV medium-sized carrier never took place.

Authorization for CVN-71 was further delayed when President Jimmy Carter vetoed the 1979 Fiscal Year Department of Defense authorization bill because of the inclusion of this Nimitz-class nuclear supercarrier in the Navy ship-building program.
As a result of the Iran hostage crisis, President Carter reversed his stand on Nimitz-class nuclear supercarriers, and CVN-71 was subsequently authorized under the 1980 Fiscal Year authorization bill for the U.S. Department of Defense.

If FDR was sitting quietly in reserve, it would be very possible that she would be modernized and TR pushed back even further.
 

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