|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

USS Kearsarge CV-33

The USS Kearsarge was the second ship to be named after a steam sloop that had been used in the Civil War era. It was built as an Essex class aircraft carrier by the New York Naval Shipyard. She was launched in May of 1945 and was commissioned in March of 1946.

As she was built, the Kearsarge weighed over 27,000 tons. She was 888 feet in overall length and 93 feet wide. The carrier sped along at speeds of up to 33 knots, driven by eight boilers and four propellers. She could carry up to 100 airplanes of different types. Her crew complement consisted of 3,448 officers and enlisted men. When the enemy attacked, she could defend herself with a large arsenal. She carried four twin 5 inch 38 caliber guns, four single 5 inch 38 caliber guns, eight quadruple Bofors 40mm guns and 46 single Oerlikon 20 mm cannons.

For the first four years of her service to the U.S., she was based out of Norfolk, Virginia. Most of those years were spent in training her crew, as well as various other officers and sailors. Most of her missions took her up and down the east coast of America and down into the waters of the Caribbean. She also spent part of those four years doing tours of the Mediterranean. On her last return to the U.S., she was reassigned to the west coast. She reached the Puget Sound Navy Yard in February of 1950 and then, in June, she was decommissioned to undergo modernization that would allow her to launch the new jet planes from her flight deck.

In August of 1952, after shakedown and extensive flight training, she left American waters to join in the conflict occurring in Korea. She joined Task Force 77 and began to attack the Communist forces in North Korea. She and her crew spent five months involved in the war. During that time, her planes flew over 6,000 sorties against various enemy targets. The ship was awarded two Battle Stars for her service in the Korean War. She returned to San Diego in March of 1953 with a new classification, CVA-33.

The Kearsarge returned to the Far East in July and joined the operations of 7th Fleet fast carrier force. One of her missions was to keep an eye on the Formosa Straits to keep Communists from attacking Taiwan. Once tensions had eased, the carrier returned to America and resumed training operations. Upon the completion of training, the ship and her crew returned for their third tour of duty in the Far East. During that time, they helped with the evacuation of 18,000 civilians and 20,000 military personnel from the Tachen Islands. From then until about 1958, the Kearsarge had a running schedule of training missions off the coast of California and returning to the Far East.

In 1958 the carrier received a new designation, CVS-33, and was refitted as an antisubmarine warfare support carrier. She completed another shakedown and several training missions and then, in September of 1959, returned to the Far East. During her tour a typhoon struck Japan and, once again, the Kearsarge was instrumental in providing some relief to the victims of the storm. After a couple of more trips between the Far East and California, the carrier returned to Puget Sound for another modernization.

In 1962 and again in 1963, the Kearsarge became involved in the American Space Program. In October of 1962, she picked Walter Schirra and his space capsule after a flawless flight for Project Mercury. They engaged in training exercises for about six months and then were called to do it again. This time, in May of 1963, they retrieved Gordon Cooper. He had just returned to Earth in his space capsule, the Faith 7", after circling the planet 22 times.

In June, the Kearsarge set sail for her eighth Far East tour. Her mission included keeping watch on the problems developing in Southeast Asia. She returned and spent about six months in training exercises. In June of 1964, she set out for her ninth Far East tour. This time, it was to support the 7th Fleet from submarines as they launched attacks against North Vietnamese oil caches and supply depots. She received five Battle Stars for her service in Vietnam.

The Kearsage underwent another overhaul during the few months of 1965, and then continued operations off the west coast of America. In June of 1966, the Kearsarge steamed to the Far East for her tenth and final tour in the area. She finally returned to Pearl Harbor in August of 1967 to have some work done and wait for hr next call to action. It never came. The USS Kearsarge was decommissioned in February of 1970 and then, finally, sold for scrap on February of 1974.

There was one item that was aboard the Kearsarge, as well as most of the other ships in the Navy, that posed a high risk to the sailors living and working on her. Asbestos had been used, extensively, in building the ship. The problem with asbestos is the dust that falls from it contains millions of microscopic asbestos fibers. While it can take twenty to fifty years for the damage done by the fibers to develop, they are deadly when they do. The two primary asbestos-related diseases are mesothelioma, a cancer, and asbestosis.

If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Kearsarge CV-33, or have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, Asbestos.com offers a free packet with more information. Enter your contact information in the form in the right column and we'll send a copy immediately.

Aircraft Carriers Index

USS America USS Antietam CV 36 K USS Antietam CV 36 USS Badoeng Strait CVE 116 USS Bairoko CVE 115 USS Bairoko CVE 115 USS Belleau wood CVL 24 USS Bennington CV 20 USS Bon Homme Richard CVa USS Boxer CV USS Bunker CV USS Cabot CVL 28 USS Constellation CV USS Coral Sea CV USS Corregidor CVE 58 USS Sable ix USS San jacinto CVL USS Saratoga CV USS Saratoga CV3 USS Shangri La

USS Cowpens CVL 25 USS Enterprise CV 6 USS Enterprise CVN USS Essex CV 9 USS Forrestal CV USS Franklin CV 13 USS Hancock CV 19 USS Hornet CV 12 USS Hornet CV 8 USS Independence C1 USS Independence CVL 22 USS Intrepid CV 11 USS Kearsage CV 33 USS Kearsage CV USS Kitty Hawk USS Sicily CVe USS Sitkoh bay USS Tarawa CV USS Ticonderoga CV USS Valley forge CV

USS Lake Champlain CV 39 USS Langley CV 1 USS Langley CVL 27 USS Lexington CV 16 USS Lexington CV 2 USS Leyte CV 32 USS Midway CV USS Oriskany CV USS Phillipine Sea CV USS Point cruz CVE USS Princeton CV USS Princeton CVL USS Randolph CV USS Ranger CV USS Rendova USS Wasp CV 18 USS Wasp CV 7 USS Wolverine IX 64 USS Yorktown CV 10 USS Yorktown CV 5

Name:

Address:

City, State, Zip:

Phone Number:

Email:

Diagnosis:

Select... Mesothelioma Lung Cancer Asbestosis Severe Asbestosis Unknown

Comments:

Show Your Support

Free Wristbands
Get an Asbestos Awareness Wristband. Read More

VA Claim Help

Support Book

Cancer Support Book
Get a Free Copy of Lean on Me - Cancer Through a Carer's Eyes. Read More

In Your Area

Asbestos Exposure
Learn about asbestos exposure and legal options in your area. Read More

We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: Verify Here.