USS Valley Forge (CVS-45) Information

USS Valley Forge

CV-45/CVA-45/CVS-45/LPH-8

Underway in 1955

Dedicated to the USS Valley Forge and all the men who ever served on her, whether they were ship's company or members of the squadrons that served onboard her during her long and distinguished career.

A brief history of the USS Valley Forge 1946 as CV-45 CV-45, CVA-45 While the "Happy Valley" was the last of the Essex CV9 class carriers, she was also known as a Ticonderoga class (long hull) carrier. She was built with money raised from a special war bond drive by the citizens of Philadelphia. In September of 1944 her keel was laid in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. She was commissioned in November of 1946.

ORIGINAL STATISTICS
Displacement	36,380 tons
Length	888' 0"
Beam	93' 0"
Draft	28'7"
Speed	32.7 Knots
Complement	3,448
Armament	12 - 5" 38 caliber dual purpose guns and 72 - 40mm anti-aircraft guns
Aircraft	80

The Valley Forge may have been the last of the Essex class fast carriers of World War II, but she had many firsts in her long and distinguished career. In 1948, she along with her destroyer escorts, the USS Lawe and the USS Thomas, were the first American naval ships to make an around the world cruise since the "Great White Fleet" of 1907. During this cruise she was the first US Navy carrier to pass through the Suez Cannal and to conduct flight operations in the Persian Gulf. Plank owner Stan S. Vitale (1946-1949) adds: "...the name of the other two tin cans that were with us in our world cruise in 1948. They called them selves the 8 ball squadron - USS Law 763, USS Thomas 764, USS Kippler 765 & USS Wood 715." Two years later, she would be the first US carrier to launch aircraft in the first naval air strikes of the Korean War. They were conducted by 12, F9F'3 of carrier air squadrons VF51 and VF52. These were the first US naval jets to go into battle. [A note here for all our British friends: the British carrier HMS Triumph got her planes in the air first.] During her first deployment in Korea, her planes, consisting of Douglas AD Skyraiders, Vought F4U Corsairs and Grumman F9F's Panthers, flew more than 5,000 sorties and delivered over 2,000 tons of bombs and rockets. For your convenience we have alisting of squadrons attached to the Valley Forge during the Korean Conflict on a separate page. She returned to San Diego in December of 1950 for overhaul. Upon arrival there, she received urgent orders directing her to sail back to Korea because during absence from her station, the Chinese communists had entered the Korean War. She hurriedly replenished her supplies and embarked a new air group, sailing back to Korea for her second deployment there. During this deployment her air craft would fly over 2,580 sorties and deliver some 1,500 tons of bombs. The Valley Forge returned to the west coast in the summer of 1952. In October 1, 1952 aircraft carriers designated CV and CVB were reclassified as Attack Carriers and assigned the designation CVA. She was redesignated as CVA-45. Later that year she was again deployed to Korea where her planes would drop some 3,700 tons of bombs on the enemy. This would be her last deployment to Korean waters during this war. She returned to San Diego in June of 1953. Her service in Korea would earn her eight battle stars along with a Navy Unit Commendation.

CVS 45 and group CVS-45 After a west coast overhaul the Valley Forge returned to the east coast, being assigned to the Atlantic Fleet. At this time she was reclassified to antisubmarine warfare support carrier CVS-45. She was refitted at Norfolk Naval Shipyard for her new duties as an ASW carrier and returned to the fleet in January of 1954. She would operate on ASW duties in the Atlantic and Eastern Mediterranean, until March of '61.

1955 STATISTICS
GENERAL DIMENSIONS
Standard displacement	27,100 tons
Design draft	26'6"
Displacement (of designing draft)	33,100 tons
Length	888' 0"
Beam	93' 0"
MAIN PROPULSION PLANT
Boilers	8
Engines	4
Propellers	4
Shaft Horsepower	150,000 ahead 48,000 astern
ARMAMENT
Main Battery	12 - 5" 38 caliber dual purpose guns
Second Battery	11 Quadruple 40MM mounts
AVIATION FACILITIES
Planes	40 ASW carrier type aircraft
Catapults	2
Aircraft elevators	3
GROUND TACKLE
Anchors	2
SHIP'S BOATS
Admiral's Barge	1
Captain's Gig	1
Officers' motor boat	1
Motor whaleboats (26')	2
Motor launches (40')	2

From pier 7 in Norfolk, Virginia, the Valley Forge departed on her September 1954 cruise. Along with visits to Belfast, Ireland; Barcelona, Spain; and "The Rock", Gilbraltar, she participated in Operation Black Jack. Photos from this cruise may be viewed in analbum on-line. They also serve as a graphical essay on ship-board life. Another Naval first for the "Happy Valley" came in 1957 when operating out of Guantanamo Bay. Here she would embark a Marine detachment and twin engined HR2S-1 Mojave helicopters experimenting on the new concept of "vertical envelopment." These helo's air-lifted the Marines to the beachhead and then returned them to the ship in history's first ship-based air assault exercise.