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USS Philippine Sea CV-47

The USS Philippine Sea aircraft carrier received nine Battle Stars for her service during the Korean War. She carried 3,448 sailors, as well as 100 aircraft and 46 cannons. Other armament consisted of 4 x twin 5 inch/38 caliber guns, 4 x single 5 inch/38 caliber guns, and 8 x quadruple 40 mm guns. The Philippine was propelled by eight boilers and four steam turbines, and her 888 foot length could reach 33 knots per hour.

Cold Weather Operations

After commissioning in 1946, her training and shakedown was followed by a trip to the Caribbean, in the transport of Air Group 20. Her next voyage, in l947, involved sailing with the Navy's Antarctic Expedition, Operation Highjump, to deliver Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd and his crew to their polar expedition. The following year, Philippine Seas joined the 6th Fleet and traveled around Western Europe, carrying Air Group 9. Her next mission involved a tour of the lower rim of the Arctic Circle, during which she tested planes, ships, and equipment while establishing protocol for carrier control approach landings. By 1949, Philippine and Air Group 7 had finished their missions, which led the ship to her first overhaul at the Boston Naval Shipyard.

Called To Action

After that brief rest, Philippine Sea embarked Air Group 1 for task force exercises before being sent back to the Caribbean to provide demonstration cruises for guests of the Armed Forces Staff College, the Armed Forces Industrial College, the Air War College, and then Secretary of the Navy. After this recognition, the vessel then joined the Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor at the start of the Korean War. Transporting Air Group 11, Philippine Sea acted as flagship of Task Force 77, and launched air strikes towards North Korean rail and communication centers.

In response to Marine forces trapped inland, her Corsair fighter and Skyraider attack bombers, along with Panther jets, provided protection for the hundreds of evacuation planes rescuing 150,000 troops and civilians. She then picked up Air Group 2 before becoming designated as the flagship of the Vice Admiral of the 7th Fleet. The USS Philippine then continued her success in air support, including an offensive against Pyongyang and an attack on the Sui-ho Dam.

Final Accomplishments

In 1953, Philippine received a complete overhaul before her next deployment out of Manila. After China shot down a Cathay-Pacific Airways passenger liner (mistaking it for a Taiwanese military plane), she began a search and rescue mission for survivors. During this mission, one of her Skyraider aircraft was attacked by two enemy fighter aircraft; the Skyraider shot down both in return. The next few years saw routine maneuvers, exercises and maintenance, but in 1957, Philippine Sea discovered the wreckage of Pan Am Flight 7, a commercial airline flight that had disappeared while flying to Hawaii. After her final deployment with the 7th Fleet in 1958, she was classified as inactive, and decommissioned later that year while berthed with the Reserve. The USS Philippine Sea was struck from the Navy List in 1969 and sold for scrapping two years later.

Not too many vessels spent as much time in cold-climate conditions as the USS Philippine, which may have increased the demands on her propulsion and internal temperature controls. With eight boilers working continuously as it was, the ship would have required extensive insulation to regulate mechanical conditions while protecting against overheating, and all battleships had to guard against the possibility of ignition or combustion. This ship probably took every precaution known in the 1940's, including the installation of asbestos, which was widely employed at the time of the Philippine Sea's construction. Regarded as an excellent retardant against flames, heat, and electricity, it had the further attribute of fitting into the small and awkward spaces of warships. It appeared to offer much needed protection in an environment where fire was to be avoided at all costs. (With few resources available while at sea, and few areas in which to escape, the threat of an on-board inferno was every bit as dangerous as enemy fire.) Unfortunately, the asbestos may have posed a risk of its own, if any of the fibers escaped the sealant and entered the vessel's air circulation. Too small to be noticed, they may have been inhaled or swallowed, and remained in a crewmember's lungs for 40 or 50 years. Without a way of elimination from human tissues, these microscopic asbestos fibers may have begun a process that evolved into a condition such as asbestosis or mesothelioma. With a latency period of several decades, only now are these asbestos-related diseases beginning to appear. It is imperative that sailors from the USS Philippine Sea consult with their doctors regarding any unusual physical problems as soon as possible.

If you were exposed to asbestos while serving on the USS Philippine Sea CV-47, 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

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