Scrapping of USS Coral Sea

As long as you have a nice waterproof jacket 😀

Well, she operated F-18s, so Rafes should be no problem at all!

Laid down 10th July ’44, launched 2 April ’46, commissioned 1 October ’47, it was somewhat delayed by the end of the war, but she got there in the end… It probably could accept Rafales, though as I mentioned, she did have terrible seakeeping (the massive deck overhangs meant she rolled terribly in high seas).

The trouble is that all the Midway conversions had severe rolling problems in heavy seas (large deck overhang). Also, the hull was laid down in ’44, so she was a good old age when retired, so I suspect few customers would want her – also, mid-sized is not always a great thing, she was too big for the ‘small’ carrier navies (Argentina, Brazil) and too old for the ‘bigger’ navies like the UK or France. On a related note, I seem to remember reading somewhere that Argentina had actually looked into buying one of the old SCB-modernised Essex class carriers, though I am not sure when, probably in the ’70s I would guess. My suggestion of civilian uses was just for fun though! :diablo:

alas, the age thing too. (i thought the hull was laid down in 46′ not that 2 years really matters when that far old).. woulda been interesting if Brazil ended up taking it.. it surely could accomodate future Rafales couldn’t it?

The trouble is that all the Midway conversions had severe rolling problems in heavy seas (large deck overhang). Also, the hull was laid down in ’44, so she was a good old age when retired, so I suspect few customers would want her – also, mid-sized is not always a great thing, she was too big for the ‘small’ carrier navies (Argentina, Brazil) and too old for the ‘bigger’ navies like the UK or France. On a related note, I seem to remember reading somewhere that Argentina had actually looked into buying one of the old SCB-modernised Essex class carriers, though I am not sure when, probably in the ’70s I would guess. My suggestion of civilian uses was just for fun though! :diablo:

India maybe could have used her…..

Did they ever try selling her? given that she was America’s last mid size carrier.. you’d figure it’d be popular with the likes of Europe, S.American or maybe Asian nations who want smaller carrier.

And who would have supplied the money and crew to accomplish that?

One of my friends was a seaman on the Coral Sea and served in the boiler room. He told me she was suffering tremendous corrision from the Hanger Deck to the Boilers, so she would have never stood up to continued use with any form of safety…

She was also packed full of what is considered today to be hazarous WWII construction materials which ruled out sinking as a target or continued use.

A great pity, she would have made a great tourist attraction for people with more money than sense – instead of buying a trip on a Soyuz to the ISS, you can get launched off the deck in one of the retired T-2 Buckeyes… I am sure they would have had takers! :dev2:

Sad. Would have prefered to see her sunk as a target or reef.