1951-jul-12 | Ordered | Ordered CV-59 USS Forrestal | |
1952-jul-14 | Laid down | Laid down CV-59 USS Forrestal | |
1952-jul-23 | Ordered | Ordered CVA-60 USS Saratoga as CVB-60 | |
1952-dec-16 | Laid down | Laid down CVA-60 USS Saratoga as CVA-60, in Brooklyn | |
1954-jul-02 | Ordered | Ordered CVA-62 USS Independence | |
1954-aug-02 | Laid down | Laid down CVA-61 USS Ranger | |
1954-dec-11 | Launched | Launched CV-59 USS Forrestal as CVA-59 | |
1955-jul-01 | Laid down | Laid down CVA-62 USS Independence | |
1955-oct-01 | Commissioned | Commissioned CV-59 USS Forrestal and based at Norfolk, VA | |
1955-oct-08 | Launched | Launched CVA-60 USS Saratoga | |
1956-apr-14 | Commissioned | Commissioned CVA-60 USS Saratoga | |
1956-sep-29 | Launched | Launched CVA-61 USS Ranger | |
1956-oct | Deployment | Deployment CV-59 USS Forrestal operating in Mediterranean with escort USS Des Moines (CA-134) while shadowing the British and French Musketeer operations | |
1957-aug-10 | Commissioned | Commissioned CVA-61 USS Ranger at Norfolk Naval Station | |
1957-oct | Port Visit | Port Visit CV-59 USS Forrestal visit to Southampton, UK | |
1958-jun-06 | Launched | Launched CVA-62 USS Independence | |
1958-jul | Deployment | Deployment CVA-60 USS Saratoga Operation Blue Bat part of US 6th Fleet, when tasked with support for Lebanese stability operations in Eastern Mediterranean. HUP-2 of HU-2 (det 43) were embarked. Operations continued until 23 Aug. | |
1958-aug-20 | Homeport | Homeport CVA-61 USS Ranger Alameda, Pacific Fleet | |
1959-jan-10 | Commissioned | Commissioned CVA-62 USS Independence | |
1959-jun-30 | Homeport | Homeport CVA-62 USS Independence Norfolk, VA | |
1960-nov-30 | Deployment | Deployment CVA-60 USS Saratoga joint US-UK exercise in Western Mediterranean, including HMS Ark Royal, HMS Hermes, HMS Victorious, USS Independence and USS Intrepid. | |
1960-nov-30 | Deployment | Deployment CVA-62 USS Independence joint US-UK exercise in Western Mediterranean, including HMS Ark Royal, HMS Hermes, HMS Victorious, USS Intrepid and USS Saratoga. | |
1962-aug | Deployment | Deployment CV-59 USS Forrestal operating off Portugal with HMS Centaur, HMS Hermes and USS Enterprise during, Exercise RipTide II. | |
1963-oct-30 | Trials | Trials CV-59 USS Forrestal conducted 1st set of deck landing trials with USMC KC-130F 798 off Jacksonville, FL | |
1963-nov-08 | Trials | Trials CV-59 USS Forrestal conducted 2nd set of deck landing trials with USMC KC-130F 798, 90nm E of Boston. Findings led to C-2 Greyhound COD programme. | |
1967-jul-25 | Deployment | Deployment CV-59 USS Forrestal Departed Norfolk VA with her air wing (including a detachment from HS-2) on 6 Jun 1967, for Gulf of Tonkin off Vietnam, arrived 25 Jul. On 29 Jul a weapons release accident caused a huge fire on deck amongst an armed and fuelled strike force. 135 lost their lives bringing the blaze under control. Steamed to Subic Bay for temporary repairs and returned to Norfolk on 15 Sep. | |
1974-jul | Deployment | Deployment CV-59 USS Forrestal Partition of Cyprus detached from US 6th Fleet in Mediterannean and ordered off Cyprus to support and if neccesary evacuate US Nationals in aftermath of Turkish invasion of the island. Operated with support of USS Inchon, HS-3 embarked. | |
1975-jul | Homeport | Homeport CV-59 USS Forrestal designation changed to CV-59 and moved to Mayport Naval Station, FL | |
1981-feb-02 | Port Visit | Port Visit CVA-62 USS Independence visited Fremantle, until 7 Feb. | |
1982 | | CV-59 USS Forrestal helicopter crash | |
1986-oct | Aircraft | Aircraft CVA-61 USS Ranger port visit English Bay, Vancouver, BC. Sea King 149719 | |
1988-oct-08 | Homeport | Homeport CVA-62 USS Independence San Diego, CA | |
1991-sep | Homeport | Homeport CVA-62 USS Independence relieved USS Midway at Yokosuka, as forward-deployed carrier, until Aug 1998. | |
1992-feb-04 | Homeport | Homeport CV-59 USS Forrestal designation changed to AVT-59 and moved to Pensacola Naval Station, FL | |
1993-jul-10 | Decommissioned | Decommissioned CVA-61 USS Ranger at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard | |
1993-sep-11 | Decommissioned | Decommissioned CV-59 USS Forrestal | |
1994-aug-20 | Decommissioned | Decommissioned CVA-60 USS Saratoga | |
1997-feb | Port Visit | Port Visit CVA-62 USS Independence first carrier to visit Guam since 1961. | |
1997-apr | Port Visit | Port Visit CVA-62 USS Independence first carrier to visit Port Klang | |
1998-sep-30 | Decommissioned | Decommissioned CVA-62 USS Independence at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, WA | |
2004-mar-08 | Struck | Struck CVA-62 USS Independence | |
2014-feb-04 | Fate: scrapped | Fate: scrapped CV-59 USS Forrestal towed from Philadelphia Naval Yard to Texas for scrapping, completed by Dec 2014. | |
2016-apr-17 | | CVA-62 USS Independence still laid up at Puget Sound, pending scrapping in Texas. | |